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WINKY WRIGHT SAYS ROBERT GUERRERO IS GOING TO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH KEITH THURMAN: "HE AIN'T ONE-DIMENSIONAL"

By John Russell | March 06, 2015
WINKY WRIGHT SAYS ROBERT GUERRERO IS GOING TO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH KEITH THURMAN:

"I was telling people a long time ago that shorty is going to be nice because he got that 'It' factor. He can punch and he can box, so he ain't one-dimensional. Guerrero is going to have a problem with him because Keith can box, he can jab, he can go to the body and dance around. Guerrero is going to want to stand and slug with him and Keith is not going to do that. Unless Guerrero comes out boxing and tries to keep Keith on the end of that jab, he's going to have a problem. Keith is going to counterpunch him, hit him to the body, and try to catch him with that big shot to knock him out," stated former undisputed jr. middleweight champion Winky Wright, who shared his thoughts on this Saturday's clash between WBA welterweight champion Keith Thurman and challenger Robert Guerrero. Check out what else he had to say about the fight and much more!

JR: Even after retirement, you're still getting strong acknowledgments and awards. Towards the end of last year, you received an award from your hometown of DC, recognizing your contributions to boxing alongside some other heavy hitters who are also from DC. Many peoples' hometown don't give them recognition and vice versa. How much did that award mean to you and what did you take from that evening?

WW: That award meant a lot to me, you know what I mean, especially growing up in DC and seeing all the great DC fighters come up through there. For them to acknowledge me as one of the best to come up from there, it meant a lot, especially when I started boxing here in Florida. I moved when I was 15, so I really didn't get into boxing deep until I got to Florida, but I never forgot my hometown and they never forgot me.

JR: Winky, a gentleman who has made some strong strides in boxing that came up underneath your former head coach, someone you saw become a man from a kid, Keith Thurman is fighting real soon. This can be one of Keith's toughest fights to date against a former champion in Robert Guerrero. What are some things that you saw in Keith years ago that everybody sees today that makes him legit as he is today?

WW: You know, he's a smart kid. I was telling people a long time ago that shorty is going to be nice because he got that "It" factor. He can punch and he can box, so he ain't one-dimensional. Guerrero is going to have a problem with him because Keith can box, he can jab, he can go to the body and dance around. Guerrero is going to want to stand and slug with him and Keith is not going to do that. Unless Guerrero comes out boxing and tries to keep Keith on the end of that jab, he's going to have a problem. Keith is going to counterpunch him, hit him to the body, and try to catch him with that big shot to knock him out.

JR: Many people tried to bash Keith a little bit based on his last performance, but he did enough to win. In your opinion, do you think we'll see that same guy?

WW: Not really. Like you said, he did enough to win and there's just some guys that you're not going to knock out and not look good against, but the whole objective is to win and that's what he did. He couldn't do the things that people expected him to do, but he still came and did what he had to do to get the win.

JR: Do you and Keith still maintain a good friendship?

WW: Oh yeah! We're in the same area and I still go up to the gym and see him workout. I'm going out to the fight. Shorty [Keith] is a nice kid and has a lot of potential and is a heck of a fighter.

JR: If Keith is successful, do you throw the common opponent factor in there in increasing his odds to get a fight from someone like Floyd Mayweather?

WW: Personally, myself, I don't think that fight would ever happen. I don't think Floyd would take that chance to fight a young kid like Keith, who is dangerous and explosive, you know, while Floyd is on the top of his game and on his way to retiring. You know, why take that chance? I think fans would love to see it. I just don't think it's going to happen, to be honest with you.

JR: Give me your thoughts on boxing being on national TV after several years and the factor of it being brought to homes on non-premium subscription cable channels now?

WW: I think it's real good for boxing. When I first heard about it, I was a little suspect, but I give it up to Al Haymon. He got with the right people and is trying to bring boxing to national TV without having to pay for it, like you said. This will help a lot of the up-and-coming fighters too; the fighters who aren't that marquee name fighter. Because many people only think of Floyd and Pacquiao and that's not good. Boxing is boxing. The sport is going to live long after Floyd and Pacquiao are gone, but the only way for that to happen is to build up these younger fighters and showing that it is a large group of fighters and not just 1 or 2 fighters.

JR: Feel like un-retiring, right?

WW: (Laughing) Man, listen, the weight problem as far as me getting down to my weight at 154-167 is just too hard at this age. I was like, "Look man, I just got to retire." I enjoyed the game. I definitely feel like I could still do it, but I just felt so weak in my last fight [vs. Peter Quillin] from getting that weight off. To fight was cool, but I couldn't just execute and my muscles wouldn't fire. So you know, I was like, I depleted myself and couldn't go out the way I wanted. I had a great run in boxing and I didn't want to jeopardize my legacy anymore, you know what I mean.

JR: I wanted to also get your take on a former opponent that mostly everybody, including myself, had you beating in Jermain Taylor. Jermain was temporarily on hold due to almost brain damage from a fight years ago that really could have possibly killed him. He comes back, wins a major belt, and now he's facing serious charges after making some bad decisions. No one is really coming out and saying that maybe some of the damage he suffered to his head could be affecting his decision making. Your comment?

WW: Well, you got all these football players saying that they're having this trouble after getting these concussions and boxing could've very well have done the same thing. Jermain has taken a lot of punishment in some of his fights. The activity from boxing very well could've led to him doing the stupid things that he was doing. But at the same time, Jermain wants to continue to fight and be himself. I think that fight he fought with Soliman was a good fight, but Sam was hurt and Jermain lucked up with Soliman's legs messed up and he couldn't even fight. I think if Sam wasn't hurt, he would've beat Jermain.

JR: Not too many people remember this, but years ago, you were in the Roc-A-Wear ads and one of the first active athletes to be endorsed by them and Jay-Z. With Roc Nation now venturing into boxing, in which I saw you at their first match, was there any mention of putting together a boxing promotion company back then when Roc-A-Wear launched? Did you have somewhat of a say or influence that some people may not know about? I've been paying attention.

WW: Yep, yep, all of that. Let me tell you what's up. Back in the days when we showed up with Roc-A-Wear, State Property and all of them, we was telling Dame [Dash], Jigga, and them that they need to get into boxing and that boxing could be taken over because of the way it was going, you know what I'm saying. But back then at that time, you know, I guess that they weren't ready to do boxing just yet. I think they just wanted to see it and mess around doing what they were already doing. You got to remember, at that time, they were on top. They had the game on lock. They had the music, they had the clothing line, they had everything, you know, so at that time, I guess they didn't want to venture into the promotion business. But later on down the line, something like 10 years later, they're doing it. Like you said, you are probably the only one who realized that we was trying to get them into boxing way back with me and my homeboy Damon.

JR: So did you have any kind a say or involvement with RocNation actually getting into boxing right now or do you have any ties with the promotion?

WW: Nah, I didn't have anything to say or do with it. It was more of the people Jay-Z and his team have running it and everything. But they have a great interest in the game and I hope that they can bring something new to the game. Boxing is a great sport and you need people like Jay and them to come in with a different aspect on the game and put something good into it.

JR: How's that golf game of yours now?

WW: My golf game is tight. Tell them to look out for me. I'm going to be out at this tournament that Michael Jordan used to have all the time in Vegas, but Derek Jeter is doing it this year. I'll be out there around March 12-14th.

JR: I appreciate your time Winky. Anything you like to put out there before I let you go?

WW: Man, I appreciate everybody that always supported me and the fans know the truth about everything. That's it.



[ Follow John Russell on Twitter @theJ_Russ3ll ]

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