By James Slater: 30-year-old Tavoris “Thunder” Cloud, the reigning IBF light-heavyweight king, is unbeaten at 23-0(19) and he is currently in mid-training for his Feb. 18th fight with southpaw Spaniard Gabriel Campillo.
A fan-friendly fighter, very much due to his relentless, explosive attacking style, Cloud is angry he has been made to remain inactive as he has (just one fight since December of 2010) and he is ready to take his frustrations out on Campillo, 21-3-1(8). Ultimately, Cloud wants to take on the biggest and best names at 175-pounds – with his trainer Al Bonanni recently telling Ringtv.com that Bernard Hopkins basically wants nothing to do with his fighter.
Cloud works hard, and has worked very hard, for all the success he has thus far attained; his rock-solid physique coming from sheer toil in the gym. Seemingly possessing limitless stamina (Cloud can throw something approaching a 100 punches a round in a fight), the Floridian explains here how he is so fit, so strong and so relentless.
James Slater: Tavoris, how do you obtain you amazing fitness?
Cloud: “Well, I was born with natural physical strength. I’ve always been thick set, since I was a young kid. I feel my legs are one of my strongest assets. I have thick legs and they are instrumental in my ability to punch hard. I turn my legs into my punches; I twist into a shot. My legs generate a great deal of my power. I also have a thick neck, like Mike Tyson has. This is due to good genetics. A thick neck makes it harder to get hurt by a punch, as any expert knows. I have a great chin and I cannot be hurt.”
Slater: Some say being too muscular can make you “muscle-bound” and slow?
Cloud: “Not me. I have natural speed of hand. I am just very explosive. And I have heavy hands – I hit hard with both hands. I’m not throwing slow punches in there.”
Slater: Do you lift weights?
Cloud: “I only lift light weights now. I used to lift heavier stuff at the beginning of my career, but Al, who has been with me since my fourth pro fight, isn’t a believer in a boxer lifting heavy weights. I do reverse curls for my forearms and biceps. I do a lot of work with the medicine ball for my stomach muscles and I do presses for my chest muscles – again with light weights only. I do exercises for my neck, to strengthen it even more – floor exercises, putting pressure on my neck muscles.”
Slater: What other things do you do in camp, aside from sparring?
Cloud: “I do a lot of rowing, on the rowing machine. Also, as I’m bulky anyway, I do a lot of aerobic exercises, and lots of stretching and lots of floor exercises, such as push-ups and sit-ups. And roadwork is important of course. I do a whole lot of running. Some days I’ll just run long distance, other days I’ll do shorter runs, and on other days I’ll do sprints.”
Slater: And what do you enjoy doing most in the gym?
Cloud: “Well, the thing I’m best at in the gym is punching. I love punching hard – on the heavy bag and in sparring. My speed any my power are my biggest assets. I have natural, raw punching power. My favourite punch, my best punch, is my hook, my left hook. It has the most power and it’s just naturally delivered.”