"I know I have a hell of a fight on my hands, but I am thinking about nothing but a victory on Saturday night."

BoxingTalk:  Fernando, with just two days to go before you big fight with Jhonny Gonzalez, what are your thoughts as you prepare to vie for his 118-pound title?

Fernando Montiel: I'm very confident.  We've prepared for the fight very well.  I know I have a hell of a fight on my hands, but I am thinking about nothing but a victory on Saturday night.

BoxingTalk:  How would compare this training camp to some of your previous big fights?

Fernando Montiel: This camp has been totally different from my previous camps.  First of all, I've never worked as hard as I did for this fight. I trained in Mexico City at an altitude of 3200 meters.  I sparred with different sizes and styles, and I am in tremendous shape.

BoxingTalk:  You are the WBO title holder in the 115-pound division.  If you were to defeat Gonzalez, would you campaign at both weights?

Fernando Montiel: Obviously I'm not looking past my fight on Saturday. It's going to be a very exciting fight, and afterwards, whether it's at 115 or 118, we're going to look at nothing but big money fights.

BoxingTalk:  At what weight do you feel you are at your strongest?

Fernando Montiel: I've had a couple fights at 118, and I feel very comfortable at this weight.

BoxingTalk:  How do you see this fight with Gonzalez playing out?   Will it be a boxing match or a toe-to-toe war?


Fernando Montiel:  I'll do whatever I need to to win the fight, but I also want to make it a crowd-pleasing fight for the fans to enjoy.  If I need to fight toe-to-toe, then I will do so by using my intelligence, and if I need to box then I will.  Either way I will win the fight.

BoxingTalk:  What do you feel is your biggest advantage coming into Saturday night's fight?


Fernando Montiel: I think my intelligence.  My training has been good.  We didn't have any problems, and I didn't need to starve myself to lose the three pounds.

BoxingTalk: Is there anything that you feel Gonzalez will bring new into the ring that you haven't already seen before from previous opponents?

Fernando Montiel: Obviously, with Gonzalez being the big champion that he is, he might bring in something new, but I doubt it.  He's a good all around fighter, and I'm prepared for anything he brings into the ring.

BoxingTalk:  What is your prediction for Saturday night?

Fernando Montiel: To win and to please the crowd.

 

M

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