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In his first appearance in the squared ring in ten months, Ricky Quiles, 39-7-3 (8), will face Nate Campbell, 29-5-1 (24), in an IBF Lightweight Title Eliminator on Friday, March 2, 2007 at the A La Carte Event Pavilion, Tampa, FL. Last May, Quiles suffered a one-sided loss to recently crowned IBF Lightweight Champion Julio Diaz who he will have to face again if he can get past Campbell on the ESPN Friday Night Fights main event.
Quiles was good enough to speak to SaddoBoxing on his way to the weigh-in for tomorrow night’s title eliminator. In our exclusive phone interview we discussed his loss to Julio Diaz, the possibility of facing him in a rematch and his outlook for the future.
SaddoBoxing: This is your first fight in 10 months, why did you take off so much time before this fight?
Ricky Quiles: “I took some time off… I thought it was a very crushing loss for me, I was very disappointed in my performance. I took some time to recuperate and to readjust my mind. This fight came along so we decided not to fight beforehand to prepare for this fight.”
SB: You mention that your last fight was a tough loss to the current IBF Lightweight Champion Julio Diaz; what do you feel went wrong for you in the fight?
RQ: “I put too much pressure on myself. Too much pressure to look good, did I do this right, did I do that right. It affected my abilities, not that I lost confidence but I put too much pressure on myself. I assure you that won’t happen this fight.”
SB: Considering that you are fighting an IBF Lightweight Eliminator on Friday, do you feel that you would have difficulty in facing Diaz again?
RQ: “No, after I beat Nate Campbell, I’m fighting him [Diaz]again. I’m really excited this time and I think I’m going to dominate him.”
SB: What are you going to do differently for this fight so you don’t put too much pressure on yourself?
RQ: “I just feel really relaxed. I trained extremely hard for this fight. I am on weight right now. Just believe in myself 1000% percent.”
SB: How have you been preparing for the fight?
RQ: “I went to Puerto Rico for four weeks with some of the best fighters out there. Then I came to Florida for another two weeks. I wanted to get myself in the best shape I could get myself into.”
SB: Let’s talk a little bit about your upcoming opponent Nate Campbell, what do you know about him?
RQ: “He is a good guy. I know him personally. I know he is a strong fighter, but this is a business. He is going to go in there and try to win; I’m going to go in there AND WIN.”
SB: Do you have any predictions you would like to offer?
RQ: “No, just that I am going to win the fight, unless they rob me. I am going to outbox him, outslick him. This is a big fight and when I win this fight I will fight for the title. I will be the number one lightweight in the world.”
SB: With Castillo and Corrales moving up in weight, how do you rate the current lightweight division?
RQ: “You have Casamayor, the other Diaz, Juan Baby Bull, the WBA Champion. It has a lot of good lightweights.”
SB: Are you comfortable in the lightweight division? I think you had one fight at junior welterweight; is making the weight a problem for you?
RQ: “It’s difficult but I can make it. I don’t think it is posing a problem.”
SB: What weight do you walk around at in between fights?
RQ: “About 155, it’s not that bad.”
SB: What would you like to accomplish in 2007?
RQ: “I want to win the world title. Bar none, the world title. After Nate Campbell I’ll fight Julio Diaz for the IBF world title. That’s my goal to be a world champion; nothing else but being a world champion.”
SB: Do you have anything that you would like to tell your fans?
RQ: “I would like to thank all my fans, all the people that have been with me since day one. Thank you very much, look forward to seeing me win on ESPN tomorrow night.”
SB: I wish you the best of luck, and thank you for taking the time with me today.
RQ: “Thank you very much.”
