"I'm in the process of getting my power up and I feel as though I could knock anybody out right now...Now I feel like I can wear these guys down, pace myself, and get them out of there. I can knock these guys out now...I'm really trying to close the year with a stoppage or knockout. I'm really trying to inflict damage," stated fast-rising featherweight Stephen Fulton, who talked about his upcoming return to the ring this Tuesday. Check it out!
PC: Scooter, how is everything going? I'm sure you are pleased with the direction your career is going in right now.
SF: Yeah, I'm pleased. I'm always pleased because I like to fight. I like to stay busy and they have been keeping me busy.
PC: And I'm sure it helps to not have any down time. It keeps you in the gym.
SF: Oh yeah, most definitely. I'm always in the gym. I've been in the gym since September 15th, my last fight. I've been active, running, staying in the gym and shadowboxing, but I did take like a good 3 to 4 days off to give my body some rest.
PC: When you're staying busy like that, not just the physical is up to par, but it has to keep you sharp mentally as well.
SF: Basically all I do is think about boxing. I box, workout, eat good, and relax. I really don't have any problems or nothing else to worry about.
PC: You've fought 7 times during the span of a calendar year and this will be your fifth fight of 2015. Grade out your year for me! How do you feel you performed this year?
SF: I feel as though I did great. It was a good year of getting to know myself, taking those bigger steps, and developing more. So now I'm in the process of getting my power up and I feel as though I could knock anybody out right now. I went through those learning and developing stages and now I'm fighting undefeated fighters. They starting to put some tough guys in front of me. I feel as though they are testing me, but the test is never on me, it's always on my opponent.
PC: You said you learned a lot about yourself. What did you learn the most about yourself this year?
SF: I'm learning how to turn my shots over. You're going to have to take punches to give punches and Eric Hunter been working with me in the gym and he's been teaching me how to roll certain shots and work the body and turn my punches over. I really just learned my craft this year. Now I feel like I can wear these guys down, pace myself, and get them out of there. I can knock these guys out now.
PC: How important is that for you to knock guys out? Because the 122-126 weight range is not looked at as power-punching divisions, but you make fans want to watch these lower weight classes with exciting fights and knockouts.
SF: It's very important because nowadays, a lot of these small guys are not knocking people out. I think a lot of people may feel that way about me because I have 3 knockouts in 7 fights, but now I'm going to show everybody what it's hitting for. I'm going to show everyone how much my power has increased and my speed and my talent. I'm ready for the big stage now. As much as I talk about being on the big stage and the spotlight with Errol Spence and all of them, I'm ready now. I'm just going to show everybody and my power will stand out.
PC: You have very fast hands. Do you feel like your power will come from your speed or are you working on getting physically stronger as well?
SF: My power comes off of my speed, but I am working on getting stronger, so it's like the best of both worlds. So when I want to work on speed, my punches are going to come hard. And then when I just want to bite down and just throw my power shots, it's going to be real painful for these guys.
PC: I think it's always important for a fighter to either fight early in the year to make a statement or close the year out making a statement. What kind of statement are you looking to make on Tuesday night to close out your year?
SF: I'm trying to close out this year with a knockout. I'm trying to put a good performance on and a hell of a fight. Lately I've been watching that Gatti vs. Ward, so that kind of got me in my zone (laughing).
PC: Some will see the undefeated record and automatically assume it's been a smooth transition from the pros to the amateurs for you and that could be deceiving at times. Has it been a smooth transition into the pro ranks for you?
SF: It's been a smooth transition for me because I can make adjustments in a fight, outside of a fight, and in general as a person I just develop in different ways. I'm always making adjustments to what's going on.
PC: December 29th in Pennsylvania, you told me you don't mind fighting at home. Here is another home game for you. What can fans expect on Tuesday night?
SF: They can expect a wonderful performance; hopefully both fighters come out of the ring safely because I know a lot of fighters have been getting seriously injured lately. I know a guy just died [Hamzah Aljahmi] making his pro debut. He's Muslim, so I hope Allah bless him and forgive him for his sins and he is committed and hopefully he makes paradise. But this will be a good fight for me. Like I said before, I'm really trying to close the year with a stoppage or knockout. I'm really trying to inflict damage. And I'm very, very, very, happy about fighting at home because now I'm comfortable and relaxed fighting in front of my family and it's nothing new now. I just want to put on a show because I'm in such good shape. Listen, I stayed in shape. I didn't take no days off. I could get called to fight right now and I would be good. I would look outstanding.
PC: It's just been one long extended camp for you.
SF: Yeah, that's all it is; an extended camp. I'm going to look great in this fight though. I'm going to show a nice jab, nice movement, nice defense; I will be blocking a lot of shots. I'm in my early stages. I don't want to be getting hit with shots I know I can slip and shots I know I can get away from.
PC: What type of year are you wanting to have next year? TV exposure, big fights?
SF: In 2016, I will be expecting to be on TV and I will be expecting to have more fans because I will be putting on nice fights and hell of performances. That's what I want to give the fans and do it for myself. And I want to keep my camp and my team strong. You know how it gets once you start making more money and gaining more fame. You always want to stay level-headed and as a team, it's our job to keep each other level-headed and on the same path and bring it back if anyone starts to do dumb stuff or get out of hand. I just want everybody to stay level-headed and for us to always be doing what we are supposed to be doing.
PC: Have you had any incidents within your team or are you happy with the way things have gone so far?
SF: I haven't had any problems because I will always be level-headed because of my trainer, Hamza Muhammad, and another good trainer, Sloan Harrison, and they've all been around the game, especially Sloan Harrison and my cutman Todd Harlib. I have the best of both worlds when it comes to my camp. And then I have Eric Hunter, who is like a big brother to me. We live right around the corner from each other, so he's always around. He teaches me certain moves that I need to work on because he's been in the sport longer. He wants me to do better and that's how it's supposed to be. So he has me watching fights and just with him all the time. I'm with him most of the time. I just got off the phone with him and we're about to meet up now. He brings the cameras out and does documentaries and stuff like that. My trainer is like a big brother as well and they all keep me level-headed and out of the streets and out of trouble, and if trouble ever comes my way, they'll tuck me out of it. But I never got to that point because they always keep me level-headed. Eric Hunter, we stay in the house and watch boxing and then we'll go out and chill and have fun a little bit, but it always comes back to us being in the house watching boxing. They have all been very supportive for this fight because they see that Team Al Haymon is trying to put me on the big stage and challenge me and they feel I'm ready for it. And I know I'm ready for it. And at the end of the day, no matter how much my team feel as though I'm ready, I'm still the one getting in that ring and I feel I'm ready. I know I'm very ready for whatever comes my way. I know how my team is, I know how my heart is, and my desire is there. Everything I want is right there in front of me and all I gotta do is grab it and take the opportunity that's right there in front of me.
PC: Thanks for your time. Best of luck Tuesday and definitely heading into the next year and stage of your career. Is there anything else you want to leave off with?
SF: I just want to tell BY [Bryant Jennings], hold your head up. You did good. I always support every Philly fighter. If you don't take any risk, you don't have nothing and he took back to back risks. He still put on for Philly and I just want to tell him to hold his head up. I just want to let everybody know that I'm here and I'm coming and I'm here to stay. I won't say 2016 is my year because that's what everybody says, but just watch out for me and see what I got in store.
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]