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.”
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.
Dillian Whyte has reached a level he has never reached before and his co-trainer Harold Knight believes the crowd will be surprised by his performance against Alexander Povetkin.
Why He will finally get his chance for revenge in Gibraltar on Saturday night when he faces Povetkin live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and on DAZN in over 200 countries, seven months after a devastating fifth-round defeat at Matchroom HQ.
The Briton, who was one win away from winning the WBC world title against Tyson Fury after more than 1,000 days of waiting, knocked down the experienced Russian twice in the fourth round before his hopes were dashed by a terrible uppercut in the fifth.
After two postponements due to “Sasha” testing positive for Covid-19 and a travel restriction that forced him to reschedule for March 6, “The Body Snatcher” could regain his interim WBC heavyweight title with a win and move closer to a world title shot.
The 32-year-old has joined Lennox Lewis’ former co-trainer Harold ‘Shadow’ Knight to work alongside head coach Xavier Miller, and the American claims the pair have learnt a lot from each other.
“We think pretty much the same way,” Knight said. proboxing-fans.com.
“Of course, Xavier did not have the same experience at the World Championships that I was fortunate to have, being under the guidance of great coaches and teachers.
“The tardy great Emanuel Steward, the tardy great John Davenport who was Lennox Lewis’ first professional coach, Pepe Correa who was Sugar Ray Leonard’s coach, so we more or less compliment each other because Xavier is a student of the game, he studies a lot.
“Once again, I learned some things from him and I’m sure he learned something from me, so we more or less work together and lend a hand each other, learning from each other.
I’ve been playing this game for a long time, but anyone who claims to know everything is a damn lie.
“I’m always willing to learn, and the most significant thing is that we leave egos at the door and our goal is to make Dillian better because he is the one in the ring throwing and taking punches, not us.
“I’m here and he’s here to lend a hand and win. We are here to win.”
Whyte made no excuses for his defeat Povetkinwhich ended an 11-fight winning streak since his only career loss to Anthony Joshua in 2015, even counting Heavenly sports this week: “If you fight the good guys one by one, you will get knocked down and you will lose. It `s just the way it is.”
During Knight’s 13-year association with Lewis, who became undisputed heavyweight champion in 1999, “The Lion” suffered back-to-back shock defeats to Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman, both of which he avenged, and the veteran trainer sees similarities between the pair in terms of their character and mindset.
“In that respect, the similarities are essentially the same,” Knight added.
“Because when Lennox got knocked out, he didn’t make any excuses, he didn’t blame anyone or anything like that. He stood up, dusted himself off and said, “Hey, I’m going to work on what I need to work on because I know what a mistake I made.” Dillian said the same thing.
“He took a shot, yeah, he knocked me out, but you know, hey, I want to exercise my rematch clause and hey, you know what, I have to up my game, I have to up my weaponry, even if that means bringing in someone else to lend a hand me on the technical side, to lend a hand me see some things that I haven’t seen before.
“Or just another pair of eyes added to Xavier’s that will be able to more or less tell him about the boxing aspect of it, so same similarities.”
The immediate path to a world title fight should Whyte win appears unclear for unified champion Joshua and WBC champion Fury, who is scheduled to meet later this year on a two-fight deal.
Former world champion Povetkin said earlier this week on a Zoom conference call that he did not believe Whyte would change much since their first meeting, but Knight insists his players have reached a level he has not yet reached, one that he expects will be ready for another tough challenge.
“Dillian has a ceiling he hasn’t reached yet.
“I feel like considering he only has eight amateur fights and obviously 29-30 professional fights, it takes a little longer for heavyweights to mature.
“When I came on board, I noticed that Dillian is a really damn good boxer. He can really box, his IQ is off the charts. He knows boxing, he doesn’t just box, we’re talking about a lot of other boxers, whether they’re lightweights, heavyweights, old-school boxers.
“So Dillian still has a ceiling to reach, he still has levels to overcome, I feel like that, so I just feel like we have more upside in this second fight than Povetkin because Dillian is a few inches taller and he has a few inches he has more reach, he hits a little harder, even though Povetkin hits demanding too.
“But Povektin has one style. He’ll come in, he’ll punch you in the face and chest all day long, and Dillian obviously is a fighter, he can punch, but I feel like he has a few more weapons that he’s never used, but he has them, but he’s never used them.
“Don’t get me wrong, it’s going to be a really tough fight because Povetkin looks really good, he’s in really good shape and it’s his last fight.
“It’s high stakes for both players, everything is on the line for us, everything is on the line for him. A lot of people from all over the world will really watch this fight.”
The Brixton fighter was criticised in some quarters for failing to finish the job after Povetkin was injured in the fourth round, with Joshua questioning his finishing instincts.
Knight worked with the tardy, great Emanuel Steward, who formulated his notable Kronka style of boxing, based on aggression and an emphasis on securing knockouts.
Knight, a one-time world title challenger, insists Whyte will surprise people and says the plan is to stop Povetkin if the opportunity arises.
“You can expect that we are working to make Dillian smarter.
“When you see that shark-like blood, you’ll take him out of there. We won’t wait.
“But to be smarter and outsmart him, Dillian is stronger. Like I said, to outsmart him and speed him up.
“Being able to strike when he wants to, but also being able to stay focused, being able to keep his hands up, being able to exploit that jab, being able to improvise that jab, using the feints, being able to exploit a boxing repertoire that he hasn’t used in his previous fights.
“In addition to working on his defense, we worked a lot on his defense.
“So you can expect a lot of different things, a lot of people will be surprised, believe me.”
Kash Farooq insists a rematch with Lee McGregor is possible at the end of the year and admits the fight has become more stern.
Farooq (14-1, 6 KO) returns to fight Alexander Espinoza on Saturday night at the SSE Arena following Conor Benn’s clash with Samuel Vargas, broadcast live on Sky Sports and DAZN.
The 25-year-old bantamweight champion lost his Lonsdale belt and undefeated record in a split decision to his compatriot in November 2019, who retained his Commonwealth crown.
McGregor has since added a European crown to his collection, wresting the title from Karim Guerfi last month with a ruthless first-round victory, and ‘Untouchable’ believes the eagerly anticipated rematch could come in behind schedule 2021.
“It was a good performance,” said Farooq proboxing-fans.com.
“He knocked him out of the water in the first round and that was it, to be candid.
“He caught it and he never really recovered, and that’s the way it is [made it] bigger fight, things are moving forward.
“But my fight is focused on April 10th, and that’s what I’m thinking about. If that fight happens after that, then so be it.
“But I only think about April 10 and that’s it. I just take the fight one time and that’s it.
“There are a lot of things behind it. He has to be content with the offers, and if his management team is content, it comes down to my management team being content as well.
“But it could happen at the end of this year. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that things will return to a bit of normality, the fans will come back, that would be great.
“It’s a gigantic fight and it would be great if it happened, 100%.
Hopefully, fingers crossed, if I keep winning, and if he keeps winning, of course we can continue this fight in the future.”
Farooq put in a masterful performance during his recent layoff, defeating Angel Aviles in November to win the vacant WBA Continental title.
The Glasgow fighter will be looking to improve his WBC ranking next Saturday when he faces Espinoza (20-2-2, 8 KOs) for his WBC International silver bantamweight belt, and the former British champion expects the Nicaraguan to give him a tough test.
“You expect it to be a tough fight and you expect him to come and bring it,” Farooq added.
“You expect that in every fight, in every fight, there will be an opponent who will win and bring out the best in you.
I don’t think too much, I plan it in my head and it’s going to be a tough fight.
“I know he’s going to be out there all evening, trying to find everything he can and try to win, so my job is obviously not to let him do that.”
Watch the full interview with Kash Farooq below, where he reflects on his last fight, sparring with Dennis McCann and more:
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