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AMIR MANSOUR: "I'M GOING AFTER THE BIG NAMES...I WANT TO GET OUT THERE AND GET TESTED IN 2013"

By Percy Crawford | November 01, 2012
AMIR MANSOUR:

"In 2013, I'm going after the big names because I do feel ageless and I feel as though if I'm not the fastest, I'm one of the fastest heavyweights in this division, and if I'm not the hardest hitting, I'm definitely in the top 3. So I want to get out there and get tested in 2013 and show 'em that all of the things that I say and people around me say is true, which is I'm the best heavyweight out here right now," stated hard-hitting comebacking heavyweight Amir Mansour, who talked about his upcoming return to the ring and much more. Check it out! 

PC: How are you doing. I know you out there by that hurricane; you good?

AM: I'm just maintaining, man. The hurricane definitely destroyed a lot of property and took some lives, so peace and blessings to all of the people who lost love ones, man, and lost property. It's very rough, man, dealing with Mother Nature at times, but that's a part of the life we live, so you gotta take the good with the bad sometimes.

PC: My man William Byron was out there watching you train and the word he used to describe you was "ageless." Is that how you are feeling in the gym right now?

AM: Honestly man, yeah! The only thing that I can say is I just need to get tested. I'm going afterÂ…in 2013, I'm going after the big names because I do feel ageless and I feel as though if I'm not the fastest, I'm one of the fastest heavyweights in this division, and if I'm not the hardest hitting, I'm definitely in the top 3. So I want to get out there and get tested in 2013 and show 'em that all of the things that I say and people around me say is true, which is I'm the best heavyweight out here right now.

PC: You know you are not fighting until next year, but you have remained in the gym. What is the training regimen right now to make sure you're not overdoing it?

AM: My schedule is I train 6 days a week still man, but I take it light some days and then I go hard some days. And then sometimes, I go hard consecutive days. I mix it up. But a plus for me is to come to that ring in tip top shape and be able to go the distance if the fight goes the distance. I always get disappointed when I watch these heavyweights fight and run out of breath after 3 or 4 rounds. They throw real slow punches and look lethargic in their fights. I'm real disappointed when I see fights like that, so I always try to work my butt off so that I never put forward that type of performance, so that the people that come out and pay money never see Amir Mansour come to that ring out of shape.

PC: It has to be a benefit for you to sit on the sidelines right now and watch these fights and learn from these guys mistakes so that when you go into the gym, you can work on some of the things that you see them doing wrong, such as coming in out of shape.

AM: It's very beneficial because most of the heavyweights I've been seeing, after 2 or 3 rounds, they are spent, you know? If you watch any of my fightsÂ…the farthest I went was obviously the 10 rounds I went with Dominique Guinn, and my fight with Mendoza went 6 rounds, but each fight, when I let go my punches and my flurries and combinations, they are crisp, sharp, and they still hard with the bad intention that they had in round 1, so I try not to make that mistake of putting forth those types of lackluster performances. It's always beneficial to me when I see other guys not be able to maintain that ferociousness throughout the round because their stamina is not there. So I know I got one up on 'em if I happen to get in the ring with that particular fighter; I know I got one up on 'em.

PC: You used the word ferociousness and that is something that has lacked in the division as well, and that's another one you have on them because you know how to finish.

AM: Exactly!

PC: I just want you to address the Riddick Bowe situation on Facebook, because you have always said to be one of your greatest boxing moments was the first Bowe and Holyfield fight and you felt guys aren't cut from that cloth. Recently you had a back and forth with some of his fans. Can you clarify what went down?

AM: You have done plenty of interviews with me and you can attest to my respect and admiration for Riddick Bowe and guys like Evander Holyfield. You personally can attest to that. I always use Bowe/Holyfield I as an example of what we no longer see in the heavyweight division with the ferociousness, energy, action, and combination punching from round 1 all the way to the last round. I always use those guys and their attitudes and their methods of fighting as an example of what the heavyweight division is lacking today. And I copy those guys style and I stole a lot from their styles, so I could never disrespect a man like Riddick Bowe, who has given me and fans of boxing so much. My thing with Riddick Bowe was to the extent that I wanted him to know that I would not fight him if he was serious and that he shouldn't continue to fight because I feel his fighting career should be over. I had a couple of people contacting me telling me Riddick Bowe was calling me out. I checked his Facebook page to see if it was true, and low and behold, he said that I was one of the guys that he was looking forward to fighting or that he may fight. So I responded by telling him that his best days were behind him and I respectfully wouldn't want to fight him. He wouldn't want to see me. I'm not trying to fight him. He is not ready for a guy like me at this stage in his career. I just feel at this stage of his life, he doesn't want to get in the ring with somebody that hit as hard as I do. The guy had a great career and gave us a lot of great fights, but let's be realistic. I think it's over with. I responded to him so respectfully that he didn't even come back at me disrespectfully. It was the fans who know nothing about boxing going back and forth with me. It wasn't so much me and Bowe going back and forth; it was the fans going back and forth with me not knowing anything about Bowe's condition and not knowing anything about boxing.

PC: It's been a tough year for boxing as far as some of our soldiers we lost, trom Ron Lyle to Joe Frazier, Bert Sugar, Angelo Dundee, and now Emanuel Steward. Is there anything you would like to say about Manny Steward?

AM: For sure man, peace and blessings to all of those guy's families and loved ones you just mentioned. And in passing, I have always sent out my condolences to their families and loved ones and friends. We definitely lost a great trainer and great boxing specialist and a great boxing mind in Emanuel Steward, and my condolences definitely go out to his family and his loved ones and his friends. And my condolences also go out to Wladimir Klitschko, man, who embraced this man and who obviously had great success with this man, so I know that deep inside and even on the surface, they lost a very good trainer and a very good friend, so my condolences go out to those guys as well.

PC: Good stuff, man. We are all waiting for the ring return in 2013. I wish you the best of luck and give me something for the fans waiting to see you back in there.

AM: Man, listen man, I will be fighting in the beginning of 2013 and at that point, when you see me fighting, I'm going to hit on this gas pedal and I ain't gonna let up. You gonna see so much action from Amir Mansour in 2013. I'm very confident and very sure that we are going to get a big name out there. I'm going after the big names. Seth Mitchell is on my radar and, God willing, one of these big names will get in the ring with me and allow me the opportunity to show the world what Amir Mansour is truly made of.



[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]

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