British featherweight Marianne Marston talks about her recent relocation to the United States to train full-time under the tutelage of legendary heavyweight world champion Smokin' Joe Frazier. Check out what she had to say about what it's like to train at Frazier's Gym as she begins her quest to become a world champion.

PC: Hey, I like you're accent.

MM: Thank you!

PC: How is everything going Marianne?

MM: It's going fine. I'm just staying busy training.

PC: What makes a woman with your looks want to be involved in a sport like boxing?

MM: I was always kind of energetic and aggressive and boxing has calmed me down a lot.

PC: Did you grow up following the sport or is it something you picked up on later?

MM: When I was a kid, they had some great heavyweights around and I used to enjoy watching boxing then and then I kind of grew out of it and got back into it as an adult.

PC: Who have been some fighters that you follow and are influenced by?

MM: They have a lot of great fighters where I train. One of them is a bantamweight and I train alongside of him and there's also another one who is a cruiserweight.

PC: Could you tell us how you met Joe Frazier?

MM: I came to Philadelphia for my job and I actually met him in a local café right across the street from the hotel. He came up and asked if he could share the table with me and I didn't even realize who it was at the time. We started talking about boxing and I did a little sparring with him and hit him in the chest.

PC: How long did it take you to realize it was Joe Frazier?

MM: Shortly after I hit him, the guy next to me asked me if I knew who I had just hit. You don't expect to just bump into people like that, you know?

PC: You sacrifice a lot to come over from the UK to train in Philly…

MM: Yeah, it's been pretty tough. It's tough moving countries; and not cheap either. I had to give up my job in the UK so I'm relying on money saved.

PC: How often would you travel to Philadelphia and back to the UK?

MM: Before I moved here, I would come for months or a few weeks at a time and that was pretty tough because of jetlag. Traveling back and fourth interfered with training for 2 weeks at a time so I had to make up my mind in what I was doing. I decided to come back to boxing.

PC: Was it tough for you to find a good gym in the UK?

MM: No, because I knew a couple of boxers and they recommended me to Gleason's. I was very happy there because the guy that owns Gleason's is John Rooney and he also owns PUG athletic wear and he really helped me out by giving me sponsorships. Once I started training there, he helped me out a lot.

PC: When can we expect to see your pro debut?

MM: I should've already had my first fight in London on January 18th, but the girl I was fighting backed out so now it's in Marvis' hands. I sparred against the girl I was supposed to fight last year in November and I put her down twice so I'm sure that might have something to do with her backing out. I haven't got a fight arranged and, like I said, it will be on Marvis to line me up a fight. This was actually out of their hands.

PC: What do you think of the state of women's boxing right now?

MM: I think it's improving. It's made massive strides over the last few years; especially in the lower weight classes. People like Laila Ali brought a lot of attention to the sport, which is good. I think they have some very strong women in the featherweight class and we all have room to improve now.

PC: I see you fight out of a southpaw stance, but what style can we expect from you? Are you a slugger or a boxer?

MM: I'm a hard hitter. Marvis always says I hit like a heavyweight. I'd like to think that I incorporate good boxing technique and not just rely on punching power.

PC: What does it mean for you to train in the gym where the great Joe Frazier once trained?

MM: Oh, it's amazing, it really is. The walls are covered in boxing memorabilia and it's really an inspiration. He's an inspiration for everybody. He comes in there and comes down to the floor and even though he's older now, he comes and shows us a few moves and he's still got it.

PC: I'm sure you had a ton of choices. What made you pick Joe Frazier's gym?

MM: The trainers there are brilliant, Marvis and Val. I feel very comfortable there and it's a relaxed atmosphere. They have absolute belief in me. I know they're 100% there for me and that makes me feel really secure. I trust them in handling not only my training, but my career as well.

PC: I look forward to seeing you in action soon. It was a pleasure speaking with you and I wish you the best of luck. Is there anything you want to say in closing?

MM: It was a pleasure speaking to you too; thank you! I want to thank everybody that's been helping me, all of my trainers, John Rooney at Gleason's and PUG with the sponsorship, who have made my life so much easier. Marvis Frazier has spent so much time with me and training me and Val Colbert. All of those people are really special to me.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: For more on Marianne Marston, visit her website at www.mariannemarston.com]