By Ryan Burton
Former Contender series start Peter Manfredo Jr. (33-6) talks to BoxingScene.com about last night's first round shellacking of Ronald Weaver in Maryland. Manfredo plans on campaigning at middleweight with fighters he feels for the most part are his own size. See what else the Pride of Providence has to say in this BoxingScene.com exclusive interview.
BoxingScene.com: First off congrats on the win last night. Were you surprised it ended so fast?
Peter Manfredo: Thank you very much. Yes I was very surprised.
Actually looking at the kid's record he has fought a lot of good fighters, a lot of killers and no one has done to him what I did to him last night. I felt real good and real sharp and I feel I am going to make some noise at 160. I am real hungry right now. I did what I wanted to do in there. I looked very sharp and I wanted to throw over 100 punches a round and I landed near 98 of them. I am right on the.
I had him down in the first round. I had his eyes swollen. I hit him with a million shots and the doctor actually stopped it. They wouldn't let him come out for the second round.
BoxingScene.com: Take us through the round for the people that didn't get to see it.
Peter Manfredo: He barely finished the first round and right before the second round the doctor went to the corner and told him he wouldn't let him take more shots like that. He took a real beating in the first round. I didn't want them to stop the fight obviously because I needed more work but thinking about it he took too many punches in the first round and the second round was going to be as bad or worse.
BoxingScene.com: Being that it was a short night's work do you want to get back in the ring asap?
Peter Manfredo: Yes I wanted to get back in there yesterday. I had too much time off since my last fight. I had too much time in the gym and I am going to get back in the gym today to try to get a little more of this weight off. I ended up weighing in at 166 but I was told the weigh in was the day before. I wasn't told till I got to the airport that the weigh in was the day of the fight. I had to dry out a couple more days. I started drinking a little bit and I came in a little heavier than I wanted to but I am coming back to middleweight.
I will be at 62 or 63 for the next fight and then 60.
BoxingScene.com: Do you think bringing your super middleweight power down to 160 is going to make you a force to be reckoned with?
Peter Manfredo: Definitely. Especially with the experience I had at super middleweight. I fought the best at super middleweight that you can fight. I fought Sakio Bika and no one wants to fight him. I understand why, he freaking hits like a truck. I fought Joe Calzaghe one of the best in the world. I fought Jeff Lacy who was a top guy at that time. He was a world champion. I fought the best at super middleweight. I knocked out Scott Pemberton in the third round who was ranked number one by the WBC for a year. I fought the best so I think coming down to middleweight to fight guys my size except freaks like Pavlik and Williams will give me a better shot at becoming a champion.
BoxingScene.com: How many fights at middleweight do you think you need before you are ready for a shot at a title?
Peter Manfredo: I want a two or three more fights before that. I don't think there is a rush. I am going to be 29 years old at the end of the month. I think I was rushed in the first place. I was rushed to a title shot at 68 to fast. I was thrown in there with Calzaghe who has a ton of experience and I probably wasn't ready for it. You can't turn an opportunity like that down so I took it. I feel I wasn't ready for that yet so I don't want to rush at middleweight.
When I get to that point I want to win. I know I can be a champion. I have the will and the talent to be one.
BoxingScene.com: With Abraham and to a lesser extent Taylor having moved up in weight do you think the division is more open?
Peter Manfredo: Of course. The division is wide open. There are a lot of up and coming killers like Danny Jacobs and Craig McEwan, my friend from Freddie Roach's gym is a strong lefty with like 300 amateur fights in Scotland. With those guys moving up in weight it definitely has opened up some spots for us young guys to come up and get in there.
BoxingScene.com: Do you have a message for the fans?
Peter Manfredo: Thank you very much for their support and I want to let them know I am back at middleweight and I felt real good last night. Have a happy holiday season and thanks again for the support.
