"I don't know much about him. A couple of people around me knew about him a little bit, but the way I train, I'm pretty much prepared for anything. I'm expecting the best out of him. It ain't gonna be nowhere near enough, but I'm expecting him to bring his A-game. But like I said, it won't be enoughÂ… I want to show that I am one of the best in the game and I think you gotta say I'm pretty freakish for me to have had all these years off and still have the skills that I got," stated lightweight contender Mickey Bey, who talked about his upcoming return to the ring on May 2 when he faces Alan Herrera. Check out what else he had to say!
PC: Mickey, you back in the ring on May 2nd against Alan Herrera. Tell us about it!
MB: Ah man, you know, I'm excited to take that next step to getting that strap.
PC: You were scheduled to fight a few weeks back, but had to pull out with an injury. What was the severity of that?
MB: I'm good now. I had a sinus infection, so I had to take a couple of weeks off from the gym and my doctor didn't think it was wise for me to fly to New York. I've been better for awhile now and I'm all the way back on track.
PC: You seem to get a lot of guys with a lot of experience and who are tough. In 37 fights, Herrera has only been stopped once. What are you expecting from him?
MB: I don't know much about him. A couple of people around me knew about him a little bit, but the way I train, I'm pretty much prepared for anything. I'm expecting the best out of him. It ain't gonna be nowhere near enough, but I'm expecting him to bring his A-game. But like I said, it won't be enough.
PC: When you go into a fight like this where you don't know much about your opponent, is it just a matter of taking a few rounds to figure out what they are trying to do?
MB: It only takes me a couple of minutes. The way I train and the way Big Floyd brought me up, that's the way he trained me to be able to adapt to anything. Plus, you never know what kind of game plan they gonna come in with. Of course we know what the smart game plan is for them because none of these cats gonna have a chess match with me, so we expect guys to think they gonna come forward and this and that, but I'm ready for anything.
PC: It's gotta be a good feeling for you to be moving back up the ladder now after your setback.
MB: Ah man, you know, it's somewhere I should've been if I had a great company like this behind me. Things would've flourished a long time ago. But I stayed disciplined and stuck to my craft. At the end of the day, I control that part as far as keeping my skills together and everything. I mean, I went years without being able to get fights. Not by choice, but that's how things go sometimes. I got the best company in the game, so that's the best part because I know my talent will pay off now.
PC: You guys are not only on the same cards, but you work together in the gym every day. What is that like to see the work put in and then see the finished product of some of the other TMT guys?
MB: It's cool, man, and it's fun because I like all of the guys, personally and everything. It's just good to see them do positive things and we just push each other. Everybody bring different things to the table, but everybody work hard. You don't have a choice because, number one, we got the best in it [Floyd Mayweather] watching over us and by all of us working hard, it's like you will look crazy if you're not doing what you're supposed to be doing. It's fun to see other guys be able to make it and live their dreams out because this is a hard sport. Any guys I come up with, even if they aren't with The Money Team, I like to see guys become successful and be able to feed their families because this is a hard sport.
PC: I heard you and Shawn Porter been having some classic sparring sessions.
MB: I feel excellent. I could fight in 10 minutes if I want to. But yeah, Shawn is my boy. We went to elementary school together (laughing), which is crazy. A lot of people don't know that, but we go way back and I'm proud of him. We went to school together back in Cleveland. But we put some good rounds in.
PC: When you have a lot of the TMT guys about to fight and Floyd Mayweather preparing for a fight, what is the atmosphere in the gym like?
MB: It reminds you of the 70's and 80's of how the gyms used to be. There is a lot of talent and a lot of work going on. We got guys from all over the world from other countries that fly in, even if it's just for a week or a month. It's a real positive atmosphere. I love it.
PC: When can we expect to see your brother, Cortez, back in there?
MB: They getting him something together now. It can be on one of the cards; my card or Floyd's card, one of the two.
PC: I know you're expecting things to go right in May. If so, would you like to get on the September card or would you like to take a break?
MB: Nah, no break for me. I had a break for years when I was getting put on the shelf. I wanna come back before then, but of course it's gonna be something huge. My team gonna do their job. The team I got now, I ain't got nothing to worry about. I wanna get right back in; September at the latest. But September would be perfect; maybe on Floyd's next card.
PC: How has Floyd been looking during the course of his training camp?
MB: (Laughing) It's crazy, man; he's looking fantastic. Let alone being able to fight today, he could have fought a long time ago. I'm talking a month ago. It's like he gets better every year. It's real inspiring and motivating to see that this dude is literally getting better in every fight. He's almost like a kid coming up that's getting better. I can see this being a mixture of Ricky Hatton and Arturo Gatti type of fight for him.
PC: What are you looking to showcase on May 2nd?
MB: Everything. I want to show that I am one of the best in the game and I think you gotta say I'm pretty freakish for me to have had all these years off and still have the skills that I got. I'm just building up to get to superstar level because I have been under the radar to the general public, but I just want to prove that another star about to emerge in the game. I bring it all to the table.
PC: What are your goals for the rest of this year and going into 2015?
MB: I want to have a title or two, but definitely have a title and be a household name. I want to be one of the top few household names in the sport.
PC: I wish the best for you and I look forward to your fight on the 2nd. Is there anything else you want to say before I let you go?
MB: Thanks! Thanks for all of the support I get from FightHype. Thanks to all of the fans, and everybody that want to keep up with, they can follow me on Instagram or Twitter @MickeyBeyTMT.
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]