"I saw the fight with Errol Spence. He came out blasting and for a 2-day notice fight, he did pretty good. He took that fight on short notice, but I'm expecting a whole different beast...I think he's going to come out fast and try to dictate the tempo, but he's going to feel something different," stated welterweight contender Joseph Elegele, who talked about his upcoming clash with Phil Lo Greco. Check it out!
PC: How has training been for your Bounce TV headliner this Sunday against Phil Lo Greco?
JE: Preparation has been going real well. I'm ready to fight, really.
PC: Phil has been in there with some tough guys and his only 2 losses are to Shawn Porter and Errol Spence Jr. Are you familiar with him?
JE: I don't know too much about him, but I saw the fight with Errol Spence. He came out blasting and for a 2-day notice fight, he did pretty good. He took that fight on short notice, but I'm expecting a whole different beast.
PC: Does it change anything for you weighing in on a Saturday and fighting on a Sunday?
JE: It doesn't bother me too much. I'm good for Sunday. I don't go to church, so I'm free.
PC: Phil seems to always try to jump on you. Are you expecting him to come right out at you?
JE: I'm expecting that. For this fight, he had a month notice, so he should be in good shape. He was in good shape for the Errol fight, but he got stopped. But like I said, I'm expecting a different beast and I think he's going to come out fast and try to dictate the tempo, but he's going to feel something different.
PC: You are coming off of a spectacular knockout in January. Do you put any pressure on yourself to one up your last performance or is it just about the win at this point?
JE: I do! I have to be honest with you, but I try not to. It's just extra pressure. No fighter needs extra pressure because just getting in the ring is pressure. You got your family and anything can happen in that ring. So I try to remain calm and take each fight one at a time.
PC: How much does it mean for you to be headlining on national television?
JE: It means a lot to me because I feel like it's time. I feel like it's overdue and I'm just ready to take care of business and let the world watch me do what I do. I feel like I have a very aggressive crowd-pleasing style, so I just hope they watch and enjoy what they see.
PC: What are you looking to show them?
JE: My talent! I'm a sharp left-handed fighter; sharp counter puncher. I just want to show my talent and have my name brought up in the big fights. I hope people want to see me in the bigger fights.
PC: Obviously you and Errol Spence Jr. are two different fighters, but you both share the same stance. Did you see some things he was able to accomplish that you think would be helpful to you?
JE: I seen some things. I'm not going to share them with you right now, but I seen some things that I can definitely utilize in this fight.
PC: Your opponent prior to this fight, Alex De Jesus, was murdered recently. No matter what happens or what is said during the build up of a fight, you guys share a mutual respect as fighters. Is there anything you would like to say about Alex?
JE: There is always that level of respect when you share that ring with someone. Afterwards is always respect because this is a gladiators sport and you could lose your life in that ring. I felt bad. After the fight, I talked to him and he seemed like a pretty good dude, so it was a sad thing. Somebody called me and said he was dead. I looked it up and saw the way he died and seeing he was shot 12 times is real tough.
PC: And we also lost the GOAT, Muhammad Ali, who passed away at the age of 74 years old. Any lasting words about Muhammad Ali?
JE: Ah man, I mean, Ali meant a lot to me, not only in the ring, but out of the ring, and his character and what he stood for. He stood by that and that taught me a lot in life because if I'm feeling some type of way, I'm going to speak my mind. A lot of fighters in this sport are very timid and afraid to speak how they feel. Ali let me know it was okay to speak what I feel and stand for what I stand for.
PC: Thanks for your time, best of luck on Sunday, and we will speak afterwards. Is there anything else you want to add?
JE: I just want to thank everyone and hope they tune in, and I would like to thank Al Haymon for giving me this shot. I hope everyone tunes in and watches me take care of business; watch me do my work, man. I hope everyone stay tuned; it's only going to get better.
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]