"I'm going for the top. I'm trying to stay right at the top. That's where I'm at. I'm not trying to get no tune-ups or none of that bullshit. I ain't got time for that. I'm going right back and getting right back in position for the top...I wanted to get back ASAP, but I don't know how soon it's going to be, but ASAP. I didn't feel anything. That wasn't nowhere near my hardest fight," stated heavyweight contender Bryant Jennings, who talked about his future plans and much more. Check it out!
PC: You didn't get the outcome you wanted, but you gained respect and a new fan base. I'm sure you weren't looking for a moral victory, but it has to be somewhat comforting.
BJ: I get something out of the deal. It's pretty good to be embraced by everyone. It's a helluva way to take your first L. But I'm always maneuvering anyway, winning or losing. I don't necessarily believe that I lost, not from a fighting standpoint of view, but from a progression standpoint of view of where I'm at and where I wanna be at in my career. It's nothing but a step up for me any way you look at it.
PC: I saw you out in Vegas. It was crazy the amount of love you got out there. Outside of the ring, how good did it feel to be recognized and respected by not only other fighters, but the fans and media as well?
BJ: It's been a lot of respect and that's the only thing that I'm here for. I live to be respected because I respect people, so I like to get some back. But you know, the acknowledgment of me being a legitimate person and a legitimate heavyweight and people being proven wrong and they actually paying homage and they actually admitting that, "Hey, I underestimated you and I didn't think that you can do what you did. You fought a great fight and I salute you and you got a new fan." That's all love.
PC: Do you think most people underestimated you mainly because of the Mike Perez fight, although Perez is difficult to look good against? Do you think you were underestimated solely because of that fight?
BJ: I always look at it like styles make fights anyway. Just because you fight one person one way don't mean that you are going to go into it that way in your next fight. I'm fighting all different types of styles; hard, difficult styles. These are some of the most difficult styles in the game and I'm fighting them. Hey, if some styles make ugly fights, then that's what it do.
PC: Seeing you next to Wladimir and meeting you, I was actually a little surprised that he wasn't that much taller than you. Were you a little surprised by that?
BJ: No, I wasn't surprised because I've been around bigger guys all my life. I come from other sports and look, man, without sports, I'm in clubs standing next to the bigger bouncers and they thinking they gonna move the crowd with me in it and I stand up to whoever. Size really didn't mean anything, but I already knew that he wasn't really that much bigger than me. I'm not little and he's not a giant.
PC: You impressed a lot of people with your chin and ability to take some of Wladimir's best shots. Most felt like once he landed clean, it would be the end of the fight. You seemed to take them pretty well.
BJ: I kept trying to tell people that I'm the real deal. And it's all about positioning too. Whatever way you can maneuver your body to be able to absorb some power and some punches, it's actually a craft to it. And then I was aware; me being aware of everything. I was able to see his punches coming. It's going to be the punch that you don't see coming that may not be half as hard that's going to get you.
PC: You don't seem like the kind of guy that will go Shannon Briggs and hunt Wlad down for a rematch or hunt any heavyweight down for that matter. What is the next logical step for you?
BJ: I'm going for the top. I'm trying to stay right at the top. That's where I'm at. I'm not trying to get no tune-ups or none of that bullshit. I ain't got time for that. I'm going right back and getting right back in position for the top.
PC: When you think of the short amount of time that you've been in boxing, hell, when I first started talking to you, you still had a full-time job. When you look back at it and see your progression now, I'm sure you are more than satisfied.
BJ: It's just something that I've been prepared for for a long time. I've prepared myself for this moment forever. I understand positioning yourself in life and now I'm just closing the gap. I'm very comfortable where I'm at, but I know for sure that there are at least 10 more levels higher that I need to reach and that's where I'm heading.
PC: You always talk about positioning yourself to be in the right spot. Is that still the case, that you just always want to be in a position where you're in the thick of things and in the mix?
BJ: Yeah, yeah, it's definitely all about position. That's part of the marketability of the fight game. It's not about just getting fights to make money. I want to get in position because I see myself as a superstar and I feel capable of being in the position and actually keeping the position. So the effort that I put fourth, that's what I work for. I don't be sitting around worrying about making money because the key to making money is to be in position. And like I said, I can hustle. I can take some shorts and fight at least 5 to 6 times a year, but I ain't trying to waste my time. I'm trying to get up in this thing and then get out.
PC: I hate asking because you just had a fight, but how soon would you like to be back? When can we expect to see you again?
BJ: ASAP! I wanted to get back ASAP, but I don't know how soon it's going to be, but ASAP. I didn't feel anything. That wasn't nowhere near my hardest fight. I'm a very physical person, so if something is physical, I would admit that it was a hard fight and if something is technical, I'm not worrying about that. Physical is what I go by and that wasn't my hardest fight physically. I guess that is a credit to my conditioning and credit to where I am in my career right now because, man, I did not feel not one thing. Afterwards...let me see, my back was a lil' tight, but that's normal. Other than that, it's like, shit, I didn't feel no headache, I didn't feel nothing. I was ready to go right back at it. I was up and around immediately.
PC: It was great to see you get the attention and respect that you earned from the boxing community. I look forward to seeing you back in there and wish you the best. Is there anything else you would like to say before I let you go?
BJ: I always shout out to my social networks, @BYJennings on Twitter and Instagram. Shout out to all of my fans and supporters that's been down since day one and shout out to my new fans and the people that have morals and understand and respect the levels of man and the man where I'm at right now and where I actually wanna be at to go ever further. So shout out to everybody that understand me and all the haters, they don't get nothing.
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]