Cintron yearns for Margarito rematch

By G. Leon

06/08/2007

Cintron yearns for Margarito rematch

GL: We haven't spoken one on one since your last fight. Congrats on your destruction over Matthysse, can you give us some thoughts on your performance? "The fight with Matthysse, I didn't expect it to end that early. I caught him with some good hard shots early and I knew if I kept hitting him with those kind of shots he wasn't going to last so that's why I jumped right on him at the start of the second round. It was a great performance on my end. I gave myself an A+ for that one because I trained really hard for that and I was able to get him out of there in the second round."

GL: You'll be fighting Jesse Feliciano on the Vargas-Mayorga undercard. How do you feel about that fight and were you hoping for a higher profile fight following your peformance last month?

Kermit Cintron: "The fight against Feliciano is going to be an opportunity for me to stay busy. I'm not going to take it like a tune-up fight and it's going to be another tough fight for me, that's how I'm going to take it. He's a very tough guy who comes forward and doesn't back up. It's a great opportunity for me to fight on the undercard of this Showtime pay-per-view. I'm just going to go in there and do the same thing I did to Walter Matthysse."

GL: You're a champion in boxing's most talent rich division. Who do you want to fight the most?

KC: "I would have to say Margarito. I knew that I could talk about guys like Mosley but I figured Margarito was going to beat Paul Williams. I figured I'd call him out so I can get the opportunity to take that title away from him."

GL: Guys like Mosley, Cotto and Mayweather are going to want you to establish yourself as a PPV draw before they would fight you. Do you feel that a unification bout with Williams and looking to unify the division would be the best way to get the big names to fight you?

KC: "I just have to continue to win my fights the way I did against Matthysse to put that pressure on those guys. I'm going to continue to do what I do best, train hard and perform well."

GL: What would be different in a Margarito rematch?

KC: "I would just be ready for the fight mentally, physically and emotionally. The fight with Margarito wasn't me."

GL: If the rematch would be a completely different fight, would you say it plays out different because of how you've grown as a fighter since then or how you have your personal life in order?

KC: "Right now I would have to say that I've changed everything in my life inside and outside of the ring. I changed outside of the ring and I got rid of a lot of negative around my life. I've also changed inside the ring and that's what I needed to do after the Margarito fight or I wouldn't be a world champion right now."

GL: Does Feliciano see the scorecards?

KC: "I know he's a tough opponent and he can take some hard shots as well. He comes to fight and he comes to win. I know he's got three big wins under his belt, but I'm not going to let that happen. I'm just going to take it like another hard fight for me. I'm going to defend my title, I know he wants it but I'm not letting it go."

GL: Will the September 8 fight be your last fight of the year?

KC: "I would love to fight one more time after that. As long as everything goes well with Feliciano I expect that to happen."

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

KC: "I want to thank all of my fans and family for supporting me doing what I love to do. I want to thank Boxingtalk for all the interviews, you guys ask some great questions and that's why all the fighters love talking with you. Tune into Showtime PPV on September 8."

M

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