Interviews
EXCLUSIVE: Omar Juarez – a real motivator
“In the first and second rounds I beat him a little bit, and in the third round he came at me wanting to take my head off and I saw that he was just a human like me.”
Sparring stories are rarely told, and often fabricated whispers are heard, but generally, as the aged saying goes, what happens in the gym, stays in the gym.
Speaking to proboxing-fans.com, Omar Juarez revealed all about his sparring sessions with Gervonta “Tank” Davis ahead of his fight this weekend.
“In my last fight, I sparred with “Tank” Davis for two sparring sessions.” Juárez said.
“He’s a really knowledgeable fighter, really explosive and for his size, he definitely has some pop behind his punches. It was a very good sparring, I learned a lot from this experience.
“I sent him a little bit a few times because I’m a lot taller than him [and] of course, these Mayweather fighters get pissed off a little quicker than usual.
Juarez will return to the ring next weekend in his first ten-round fight, which will also be a co-main event for the first time.
The 21-year-old will replace delayed Elias successor Damian Araujo and claims he had the best camp of his career before warning his experienced opponent: “He will feel all my pain and suffering in the training camp!”
Too often we hear about boxers who were saved from prison or death by boxing. Omar explains that in this respect he is very, very different.
Believe it or not, I wasn’t even a boxing fan, I didn’t like boxing. I was a shy child. I didn’t like playing video games, I didn’t like playing sports. I didn’t like doing anything except being with my mom, I was a mommy’s boy!
“My father was a huge boxing fan and always wanted to get us involved [the boxing gym], me and my older brother who is two years older than me. I was eight years aged, he was 10, and from then on I noticed that my life started to change in a positive way.
Omar described boxing as an “extraordinary sport,” but he took it very seriously from a newborn age.
“It’s not every day you see a little kid dieting, going to the sauna and stuff like that. You don’t see this every day, but I said to myself, “I think this will get me somewhere.”
“I knew it would pay off one day and at 18 it did. I signed with Premier Boxing Champions and from there the rest is history, man.”
Turning professional at just 18 rather than competing in the Olympics wasn’t an straightforward choice, but like many, Juarez became “bored” with the amateur setup and felt he had a style suited to the professional ranks.
One thing struck me during our conversation: Omar was special. The memory of an image of an eight-year-old child in a tracksuit, on a strict weight loss diet, led to his passion for motivational speakers.
“Many players like to listen to music to give them energy. I would love to hear many motivational speeches from David Goggins, Eric Thomas, Muhammad Ali, and even Cus D’amato. Not only in boxing, but in life.
“No matter what, in life you have to work demanding if you want to achieve something. Instead of just working your whole life and then dying.
“Every time I wanted to give up, I remembered those speeches. I remember them telling each other how demanding life would be.
These public figures inspired Juarez so much that he decided at a newborn age that he, too, wanted to inspire and motivate newborn people in his area.
After graduating, Omar began traveling around giving motivational speeches and, most importantly, imparting “six key principles; no excuses, self-confidence, discipline, teamwork on strategy, and the most crucial of them is self-esteem.”
When asked about his favorite quote from the speech, Eric Thomas replied, he replies: “The pain is transient, it may last a minute, an hour, maybe even a year, but eventually it will go away, something else will take its place, but if I’m gone, however, it can last forever.”
Inspiration takes many forms. For many newborn people coming through the amateur systems today, Floyd Mayweather inspired them.
Mayweather was present at Juarez’s sparring sessions with Gervonta Davis, and “Money” praised the youngster from Brownsville.
“After sparring with Tank, I went outside to get some fresh air and Floyd was there and saw me sparring. He said, “You’re going to be a great fighter, you have a few things you need to work on, but you’re going to be a very good fighter, keep it up.”
“The fact that he told me that was crazy and I left so excited. It was so surreal.
“It boosts my self-esteem, it gives me a lot of confidence. My self-esteem went up 1,000 levels, it was crazy, man, it really was. But at the end he told me I still have to work on a few things, so I’m not a perfect player yet.”
Anthony Fowler says he is keen to get revenge on Scott Fitzgerald this year but insists he will aim for the British title if that doesn’t materialise.
Fowler (13-1, 10 KO) returns to action on the undercard of his stablemate Lawrence Okolie, the WBO cruiserweight champion, against Krzysztof Głowacki when he takes on Jorge Fortea at the SSE Arena on Saturday live on Sky Sports and DAZN.
“The Machine” lost a split decision to Fitzgerald in March 2019, and a highly anticipated rematch is reportedly planned for this summer, provided he defeats Fortea and Fitzgerald wins his next fight, which is expected to take place in April or May.
The 30-year-old admits he is open to meeting his rival again if it happens in the summer, but otherwise would be considering securing a chance against the winner of Saturday’s British super-welterweight title clash between Ted Cheeseman and James Metcalf or European champion Sergio Garcia.
“I would love to box the winner of Cheeseman-Metcalf for the British title,” Fowler said Tuesday during a Zoom conference call.
“Of course [promoter] Eddie [Hearn] wants me to box Fitzgerald, which I’m very joyful about because it’s a huge fight and a chance for revenge, but also Sergio Garcia, I think I can beat him, I think I beat him.
“He is ranked really high and he is the European champion, so it is a really tough fight, but if I beat Sergio Garcia then I will not be far from a chance for the world title.
“I was told we were to fight in July and August.
“I’m not entirely sure if I should say this or not, but I don’t really care because I’m bored talking about it now.
“I just want to either fight him [Fitzgerald] or just focus on my career. I’m willing to box him because even though he doesn’t have the belt anymore, this defeat is on my account.
“I want to tidy everything up and prove that I am a better person.”
Fowler has won four overtimes since his only loss to Fitzgerald, stopping Adam Harper in seven rounds in his last Fight Camp appearance in August, his second win under trainer Shane McGuigan.
The Liverpudlian is ranked in the top 15 by the WBA and WBO and the 2016 Olympian will be expecting a tough task against Fortea, who is ranked 15th by the IBF.
“I knew people would be surprised by the way I boxed. [against Harper]how much looser I was, my shot variety,” Fowler added.
“I knew people would see a change because I feel much different, much better, but this fight was in my favor.
“Harper wasn’t a weighty hitter, I really liked his style, whereas in Fortea he’s a lot more sneaky.
“He’s a lot more elusive, a lot more experienced and a lot more tough, so this fight will tell me a lot more about where I am in the division and how far I can go.”
Watch the full interview with Anthony Fowler below:
Michael McKinson believes a win over Chris Kongo will confirm his status as a top welterweight contender and vows to seize the opportunity to earn a golden ticket.
McKinson (19-0, 2 KO) hopes to become the WBO world champion when he clashes with another undefeated Briton from Congo (12-0, 7 KO) on the undercard of Dillian Whyte’s key rematch with Alexander Povetkin on Saturday night in Gibraltar, live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and Ireland and DAZN worldwide.
‘The Problem’ has won all 19 of his professional fights and has long coveted a meeting with his domestic rival and is deeply confident he has beaten everyone in the country in a division that also features the likes of Conor Benn and Josh Kelly.
“It’s a great time to be among the substantial names in the domestic welterweight division,” Mckinson told proboxing-fans.com.
“But I believe beating Chris Kongo puts me at the top of that tree, like I believe he is at the top, but obviously there are some top guys here.
“But I think when I beat Chris Kongo, I proved that I’m definitely at the highest level.
“He is very lofty, very athletic, very robust and athletic, and on top of that he is a very good player.
“But when you look at it, there’s only one problem in this division, and that’s me. I’m a problem for absolutely everyone, and I truly believe that a well-prepared Michael McKinson beats them all in the country.”
“2 Slick” won the WBO world crown with a ninth-round victory over Luther Clay, a career-best win following Whyte’s first meeting with Povetkin in August.
The Londoner, who has won all 12 of his professional fights, sparred with the unified super lightweight world champion, Josh Taylor But as McKinson prepares for the fight, having scored three knockdowns en route to a unanimous decision victory over Martin Harkin in October, he believes his experience will prove crucial.
“I have experience fighting him in the professional ring,” said the 26-year-old.
“If you look at it, my last five opponents have a combined record of 72 wins and three losses. People don’t give enough credit to my record.
“He fought 11 nobody and Luther Clay, so if you want to compare records, I win all day long.
“I am experienced enough to know that I will win without a shadow of a doubt.
“I put in the work. Whatever he wants to bring, let him bring it. If he wants to go through me, let him, he won’t. He definitely won’t.”
The player from Portsmouth is managed by MTK Global and is fighting for the first time on a Matchroom bill.
McKinson is ranked No. 6 by the WBO, chasing WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford, and says a win could solidify his position on that kind of platform.
“Beating Chris Kongo is my golden ticket.
“I’m not fighting him, I have to beat him, and beating him is my golden ticket and that will be the platform on which I have to push my career.
“This is my seventh year in my professional career. It took me 20 fights to get to this stage.
“It’s been a long and tough road, but we’re finally here. Beating him is my golden ticket to staying here.
Watch the full interview with Michael McKinson below:
Campbell Hatton was just four years vintage when his father, Ricky, had a special night in his career, taking the IBF welterweight crown from Kostya Tsyzu on a memorable evening at the Manchester Arena in June 2005.
Nearly 16 years later, Hatton is set to follow in the footsteps of his father and uncle by starting his professional career on Saturday, witnessing Dillian Whyte’s rematch with Alexander Povektin in Gibraltar.
Campbell, who fights in the super featherweight division, had a low but successful amateur career, winning 21 of his 31 fights and winning the National Novice title and two North West titles.
Anticipation for the 20-year-old to make his first bow has been building since he joined Eddie Hearn at Matchroom Boxing in December and while he admits the pressure will be on his shoulders, he admits it is nothing up-to-date for him.
“There’s a little more expectation and pressure.” Hatton told professional boxing fans in December.
“But I’ve had this happen to me as an amateur, on a smaller scale, of course. When I was boxing, the gym would fill up and everything would go tranquil, everyone would watch.
“So it will be similar, just a little bit more, but I have always been good under pressure, I have always been good at dealing with it, it really drives me.
“When I get in the ring with anyone, they work harder than anyone else, so I have to do the same.”
Both Hatton’s father and manager, Ricky, and uncle and trainer, Matthew, have both never been afraid to take on the best throughout their careers, having had no less than three record-breaking superstars on their resumes, including Floyd Mayweather Jr, Manny’ respectively Pacquiao and Canelo Alvarez’s egos.
Ricky in particular transcended the sport in the early 2000s in a way rarely seen since, taking thousands of true fans to Las Vegas, fighting for his beloved Manchester City and securing his legacy as one of the most popular British fighters of all time. time.
Despite the accolades, ‘Hurricane’ says he is determined to eventually carve out a reputation of his own, much like Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn, who were subject to similar publicity when they turned professional.
“Definitely,” Hatton replied when asked about settling on his own name.
“If only we had seen it early, heh [Conor Benn] he had the same kind of pressure, the same target on his back and a lot of high expectations that came with being Nigel Benn’s son.
“He had some critics, but he didn’t leave the gym. He just keeps working and he’s a top player now, he’s Conor Benn, not Nigel Benn’s son, and I want to be in the same position.
“I want to be known as Campbell Hatton, not Ricky Hatton’s boyfriend. So I hope I can do that in the near future.”
I stuck it to him from day one 😂👊🏻 @HitmanHatton #TBT pic.twitter.com/ePZ1Nsa81w
— Campbell Hatton (@CampbellHatton) March 18, 2021
In his heyday, “Hitman” was praised by his supporters for his tenacity and aggressive style, which helped him become a two-time world champion.
Despite the emotion it evoked, the style has often been scrutinized for making him vulnerable, and while Campbell intends to employ a similar, fan-friendly technique, he insists there will be some differences compared to his dad.
“Definitely electrifying,” Campbell said of his style.
“We’ve heard a lot of similarities. A punch to the body, [I] step forward [I’m] aggressive.
“But I also like to think a lot and box a lot. I play a bit of a middle-ranger than my dad because I have long arms for my height, so I like a bit of space where I can pick my shots and think about different things.
Hatton has added Anthony Joshua’s 258 Management to his team and was able to spend some time with the unified heavyweight champion at his base in Finchley earlier this month.
Campbell clearly has all the resources at his disposal to succeed in the paid ranks and will begin his journey against Jesus Ruiz on Saturday looking to break out onto the biggest stage.
Campbell has lived up to expectations so far and could take the next step on the path to success in what could be another electrifying career at Hatton and a prospect his father is relishing.
“I don’t think it will disappoint,” Ricky Hatton told Matchroom Boxing.
“He is still youthful and still has a long way to go. I think people will love his personality, he’s a chip off the vintage block. Fans will love his fighting style.
I think people will take it to heart like they did with me.
“He has a great team behind him with Matchroom and Eddie, and Matthew and I look after him in the gym. He has a heart as large as his dad. He has the talent and ability to be a real force and success story in the game.”
Hatton will face Ruiz on Saturday in the Povetkin-Whyte II bill. Broadcast live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and Ireland and on DAZN in 200 countries.
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