“I’ll give Mayweather a run for his money”

RC: Kendall, congrats on your victory Friday night, why….
KH: (Cutting in) Hold up, I just want to let everyone know that I don’t have a manager anymore. I worked out a deal to buy my contract out from him.

RC: So you are a managerial free agent is what you are saying?
KH:  Yes I am self-managed…

RC: So are you looking for a manager at this point? Or do you plan on managing yourself from now on?
KH:  I am not sure if I need one, but if the price is right then tell whoever they can come and talk to me.

RC: Not a bad time to plug that in coming off a 13 month layoff, then notching an impressive victory over previously undefeated contender Isaac Hlatshwayo this past Friday night. Why don’t you give us your thoughts on your performance?
KH: The performance was very good in my opinion. I couldn’t have drawn it any better than that.  I just followed the game plan and everything pretty much went to perfection.

RC: Condition wise, you looked good in the fight, how did your body feel in there coming off such a long layoff?
KH: I felt great, I am watching the tape right now and it was the eighth round, I can see myself in the middle of the ring blocking punches and I remember in the fight saying to myself damn this **explicit** is easy. As I am looking at it right now, I can see where I started thinking of it because I remember exactly what was going on. I wasn’t taking any deep breaths, I was good, my power was still there and my strength was very good. I had eight weeks of training for this fight, and four of them in camp

RC: With the eight weeks in training and the four weeks in camp, what was it specifically do you attribute your success in the fight, not only performance wise but conditioning as well?
KH: Training camp, just training camp. I knew this guy was good, I knew he put a lot of pressure and he threw a lot of punches. In the past with sparring partners I always had problems with people that come out and throw punches, so I was like you know what, I gotta get in shape. As long as I am in tip-top shape this guy was not going to be able to beat me. I had that in my mind that I had to be in tip-top shape, so I got my body in tip-top shape.

RC: Did he do anything in there that surprised you in any way?
KH: No, he did everything I expected him to do. Come forward, throw jabs, double the jab, and come with the right hand, then the hook right hand. He is well scripted, he does the same thing all of the time. Well one thing that was surprising is that he didn’t throw jabs to my head, which would have made it a lot easier for me. He was throwing jabs to my chest. Then I could also hear his trainer telling him what to do like throw the uppercut and stuff like that. So I knew what he was trying to do, so I pretty much picked up on it and didn’t let him do it.

RC: I have been hearing that there is a possibility you might open the James Toney vs. Sam Peter II bout in January, any truth to that?
KH: Mo Money Mo Money, I mean if Dino is cutting that check and Showtime will have me back then I am there man. I am there.

RC: in our prefight interview, you mentioned you would like to face the winner of Arnaoutis and Torres, obviously they wont be ready by January… what type of opponent will you look for in the interim?
KH: I don’t look for opponents; I don’t know who or what kind of opponents. I just want to fight and win. That’s all I wanna do it doesn’t really matter to me who the opponent is, I just want to fight, win and keep busy. A lot busier than I have been in the last 13 months.

RC: If you had a choice to fight one of the champions at 140lbs, who would it be and why?
KH: Ray I am going to let you put name in a hat and you can pick them out. And whoever it is, lets call them

RC: Give us your assessment of the three champs (M,Baye, Urango, Witter) and your thoughts on the two challengers in Ricardo Torres and  Mike Arnaoutis who will be fighting for the vacant WBO title?
KH: I have never seen any of them fight, I have seen Juan Urango fight, he is flat footed, and has pretty good power punches. He gets circles boxed around him like the other guy did. I saw Torres fight once and I mean he is a basic fighter with a lil punch. I never seen Arnaoutis fight and I never Junior Witter fight so lets put them in a hat and pick it. Then lets call him. We can call them on three way, this a business right? I know they wanna make money and I wanna make money.

RC: So there is definitely a possibility that you might return in early January?
KH: Yes… but I am continually working towards a Ricky Hatton fight, ultimately I want a chance against Hatton, he is the cash cow of the division, and I would like to see how I would do against him. I know I will be the underdog, but I fight and perform the best when I am the underdog. You see the Hlatshwayo and Diaz fight, when I am the underdog I put on my best performances. So they need to give me somebody that they don’t think I am going to win against and I know I am going to do my thing. Mayweather said he has one more fight in him and then he is retiring. If he doesn’t fight Oscar De La Hoya and he needs someone to rumble with, I’ll step up to the plate and fight him.

RC: Many people will probably feel that coming off a win over Hlatshwayo would earn you a shot at of the champs in the division but not against the sports pound for pound king. How would you justify you deserving that match up?
KH: He has fought guys that shouldn’t have been in the ring with him. Put it like this, I am just as quick as he is. When you have speed like mine, and power like mine anything can happen. I will definitely give him a run for his money. Something that Carlos Baldomir couldn’t do. People might not take me serious but I am still young and would like to see exactly where I am at in terms of ability. I have been fighting for five years and most people have never taken me seriously.

RC: Anything else you would like to add in closing?
KH: I told everybody when I lost not to count me out, the boxing world has not taken me seriously I hope they stand up and take notice now. They need to because I am in this for longevity. I Am not going to be here one day and gone the nest. I am here to stay.

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