clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Chris Colbert wants to fight Leo Santa Cruz but says Jayson Velez up next

The WBA titleholder explains how he’s now coming into his own.

Wil Esco is an assistant editor of Bad Left Hook and has been covering boxing for SB Nation since 2014.

In this conversation with Ray Flores, WBA super featherweight titleholder Chris Colbert talks about where he’s looking to go from here in his career and what fights he’s looking towards. Check out some excerpts from the video interview below...

Colbert on who he wants to fight next:

“To be honest, I want whoever is available to fight. I really want Santa Cruz but we know this fight ain’t gonna happen at the time because Santa Cruz is chasing big money fights. I don’t blame him, to be honest. I want the Santa Cruz fight, it’s not gonna happen, so we just gonna move on. I’m supposed to be fighting Jayson Velez...we looking to be back August.”

On if he’s been studying tape on Velez:

“Listen, I told you, I don’t watch tape because I fight both ways. So whatever he do, I’ma adapt to it. We got 12 rounds now, I used to tell ya’ll this when I did 8 rounds. Now we got 12 rounds to adapt and to be able to do what we gotta do and I don’t think nobody can bring something to the table that I didn’t already see. If anything I’ma be bringing something to the table that they didn’t see — somebody that can fight so great left-handed and right-handed. So that’s gonna be the trick for him that he gonna have to figure out.”

On how’s it gonna feel to fight in front of no fans:

“To be honest, fans boo me all the time anyways...Puerto Ricans, they got a big fan base. When I fight a Mexican, people don’t know I’m of Mexican decent so they boo me regardless. It don’t matter to me at the end of the day, I’m still gonna get paid, the fans on TV still gonna get a great show. I’ma go out there and do what I do best and that’s win, and win a dominating performance, hopefully stop him. To be the first person to stop him is gonna be a good look on my resume but whatever I gotta do to win, that’s what I’m looking for.”

Sign up for the newsletter Sign up for the Bad Left Hook Daily Roundup newsletter!

A daily roundup of all your global boxing news from Bad Left Hook