The Lion admits, "I am looking past Hearns"

Junior middleweight Brian “The Lion” Mihtar (13-1 with 10 KOs) has been waiting for the opportunity to roar and it's finally arrived. On October 9th in Windsor, Canada the heavy-handed Mihtar will take on Ronald Hearns (25-1 with 19 KOs) in in an anticipated ten rounder between two of Detroit's best. Originally from Yemen, now residing in Detroit, Michigan, the thirty year old  is ready to make a name for himself and believes a win over Hearns will propel him in that direction.

Benny Henderson Jr.: What is going down in the world of Brian Mihtar?

Brian Mihtar: I am getting ready for the Ronald Hearns fight, I an excited, I started training every since I signed the contract. All though I had nearly a three year layoff due to contract disputes, I have been in the gym and never stopped training. Even with the lay off I was in all kinds of training camps working with world champions, so when my lay off ended I jumped right back in the ring. All though I have thirteen fights I feel like I have had thirty.

BH: You signed to fight Ronald Hearns, all though he is the son of the living legend Thomas Hearns, he is also a Michigan native, so this fight is like a rivalry. O here you are fighting the son of a legend and a cross town rival per say, so all of that has to add spice to this fight.

BM: Absolutely, I want to be able to say that I am the best junior middleweight; I think Ronald is a great person and fighter, but ultimately I feel that I am the best junior middleweight.

BH: Have you ever sparred with Ronald Hearns?

BM: I will be honest with you, we both kind of grew up in the Kronk Gym, we both started late boxing late, and he has some natural ability. We never sparred up until about two years maybe a year and a half ago, we sparred one time. That was it, I am not saying they ran away I am just saying, I don’t know what the problem was, they had their own thing going, they left the gym and started training somewhere else. We sparred one time, and I am not going to say anything negative about him, but I will say October 9th I know in my heart I will be victorious.

BH: I wouldn’t ask you to say anything negative towards Ronald Hearns, which is completely up to you, but I am asking you to be brutally honest, how did the sparring session go?

BM: I mean, let’s just say, I don’t want to say anything that can be taken out of context, I won’t say anything, but come October 9th you will find out how that sparring session went.

BH: That is good.

BM:I know sparring is different from the fight, I mean he didn’t get as far as he has without talent, just the same as I, I have wanted this fight that is why I jumped on it when Greg Leon brought it my way. This is something that I want to clarify to you Benny, for some reason, people think that Detroit is a wonderful boxing city, unfortunately it is not, we have the most crooked people in the world here, but nobody wants to see anybody succeed, nobody. I have always had people talk down to me and such and I just don’t know why. So this is my time, Greg is the first person that I ever met that actually took his time to treat me like a world champion, treats me like a person. I have been out from contract disputes and what not, but this is the first time, I sign a contract with Greg and a matter of weeks he called me and asked if I wanted this fight, he is the only one that has produced.

BH: What separates you from the other junior middleweights in your division?

BM: I think I have both a boxing ability as well as an aggressive style, I can adapt to anybody in the ring. I have the ability to do both.

BH: What preparations are you making for this fight?

BM: I am a Muslim and I practice my religion. I am not sure if you are familiar with our holiday Ramadan, but it comes once a year. We cannot do eat or drink anything negative, no candy or nothing. This is how bad I want this fight, I am changing my whole regime. I am going to be fasting until sunset. I am going to eat something really small, then I am going to go box at night, eat a little something, run at two in the morning, pray at five in the morning, sleep a bit then do it all over again. For thirty days I am doing this.  If it was any other fight I wouldn’t do it. I never take fights right after my holiday because I cannot train. This I how bad I want this fight.

BH: That is very commendable, you see Brian that is why I am a Christian, because I like to eat candy and I cannot go without my wine. (We both Laugh) Ok, if you could send a message to the fight world what would you say?

BM: That I have been hiding for a while but I have been in the gym. I have been pushed down by a lot of people but I haven’t stopped. I have a lot to offer to the boxing world and they haven’t seen anything yet. With all due respect, I am looking past Ronald Hearns. He is just a stepping stone. This is something that I have been looking past for a long time now, I have been dreaming about this. Greg is the one who let the lion out of the cage.

 
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Disclosure: Greg Leon advises Brian Mihtar

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