"These guys are terrible, man, and they getting all of this money and can't fight. I know I can beat half of these guys out here...The cruiserweight division hasn't been exciting since I left. I think I kind of made the cruiserweight division exciting when I was fighting and when I left, it went back dead again. I want to bring it back and bring some more exciting fights back and win a world title...I'm coming back like Mike Tyson, man. I'm coming back for vengeance, I'm coming back to bring the heat; blazing," stated "Awesome" Aaron Williams, who talked about his comeback and his future plans. Check it out!
PC: I see you are back in the gym, trying to get it back in. How are you feeling?
AW: I feel good, man. It feels good to be back in the gym; it feels good to be around boxing again. It feels real good.
PC: You had 6 long years away from boxing. Where have you been and what have you been up to?
AW: I got a daughter, man. I've just been working. I got my CDL's and doing everything to take care of my daughter, man. That's about it. I finally got things in order now, about to get back in the ring now. I ain't stressing and I think it will be the perfect time to get back in the ring. I'm in a great spot mentally and physically.
PC: When you walked away in 2011, was that because you needed a break from the sport or what? What led to the hiatus?
AW: Actually, to be honest, after I won the WBC title, my last belt, it was hard to get a fight. I didn't have a manager or promoter or nothing like that. That's why I wasn't fighting anymore, and then I had to get some money, so I started working. I had a daughter, so I had to get a job. That's what I had to do.
PC: You didn't walk away on your terms, so it's gotta be a good feeling to just be back around the sport and shaking out and moving around again.
AW: Yeah! It feels good. I really got tired of working for real for real. I'll work if I have to, but I got a talent and I feel like a lot of these guys can't fight. I get excited when I watch fights and see that a lot of these guys really can't fight; I'm talking about the heavyweight and cruiserweight division. These guys are terrible, man, and they getting all of this money and can't fight. I know I can beat half of these guys out here. I feel good though and I feel like working with Kevin Cunningham is going to take me to the next level. That's how I feel.
PC: You are out there in Florida with Kevin Cunningham. What's the work been like out there?
AW: It feel good, man. Kevin see me motivated and he works the hell out of me. He is pushing me and trying to shake the kinks off because I've been off for so long. It feels good just to be around Devon...Devon Alexander. In my hometown, boxing is kind of dead. The kind of fighter that I am, it's kind of hard to get motivated in my hometown. I need to be around world champs and good fighters on a high level. I don't want to talk bad about nobody in my hometown, but in Cleveland, there is no real sparring and shit, you know. There ain't no good sparring there, so that's why I chose to be in Florida where all the work at, heavyweights, and good fighters at.
PC: You gotta be around world-class fighters to accomplish world class things.
AW: Yeah, yeah, exactly!
PC: You left as a cruiserweight. Is the goal to come back and get a few fights at heavyweight and move back down? What's the comeback goal?
AW: Actually, I'll fight wherever if the right fight comes around. I'll fight at cruiser or heavyweight. These guys cannot fight, to me, man. As long as I have the proper time to train and I'm in proper shape, no matter what weight it is, I'll fight.
PC: When you left in 2011, the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions still had some American flavor in it. Since then, a lot of those titles have traveled to Europe. Was it crazy for you to watch the European takeover so to speak while you were gone?
AW: I mean, I'm not surprised. The cruiserweight division hasn't been exciting since I left. I think I kind of made the cruiserweight division exciting when I was fighting and when I left, it went back dead again. I want to bring it back and bring some more exciting fights back and win a world title.
PC: Typically boxing is not a sport where you could take a numbers of years off and retain any of your skillset. I'm sure you weren't hoping for this extended semi-retirement, but did your body benefit from the rest at all?
AW: I feel good, man! I watched this video of Larry Holmes back in the 80's and he said, "Sometimes a break is good. Once a fighter has been a pro for 20 years, and spar hard and fight hard and you take all kinds of punishment, you get wear and tear on you from taking shots and things like that; a break is good." Even the great Floyd Mayweather take breaks and take time off. That's what it is and that's how boxing works. A lot of these guys take a lot of shots and get that wear and tear on them and then, you know, kind of get punchy. I think a break is always good; always good.
PC: Kevin has a great looking facility out there in Florida and I'm sure even that helps just having everything right there for you readily available.
AW: Yeah! He has a nice facility out here. It's peaceful, the weather out there is hot, so it's easy to sweat and lose weight. It's a good boxing atmosphere here.
PC: Realistically, when can we expect to see the comeback begin?
AW: Right now, it's all a process still. We are working on trying to find a manager and I'm working on something right now as far as financial help to get me back. It's all a process. I've been working out. I'm about to walk in the gym as soon as we get off the phone. It's a process, it really is, and it's a matter of time. I'll probably fight before June or something like that. I'll be ready. I'm coming back like Mike Tyson, man. I'm coming back for vengeance, I'm coming back to bring the heat; blazing!
PC: So it has been frustrating for you to watch some of these guys fight on television, and not just making good money, but to be getting that exposure and airtime.
AW: I'm going to be honest, sometimes I gotta turn the TV off. I can't watch it. It looks like a lot of these guys are just starting boxing. But honestly, some of them are. You got these guys coming from football and wrestling to boxing and making decent money. They can't fight a lick. They are big and strong for nothing. That's what made me want to keep doing it. That's what made me want to fight again.
PC: I wish you the very best in your comeback. It's great seeing anyone do what they love to do and I hope it's a successful comeback for you. Is there anything else you want to add before I let you go?
AW: I just want to tell your readers to be on the lookout for me, "Awesome" Aaron Williams, I'm coming back!
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]