"I'm just trying to make a statement that this guy Amir Mansour is a serious fighter, a great contender, and someone who can represent the heavyweight division the way that the American people came to love the heavyweights. Get in that ring, put it all out there, take chances, take risk, hit hard, take some shots, bleed or swell or whatever I gotta do to get the win...This kid's going to need a miracle, plus another miracle, to defeat me in that ring," stated heavyweight contender Amir Mansour, who talked about his upcoming clash this Friday with Joey Dawejko. Check out what else he had to say!
PC: Friday Night Fights, Joey Dawejko is the opponent. A lot of talk leading up to this one. How do you feel?
AM: I feel good, man. I'm in great shape. He's slimmed down a lot. I anticipated him slimming down, so I said you know what, I'm going to slim down too and I actually weigh exactly what I weighed when I was 29 years old. I'm shredded up like a damn bodybuilder and I feel great, man. I never really liked gaining all of that weight in the beginning anyway.
PC: What did you do differently to get shredded. Was it the training regimen or a special diet?
AM: Well, I have been training for this fight since the end of January, so it's been a very, very long camp and it's been very consistent. Calvin Davis has been training with me and it's just a whole 'nother level of cardio and a whole 'nother level of everything. I've never sparred this much. I have never really done anything after I sparred, but a lot of times with him, I will get out of the ring after I spar and it will be a whole 'nother workout, man. It's been crazy, man, but it's been very beneficial to me. My first 9 fights were knockouts and the most I ever weighed was like 206. I always been a heavy hitter and a strong guy, naturally strong, so at this weight right here, I feel really good. I know he's going to come in a lot lighter than his previous fights and really man, to be honest with you, the smaller heavyweights is what really gave America the glamour in the heavyweight division. Riddick Bowe, Holyfield, Mike Tyson, Larry Holmes and Joe Frazier. These guys weighed, probably the most they ever weighed in their primes was about 230. Holyfield was 208, 209 to 210 and the heavyweight champion of the world. Bowe was 220-224, Joe Frazier was 203 or so, and we know Mike was 209 when he dominated. And I think people got carried away with the bigger is better thing, but the bigger they started getting, the lackluster fights and the lackluster rounds and the boring fights. I just said forget coming in as big as I can get and weighing in as heavy as I can be. I'm going to slim down and be comfortable.
PC: Dawejko has acquired Buddy McGirt as a trainer. You have noticed he's slimmed down. How do you feel like slimming down will benefit you for this fight?
AM: You know, when you take a lot of weight off, your endurance is better, your speed is better, your agility is better, and your athleticism is better, so that's definitely going to benefit me. But truth be told, he could have went to the Shaolin Temple in Shanghai, China with the monks and that's not going to help him. Buddy McGirt is not going to be able to help him and nobody else is.
PC: All eyes will be on ESPN to watch the fight being that it's a week after Mayweather-Pacquiao and the day before Canelo-Kirkland. What type of statement are you looking to make on this stage on Friday night?
AM: I'm just trying to make a statement that this guy Amir Mansour is a serious fighter, a great contender, and someone who can represent the heavyweight division the way that the American people came to love the heavyweights. Get in that ring, put it all out there, take chances, take risk, hit hard, take some shots, bleed or swell or whatever I gotta do to get the win. Really to just give the American people that excitement back in boxing that they came to love in the heavyweight division.
PC: There has been a lot of talk from his side. Are you using that as fuel for the fire, are you ignoring it; how are you dealing with his aggressive stance?
AM: We just had a press conference and it got a little heated, you know what I mean. Sometimes you gotta fight fire with fire. And that's not just a coined phrase; it's a reality. Sometimes when there is a forest fire, the only way that a firefighter can stop the fire from spreading is to start another fighter so that the second fire they started can run into the other fire that's spreading and they control the one that they started. Sometimes you just gotta fight fire with fire. But I don't let that stuff disturb me to a point where I lose focus. On Friday, I'm going to be as focused as ever and go in that ring and do my thing.
PC: I won't keep you too long. Thanks for your time and I look forward to the fight for sure. Best of luck. Is there anything else you want to add before I let you go?
AM: I just want to thank everybody that came out to the press conference and thank everybody that's going to show up Friday night. It's a sold out event and I know what I bring to the table, so I know it's going to be an exciting fight because I'm an exciting fighter. This kid's going to need a miracle, plus another miracle, to defeat me in that ring.
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]