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Here's is the entire interview. The website wouldn't let me copy and paste.
There's always two sides to a story. After learning of Miguel Cotto's recent statements regarding his dismissal from training camp, jr. welterweight contender Frankie "Gato" Figueroa wanted to set the record straight about events leading up to his removal. Having served as Cotto's sparring partner in the past, Figueroa was brought in again as training camp began for the mega-fight with Manny Pacquiao. After only one week and a handful of sparring sessions, he was promptly told to leave without ever being given a reason why. Earlier today, however, Cotto commented on Figueroa's removal, saying "he did not perform the work" and "sparring partners are here to help us and make us work, not to have a good time, dropping their hands and showing off their abilities." Up until now, Figueroa chose to stay silent about what went on in camp, but with Cotto's recent accusations, however, Figueroa felt compelled to release the following statement.
"Normally, what happens in sparring, stays in sparring, but, Cotto 'must've forgot', like my promoter, Roy Jones Jr., once said, since now he wants to try and clown me. Let me just set the record straight. When I was sent home, I was pissed, but I still handled it in a professional manner and left it as is. I didn't give out no details because I was never told anything. I mean, I thought the sparring was going good. Nobody knew why I got sent home. Everyone was shocked, and I do mean everyone, but now Cotto wants to come out of his shell and try to play me as if I'm a clown? Okay, who the hell does this dude think he is, man?
Don't try to play me with all this 'Gato wasn't serious' or that I was clowning you with my hands low. Who the hell do you think you're fighting? Margarito? This is Pacquiao God damn it! This dude is a beast! He is for real! Pacquiao fights with his hands low, or midway, and punches from all over the damn place. I've sparred many great fighters, Sugar, Berto, Hatton, Gatti, and never have they complained. They endured or went back to their corners to figure out how they can handle me. I'm not a sparring partner, I'm a fighter! It's not my fault I was frustrating the **** out of you with the Gato moves and the Pacquiao punches coming from all angles. That's what your team is for, to figure out how to stop it, but if you wanted to run your own camp, that's your damn problem.
Your camp did an excellent job of hiring me. Everyone in your camp was happy as hell except for one person...you bro! I wonder why! After we sparred, you could feel the tension in the air 'cause I was doing my thang thang. I was the only damn sparring partner putting the massive pressure on you, from the counter attacks to the first offensive attacks, every damn thing! For the record, when Bob Arum came to the gym and seen us spar, you got frustrated and tried to literally throw me, homeboy, in front of Bobfather. My man, I wrestled 7 years of my life and you ain't throwing ****.
A day after seeing Pacquiao's awesome sparring, Bob Arum came to see you spar and said that you were showing improvements, so come on with that clowning stuff! You was just mad 'cause you couldn't catch me, El Gato, AKA the best sparring partner you had for this mega-fight. Seemed like I wanted it more than you.
Look, I'm a cool cat, but don't try to play me. I ain't no 'yes sir, boss'! Just tune in to ESPN on November 4th and when I fight Rashad Holloway, I'll show you who the real clown is! I'll remind you of some of those Gato moves that you were so frustrated with. To my fans, thank you for all your support. Be sure to follow me at
http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content6008.html
So, whose story do you buy? Gato or Miguel?
There's always two sides to a story. After learning of Miguel Cotto's recent statements regarding his dismissal from training camp, jr. welterweight contender Frankie "Gato" Figueroa wanted to set the record straight about events leading up to his removal. Having served as Cotto's sparring partner in the past, Figueroa was brought in again as training camp began for the mega-fight with Manny Pacquiao. After only one week and a handful of sparring sessions, he was promptly told to leave without ever being given a reason why. Earlier today, however, Cotto commented on Figueroa's removal, saying "he did not perform the work" and "sparring partners are here to help us and make us work, not to have a good time, dropping their hands and showing off their abilities." Up until now, Figueroa chose to stay silent about what went on in camp, but with Cotto's recent accusations, however, Figueroa felt compelled to release the following statement.
"Normally, what happens in sparring, stays in sparring, but, Cotto 'must've forgot', like my promoter, Roy Jones Jr., once said, since now he wants to try and clown me. Let me just set the record straight. When I was sent home, I was pissed, but I still handled it in a professional manner and left it as is. I didn't give out no details because I was never told anything. I mean, I thought the sparring was going good. Nobody knew why I got sent home. Everyone was shocked, and I do mean everyone, but now Cotto wants to come out of his shell and try to play me as if I'm a clown? Okay, who the hell does this dude think he is, man?
Don't try to play me with all this 'Gato wasn't serious' or that I was clowning you with my hands low. Who the hell do you think you're fighting? Margarito? This is Pacquiao God damn it! This dude is a beast! He is for real! Pacquiao fights with his hands low, or midway, and punches from all over the damn place. I've sparred many great fighters, Sugar, Berto, Hatton, Gatti, and never have they complained. They endured or went back to their corners to figure out how they can handle me. I'm not a sparring partner, I'm a fighter! It's not my fault I was frustrating the **** out of you with the Gato moves and the Pacquiao punches coming from all angles. That's what your team is for, to figure out how to stop it, but if you wanted to run your own camp, that's your damn problem.
Your camp did an excellent job of hiring me. Everyone in your camp was happy as hell except for one person...you bro! I wonder why! After we sparred, you could feel the tension in the air 'cause I was doing my thang thang. I was the only damn sparring partner putting the massive pressure on you, from the counter attacks to the first offensive attacks, every damn thing! For the record, when Bob Arum came to the gym and seen us spar, you got frustrated and tried to literally throw me, homeboy, in front of Bobfather. My man, I wrestled 7 years of my life and you ain't throwing ****.
A day after seeing Pacquiao's awesome sparring, Bob Arum came to see you spar and said that you were showing improvements, so come on with that clowning stuff! You was just mad 'cause you couldn't catch me, El Gato, AKA the best sparring partner you had for this mega-fight. Seemed like I wanted it more than you.
Look, I'm a cool cat, but don't try to play me. I ain't no 'yes sir, boss'! Just tune in to ESPN on November 4th and when I fight Rashad Holloway, I'll show you who the real clown is! I'll remind you of some of those Gato moves that you were so frustrated with. To my fans, thank you for all your support. Be sure to follow me at
http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content6008.html
So, whose story do you buy? Gato or Miguel?
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