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.”
Eddie Hearn believes Tyson Fury will retire after a legacy-defining clash with Anthony Joshua.
Fury stunned the boxing world on Monday when he announced his retirement from the sport, leaving behind a megafight with Joshua.
The “Gypsy King” announced his shocking decision less than a month after suffering, among other things, second defeat in a row against Oleksandr Usyk in Riyad, but Joshua’s promoter, Hearn, is convinced that the fighter from Morecambe will return to the ring to fight the long-awaited showdown with “AJ”, who is returning after a fifth-round defeat to Daniel Dubois.
“In my opinion, I think he will come back,” the 45-year-old said talkSPORT.
“But I don’t know him well enough to judge that.
“He’s coming back after two defeats, and these defeats hurt the boys.
“AJ was devastated by the defeat to Dubois and I’m sure Fury was too [with his defeats to Usyk]both are winners.
“I don’t know if Fury can leave one of the biggest fights in the history of the sport on the table.
“I know he’s a competitor. I know he will want to give the British fight fans what they want and I hope we see more of him.
“But if we don’t, God bless the speed and all the best.”
Fury hung up his gloves after defeating Dillian Whyte in April 2022, only to return eight months later for a third fight with Derek Chisora, whom he defeated comfortably at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Hearn said Joshua will now look to secure a clash with the winner of the February 22 fight between his former rivals Dubois and Joseph Parker, who will fight in Riyad for the IBF heavyweight world title.
If Fury returns to fight AJ, the Matchroom boss insists the loser would have nowhere to go.
“They would both be devastated by defeat,” he added.
“It’s one thing to lose the world heavyweight title, but at the same time losing in a fight of this magnitude is the biggest bragging rights.
“At this stage of their career, the last word is goodbye.
“Whoever loses this fight is finished and whoever wins it moves on and that’s what you fight for.
“You’re not just fighting for a legacy, you’re fighting to save your career.
“It’s a huge fight, but it’s not on the table right now.”
Callum Simpson defended his British and Commonwealth super middleweight titles after a second-round victory over Steer Woodall on Saturday at the Park Community Arena in Sheffield.
Simpson (16-0, 11 KO) proved too good for Zak Chelli in his last competition and went on to sweep wide and claim the British and Commonwealth titles last August. Woodall (19-3-1, 12 KO) picked up his best career win, stopping Lerrone Richards in six rounds in an upset in Bolton last June.
This attack ended quickly in the second round, with a right uppercut that left Woodall on wobbly legs, and then another attack punctuated by another right uppercut, leaving “The Stallion” on the deck.
Despite beating the count, referee Mark Bates waved off the fight shortly afterwards.
Simpson dedicated his victory his dead sisterwho died tragically in August in a road accident.
“It’s bittersweet,” the 28-year-old said Heavenly sports after the fight.
“I won these titles in front of all my fans, but there’s one person that I think everyone knows who I wish was here, but I know she’s looking down on me and I make her proud.”
Dubois is tied with Camara
On the card below, Caroline Dubois (10-0-1, 5 KO) made her first defense of her WBC lightweight title against Canadian Jessica Camara (14-4-1, 3 KO), but the fight ended in a technical draw.
The fight was stopped due to a cut to Camara’s left eye from the head collision, and she also went down in the first round.
Forrest stops Miller
Cruiserweight prospect Scott Forrest needed just two rounds to defeat Deevorn Miller.
Miller (8-3, 6 KO) lost once in the first and second rounds, while Forrest (7-0, 4 KO) won outright.
Undercard remaining
In the featherlight heavyweight division, where Billy Deniz defeated Mickey Ellison (15-8, 5 KO) by one point.
Deniz (13-0, 5 KO) won with a score of 77-76.
In the six-round middleweight division, Sam Hickey (2-0, 1 KO) stopped Lewis Howells (3-2) three times en route to a first-round victory, and Mauro Silva (7-0, 3 KO) scored a 59-56 victory against Emmanuel Zion (6-3, 3 KOs).
Ellis Price (2-0, 1 KO) stopped Liam Fitzmaurice (0-1) twice en route to a first-round lightweight victory.
Lauren Price believes Natasha Jonas was pressured into fighting her ahead of their March 7 unification clash.
Price will put his WBA and IBO welterweight titles on the line when he faces IBF and WBC champion Jonas live at the Royal Albert Hall. Heavenly sports.
Jonas’ coach, Joe Gallagher, has said he would prefer to see the 40-year-old retire, and Price, who won Olympic gold in 2021, is doubtful whether her rival wants to face her.
“I don’t think either of them wanted this fight,” the 30-year-old said proboxing-fans.com.
“But like I said, she has two belts, I have three and it’s just a great fight.
“The fight is signed, sealed and announced, so on March 7 we will see who will be the best.
“If you look at my amateur record, Olympic gold medalist, I haven’t lost a single round as a professional.
“The performance I am up against [Jessica] McCaskill in Cardiff against the legitimate world champion, the proof is in the pudding.
“I’ve got it. I’m in my youth.
“She’s coming to the end of my career and I don’t blame her, but in the end she has something that I want and that’s really it, there’s nothing personal.”
Jonas secured the WBC crown with a unanimous decision victory over then-champion Ivana Habazin in December in Liverpool, moments after Price defeated Bexcy Mateus in three rounds on the same bill.
The pair then clashed during a heated post-fight interview to confirm their upcoming match.
The Welshwoman believes that her youth, speed and dominance in the ring will allow her to defeat the experienced Liverpool resident on Friday in eight weeks.
Asked what her advantage was over Jonah, Price added: “Probably my youth.
“Reading the fight, my ring IQ, my speed.
“The little feints, the triggers I do, people reading me.
“Everyone says they will do it, they will do it until I stand in front of them, so we will see on March 7.
“But overall I think I’m just better and I believe I’ll win.”
Watch the full interview with Lauren Price:
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