"You've seen the Bowe/Holyfield 1 fight. You don't see any American heavyweights prepared for that type of war now. You understand what I'm saying? I don't think any heavyweight in America, from the top 10 on down, are equipped mentally and physically to withstand that type of battle in the ring...I know I can withstand that type of pressure and that type of brutal beating and dish it out and take it. I know that I can fight like that. I can sit in those trenches and go to war like that. I don't see any heavyweight in this country that is mentally prepared for that type of fight. You got this guy David Haye, I would demolish this guy. He's been dropped by guys that can't even punch, man. David don't have no chin, he don't have no defense, he's a little fast and he might hit a little hard, but a guy like that wouldn't be prepared to be with me in that ring. He wouldn't be prepared to fight with a broken nose, two cuts over his eyes, and a busted lip and fractured ribs. These guys aren't prepared to keep fighting under these type of circumstances. I know the only way that you gonna stop me in that ring is if you render me unconscious," stated fast-rising heavyweight knockout artist Amir Mansour, who picked up his first title this past Friday with another devastating performance, stopping his opponent in the first round after sending him to the canvas four times. You don't want to miss what Mansour had to say as he is eager to prove that he has the hunger, attitude, and tools to be the next American heavyweight champion. Check it out!
PC: Congratulations on capturing your first title. How does it feel my man?
AM: It was good, man. It was definitely a relief to be able to perform the way that I did in such a big fight for me, so it was good, man. Everything is coming into place and everything is unfolding real well.
PC: How much different was this from your other fights, being that when you walked out of that prison, your goal was to become a champion? You've had several 1st round knockouts, but how different was this one knowing you were taking home some hardware?
AM: I've been fighting so consistently that I was more relaxed for this fight. I was a little less nervous and I was obviously prepared. I'm in top shape. People may be expecting me to take a break, but I will be in the gym in the next 3 or 4 days, back at the drawing board and working on my craft. I will look at this one round and see if there were any mistakes that I made because I did get a little overanxious after I hurt him. When I smelt that blood, I went in on him and I was a little careless. I didn't take any shots or anything like that, but you still want to settle down and finish a guy and you want to look pretty and professional doing it. You don't want to look brutal and brute. But this is boxing, man, and you can't disrespect this game. Boxing is a craft, man, and even Bernard Hopkins, at 46 years old, is still learning. He's still learning new techniques, man. So, you know, it's a learning thing and I'm just very honored and happy to be a part of this sport, you know?
PC: No one has been able to present any problems against you. Is that because of your preparation and mindset coming into these fights to just not be denied?
AM: Well, I feel...I know I'm a very good fighter. I hit hard, I'm fast, and I come prepared. You win these fights in the gym. You don't win these fights by training two weeks before the fight. You win these fight in the gym with hard work and dedication and by living a clean life. When I step into that ring, I'm kinda convinced that this guy didn't train as hard as I did, he didn't take himself as well as I did, and he's not as dedicated as I am. I always look at it like that and I look at it as I'm prepared to go 10 to 12 hard rounds, blow for blow. I'm ready to die in this ring. In the heavyweight division in America...and I'm not exalting myself, I'm humbling myself as much as I can every day, but let's be honest, the heavyweight division right now in America...you've seen the Bowe/Holyfield 1 fight. You don't see any American heavyweights prepared for that type of war now. You understand what I'm saying? I don't think any heavyweight in America, from the top 10 on down, are equipped mentally and physically to withstand that type of battle in the ring that these brothers used to give us back in the day and not too long ago. This is the type of block that I'm chipped off from, so when I go into these fights, I know I'm prepared for that type of battle and that type of fight. This is what I bring. I think that intensity just overwhelms these guys so much that they are shook. I catch them and I catch them flush and clean and they are going out.
PC: Just the fact that the public demanded Bowe and Holyfield to do it 3 times, we just don't get that anymore.
AM: Exactly man! This is my thing, I know I can withstand that type of pressure and that type of brutal beating and dish it out and take it. I know that I can fight like that. I can sit in those trenches and go to war like that. I don't see any heavyweight in this country that is mentally prepared for that type of fight. You got this guy David Haye...I would demolish this guy. He's been dropped by guys that can't even punch, man. David don't have no chin, he don't have no defense, he's a little fast and he might hit a little hard, but a guy like that wouldn't be prepared to be with me in that ring. He wouldn't be prepared to fight with a broken nose, two cuts over his eyes, and a busted lip and fractured ribs. These guys aren't prepared to keep fighting under these type of circumstances. I know the only way that you gonna stop me in that ring is if you render me unconscious. If I'm still conscious, I'm throwing these hands, I'm coming forward, and I know that's one of my advantages man. I can box, I can fight, and I'm tough. I can withstand that in a war and I don't see none of these dudes that can take it. I don't see any of these dudes that can come to war like that. I really don't.
PC: You have more of an old school mindset entering the ring and a lot of these heavyweights today are too cute. They want to come out of fights with little to no damage inflicted and taking very little damage as well.
AM: It is what it is. I'm gonna keep talking, but one thing about me, God willing, I'm gonna keep backing up my talk. I'll keep showing people everything that I say that I'm capable of doing; I will keep showing them every time that bell rings and I'm out there in that arena putting on a show for these boxing fans and the boxing public. I'm going to keep showing people, man, that this guy right here represents the American heavyweight that we have wanted and been missing since the Tyson's and the Holyfield's and the Riddick Bowe's and even further back. That's what I'm going to convince people that we are missing from boxing in this country in the division. They have a heavyweight right here in me that can represent you to the fullest. I ain't gonna let you down and if I go out, I'm going out on my back. I'm not going to go out on my feet where I can walk out of the ring and say I shoulda coulda woulda. I'm going to leave everything in that ring, you understand what I'm saying?
PC: You told me in our previous conversation that time is not on your side. You are on the fast track my man. When would you like to get back in?
AM: Oh, for sure. I fight again on August 26th. I'm going right back at 'em August 26th and hopefully I fight 2 or 3 more times this year. But I'm fighting a 12-round fight on August 26th and I don't know what title it will be for, but it will be for a title. Man, listen, I don't care who they put in front of me, but whoever they put in front of me gonna have to be ready to go to war.
PC: Did you get a chance to see Chris Arreola's fight on Friday night after you fought? I know he's a guy you have been targeting as well.
AM: No, I didn't see him. When you talk about guys like Arreola and Haye, David Haye is a guy that is going to knock you out if you don't know how to box or how to fight and you stand right in front of him. My mom can do that. My mother can do that. If you stand in front of my mom, the way she hits, she can knock you out. Chris Arreola has never fought a guy like me. None of these guys have ever fought somebody with the type of power that I possess. They haven't fought anybody with the resiliency and tenacity that I have and the heart that I have. These guys haven't been to war yet, man. Chris Arreola thinks he went to war with Klitschko and they stopped that fight. He didn't go to war; he got beat up. You gave up and you gave a lackluster effort. Somebody whoopin' my butt, you ain't gonna see me...listen, you ain't never gonna see me, and you can quote me on this, you will never see Amir Mansour lose consistent rounds. If I fight 10 rounds and he's that much better than me, damnit, I'm gonna win 2 or 3 of them. You ain't never gonna see me just taking an ass whoopin'. And nobody is going to get out of a 10 or 12-round fight with me looking like they ain't never been in a fight and I'm all marked up. That's not gonna happen. I'm a warrior, man. I'm a warrior and I'm gonna represent this boxing game to the fullest. I don't disrespect the art of boxing. I don't disrespect the game, man, and that's why I train the way I train and I stay on this straight path right here, man, with this boxing. I know how important it is to train hard, study this craft, and be sincere about it. A lot of these guys taking it for a joke and they disrespecting the game of boxing, man, and you just can't do that.
PC: Well man, I couldn't be happier for you because I know what this meant to you. We will have you on plenty before your fight in August. I know you had a ton of support, so send out your shout outs my man.
AM: I wanna thank the fans in Delaware, Jersey, Baltimore, Maryland, and Washington DC because these people come to see me, man, and they are dedicated fans and they travel to come see me. They come to Atlantic City and Dover Downs. These are the people that make me what I am. Without this fan base that I'm gathering, and without them giving me the momentum that I have, I wouldn't have got no title fight this quick and I wouldn't have been as hungry as I am. You're a lot better when other people believe in you too. I just thank the fans, man. Dover Downs Casino, man, let me tell you something, and I swear to you I've been to Atlantic City and Connecticut casinos and other casinos around the country, man, but Dover Downs Casino in Dover, Delaware is the most hospitable place I have ever been to in my life. These people know how to treat a person coming to spend the night or just coming down there to enjoy themselves. They are just overwhelming with hospitality and I'm telling you, if you're ever in the Delaware area, you got to visit Dover Downs and I swear to you, you will say to yourself, "I know what this guy was talking about now." You will never be treated better than when you go to that place.
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]