As WBA super middleweight titleholder Rocky Fielding (27-1, 15 KOs) gets ready to take on the toughest task of his career tomorrow, facing Canelo Alvarez (50-1-2, 34 KOs), the champion gets a little upset about how easily everyone is counting him out in the fight. Check out some excerpts from his interview with Marcos Villegas of Fight Hub TV.
Fielding on what he thinks of this opportunity to face Canelo and make his mark in the U.S.:
“It’s massive. It’s a great opportunity for me. You know, as I’ve said in the past, I come here three years ago just, you know, touring around the place and went outside thinking ‘one day I’d love to fight here,’ you know, the history behind it. And here’s me chance, do you know what I mean?
“It’s been like a long road, it’s been a bumpy one. You know, I started off a pro debut with no promoter, no backing, no nothing — just grinding out...I’m at this point now where I’m fighting the biggest name in boxing on the biggest platform in the biggest arena. It’s me opportunity and I’m living the dream and I’m fully focused on Saturday night, to go in there and win.”
On what he thinks when he sees the obvious size advantage he has over Canelo:
“Respect to [Canelo] for stepping up and taking chances and challenges. That’s boxing...I plan on using [my size advantage] and I got a good feeling...I got a good feeling and I’ve prepared well and I’m excited about it and looking forward to, you know, sharing the ring with one of the pound-for-pounds in the world, the face of boxing.
“You know, I go in there, do a job, I get the big U.S. support, I get the whole world support, and that’s what boxing’s about. I don’t shy away from anything. I’m a fighter so when the call got made I said ‘yeah’ ‘cause you’ve got people giving me stick about it — you know what I mean, Twitter trolls...”
On how he feels about the public largely believing he’ll be an easy fight for Canelo:
“I just ignored it, you know? Yeah, I can’t bite back and put my energy into someone giving me bad [tweets]. I’ve ignored it, I’m fully focused on Saturday. I know what I’ve gotta do, I know why I’m here, you know, I’ve worked hard, I know who I’m doing it for. I’ve got a family, I’ve got kids, I’ve got to look after them, and that’s what I’m doing it for.
“And if someone is to give me a bit of stick, you know what I mean, it’s like what are they doing with their lives? Without boxing where would I be? I don’t know, so I’m just living the moment and enjoying everything here and the fight week and the build-up’s been great. I’m here as a world champion, do you know what I mean? And people are forgetting that...I went to Germany, no one gave me a chance. I went and fought an undefeated world champion...I went there and took it from him. And I’ve come here and I’m doing the same...
“From the first start of this year, the first six months of this year, not know where me career was going...but I stayed positive, stayed in the gym to getting the phone call with five weeks notice to fight Zeuge, to winning, to fighting at the Madison Square Garden against the biggest name. You know, how crazy is it to go from not knowing where I’m going to fighting the biggest name and the biggest arena. So the stick and whatever else people wanna give is just — I think me block list is [very large] now. But I’m here, I know what I’m here for, I’ve done it since I was 9 years of age and I’m at this point now...”
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