By Rick Reeno
BoxingScene caught up with WBC junior welterweight champion Arturo Gatti to throw a few questions regarding his upcoming fight with Jesse James Leija and future opponents Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Kostya Tszyu.
There has been some criticism towards Gatti for facing Leija in his next fight. The general feeling among the Boxing public is that Gatti should be facing one of the other top fighters in the division like Mayweather or Tszyu.
BoxingScene: Do you agree with some experts that say Jesse James Leija is a not a worthy challenger for your title and that maybe you should take one some of the other contenders like Tszyu, Mayweather, Cotto or Hatton?
Gatti: Jesse is a great fighter, a true veteran of the sport. People keep bringing up his age...they counted him out in his last fight with Bojado and he proved everyone wrong. I think based upon his performance in his last couple of fights, he is still one of the best fighters at 140 and deserves this opportunity.
BoxingScene: Do you see the fight playing out as a boxing match, a brawl or a mixture of both?
Gatti: I'm going to use my boxing skills and put a lot of pressure on him. Jesse is a tough fighter, I take nothing away from him, but I don't think he wants to make this a war.
The word going around is that Gatti took the Leija bout as a stepping stone towards a mid-year pay per view showdown against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
BoxingScene: What about Floyd Mayweather? How close is that fight to becoming a reality?
Gatti: I can't look past my next fight, but I'm hoping that after all the talk, we can finally get together in the ring next year.
The one fight that fans may never get to see is a superfight between Kostya Tszyu and Arturo Gatti. The recent the fight is held back is not because of the willingness of the fighters, but because the two men are exclusive to rival networks.
BoxingScene: There has been talk on the side of the Tszyu camp that you are avoiding a fight with Kostya, is that a fight you want?
Gatti: I don't avoid anyone. Tszyu is a great champion. He was away for long time, he came back and looked great in his last fight with Sharmba Mitchell. I definitely want to fight him in the future.