"I know he's large as well in his punch. And he wants to keep me pressured. I love this kind of style. And if he goes for 12 rounds, I'm ready for 12 rounds. I fight and spar. My fight is, sparing and training for 12 rounds. When I get in the ring, I'm looking for the knockout. I don't look for the 12 round. If he goes the distance or 12 rounds, this is not a problem. I can box. I'm beautiful. I got a good skill. I'm a Superman...I know Bika is a tough opponent. So, I'm prepared for 12 rounds. If the knockout is there, it's there. If it's not, it's not. But, in the ring, I'm looking for the knockout," stated WBC light heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson, who recently held a conference call to discuss his upcoming clash this Saturday with former super middleweight champion Sakio Bika. Check out what else he had to say!
Adonis Stevenson: Thanks to all the media. I want to thank Al Haymon, my manager, great job. This is a good person for me and fight on CBS since like '80 like Sugar Ray Leonard, Muhammad Ali. You know, this is amazing. And the first championship they want to start in Canada, Quebec City. This is amazing. And I'm very glad to be part of that.
"Sugar" Hill: The training camp is going fantastic. We are here in his hometown of Montreal training at his gym. His gym is just opening. So, this would be the first training camp held at this gym and for such a fight of this magnitude where Adonis is defending his world championship for the fifth time. I've only been here for one week any other time, but Montreal is a great place and a great place for training as well. The city has been so good and warm welcoming me here, and I see why Adonis loves Montreal, and I see why Montreal loves Adonis as well.
Q: Adonis, so much talk about you fighting the other light heavyweight champions and who the real light heavyweight champion of the world is. What are your thoughts about these other guys and it is interfering with your concentration for your fight with Sakio on April 4th on CBS?
A. Stevenson: Yeah, I know they have so much talking about that, but I'm very focused on Bika now, because Bika is in my face now. I don't see anybody. I don't see anybody in my face now. It's Bika. And I don't underestimate him, and I'm very prepared for him. I will be ready for him April 4th. So, my focus is on Bika. I know that they have so many people talking to me about how to fight this, but I'm very focused on this guy.
Q: What is the procedure for drug testing before the April 4th?
A. Stevenson: Three time in the training and one time is six o'clock in the morning. So, they come into the condo and to do a drug test and two times in the training after sparing. I think it's good for the boxers, to protect them. I'm very glad about that. And when I got to fight, I always do the test, you know? So, it is not the first time I do the test, but I always to do it. This is fantastic, I love that.
Q: Do you think it was necessary for boxing to have that kind of test?
A. Stevenson: Of course it is necessary because, is helps you. So, it is very important to make sure everything is going very well. And that's part of boxing and that's the evolution. I'm very glad and happy and support that.
Q: So both of you will be tested three times, two times during the training camp, one time before the fight? Is that correct, guys?
A. Stevenson: I don't know for him, but for me it's three time. And we do a piss test, and we do a blood test, too.
Q: The first question that was asked to Adonis about his preparation for the upcoming fight and also the distraction around all future potential opponents, I would like to get to add the same question to Adonis again.
A. Stevenson: You know, the kind of stuff like Bika is wild and has shown he come--you know, he just keep coming. The kind of stuff like that, I love this kind of stuff because he's large and keep pressuring. And so, it shows if you make a mistake like that then it will be a knockout very soon in the fight.
Q: My question is for "Sugar" Hill. "Sugar", I just want to know if you were pleased with the style that was chosen for this upcoming fight, if this is the type of test you were looking for as a trainer.
S. Hill: As far as looking for a style for Adonis to fight--and actually it doesn't really matter to me. I'm happy with the selection of Sakio Bika. I have no problem with his style. I actually like the style because he's coming forward. He wants to fight, and Adonis loves to fight. Adonis likes to go to toe-to-toe, and he likes to box. This is important for the maturity and, for Adonis learning more about boxing to be able to be in it with a fighter like Sakio Bika, who's a strong, determined and tough veteran who can withstand. He can take a punch. He's never been knocked out or anything like that. So, this is an opportunity for Adonis to maybe go 12 rounds or into the later rounds, which can build and add to his career as fighting in later rounds, which he has been able to do. This fight here with Bika is a test, and Adonis loves to be tested. I love for him to be tested as well. This is the only thing that's going to make him grow and become more of a talented fighter and become a bigger superstar.
Q: Adonis, are you looking at a tough 12 round fight or do you see it as motivation as to being the first to knock this guy out if that opportunity presents itself?
A. Stevenson: It is motivation for me. That's why I train very hard. I know he's large as well in his punch. And he wants to keep me pressured. I love this kind of style. And if he goes for 12 rounds, I'm ready for 12 rounds. I fight and spar. My fight is, sparing and training for 12 rounds. When I get in the ring, I'm looking for the knockout. I don't look for the 12 round. If he goes the distance or 12 rounds, this is not a problem. I can box. I'm beautiful. I got a good skill. I'm a Superman. So, it's not a problem for me. But, first I'm looking for a knockout. And I think any boxer going in the ring to fight always looks for a knockout. Sometimes, it's not like that. But, me, I'm looking for the knockout. And Emanuel said knockouts sell.
Q: You said that you weren't impressed with Kovalev's performance over Jean Pascal. Do you want to put on a better performance? Do you feel pressure to put on a better performance since you said that? What do you think about that?
A. Stevenson: I'm not going to put pressure on myself. "Superman" doesn't feel pressure. I'm going to use my boxing skill, and I'm going to use my head in the ring. I don't have to put pressure on something like that. I don't feel like that. I'm the man. I'm the guy to get beat.
Q: Was Sakio Bika the first opponent they offered to you?
A. Stevenson: Yeah, it was the first. He was the first to open. We're happy, and we don't have a problem. And I know Sakio he was light--no, super middleweight champion. It's very good, because he's a good boxer. He was champion last two fights. That's a good opportunity for him, too, to go from light a heavyweight to fight me. And it's a good opportunity for me, too.
Q: I want to ask you at what point did you say to yourself, "I have to fight," or "I want to fight Sergey Kovalev to unify all the belts in the division." At what point did you say that in your career?
A. Stevenson: I don't think about Kovalev now. I think about Bika. It doesn't matter what I said now because I have a fight coming up with Bika. But, sure I want to fight for titles, but now--for now I've got Bika in my face.
Q: You were not impressed with the way that Kovalev looked in the fight the other week against Pascal. Why?
A. Stevenson: I'm not impressed by it because this is the first big fight Pascal had since Bernard and he fights one time a year before Bernard Hopkins. So, in four years he fights one time. So, that's why I'm not impressed about that, because Pascal is not an active boxer like he used to be back in the day.
Q: You know that Kovalev, because of the WBC is going to be mandatory. I want to know how hard will you press for that mandatory if you're successful again.
A. Stevenson: Of course, I know. I'm ready to fight a title. But, I let my team, Al Haymon, care about that. Then after that Kovalev we can unify the title. It's not a problem for me because the two titles he gets now he gets Bernard Hopkins' title, and I should fight Bernard Hopkins.
Q: This is a fight that's going to be on national television in the United States, free TV. Have you given any thought about the fact that you'll be performing in front of an audience probably bigger than has ever seen you fight ever?
A. Stevenson: Of course. This is a good opportunity for that. And first of all, I want to thank Al Haymon for that, too, because, that's him putting on the show. And since Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard, back in the day it was free. Now, we offer the public the fight for free and that's a great opportunity for me. So, I have a good performance for Sakio Bika. But, I know Sakio Bika is a tough opponent and he's very awkward and tough. We'll prepare for that, and we're ready. It's also very good for the young kids, watching the fight. It's a good opportunity for everybody.
Q: With that big potential audience watching wouldn't that put you in a position where you're looking for a knockout?
A. Stevenson: Of course. That gives me a lot of motivation. That's why I train really hard for this fight and watch--so people watch me. Since Muhammad Ali, I'm the first to be poor and the projects. So, I'm very, very happy, and I'm going to put a good performance. Like Emanuel said, knockouts sell.
Q: Adonis, where are you training this week? And then, when are you actually going to Quebec City?
A. Stevenson: You know I opened a new gym in Quebec City. This is a good opportunity for me to train in my hometown. This is the first time since 2011. I can see my kid, too. So, I love that. And we train very hard, me and my trainer. We put the hard work pay off. This is different. This is a good opportunity for me, and I love that.
Q: Again, my question goes to Adonis. I just want to know if a knockout is the result that you absolutely need or would you be disappointed if you didn't win by a knockout against Bika?
A. Stevenson: I know Bika is a tough opponent. So, I'm prepared for 12 rounds. If the knockout is there, it's there. If it's not, it's not. But, in the ring, I'm looking for the knockout. So, it doesn't matter for me, but I'm always looking for the knockout. That's a Kronk. The Kronk Gym and my team we're looking for that. Since the Kronk it's been a while. They're always looking for the knockout. If you're training in the Kronk Gym and any fighter is looking for the knockout.
Q: But, it can be dangerous to always be looking for a knockout because then if you don't get it as quickly as you want then you can get away from your style of boxing. Is that something that worries you?
A. Stevenson: We can go 12 round. It's not a problem for me. We train for that. We train for that. I can go 12 round. And I'm from Kronk Gym, Detroit. And this place, we have a good, good trainer like Emanuel "Sugar" Hill. They know boxing. They teach me very well my skill and everything and my balance. They know boxing. And so, they know if the knockout is not there, but we're going to work. We're going to use the good ability to go for 12 rounds. It's not a problem.
Q: At the same time you were at the Sergey Kovalev/Jean Pascal fight, and you went over to HBO commentator at the time, Bernard Hopkins, and you told him that you guarantee that you will fight Sergey Kovalev. I wanted to see what your answer was to what you think of Sergey Kovalev and his performance on Saturday night a couple of weekends ago.
A. Stevenson: Pascal doesn't matter now because we're talking about Bika. I go to fight April 4 with Bika. It's a very tough thing about Bika and Kovalev is not a person now when I think about the fight with Kovalev and Pascal and then after I said, "Well, yeah, I'm going to fight." He's not a person for me now. The person now is Bika.
Q: You guaranteed that your next fight would be against Kovalev back in May of last year after 12 rounds against Fonfara. You beat Fonfara.
A. Stevenson: You can't guarantee. It's not working like that. It's not football. It's not hockey. And one punch can change anything. So now I got Bika in my face, and I'm very focused with Bika, because I know this guy gives problems to all the champions. He was champion. And I know this fighter is tough.
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PBC on CBS, headlined by the light heavyweight world championship fight between Stevenson and Bika, is promoted by Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM) and presented by Videotron and in association with Mise-O-Jeu. Tickets are on sale now at the Pepsi Coliseum box office in Quebec, by calling (418) 691-7211 or (800) 900-7469, online at www.billetech.com, at GYM (514) 383-0666 and Champion Boxing Club (514) 376-0980. Ticket prices range from $25 to $250 on the floor.
For more information visit www.sports.sho.com and www.groupeyvonmichel.ca, follow on Twitter at @SHOSports, @yvonmichelgym, @AdonisSuperman and @Sakio_Bika, follow the conversation using #StevensonBika, become a fan on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/SHOBoxing or visit the SHOWTIME Boxing Blog at http://theboxingblog.sho.com.