Cruiserweight contender Jeremy Williams talks to FightHype.com about his upcoming November 24th fight against Matt Godfrey as well as his future plans as he hopes to redefine his legacy by becoming a world champion. Check out his thoughts on Godfrey, David Haye's win over Jean-Marc Mormeck and much more.
AC: How has your preparation been for your fight with Matt Godfrey, which will be your 2nd fight as a cruiserweight?
JW: My preparation for this fight is excellent. I'm more prepared mentally and physically for this fight than I think I have been for any fight in my life. I'm really confident in my trainer. We've gone over this fight time and time again, going over anything we've missed. I think we've got the right gameplan, the right strategy and the right momentum going into this fight.
AC: What do you think about your opponent and what's your prediction for this fight?
JW: My prediction is that I'm going to win. He's ranked pretty high in some places and pretty average in other places, but really, in 15 or 16 fights, what can you justify that ranking by? Felix Cora? I don't know. I've seen some of his fights and there really isn't anything that has stuck out to me. At 16 fights, the learning curve is huge. You're put into fights that, really, you're supposed to win. I don't really see anything that's outstanding about this guy. He was a good, not great, amateur fighter. He doesn't have anything that I haven't seen or recognize that I can't strategize a defense and offense for. He's a good, young fighter, but he has a lot of room to grow and I don't think he takes his career as serious as he should at this point. At 26, I look back at myself and I didn't really take my career as serious as I should. I'm amply ready and amply excited for this fight.
AC: This is your 2nd fight coming down from heavyweight and some critics have said that your first outing wasn't too outstanding. Is there anything that you would attribute that fight to being as close as it was?
JW: Well, we fought a guy in Utah, from Utah, who damn near lived across the street from the arena. Those hometown decisions are what they are. I don't think the fight was as close as those scores read. I controlled the fight and the tempo of the fight. Should I have done better? Yeah. Did I? No. I've been doing mixed martial arts for the last 2-3 years and that was the first fight with just throwing my hands. I felt it was a good fight for me, not my best performance, but I'm far better now than I was then.
AC: I know you've been boxing since you were really young and have been a professional for about 15 years, at most of which was at heavyweight. Why did you choose to move down to cruiserweight at this point in your career?
JW: I don't want my career to be in vein. I fought at heavyweight when guys were 200-215lbs. and I was only about 190 or so. I feel good about my career at heavyweight and I felt I did pretty good. I just realized that I'll never make it as a heavyweight, not because I'm not a quality fighter, but the politics in the division and guys fighting at 250-260lbs. and really, I'm just not that big. I'm 203lbs. today and I'm lean and ripped. I don't want my career to go by and people to remember me as that great motivational trainer on the Contender. I want to be known as a world champion and amateur champion. You know, Jeremy Williams is one of the baddest amateur's to ever walk the planet. He needs to be that as a professional fighter as well. The only person that's kept me back all these years is me and I should've moved down a long time ago. I'm just not that big of a person, but in my heart, I'm that big. I really want to end my career as a champion. I want to be able to talk to my good friends Vernon Forrest and Shane Mosley and Oscar De Le Hoya, who we all went through the amateurs together, and all become world champions and retire as champions. I just want to look back and be recognized as a world champion and that, to me, is the driving force. I made a lot of money in my career and it's not about that. It's about winning that title.
AC: I know that Matt Godfrey is ranked #2 in the WBC, a title that was just won by David Haye against Jean-Marc Mormeck. Is that the direction you would like to go; challenge for the WBC title?
JW: When I become victorious, I definitely want to go in that direction. I think I heard that Haye is moving up to heavyweight and those titles will be vacant, and if that's the case, let me go out and win that belt. Let's go win two belts. You know, 2 for the price of 1. I'm definitely going to beat Matt Godfrey, so there's no mistake about it, and then go win that title. I don't know if I win a world title and then announce my retirement, or if I go and do a European tour and fight 3 or 4 times in 6 months, I don't know. I may just call it a day, but my ultimate goal is to be a champion. Whether that comes right now or in 6 months, I don't know, but being world champion is my destiny.
AC: Well we know that you were one of the trainers in season 1 and season 2 of the Contender. What were your thoughts on season 3 and do you ever see yourself working with the Contender again?
JW: To tell you the truth, I was offered to do season 3 and I opted not to do it for selfish reasons. I didn't want to be just remembered as the guy who was a good coach and motivational trainer for young guys on the Contender. It's a great show and it's doing a lot of good things for boxing, but it just wasn't that fit for me at the time. If they ask me to do season 4, I would consider doing it, but I'm not going to say I'm definitely going to do it. I think I have bigger fish to fry in my life right now. Did I watch season 3? To tell you the truth, no I did not. I'm not one of those guys that watch every fight. I've been in boxing my entire life and I don't sit down and watch boxing for leisure. I enjoy watching some fights, but not to just sit on the couch and watch it all the time.
AC: I know you've had a few MMA fights. I did want to ask you about your stint in MMA and what role it plays in your career?
JW: MMA is real fun to me. I've had 4 or 5 fights and I haven't knocked anybody out with my hands yet. My first fight was a head kick, 2 ground and pounds and like 2 submissions. That goes to show that I've learned the sport really well. I enjoy it. One thing I want to do and do it quickly is become the only world champion in both sports. No one has ever done that and there needs to be a first and I'm that guy.
AC: Are there any closing thoughts for the fans Jeremy?
JW: I just want to say thank you for giving me support for all these years. Anyone that has given me love in boxing or MMA, thank you. Big shout out to my sponsors Ring and Cage Clothing, who have that classic fighter look that we got, and Platinum Motor Sports, they hook up my cars real nice. We're going to be out in the East Coast and doing an open workout, I think on Wednesday, so come and meet me. I'm a really nice guy so come out and meet me.