Interviews
EXCLUSIVE: Raymond “Savage” Ford – In Search of a Legacy
“I sent a screenshot of him following me, I tagged his name and surname [in the post] and he DM’ed [direct messaged] SM. That’s how we started talking, he asked me if I was going to turn pro soon and I told him I was going to wait.
Raymond Ford turned pro with Matchroom USA, but his initial approach was a bit unconventional. Since connecting with Eddie Hearn via Instagram, “Savage” has been a perfect fit.
Ford is currently eight fights into his professional career and has a perfect undefeated record with his ninth fight coming up on the undercard with Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez vs. Juan Francisco Estrada.
Reflecting on his low career, Raymond feels there is room for improvement and is slightly disappointed with his early performances, but is nonetheless pleased with the progress he is making.
“I know I’m better [than I have shown]like I could do a lot more. Right now I feel like it’s okay, I’m going in the right direction,” Ford told proboxing-fans.com.
“Now I have an undefeated fighter that I’m going to be fighting soon, so I feel like that just gets me closer to being the world champion that I know I’m going to be.”
It’s refreshing to see a adolescent man looking to improve after his wins, rather than just settle for a win. The 21-year-old nicknamed “Savage” wants to entertain viewers.
“In the fights where I didn’t get knocked out, I feel like I could have done a lot more than I did.
“That’s why I enjoyed my last two fights. I basically left everything in the ring.
“I tried to go in there and start swift and early so I could break my opponents mentally.
“That’s what attracts the fans, that’s what makes them tune in and get knockouts. Especially at the beginning of my career, nobody wants to see me go the distance with these guys. That’s why I’m looking forward to the downtime!”
Aaron Perez is the next opponent Ford will try to impose an early victory on.
Perez also has a perfect professional record of 10 wins, stopping six fighters in the distance. This is the toughest test of Ford’s career on paper. Perez enters the ring somewhat unknown.
“I’d never heard of him. They brought him up in December, I was supposed to fight him in December, but I don’t know what happened. That was the first time I heard of him.
“There’s not a lot of footage of him, but I’ve seen a few bits and pieces of him and that’s all I need to see.”
While knockouts are thrilling to watch and generate a ton of buzz around a potential contender, there are opponents who will seemingly have “granite chins” and everyone needs a plan B, something the featherweight contender gleaned from his sparring days with Shakur Stevenson.
“[I learnt] to stay composed, relaxed and patient there. With Shakur, you can’t get too excited or just start throwing punches because he’ll pay you for it. You just always have to be sensible, especially with someone like him.
“So when I go out there looking for knockouts, if things don’t go my way, I know I can change that and just put it on cruise control, get some distance and box astute.”
The coronavirus pandemic put many careers on hold in 2020, but Ford was fortunate enough to fight three times last year and in 2021 he hopes to double that and win some gold.
“At least five or six times, it doesn’t bother me.
“I would like to win the Youth WBC [world championship]or an interim title. Just something around my waist until I get a real world title.
If Raymond gets his wish, he will be 14-0 by early 2022 and plans to become featherweight world champion at that point.
“I will be looking for a world title at the beginning of next year at the latest. I want to be 22 and be world champion before I am 23 and on March 16 I will be 22, so before March 16 next year I want to be world champion.
Ford’s motivation is clear – the path is hard, but worth taking.
“For me it’s about my legacy, I want to be a legend in this sport.
“I want to be great at this sport, it’s not just about money for me.”
Below you will find the entire interview with Raymond “Savage” Ford:
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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