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This Saturday, April 7, the pride of Providence, Rhode Island, Peter Manfredo Jr. will face the daunting task of dethroning WBO Super Middleweight Champ Joe Calzaghe at the massive Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
This will be the first attempt at a world title for the 26 year old Manfredo, 26-3 (12), while Calzaghe, 42-0 (31), will be putting his WBO belt at risk for the twentieth consecutive time since winning the belt in 1997.
Recently SaddoBoxing caught up with Peter for a candid and insightful interview just before he left for the UK.
SaddoBoxing: How was training?
Peter Manfredo Jr: “Training camp was real good. It was the best camp I had since I’ve been with [trainer Freddie] Roach, even though Roach had to leave a little early to go with De La Hoya, but how can you blame him, he’s making a lot of money.
“Not only that, but things went great. Strength and conditioning coach Justin Fortune there got me nice and strong and I’m lean. Just ready, man. I’m sharp and ready to go.”
SB: Who will be in your corner, as Freddie Roach will be in Puerto Rico training De La Hoya?
PM: “It’s going to be the same people but instead of Roach, now you’re going to have Sugar Ray Leonard. You’re going to have Ray Leonard and my father. My father is going to be the head, Ray Leonard is going to be the assistant, Justin Fortune the strength guy he’ll be there and Carlos Vargas is going to be cutman.”
SB: Did you spar with any people of note?
PM: “Yeah, my number one sparring partner was Greg McEwen. He signed with Golden Boy. He’s, I dunno, 4 or 5 and 0 now. He’s from Scotland, so I got to see the European style so he was my number one sparring partner. The other kid was Rene something I don’t remember his last name but he was on the Next Great Champ [Rene Armijo Jr.]. He was a lefty and helped me out a lot.”
SB: How do you react to the assessment of many that you have bitten off more than you can chew in fighting Calzaghe?
PM: “Well you know what it is; he’s undefeated and I have a couple of losses on my record from the show. You know, so people see me on the show and they think this guy just killed Jeff Lacey, the superstar, and he’s going up against Peter Manfredo, who, you know, lost a couple fights and they don’t think I’m in his league.
“But what can I say? This is what makes boxing great. You know, I’m going in there and shock the world on April 7th and open some eyes in there. Show everybody I belong in there. I’m going in there with the confidence that I’m going to win this fight.
“You know, I have to go to Europe and I’m going to have to knock him out to win but I’m willing to do whatever it takes to win this fight. So, I trained extremely hard and like I said, this was my best camp and I’m go in there and shock the world on April 7th.”
SB: You are called the Pride of Providence; does that moniker and the pressure to represent your hometown ever prove to be too taxing?
PM: “Actually, all my names like Italian Warrior, Pride of Providence, they were all given to me. I never really had a ring name going in. Pride of Providence is not what I do in the ring, but I think it’s what I do outside the ring when I give back to Providence.
“I mean, I worked all summer for free as a lifeguard and gave the money to the kids to do whatever. To buy trophy cases, or buy uniforms that they need. Just things that I give back, I think that’s what makes me the Pride of Providence, you know?
“Plus, what I do in the ring, I give a lot of people hope. You know, I might not be the best fighter in there but I give 110% each and every time out and that gives people the drive to do something. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I don’t party so I am a positive role model to people.”
SB: Seeing that your involvement in Season One of the Contender humanized you guys to a broad scope of individuals, I must ask, how is your family doing?
PM: “Everybody is good. I’m spending as much time with them right now before I can, as I leave tonight because I have been gone for eight weeks. Everything is going good. I have two girls and my wife is pregnant with my third child and it’s going to be a boy.”
SB: Well, congratulations.
PM: “Thank you very much, so everything is going good. I mean, I got a complete life. You know, now I just got to be the world champion and get in a Fight Night video game.”
SB: What was the single greatest thing about being on the Contender?
PM: “I think it was learning to be a man and being a fighter on you own because you didn’t have trainers. It was so opposite from being a fighter and going to a regular fight. You had to deal with challenges.
“When you first get in there, you have to fight these guys; you don’t want to get friendly with them and things like that. But as the show went on, I mean you’re living with these guys, you got no TV or radio, there is nothing to do so you interact with each other.
“So you interact with these people and you become friends and you learn a lot of different things and it was a great experience. Then. when you watch yourself on TV and you get the exposure; now I go to the supermarket and no matter where I go, people know who I am.
“I go out of the country and it’s even bigger there. It was a great thing. You know, to be yourself on the show and for people to look up to you and like you because of who you are, I mean it just gives you a lot of self confidence and it’s great.”
SB: Any thing you want to say to the fans in closing?
PM: “I just want to tell them, thank you for the support. You always give me support and you know I am going to give you 110% when I get in there. I’m going to make you proud. I’m going to make everybody proud. I’m ready to shock the world and become the new WBO world champion on April the 7th.”
