by Geoffrey Ciani – I was recently afforded the opportunity to have a nice chat with undefeated junior lightweight contender Mickey Bey, Jr. The undefeated contender is looking to secure a title shot sometime this year and is determined to make his mark on the boxing landscape. Here is what he had to say:
Q: Mickey, in your last fight against Tyrone Wiggins you won by first round knockout. Can you tell us a little bit about your performance in that fight?
A: Well, actually it was short but the great thing about it was I actually got to knock him out with the punch that me and my trainer were working on, and that was just throwing the right hand over the jab. We’ve been working on the right hand a lot in the gym so I was really happy for that to be the punch that got him out of there.. And actually it was a heavy fight. I fought at my natural walk around weight and the guy, I think, was maybe 146 (pounds) so he was pretty heavy, but I’m just glad I got the job done and got the victory.
Audio:
Q: Yeah, that was actually the biggest opponent you ever faced and that was the heaviest you ever weighed in a professional fight. How did it feel carrying around that extra weight?
A: It felt a little awkward, I got to admit right now, because eventually I think I will be able to carry the weight maybe in a few years. It felt a little different, but I felt pretty good at the weight. I just didn’t feel the same as maybe fighting at 130 and 135, but I felt good enough because I spar at that weight a lot in the gym, so, it felt pretty good.
Q: Does this suggest that at some point in the future you might start campaigning north of the lightweight division?
A: Oh right, yes. Well actually I’m going to campaign first at 130 pounds, which I’m fighting at for the WBO Intercontinental belt on February 27. Then I think maybe in another year or year and a half I will fight at the lightweight division. Then after that I think I could definitely fight at 140 for a few years and maybe even 147 before it’s over because I got good height for my weight—I’m 5’9”—so I got pretty good height for my weight, so I think as I get older I’m sure I’ll pack on some more pounds.
Q: Now when I last spoke to your trainer Jeff Mayweather “On the Ropes” he mentioned that he hopes you get a title shot before the end of this year, and I’m curious, which champion out there would you most like to face and why?
A: Well right now, I think I would like to face either Robert Guerrero (IBF) or Roman Martinez (WBO). With that being said, I think (Humberto) Soto moved up if I’m not mistaken. So I think that those two might be probably the guest guys right now in the division. I think by fighting one of those guys and beating them that would be a great mark for me in boxing, and to be able to fight on HBO and to display my talent and show the boxing world that there’s another super star out there that’s missing right now that will be around for a long time and a future pay-per-view fighter, hopefully.
Q: Guerrero looked very impressive his last time out. How do you think you would match up against him?
A: Well, no doubt about it, Guerrero is a very good fighter. He’s a southpaw. I think I would definitely beat him cleanly. I can’t guarantee a knockout or anything, because that’s nothing you can guarantee, but I definitely can guarantee a victory because I can do it all in the ring. I can adjust, and I’m hard to hit. I can punch, I got speed, and I do it all and I’m a very smart fighter and I’m in great condition and I got a great chin if I do get hit. I’ve never been dropped in my whole career, even through the amateurs. It’s going to be pretty hard for a fighter to beat me on my feet and I can’t see myself getting knocked out, but you know, in boxing anybody can be knocked out. I can’t see him being able to take what I have. I think I’ll definitely come out victorious and in spectacular fashion.
Q: What areas of your game has Mayweather been able to help you improve the most?
A: Well Jeff, he’s been able to help me just making sure that the tools that I have are sharpened and making them even better. He just adds on to everything that I have and is making sure that I can do it all. Making sure that I can mix it up, fighting on the inside, outside, fight going backwards, throw punches in bunches, but the main thing that we focus on is hitting and not getting hit, but with my style, it’s not in a boring way. When I hit and not get hit I’m looking for the knockout, sort of like Ray Robinson and Pernell Whitaker used to do. They might be looking for the miss, but I’m looking for a vicious ending after that or a vicious combination after the miss.
Q: Mickey, what do you think your greatest asset is when you enter the ring?
A: I think my greatest asset is my ability to adapt to any fighter while I’m in the ring. That helps me because I don’t really have to go into the ring with a game plan. I just have a basic game plan, but I’m able to get in the ring and after a couple of minutes or a round or so, I just got great eyes and I have a good sense of what to do in the fight very fast. I can tell what the fighter’s strengths are and I’m able to see weaknesses while I’m fighting, and that’s an advantage because I can see openings and I can set things up in a matter of seconds and get the punches off fast right there when I see the mistakes. And also, mainly, it’s the way I train and my discipline outside of the ring. I’m definitely a 24-7-365 fighter. I don’t drink, never drank—don’t want to drink—not even on New Years or after I do win the title, there won’t be any celebration drinks. Maybe some punch, but no wine or liquor.
Q: Mickey, which boxer in the sport today do you have the most respect for and why?
A: Well, it might sound biased but I would have to say Floyd Mayweather because of the way that he stayed on top of the game. He won the title in 1998. He’s still undefeated and still on top of the game, and just seeing the way he trains and everything it’s like he just won his title. He’s more hungry than a fighter who just won his title. He just works very hard. People might see the side when he’s promoting himself and he might seem a little boastful or whatever, but in the gym it’s humbling to see how he works and how he makes sure that his priority is to train and to work on his craft every single day at the level that he does. I really admire that.
Q: Now following up on that, the recent rumors are pointing in the direction that Floyd might be squaring off against Shane Mosley sometime in May. How do you think that fight will go down?
A: I like Mosley a lot. That’s another good friend of mine, but honestly, I really think Floyd will beat him but I think it will be by decision. It will be a very competitive fight. I think the last six rounds of the fight I think that Floyd will really be too elusive and too hard to hit for Mosley. I think that he’s not going to be there for Mosley to land the big bomb that he throws. Mosley’s still a spectacular fighter and he’s great, but I don’t think that his timing is really good enough to beat Mayweather at this stage in his career, but I think it would be a great fight.
Q: Mickey, you’re 26 years old and you’re undefeated right now. I’m wondering, what are some of your long term goals in boxing?
A: Well my long term goals are to become the next pay-per-view fighter and someone that every time people see my name scheduled—all the hard core and the casual fans to be excited to see that it’s a Mickey Bey fight coming up and to be an inspiration to a lot of people. To be somebody that just puts on great events both in and out of the ring to where people can remember for a lot of years to come and I would definitely like to bring a little of what I can back in the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s when there were certain guys that were fighting, there was just something in the air. I remember when I was four or five years old when there was Tyson fights and things like that, you could kind of feel that there was a fight in the air, and I just want to be the next fighter that can walk the steps of the Mayweathers, the Manny Pacquiaos, and all of the guys before me. I want to be the next great pay-per-view fighter and a multiple division champion.
Q: My final question for you Mickey, do you have anything else you would like to say to all of the fans out at East Side Boxing?
A: Yes, I want to thank you for taking the time out to interview me and I want to tell everybody that there’s a young hungry fighter that’s on the rise that hopefully should get his title shot maybe before the summer is over with and to look forward to another great fighter in the sport and to tune in anytime you see a Mickey Bey fight and to definitely stay in touch. Keep logging on East Side Boxing because I will be visiting very frequently on the site to keep everybody updated and thanks to everybody who’s reading.
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I would like to thank Mickey Bey for his time and wish him the best of luck in his boxing career.
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To contact Ciani:
ciani@boxing247.com
To read more by Ciani please visit The Mushroom Mag:
http://www.eatthemushroom.com/mag