By Ryan Burton
 
BoxingScene.com spoke to welterweight and junior middleweight contender Kermit Cintron about his recent decision to drop the appeal of his May technical decision loss to Paul Williams.  Cintron believes that the California Commission would not change the outcome to a no-decision and he just wants to move forward to focus on the future.  The former champion also talks about his plans and how he would love a rematch with Paul Williams or Alfredo Angulo and a lot more in this exclusive interview.
 
BoxingScene.com:  I understand you are going to drop the appeal of your loss to Paul Williams.  Why did you decide to do that?
 
Kermit Cintron:  My team and I decided to drop it just because I don't want to go in there and fight a 'he said, she said' type of situation.  I don't think it is worth paying all that money to go over there and not come out with the decision that we wanted.   The decision that we wanted is to at least make it a no-contest.  To go in there with a California commissioner and a doctor that works for that commissioner is like for example you getting a ticket and going to court and you are fighting the cop for it and the judge is only going to believe the cop's side and not your side.  They are going to believe his side and not you.  It is the same situation here.
 
BoxingScene.com:  Do you think that because Paul William's promoter Dan Goossen has his home base in California and does a lot of shows there that the commission would look more favorably to his fighter?
 
Kermit Cintron:  Absolutely.  Again it is the doctor's word against my word.  Of course they are going to go with his word.  It wasn't worth going over there and wasting all that money for nothing.
 
BoxingScene.com:  We know you have said that you wanted to continue fighting and the doctor said that you said you couldn't continue.  Fans seem to be on both sides of the fence on this.  Can you set the record straight?
 
Kermit Cintron:  It really is somewhat annoying.  The whole situation is.  It was a horrible decision by the doctor to you know there I am hurt gasping for air and he is asking me if I want to continue right at that moment.  If I am asking you that question while you are hurt and gasping for air are you going to be able to continue right at that moment?  Honestly the answer is going to be no.  I thought there was a five minute rule or even a little longer to recuperate and then ask me the question if I am ready to continue.  Don't ask me the question when I am fucking gasping for air.  It is what it is.
 
BoxingScene.com:  What does your manager and Lou DiBella say about where you go from here?
 
Kermit Cintron:  Right now I know there are fights out there for me.  I know I am still one of the best at 154.  I am not going to count that as a loss on my record.  Paul Williams definitely did not deserve that decision.  If anything if they were going to go to the scorecard everybody in the media knows that I won that fight.  A lot of media was confused with that decision.  There was no way that Paul Williams won that fight.
 
BoxingScene.com:  154 is a loaded division with well established fighters and up and coming prospects.  Has your team thrown any names out there of who they would want you to fight?
 
Kermit Cintron:  The fight that I would like right now is a Paul Williams fight.  He is going out there saying that he is going to break my mouth open and some other junk.  He is saying that he is willing to fight me.  I believe him.  The fact is that Dan Goossen won't put me against him again.  They saw and everybody saw that I was winning fight.  If anybody was hurt it was him.  If you look at the fourth round he was the one that was buckled.  His legs started buckling and not mine.  He went onto the canvas because he was hurt (When Cintron fell through the ropes).  He just got lucky and that is it.  He got lucky he got the decision.
 
BoxingScene.com:  He has talked about wanting to go back down to welterweight.  Would you fight him at 147?
 
Kermit Cintron:  He won't fight me.  We tried to make the fight at 147.  His promoter told us 'no.'  I was willing to fight him at 147.  If they can make the weight then why not make it at 147?  I will fight him at 147 or 154.  I just feel I deserve a rematch.  I know that Paul Williams won't back down from the fight.  I respect him as a fighter.  It is just up to his promoter.  His promoter has to call and ask us for the rematch and make the fight happen again.
 
BoxingScene.com:  Do you have any closing thoughts?
 
Kermit Cintron:  There are definitely some fights out there for me.  I know Paul Williams is trying to stay away from Sergio Martinez.  I will fight Sergio Martinez again.  Angulo is over there freaking fighting these bums and he is saying that I haven't done nothing since the fight that I beat him in.  I will step in there again and whip his ass again just the way I did the first time but even worse.  I know there is Cotto out there as well.  He is looking for an opponent and I am willing to fight him as well. 

There are a couple fighters out there don't have fights.  Berto doesn't have a fight.  I am willing to fight Berto and even though we have the same promoter I know it is up to Al Haymon and HBO to make that fight happen.  Those people are scared to fight me.  There are plenty of times I have sat with Berto and we have tried to make a fight happen.  I told him I was ready to fight him and he is over there making excuses saying my team this and my team that.  Saying it is up to Al Haymon blah blah blah.  Just make the fights happen and stop protecting your records.  If you want to be the best you have to fight the best and that goes for anybody at 147 or 154. 

I will fight anybody.  I am tired of fighters making excuses of why they won't fight this guy or that guy.  I want to be the best so I have to fight the best to be the best.  I am ready to fight anyone.  I am tired of watching guys make excuses.  I have never backed down from any fight except Felix Sturm.  That is the only one I honestly wouldn't take.  First of all the money wasn't right for me to go to Germany plus I didn't have enough time for a full training camp.  That is the only reason I didn't take that fight.
 
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