"I think after this performance, God-willing we're given the victory, it's a fight that we can say we're ready for the next level. You know, 20-0, I think it's time we started stepping on some heels, I guess you can say. I think Steve Forbes, he's still a dangerous fighter. I don't take anything away from Steve Forbes. If anything, I have to go in there prepared to the best of my abilities...On the 10th against Steve Forbes, they can expect an exciting fight night. It's something that we're always working hard for and we like to give the fans what they want. It's going to be a show," stated undefeated jr. welterweight Antonio Orozco, who talked about his upcoming clash with former champion Steve Forbes on the October 10 Golden Boy Live! card. Check it out!
BT: What's going on, Antonio?
AO: Not much, man, just waiting for the last couple of days, you know.
BT: No doubt. You got an important fight with Steve Forbes right around the corner. How did training camp go?
AO: Training camp was great. I mean, with every camp that with have after each previous fight, we try to make the best of it. This camp, we didn't come up short. It was great. Knowing that we're going up against a very skillful veteran, I mean, we had to get the best work that we could, right?
BT: Definitely. Like you said, Forbes is a skillful veteran, who once trained with the Mayweathers. Was it difficult to find sparring partners who can emulate the type of style that Forbes brings to the table?
AO: We actually got sparring from very different perspectives. We had guys that would bring the pressure, we had guys that would like to box, we had guys that would like to move and do the shoulder roll, so I think we came to the best of our abilities to find the work that we're going to need to be triumphant on Friday night.
BT: At this stage of your career, how important is it for you to look good against a veteran and former champion like Forbes in order to take your career to the next level?
AO: I think after this performance, God-willing we're given the victory, it's a fight that we can say we're ready for the next level. You know, 20-0, I think it's time we started stepping on some heels, I guess you can say. I think Steve Forbes, he's still a dangerous fighter. I don't take anything away from Steve Forbes. If anything, I have to go in there prepared to the best of my abilities. He's crafty, he's a veteran, and there's nothing new that he's going to see when I step in there. So we just have to be positive and keep in mind that we're there to win.
BT: Do you anticipate maybe seeing something new from him that maybe you've never seen from past opponents?
AO: I mean, I think you learn something from every fight and every fighter. This could be a fight where it could turn from aggressiveness versus craftiness. Like I said, I mean, we tried to get different styles of fighters, different styles of work to get us ready for Steve Forbes. I personally wouldn't say that you can actually expect the same thing from every fighter. They can make certain changes. As a fighter myself, I like to make corrections from mistakes that I tend to make, so I'm pretty sure Steve Forbes did the same. All in all, I think it's going to be an entertaining fight.
BT: What kind of a fight are you anticipating from Forbes? Are you expecting a chess match from him or do you think he might try to come out and test you early?
AO: I mean, work. I'm expecting a very counter-punching, very active Steve Forbes. He's crafty, right? So I'm thinking he will probably be trying to out-box me; that's what I'm looking towards. If that's the case, then we'll have to work with that and if not, then we'll have to make some adjustments ourselves.
BT: I know you're not looking past Steve Forbes, but assuming all goes well, where are you hoping a victory over him will place you in the landscape of the 140-pound division?
AO: After this fight, I think we can actually start playing around with top-10 contenders. I mean, I'm just like every other fighter. I want to be out there; I want to become a world champion and that is what it takes. We have to start going up against guys that are ranked already that have already established a name for themselves, and I'm search of the same.
BT: How soon do you see yourself getting into title contention and facing some of the big names like Adrien Broner and Lucas Matthysse?
AO: We're taking our steps gradually. I can't sit here right now and say I'm ready for Adrien Broner. As a fighter, I'm still getting that experience and Steve Forbes will give me a very good fight. But definitely, yeah, within a year, the end of next year, we really want to start playing around with these guys.
BT: For a fan who hasn't seen you fight yet, how would you describe your style of fighting to them?
AO: Crowd-pleasing! Crowd-pleasing! I like to give the fight fans what they're in search of and that's entertaining fights. That's how I can sum it up.
BT: No doubt. Well before I let you go, let the fans know what they can expect on the 10th when you do step into the ring with Steve Forbes.
AO: On the 10th against Steve Forbes, they can expect an exciting fight night. It's something that we're always working hard for and we like to give the fans what they want. It's going to be a show. I'm not in search of retiring or knocking out Steve Forbes. I'm going in there for a win.
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