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PETER MANFREDO VS "THE KO KID"
Interview: Peter Manfredo Jr.!
May 15, 2006
By Matt Richardson
www.tournamentofcontenders.com
"Put your money where you're mouth is." Those were the words of Super Middleweight contender Peter Manfredo Junior on Sunday afternoon in reference to his potential next opponent, Joey Spina. After scoring a come from behind knockout over 'The Contender' Season 1 participant Jesse Brinkley last week, Spina (18-0-1, 13 KO's) went out to call out all of the fighters from the first season of 'The Contender.' "Whatever they are going to give me, I am going to knock them off, and hopefully I can run through them all," Spina said in a May 9 interview on Fightnews. Naturally, Manfredo (25-3, 11 KO's) the runner-up from the first season had a lot to say about a potential fight with his fellow Rhode Islander. "He's talking too much smack," Manfredo told Fightnews. "It's time to set it straight. You want 'The Contenders'? You can get the best one right here. I'm the only other one that fights at 168. I finished second on the show; come after me now." Read on for what Manfredo had to say about possibly fighting Spina or Omar Sheika in July, the controversy over a potential Jeff Lacy fight, his plans at Super Middleweight and his opinions on the man they call "The Latin Snake."
What's next for you? Rumors are circulating that your next opponent could be Omar Sheika. Is that true and do you have a date yet for that fight?
"Well they're working with 'The Contender' on mid-July right now. I thought it would be mid-June but it's not. I'm actually in training camp now. I'm actually leaving today because I don't want to stay here too long. But yeah, Omar Sheika is in the works. But now since Joey Spina just beat Jesse Brinkley. He's calling out all the contenders and he's opening his mouth back home. That's a good possibility for the next fight."
Could it be Joey Spina in July then?
"It could be Joey Spina in July. That's if he accepts the fight."
What did you think about his comments last week after beating Brinkley?
"I didn't like them at all. I mean he got beat up the whole fight and he landed a body shot on Brinkley. I just know what he has, I know what he has to bring to the table and it's nothing. I've seen him fight against Jose Spearman. I've seen Spearman give him a beating and him get a gift draw. He just really has nothing. I really didn't want to fight him because he's from my home town. Another Italian kid; up and comer, I didn't want to ruin his career. But since he's opening his mouth back home and wants to fight me, wants to fight all the 'Contenders,' think's he's the best around. You know, you got to watch what you ask for sometimes because you might receive it."
So that would be on ESPN right?
"That would be ESPN 2, yes."
Who do you think is more realistic for the July date: Sheika or Spina?
"Truthfully, I don't know. We called out Spina, we'll see if he takes the fight. And if he doesn't then it could be Sheika. It could be anybody. I just know I have to get in there. I have to stay busy. I want to work my way to a world title fight. And that's it. This is my job. I don't work; my wife don't work. I can't sing, I can't dance - this is how I make my money. I have to get in there and I have to stay busy and I have to fight."
There's been some controversy on you turning down a fight with Jeff Lacy. Can you give me your perspective on this whole issue?
"Yeah, no problem. I guess there was some talk that Gary Shaw said that I turned down a fight with him. But truthfully, I don't turn down a fight with anybody. I'll fight anybody. Jeff Lacy, right now, I just said why fight him right now for nothing. Why am I going to be his stepping stone coming back? You know he's going to come back hungrier than ever, he just lost a big fight. Why am I going to be his stepping stone for nothing involved? If there was a title involved, if there's money involved in it of course I'm going to do it. But I'm not going to fight Jeff Lacy for my minimum on SHOBOX on Gary Shaw's card where you've got to knock him out to beat him. I never turned down a fight with him, so I don't know what that comment was for. We weren't even working on that because Lacy is not coming back until October anyway. I mean, I need a fight before that. We working on Sheika, that's who we were working on."
Are fights with Lacy and Joe Calzaghe still fights that interest you?
"Most definitely. I want to fight the best out there. I want to fight the best for a reason though. I want to fight them for a title; I want to be a world champion. I don't want to go through every mountain that I have to go through. Why fight Lacy then fight Calzaghe when I can just fight Calzaghe for a title or Lacy for a title? So basically, I just want to work my way up. I had my first fight at '68 with Scott Pemberton. That was my first fight at '68. Yeah, it was a great fight but I want a couple of more fights at '68."
Do you feel good at this weight now?
"I feel great. The whole 'Contender' stuff was all bullshit to me. Because I couldn't make the 157-pound weight class. You're living with the fighters, you're not training for these fighters, you're away from your family, you just don't want to be in the house. You don't even want to fight. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my life. But the show made me make the money I'm making today. It gave me the popularity I have today. But if I would have to do it again I would never do it."
You've been a little critical of 'The Contender' people in the past. How's your relationship with them now?
"It's over with now. I'm the type of person that forgives and forgets. I don't hold a grudge on people, life's too short. You know, we had problems in the past because I felt that they were treating other guys better than they were treating me. But it's over with now. I have no problems anymore. I just want to stay busy. They're paying me good money. I just want to stay busy, just fight. As long as they give me a world title shot like they're promising me in the next one or two fights then I'm fine."
What did you think of Sergio Mora's fight two weeks ago?
"I thought Sergio looked great. He got dropped in the third round but I think that was the best thing that happened to him. He came back strong, he showed that he's got balls to get up from the canvas to come back and fight harder and he did. I thought he looked spectacular. I thought that was a perfect opponent for him to look spectacular against. The guy was not a top ten ranked guy or nothing. But it's going to be interesting when Sergio steps it up into the top ten and see what he can do. But I think he looked great. I think he should do all right. I don't think he has the power to hang with the top guys like a Jermain Taylor or a Kelly Pavlik or someone like that. I don't think he has the pop to hang with those guys."
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Originally Posted by "PRIDE OF PROVIDENCE"
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