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DAQUAN ARNETT OPENS UP ON SIGNING WITH GOLDEN BOY AND HOW ERROL SPENCE HELPED TURN HIS CAREER AROUND

By Percy Crawford | April 20, 2017
DAQUAN ARNETT OPENS UP ON SIGNING WITH GOLDEN BOY AND HOW ERROL SPENCE HELPED TURN HIS CAREER AROUND

"I'm happy to have this second chance to revitalize my career on the big stage with a good established company on some good cards...I was hoping to get in around May, but it's looking like around June; between the end of May or June. Whichever works best, we'll do...I have so much of this second opportunity that I'm getting right now thanks to Errol...I was in a place where it was kind of a dark stage for me," stated jr. middleweight Daquan Arnett, who talked about his recent signing with Golden Boy Promotions, his future plans, and much more. Check it out!

PC: Congratulations on signing with Golden Boy Promotions.

DA: Thank you. We just finished the deal, signed and made it official today to sign with Golden Boy Promotions. I'm excited about it. It took some time to iron some things out, but we finally got it done and I'm happy to have this second chance to revitalize my career on the big stage with a good established company on some good cards. They got the ESPN deal with a bunch of dates, so I'm just excited.

PC: With this deal taking some time to come together, I'm sure the patience that you've had to have the last few years paid dividends for you while waiting for this deal to get done.

DA: Oh, absolutely! Just being out of the ring for so long now and learning to deal with the obstacle of not being able to get back into the sport the way I wanted, so once I got the chance to be introduced into the sport the way that I wanted to get back into the sport and negotiate with different people and test the waters and finding the right fit, it all ties together and plays into the same hand. I had to have patience. My patience and my discipline got stronger and I knew I had to wait on the right opportunity and just had to keep working. The right opportunity came and it all went hand in hand.

PC: Any target date for your Golden Boy Promotions debut?

DA: I been here in Dallas training and pretty much in training camp since December. I was hoping to get in around May, but it's looking like around June; between the end of May or June. Whichever works best, we'll do.

PC: You've been in Dallas working with one of the best fighters in the world in Errol Spence Jr. and one of the best trainers Derrick James. What made you move from Florida to Dallas?

DA: I have so much of this second opportunity that I'm getting right now thanks to Errol, "EJ." I was in a place where it was kind of a dark stage for me. I was in Orlando, I was at home, I didn't have much going on. The boxing scene isn't really great there. We got a couple of guys, but for my situation, that wasn't the best for me. And one day, I just called up Errol. We're like family. I called him up and I was like, "Man, I need some help. I need to get right and get back in the gym and really get my mind together. I need to get back on my game." He was like, "Man, look, don't worry about it. Come out here, stay at my house, and we're going to be in the gym every day. We going to get you right." And that was it. I booked a one-way ticket and I've been here ever since. So like I said, a lot of this I have to thank him for. He did a real solid thing. We've been family, we've been down for a long time, and I owe this right here to him.

PC: What made Golden Boy the right fit for you?

DA: I had probably my first 10 or 11 fights on Golden Boy Promotions cards, so I have a history with those guys, Rob Diaz and Eric Gomez and most of the staff over at Golden Boy that handle the fights. I have a good relationship with them. We spoke; they were excited and felt it would be a great opportunity to rekindle that relationship I have with them and get me moving in the right path. It was a mutual excitement. It was other companies that were interested that I was talking to, but the people that showed me they had the best offers, and not so much the best offer as far as finances, but as far as caring for the fighter, and being that I've dealt with them in the past, I understand how they do business. I understand how their shows go and I really like it. It only made sense to go full circle and go back to who I really started with.

PC: Is it in your best interest to stay out of Orlando and look to a possible full-time move to Texas or are you planning on moving back at some point?

DA: Well, when I first booked my ticket to come to Dallas, the intentions were to get established here and move here in 2017, but about a month after I booked the ticket to come here, I found out I was going to have my first child. So now I'm in the process of...I've been here since December and I go back about maybe once every few months just to check on things and make sure my girl and my kid are okay. So about next year some time, after my kid is about one year old, I'll make the full transition here. So next year some time, I'll be here, but I'm doing my full training camps here.

PC: That's a huge sacrifice you had to make. At some point in every fighter's career, they make a sacrifice that they feel will make or break their careers. Obviously this is a sacrifice you felt you had to make to resurrect your career.

DA: I really did. It's a very true saying that if you want different results, you have to do something different. I stepped outside of my comfort zone, I came to Dallas, and I got around a lot of top notch guys. I'm in the gym with Jermell Charlo, Robert Brandt, and Errol Spence and we all work together on a daily basis. So it was important for the different results that I needed for me to be in a different environment. I had to do something different. This is a situation where I'm taking full advantage of every uncomfortable aspect and uncomfortable thing that pushes me past the limits that I've had before. I'm taking advantage of it all and I feel like it's going to excel my career in a fantastic way. That's a serious sacrifice. I left my family. Right after I found out I was having a kid, I had to leave. And I was gone pretty much the entire pregnancy. Its been rough, but it's motivated me to assure for a solid foundation when she arrives.

PC: I enjoy putting out some of the sacrifices you guys make because sometimes I don't think fans have a true understanding of what some of you guys go through and the hardships before you even step foot in the ring. So I know that was a difficult thing to do and I hope it pays off for you.

DA: It was a tough thing to do, but it had to be done. The journey is not done just yet. I'm still working right now. The news of me signing and getting that done and getting on the path and getting back in the ring and being active again took a lot of weight off of our shoulders.

PC: I understand most fighters live in the gym, but this signing had to give you a purpose to feel like you're actually training towards something again.

DA: Absolutely! It's kind of hard to get bored in the gym with these guys. Sparring with "EJ" and Jermell and Rob, it's kind of hard to get bored. Those guys keep you on your game. It lit another fire under me, gave me a little bit more push, a little bit more motivation. It's a better feeling inside of myself to know that we're working towards something and we have a situation set in stone. It will give me a better feeling in the gym.

PC: I appreciate the word, keep me posted on your fight date, and best of luck. I'm really happy for you, my man.

DA: I want to thank you for sticking by me. You're one of the guys that didn't throw me under the bus when everything was quiet, so I appreciate you and all of the guys over there at FightHype. I appreciate all of the fans sticking with me. The people that wrote me on social media saying they missed seeing me in the ring and things like that, the wait is almost over and we are almost at the finish line, which is essentially the new starting line. Thank you to everybody for just sticking with me.



[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]

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