GL: How has Davie, Florida been treating you Shannon? "I'm chilling man. Right now I'm leaving Davie and I'm on my way home, but I'm having a good time. I'm working with John David Jackson and everything is going good. I've got some good sparring partners, I'm sparring and everything is looking good."

GL: What can we expect to see from you on March 10 and what does defending your title at the Garden mean to you?

Shannon Briggs: "It's not easy for me ever fighting in New York. I'm from New York and like they say, if you can make it in New York you can make it anywhere, but if you don't they let you know. It's a lot of pressure, but I'm just looking forward to going out there and being as dynamic as possible. I plan on exploding and I"m definitely going to be in the best shape I can possibly be in."

GL: What will be the difference in this fight that leads to a Shannon Briggs victory?

SB: "This kid is tough and he has a good amatuer background, but the difference is going to be me taking him into the deep waters and drowning him. In the later rounds, well not so much the later rounds, it's just this kid doesn't have the kind of experience that I have. I'm going to have to drown him. I'm going to give him beating and have him laying in a puddle of his own piss and blood. Then he'll realize that this fight was just too soon for him."

GL: Your manager Scott Hirsch told me if you lose this fight he's out of boxing, obviously you're not trying to retire Scott just yet.

SB: (laughs) "He said if I didn't become champ in 2006 he was going to get out of boxing. Now that he's saying this again I'm going to have to make sure I do what I need to do to keep him in boxing."

GL: Are you looking at this fight moreso than your title winning effort as your chance to establish yourself as the elite heavyweight champion?

SB: "I am now Greg that you say that. As it gets closer and closer to this fight, this fight has gotten bigger and bigger to me. It's more important than any other fight. I'm at home, there's a lot of pressure on me and a lot of people doubted that I would ever win the title. I've really got to come out in impressive fashion and do what I have to do."

GL: Stylistically speaking, how do you compare Ibragimov to Liakhovich?

SB: "I think it's a tougher fight only because he's a southpaw. If he were a righty this wouldn't even be a fight to talk about. The fact that he's a southpaw poses a little bit of a challenge. I watched Liakhovich fight Brewster and they threw over 1500 punches, I saw that and I said to myself if I hit someone with 1500 punches there's no way he's going to be alive. I knew I was going to beat Liakhovich going in."

GL: You worked Ray Austin's corner for his fight with Ibragimov. Do you feel Ibragimov was at his best that night?

SB: "I was really impressed when he fought Whitaker, but Whitaker wasn't that physical or active with him and that played to Sultan's advantage. With the Austin fight I realized that Ray could have won that fight a lot easier by boxing. At times he did that, but at times he was a big man fighting a small fight. It was weird to see him crouching down trying to hit a shorter man to the body. When he did fight like a big man he dropped him. My plan is, I'm a different fighter than Ray. I'm much more aggressive by nature so I'm going to come out to bang him out but I can also box as well. It's like with Liakhovich, if he wants to fight we can fight and if he wants to box we can box. After I hit Liakhovich in the first round he didn't want to fight anymore."

GL: Are you expecting a stoppage on March 10?

SB: "Definitely. I'm training for a knockout. I'm coming for the knockout and I'm looking for it from the first round on. I know I can knock him out and that's what I'm coming home to do."

GL: Is there anything you'd like to say in closing?

SB: "I appreciate the support that Boxingtalk has given me, just that alone has helped give me the energy needed to take the time to get to where I am. A lot of doubters didn't think I would become heavyweight champion and now I'm a two time title holder looking to unify after I make this mandatory."

M

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