When will you begin training camp for your November 10th elimination bout vs Tekashi Inoue?
I already started camp. I've been in the gym since July just shaking loose and getting some rounds in with the local guys, I've just been sharpening up and working on some things.
What do you know about Inoue? Nothing at all. I haven't looked at him once. I know he's got 13 fights and that's it, but there's not much tape out there on him. I feel like I'm 12-0 again looking to see if I can find something on YouTube.
GL: The fight is a final elimination bout to determine the mandatory challenger to Jarrett Hurd. I assume you're taking Inoue as serious as a heart attach since this fight leads to another title shot.
Julian Williams: "I take every one of my fights seriously. He's not no bum and he's got to have beaten somebody to get that number two spot. He's never lost a fight and guys who don't know how to lose need to be taught how and it's up to me to show him."
GL: It looked like the fight was going to happen in August before getting pushed back to November. Were you disappointed with the postponement?
JW: "I was slightly disappointed, but it's not big deal. I'm used to things like that, it's a part of boxing. I was hoping it was going to happen in August because then I would have been able to get another one in before the year is out for my third fight of the year, but that's not going to happen now."
GL: How do you feel you have improved as a fighter since the Charlo fight?
JW: "I think I improved a lot. In terms of learning how to go rounds, I went twelve for the first time in my career in my last fight. I think I'm a little bit more patient and I'm still improving a lot. It's not done yet because I haven't had the chance to put it all together in one fight, but I'm improving."
GL: Gallimore isn't the biggest name but the guy can fight. Do you feel like that's an underrated win on your resume?
JW: "I don't care what kind of win it was, I got the win and that's all that counts. I try not to get into what's underrated and what isn't. I was the betting underdog going into the fight, but if people want to diminish the win now, f**k them it's on to the next."
GL: Other than victory do you have a prediction for Inoue?
JW: "I'm going to beat him. I'm not going to come out and say I'm going to knock somebody out because you never know how that's going to play out. Plus you don't want to put your mind on one thing because you never know how a fight is going to go until you're in the ring, but I definitely know I'm going to beat him."
GL: Who do you like in GGG-Canelo II?
JW: "That's a tough one. I say it's a 50-50 fight, but I think that sometimes with these kind of fights like this, GGG is on the way out at 35 years old, I think it would do boxing a service if Canelo won because he's got more fights ahead of him. Everybody was pissed off that he beat him the first time, but if he whoops Canelo's ass he can fight one more time and then ride off into the sunset. But if Canelo wins there's more money to be made, so I think Vegas and everybody else wants Canelo to win. I think if it's a close fight or slightly close then Canelo is going to get the nod. If I was a gambling man I would pick Canelo to win, but I'm a GGG fan so I'm pulling for him to win."
GL: Obviously your immediate goals are to win the eliminator and fight for the IBF title, what are your goals beyond that?
JW: "Get ten title defenses and move up to middleweight."
GL: So holding 154 isn't an issue at all.
JW: "Not right now. When I weigh in on the second day weigh-in, I walk in at 168 or 169 and I'm pushing it to get that big. It's not easy getting it off, but I think guys need to move up when they rehydrate too much. That kid Munguia got all the way up to 174 pounds, that means he's got to move up in weight soon because he's dying to make the weight. I'm not even breaking 170 yet and I'm eating extra to get up to 168."
GL: Closing thoughts for the fans?
JW: "I don't have any but I want to thank you for reaching out."
Send questions and comments to: [email protected]
I already started camp. I've been in the gym since July just shaking loose and getting some rounds in with the local guys, I've just been sharpening up and working on some things.
What do you know about Inoue? Nothing at all. I haven't looked at him once. I know he's got 13 fights and that's it, but there's not much tape out there on him. I feel like I'm 12-0 again looking to see if I can find something on YouTube.
GL: The fight is a final elimination bout to determine the mandatory challenger to Jarrett Hurd. I assume you're taking Inoue as serious as a heart attach since this fight leads to another title shot.
Julian Williams: "I take every one of my fights seriously. He's not no bum and he's got to have beaten somebody to get that number two spot. He's never lost a fight and guys who don't know how to lose need to be taught how and it's up to me to show him."
GL: It looked like the fight was going to happen in August before getting pushed back to November. Were you disappointed with the postponement?
JW: "I was slightly disappointed, but it's not big deal. I'm used to things like that, it's a part of boxing. I was hoping it was going to happen in August because then I would have been able to get another one in before the year is out for my third fight of the year, but that's not going to happen now."
GL: How do you feel you have improved as a fighter since the Charlo fight?
JW: "I think I improved a lot. In terms of learning how to go rounds, I went twelve for the first time in my career in my last fight. I think I'm a little bit more patient and I'm still improving a lot. It's not done yet because I haven't had the chance to put it all together in one fight, but I'm improving."
GL: Gallimore isn't the biggest name but the guy can fight. Do you feel like that's an underrated win on your resume?
JW: "I don't care what kind of win it was, I got the win and that's all that counts. I try not to get into what's underrated and what isn't. I was the betting underdog going into the fight, but if people want to diminish the win now, f**k them it's on to the next."
GL: Other than victory do you have a prediction for Inoue?
JW: "I'm going to beat him. I'm not going to come out and say I'm going to knock somebody out because you never know how that's going to play out. Plus you don't want to put your mind on one thing because you never know how a fight is going to go until you're in the ring, but I definitely know I'm going to beat him."
GL: Who do you like in GGG-Canelo II?
JW: "That's a tough one. I say it's a 50-50 fight, but I think that sometimes with these kind of fights like this, GGG is on the way out at 35 years old, I think it would do boxing a service if Canelo won because he's got more fights ahead of him. Everybody was pissed off that he beat him the first time, but if he whoops Canelo's ass he can fight one more time and then ride off into the sunset. But if Canelo wins there's more money to be made, so I think Vegas and everybody else wants Canelo to win. I think if it's a close fight or slightly close then Canelo is going to get the nod. If I was a gambling man I would pick Canelo to win, but I'm a GGG fan so I'm pulling for him to win."
GL: Obviously your immediate goals are to win the eliminator and fight for the IBF title, what are your goals beyond that?
JW: "Get ten title defenses and move up to middleweight."
GL: So holding 154 isn't an issue at all.
JW: "Not right now. When I weigh in on the second day weigh-in, I walk in at 168 or 169 and I'm pushing it to get that big. It's not easy getting it off, but I think guys need to move up when they rehydrate too much. That kid Munguia got all the way up to 174 pounds, that means he's got to move up in weight soon because he's dying to make the weight. I'm not even breaking 170 yet and I'm eating extra to get up to 168."
GL: Closing thoughts for the fans?
JW: "I don't have any but I want to thank you for reaching out."
Send questions and comments to: [email protected]
