Joan Guzman: A Featherweight with Powerful Dreams.

“I would like to fight Scott Harrison and Juan Manuel Marquez; he has two world championship belts. I want the big fights and wherever the big fighters go up in weight, I will follow.”–Joan Guzman intends to take over the featherweight division.

Click for larger image © Team Guzman

Let’s face it, the foundation of boxing resides on the lower weight classes. The bantamweights and featherweights are the basement in the mass media, when it comes to boxing. While the heavyweights bicker over who’s their champion, the bantamweights and featherweights settle kingship contentions with heart wrenching battles. Joan Guzman (23-0, 17 KOs) is rare in the sport of boxing

with his amazing power. Call him “El Pequeno” or “Tyson”; he is on a conquest to show the world why he is the best in his division. After making his power punches a trademark in the super bantamweight division, the former WBO super bantamweight champion, Guzman is making his entrance into the featherweight division this August 26, in White Plains, New York, with a concrete opponent in Terdsak Jandaeng, an undefeated southpaw. It’s wonderful to see a boxer love his sport with so much passion, and with a new public relations captain in Ricardo Lois and learning old-school boxing methods from the creditable Dan House. The path of Guzman making a power punch in the featherweight division is prospering. It’s also Guzman’s dream to make the division more recognizable and a bigger picture in the boxing world’s eyes. After sharing an interview with him, there is no need for him to ever wake up: he means business and dreams are the mental ring for boxers.

SaddoBoxing: How is the training coming along?

Joan Guzman: “Everything is going good. I sparred for twelve rounds today.”

SB: Dan House is your new trainer and your knockout ratio is impressive. Do you think people overlook your overall boxing skills and focus too much on your power? Are you working on that? Is your trainer working more on your boxing skills?

JG: “I am working more on technical skills and power, as the old saying goes: “(the) knockout will come by itself.” My trainer has me moving my head and he’s emphasizing using my movement; we’re working more on the technical aspect more than the power.”

SB: Your upcoming fight with Terdsak Jandaeng is against an undefeated fighter and your last fight and win at super bantamweight was against an undefeated fighter. What’s more exciting, beating another undefeated fighter or moving up to featherweight?

JG: “It’s more so moving up to featherweight. I know that’s where the big fights are at. I’ve been fighting people with undefeated records before. The move to featherweight is a bite more interesting, because that’s where the bigger fights are going to be at.”

SB: What about your opponent being a southpaw, do you think that will be a problem?

JG: “I’ve been taking that into consideration with my sparring. I’ve been working with Kevin Kelly, Steve Luevano, Roberto Benitez who are all southpaws. Terdsak will be difficult. I’ve seen tapes of him. He’s a tough fighter, he’s undefeated and a southpaw.”

SB: Hopefully you will walk away with a win on August 26. If that’s the case, and you earn a fight with Scot Harrison, who would you like to fight next? Perhaps Juan Manuel Marquez?

JG: “I would like to fight Scott Harrison and Juan Manuel Marquez; he has two world championship belts. I want the big fights and wherever the big fighters go up in weight, I will follow. A big fight, that’s what I’ve been wanting these last several years.”

SB: You touched on my next question with your answer. If you were to move up to junior lightweight or lightweight, would you be more of a boxer or a knockout artist?

JG: “I think I can only go up to super featherweight. I have to use my power and technical skills; it has to be a mix of both. I am working well with my trainer. With my new trainer House and my abilities, a lot of good things have been happening.”

SB: What would you like to say to the boxing world, the Dominican Republic and your boxing fans all over the world?

JG: “It’s Guzman time. I am going to keep moving up in the rankings and moving up in weight, looking for another world championship, which will be my second. I just hope all the people come to support me and look for me to do good things.”

SB: Just keep knocking people out.

JG: (a healthy laugh from Guzman).

I would like to thank Joan Guzman and Ricardo Lois for helping to conduct this insightful interview.

Contact Shaun Rico LaWhorn at filmmaking_mentality@msn.com