"I'm telling you, we are literally training for a 15-round fight. I'll be able to do this 10 rounds in my sleep, so you're going to see a very, very fast pace. We are really training for a dog war, take this guy to the brink of death, never going to stop punching, and keep pressing this guy; and to show him really what a war is about... Honestly, I don't think this guy is in my league. I don't think he is the type of guy I should be fighting," stated heavyweight contender Amir Mansour, who talked about his October 13 clash with undefeated heavyweight Gerald Washington. Check it out!
PC: Big fight coming up against undefeated Gerald Washington. How are you feeling?
AM: Things are going good. I'm training hard, as usual, and ready to show up and go full throttle, you know.
PC: For sure. After the Dawejko fight, you felt you came in too light for that fight. Do you feel like you have your weight situation under control and you are at a comfortable weight?
AM: Yeah! One thing I don't do, man, is I don't make no excuses going into a fight because I can't stand fucking crybabies. So even when something is wrong with me, I don't complain about it or say nothing because win, lose, or draw, at the end of the day, I don't want to try and find any excuses. But 3 weeks before that fight with Joey, I had caught food poisoning, man, and I couldn't hold nothing in my stomach. All I was drinking was protein drinks for about a week and a half. I took a lot of weight off because I didn't stop training. It was too close to the fight to stop training. So I lost a lot of weight there and as a result of that, I lost a lot of muscle too and some power. I wasn't as strong as I usually am. But we rebound from that; I'm 224 right now, feeling good and very healthy, and that wasn't nothing. I still got the win. But I'm putting this weight back on and I'm putting it on the right way. I'm putting it on with muscle and not fat. I've been working all summer long really on building that muscle and strength back up.
PC: There was a time where you and I spoke and I used to always say, "I just wish people could see you fight instead of just reading about your fights in our post-fight interviews." All of your recent fights have been televised and fans are finally getting a glimpse of you. That's major.
AM: It's a blessing, man. I gotta thank Joe Hand for really getting me that exposure that I've been craving for. You know every single fight since I signed with him has been on national TV, every single one, and I can't really ask for more from a manager or promoter; to put me on TV every single fight. It was really just getting with a great guy and a great company and having them believe in you the way you want your team to believe in you. So it was just a combination of things and it's just been a heck of a ride so far. We just going to continue this mission, man.
PC: Do you know a whole lot about Washington heading into this fight?
AM: I let Keith Stoffer, who has been in my corner since day one, I let him watch tapes of guys and he breaks them down and he always give me the right instructions, even though he's not my trainer. He's a part of my management team; he's an advisor to me. When he lets me know how confident he is that I can beat a person, I already know and he's very harsh and critical, so this guy, there is no way in the world he can become a problem for me. His biggest advantage is his height and I'm experienced enough to take that away from him.
PC: You have told me in the past that you felt you fought better against taller guys.
AM: Well, yeah, I was so used to fighting guys that were taller than me. Everybody was always so much taller than me; I got my niche there fighting taller guys. I trained for years fighting guys that's taller than me and then bang, I fight Joey and he was shorter than me. A guy being taller than me means nothing to me. I've been fighting taller guys since I was in kindergarten.
PC: What has the work in the gym been like for you?
AM: Ah man, you've talked to Calvin [Davis]; you know he's dogging me, man. Honestly man, we're training...we're not going old school; we're going new and improved school. We are training for a 15-round fight, to be honest with you. He's making sure I get my proper rest, he's making sure that I build that muscle endurance up, and I'm telling you, we are literally training for a 15-round fight. I'll be able to do this 10 rounds in my sleep, so you're going to see a very, very fast pace. We are really training for a dog war, take this guy to the brink of death, never going to stop punching, and keep pressing this guy; and to show him really what a war is about. You're not going after a little, weak quarterback. This is a guy that's going to hit you back, stay in your face, and stay in your lane and press you and press you until you crumble.
PC: Are you satisfied with the heavyweights being thrown back into the mix or do you still think certain guys should be fighting different guys still?
AM: I would still like to see different kind of matchups. Honestly, I don't think this guy is in my league. I don't think he is the type of guy I should be fighting. I should be fighting the type of guys that have a higher ranking than him. I should be fighting somebody more known than him, but I gotta take what they give me, Percy, because to be honest with you, I gotta take my hat off to this guy, man, for even accepting this fight. He's courageous for taking this fight. Like I said, this guy has a fighter's mentality. He's got a champion's mentality like, yo, bring it on, I'll fight him. He accepted a fight that Deontay Wilder wouldn't accept and a lot of other guys that's so called top ten fighters won't accept. Chris Arreola just fought a guy that I dominated. He could have fought me, but he wouldn't accept it. I gotta take my hat off to this guy for stepping up to the challenge. We need more guys like Gerald Washington, who is willing to fight anybody because if you're willing to fight me, you're definitely willing to fight anybody. You gotta give him credit for taking this fight. Maybe he looked at the Dawejko fight and made his decision off of that. I really hope he didn't, but it's too late now. The contracts are signed and the ink is dry and October 13th, you're going to have to meet me in that ring.
PC: Always a pleasure speaking with you. Best of luck next month. Is there anything else you would like to add?
AM: Hey man, I just want to thank everybody that stands by me. I want to thank Keith Stoffer for always being in my corner. This man has done everything that a father would do for you and he will be there with me in my corner until the end of time and I want to thank him for just really helping me and encouraging me and walking me out of that prison door and walking me into the position that I'm in right now. I could not be here without him. Of course I want to thank Joe Hand Promotions because they are really doing a great job with me. They are like a second family to me and I really love these guys. Life is really about making meaningful connections and these gentlemen are the most meaningful connections that I have ever made in my life besides making that connection with God because God comes first. God is always first, but these gentlemen have been like fathers to me and big brothers to me and I know that I couldn't have got this far without their assistance and help, no matter how talented I am. And thank y'all, man, FightHype.com. Y'all know I love y'all, man.
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]