PANTERA Interview - 06 May 2009

Found this in another boxing forum. copied and pasted it for those Pantera Fans in here... War Pantera!!! What fighter out there are you looking to fight should you get past ward? After I knock out Ward I want to fight the best 168lbs fighters. Bute, Froch, Kessler, Hopkins, Calzaghe, any or all of them. I know I can rule the division and want to prove it to the world. Would you still like to fight jermain taylor? Jermain Taylor is finished! I will be a champion before the end of the year. Maybe if he kisses my feet I will let him fight me. Have you given thought to avenging your loss to pavlik? Yes, that is a fight I want in the future at 168lbs or higher. How would a fight between you and froch play out? Froch has a big heart. He is like me and likes to battle. It would be fun. I can tell you that if Jermain Taylor can knock him down it would be scary to see what someone with real power would do to him! Do you plan on learning English...your fans find you very exciting in the ring, and it's obvious you are an animated personality outside of it as well. We'd love to understand you without a translation. I am learning little by little. Right now I am concentrating on my boxing career. But it is something I want to learn very much. I saw an interview where someone asked him about why he wears the P.R flag and not the Colombian flag on his trunks and you explained he did not feel supported by his fellow Colombians in the past. Do you still feel this way? I have some very close friends in Colombia. But the boxing fans are in Puerto Rico. They love me here and I love being part of this great island. I show the same respect that the people here give to me by proudly wearing the flag. I was born in Colombia, but I am adopted as a true Puerto Rican. Here is where my loyalty and future will be. What are your thoughts on the Jones vs Lacy fight and would you like to fight either one? Roy Jones will not have a problem with Lacy. Even more then Jermain Taylor, Lacy is finished. Roy Jones is an old man, but i would fight him. I dont mind beating up old people. Would you ever consider a step up to the Heavyweight division to possibly fight a smaller heavyweight like David Haye? I feel good at 168lbs. I could fight heavier, but I want to stay here for some time. If there was an opportunity at 175lbs, I would fight there also. Heavyweight is too heavy for me to box. What are your thoughts on the current Heavyweight division? When I was young I loved to watch the heavyweights. Now I cant even tell you who are the top fighters. I could probably beat most of them weighing 168lbs. Who is your favourite fighter of the past? Muhammad Ali Who is your favourite active fighter is? Bernard Hopkins Did you see the Pacquiao vs Hatton fight? What are your thoughts on that ko? Alot of people are comparing it to your KO over David Banks. It was a great KO. Pacquiao has gotten better and better. He has crazy power and speed. Id like to see him keep moving up in weight. Why do you think its been so difficult for you to make weight in the past? I was not disciplined in between my fights. I gained too much weight and got lazy. Colombia does that too me. Nobody cares about my career and motivates me. In Puerto Rico I stay in the gym because that is where I want to be. I made a commitment to my team that I will not return to Colombia for many years. I want to be a champion. If you were given a shot to face either Bute or Froch for a title, who would he rather fight? It doesnt matter to me. I would fight either of them anywhere. I have been to Montreal and the fans there are crazy about the boxing. In London and all of Europe I have many fans too and a fight there with Carl Froch would be huge. It doesnt matter to me. Whatever one is willing to battle I will be ready and waiting. What does he want to accomplish before his career is over? I have a long career ahead of me. I want to challenge and defeat the best fighters. I am willing to fight the people others are scared to face. Anyone, anywhere. Ali or Tyson, Who wins in a fight? Ali We all know you beat Arthur Abraham the first time around for the middleweight title, but do you ever think you will win another world title? Of course. This year. Do you think Mikkel Kessler made the right decision in not facing you and fighting for the WBA title instead? Mikkel is a kitten and ran away. I heard he got so scared he wont fight anymore. What are your thoughts on Calzaghes Retirement? He is a good fighter. I hope he will return. He is good for the 168-175 divisions. I read somewhere that you only respected Bernard Hopkins. Why is that? Bernard Hopkins is a great fighter who is still young at heart. He wants to fight the best fighters always. He has a heart of a warrior. He backs up what he says. What are you doing to trying improving your stamina? I have never had a problem with stamina. When I need to go 12 rounds it is not a problem. Weight loss was my problem. That problem is gone. Have you been trying to improve your defense? I am always learning and training on new techniques. I have made mistakes in fights that have cost me. But I have gotten up and learned from them. You will see in 1 week. Andre Ward has no idea what he is about to face in the ring. How long will it be until you step up to 175? I can fight there next or stay at 168lbs for a long time. Either weight works for me. We all love your trash talk. Do you have distain for your opponents or are you just hyping the fight? I say what is on my mind. I dont respect my opponents in the ring. It is a war. My opponent is trying to stop my from feeding my family. There is no room for love in boxing. Chances are you and Paul Wililams will never fight, but what are your thoughts on him as a fighter. Williams will be beaten soon. His heart is not in the fight. He has power, but a fighter with a big heart will destroy him. What are your thoughts on Floyd Mayweathers return and a possible fight with him and manny pacquiao? That is a fight that everyone wants to see. But first Floyd has a tough opponent to get by. How are you going to deal with Ward's handspeed and footwork? As long as he doesnt jump over the ropes and run for the doors, I have no issues with this. What's your prediction for the Ward fight? I will KO him round 10. Thank You Edison and Greg.