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Transcription of trainer's response during an interview with Leave It In The Ring as he provides translation for his fighter, Nobuhiro Ishida who recently defeated James Kirkland.
"Yeah he just told me he already knew there was a chance before the fight because James Kirkland came to the fight so he had a chance to beat him. We know James Kirkland didn't expect Ishida would try to knock him out but we saw our chance to take short counter punches.
Yes he fought a lot of good fighters, many times. (Names some sparring partners). All the fighters have good power so he got use to it in sparring.
Yes, before, in Japan he fought defensive a bit more. But in the United States no one knows him. Then, as his trainer, i told him "Hey, you have to fight!" because no one knows him so he turned kind of offensieve. He won his fight last October against Alvarez, he thought he won the fight. He lost a split decision but he already knows he's ok because it was in Mexico. Mexico fighters fight in Mexico so the Mexican crowd cheer for Mexican fighters.
He likes a technical style also. He's got a very good ability to box. He knows how to box. Good skills. I'm talking about the fact he was a defensive fighter before but this time we insisted he had to fight a more aggressive fight. Keep the centre of the ring because if he stayed near the ropes, James Kirkland would be comfortable but if Ishida keeps the centre of the ring than Kirkland's uncomfortable when Ishida is confident.
I didn't notice him being 40 minutes late. But I heard Kirkland went to jail for a couple of years, so it might be hard for him to make weight. 3 weeks ago he fought over 160, this fight 158. Then on fight night Ishida was 168, Kirkland was 173. I thought he's big, he's heavy so he might have found it hard to make weight.
No same thing. because we come prepared to fight. anything can happen. nothing changed.
Oh, he was kind of surprised. They weren't hard punches, they were kind of soft. I know the punches hit the chin right and I know Kirkland doesn't have a good chin because he's been dropped a couple of times and he was wobbled in the last fight. So, if Ishida fights I thought Kirkland is going to go down, if Ishida punches then Kirklands going down. I expected it already.
Yes, after the first knockdown, he thought it could be a first round knock out. We trained to throw straight punches, right hand, right hand, punch, jab.. Because Ishida's taller than him. We thought he'd finish him off in the first round. He just told me, Kirkland recovers very soon. Like Felix Trinidad, he get's dropped but he can get up very soon.
If Sergio Martinez wants to fight Ishida, he's welcome, I'm glad to fight Sergio Martinez. He's kind of a big name. Of course, he offers more fight money than anyone else. Ishida knows he's been in a lot of close decisions. He complains because all of them were close fights. If Sergio Martinez wants to fight Ishida, he's welcome, I'm glad to fight Sergio Martinez."
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