"A win right here for either one of us could put us into a world title fight the next fight or the one after. It’s a big risk for both of us, but it could also be a big reward at the end of the day for the winner of this fight...come May 11th, it’s flushing season. Devin got to go down and I’m bringing the plunger," stated lightweight contender Mason Menard, who talked about his upcoming clash with Devin Haney. Check it out!
PC: You have had an extensive layoff. Your last fight was over a year ago. You had major shoulder surgery. How does the arm feel?
MM: The arm is feeling great. It has been holding up good in camp. It has been doing well.
PC: I spoke to Devin Haney and he said he has a ton of respect for you for accepting this fight off of that kind of injury and layoff. I think this shows that you’re not playing around. You’re willing to get right back in there with one of the better prospects out there.
MM: When they throw a fight at me, I’m 100% with it. I don’t care what name they toss at me. My manager and promoter thought it was a good fight for me, a good comeback fight, and I’m like, “Yeah! I’m 100% with it.” I know it’s been a long layoff. I might be a little rusty, but I figure through camp, with good sparring and with the right people behind me now, it’ll make a difference. Being in there with a young kid that ain’t never been tested, I know he’s got a ton of sparring experience and amateur experience, but there is a difference when you’re in the ring and getting that kind of experience, which I have already had. That may play a big part in the fight.
PC: We’re talking about you accepting the fight, but I could flip that question and ask you, were you surprised they picked you? This is a 19 year old with only 18 or so fights.
MM: Yeah! In a way, yeah, and then no because I figured it like this, they seen my fight with Beltran, which was not me at all. I was on C-level right there at best. I’m not going to be that same guy. I took that on short notice. I was fat. I was killing myself to make weight. I had to do stuff that I never done before. It was a learning experience for me though. I think them knowing that by the time we fight, I hadn’t been in the ring in 14 months and in my last fight, they saw the scorecards and figured if I went the distance with that guy and couldn’t get him out of there and lost a few rounds...I fought 7 rounds with one arm; I think those things kind of persuade them into taking a fight with me.
PC: I think you’re right because he stated that one of his only times seeing you fight, he was live at the Ray Beltran fight.
MM: Oh yeah, without a doubt. I believe so. No one wants to lose a fight, but I learned a lot from that fight inside and outside of the ring. I think it’s going to bring out a better me, and why not put up my skills against the challenge of a young and hungry fighter? Let’s see who is the best man on May 11th.
PC: I see you have a new management situation since the layoff. You seem to be very happy with your new situation. Tell us about that.
MM: Yeah, I signed with a new management team, No Limit Mindset. Shane Shapiro out of Los Angeles, California, he’s a great guy, dude; he’s helping me out tremendously. When you got somebody like that on your team, it relieves a lot of stress off of you. I don’t have that stress I used to have. He sent me to camp out here in Dallas where I’m working with Nathan and Maurice at Errol Spence’s gym. And then I’ll also be going to Houston to get some work in with my cutman Aaron Navarro and some of the guys he has up at his gym.
PC: You always felt at some point you would have to get out of Louisiana to get some quality training in because there just isn’t a lot around here to choose from. You finally made the transition to venture out. Do you feel the difference?
MM: Yeah, without a doubt. Where I’m from, there is limited people to be able to spar with or guys that will actually spar with me. It’s few and far between guys that will come spar with me. Then when you’re matching up with certain kinds of styles, their style don’t make good for my opponent. And if you’re used to sparring each other all of the time, you know each other, so it’s good to switch it up, and me being able to go to different places and being able to spar with different guys and get some different training, I think it’s going to excel my career a whole lot.
PC: I mentioned this to Devin and I’m sure you have thought about this as well, but the lightweight division is so wide open right now, a win for either one of you could land you a title shot or eliminator type of bout.
MM: Most definitely! A win right here for either one of us could put us into a world title fight the next fight or the one after. It’s a big risk for both of us, but it could also be a big reward at the end of the day for the winner of this fight.
PC: To come off of the layoff and have Showtime want you on their network has to be a great feeling for you.
MM: Without a doubt! Everything happens for a reason and the things that have been happening since the Beltran fight is only making me better. This fight coming in at this time, it came in for a reason for me. I’ve always had things outside of the ring to deal with and the management part and the training part and not getting all of the correct things that I needed. And now that I have it, I’ll be able to really showcase my skills and my talent and put me where I need to be. A win right here will have me in line for a world title shot and I truly believe I’ve worked hard for it and I deserve it.
PC: Sometimes when you have something taken away from you, especially due to an injury, it makes you want it more and make you hungrier because you miss it. Is that the case with you?
MM: Oh yeah, of course. If you look at me after my hand surgery, I come out on ShoBox and I knock out Eudy Bernardo in the 3rd round for the “Best One-Punch KO” that year for ShoBox. I come back after that and I get to fight for the NABO title and I get a 9th round knockout in that fight. It does fuel fire and unlike all of my other fights, because I didn’t learn that yet, in between fights, I used to get fat. I’m actually the lightest I’ve ever walked around at and that’s while being on the injured list. I haven’t been able to put in the work that I’m capable of doing and like I should have been doing in between those fights like I am now. I’m a lot leaner now. So making the weight is not going to take a toll on me.
PC: Devin has fought in Baton Rouge a couple of times. A lot of what he does is on the internet. Have you watched a lot on Devin Haney or seen his fights?
MM: I have seen some film of him. I haven’t gotten a chance to watch a whole lot of him. I kind of skimmed through a few things just to check him out. He actually fought one of my homeboys, Clay Burns from Alexandria, Louisiana, who I used to spar with a lot. He took the fight on short notice and he was like, “You’re going to kill that guy. He don’t know what he’s getting into.” I know he’s grown since the Clay Burns fight. He’s got a lot at risk and he knows it. He’s going to come prepared and I know that. I’m not underestimating the kid, but at the end of the day, I think I am the better fighter and my experience and me being a man compared to him being a boy will make the difference.
PC: I appreciate the time, good luck in May, and we will catch up after the fight. Is there anything else you want to add before I let you go?
MM: As always, thanks for always contacting me and getting these interviews in with me. I like to thank God for the opportunity. With him, anything is possible. And come May 11th, it’s flushing season. Devin got to go down and I’m bringing the plunger.
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]