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“I won’t even think about quitting boxing until I’m a world champion.”-Rubin Williams.
| On March 5, 2005, Rubin Williams squared off against Jeff Lacy for the IBF super middleweight title. Although Rubin came up short, he really put up a great fight against the champion. With every opportunity, Rubin countered and jabbed, there were even times when his back was against the ropes and he went toe-to-toe |  |
and slugged it out with Lacy. Here’s what he had to say about that night and the future plans he has for himself.
SB: First off, I would like to commend you on a great performance against Jeff Lacy. You hit him with really good counter shots and your jab was very effective. Give me your assessment on your performance against Lacy.
RW: Obviously man, I got off the game plan.
SB: When you had Lacy in the middle of the ring, you were able to utilize your jab more, and control the tempo of the fight. Was that the plan from the start, and why was it hard to stick to that plan?
RW: He was so easy to hit that I just wanted to knock him out. Of course, that wasn’t the plan going in. We knew I could outbox him and we planned to keep it in the middle of the ring. But when we’d go to the ropes, I’d roll with his punches and then unload. He was getting tired and cracked at the same time.
SB: At any point in the fight, did you think that you had Jeff hurt?
RW: When the ref stopped the fight, I was thinking “OK, as soon as he stops with this crazy wild swinging I’m gonna knock his ass out.” Honest to God, that’s what I was thinking just as the ref jumped in.
SB: Due to the amount of shots you took from Lacy and the fact that he was unable to knock you out, or even knock you down for that matter, do you think that his power is overrated?
RW: I’m not going to take anything away from Jeff. He’s the champ and that’s it for now. I blew it and maybe I can work my way back into another chance. But for now, I’ll give him the respect a champion deserves.
SB: What kept you on your feet and allowed you to take the barrage of punches that were thrown from him?
RW: I slipped some and rolled with the others. I got caught at the end of the sixth but I wasn’t like all that shook up. He caught me right after the bell and hit me pretty flush. Nothing all that bad though.
SB: Is their anything as far as a rematch in the works? Would you like a rematch?
RW: Of course I would. But I think I gotta tell you what they’d say to that.
SB: What made you stick with boxing?
RW: You mean after my loss to Mendoza? Hell, I knew that wasn’t the real Rubin Williams in that fight. I tried to lose too much weight; my sister could have beaten me that night.
SB: Will you try to get a title shot with one of the other super middleweight titleholders such as Joe Calzaghe or Markus Beyer?
RW: I’ll fight anybody, anytime, anywhere. I’ll come to fight and it’ll be a show.
SB: What’s next for Rubin Williams and how long will you continue to box?
RW: I’ll do whatever my manager tells me to do. I have faith and believe that I’ll get another shot. Next time, I’ll stick to the game plan. I won’t even think about quitting boxing until I’m a world champion.
SB: In closing, is there anything else you would like to say to the boxing fans?
RW: Yes. I’m sorry that I got caught up in the fight and blew it. I don’t blame anybody but myself; I just got wrapped up in the fun of slugging it out and forgot what I was there for. I promise it will never happen again.
I would like to thank Rubin Williams for taking time out of his busy schedule. I would also like to thank John, for arranging this interview!
Thanks Guys, God Bless you Rubin.
Thanks and be true to the game.
Katrina Walters can be reached at boxingkatrina@aol.com
