GL: It's no secret that the grudge match between you and Sechew Powell started on this website. Since your last interview in which you described him as soft and said you would stop him, he's been a tough man to get a hold of. He hasn't tried to call me and he's been unavailable when I've phoned him. How do you view his silence? "I'm not surprised by it. He's soft and he's got nothing to say. That last butt whooping took a lot out of him. My family used to tell me a good whooping will humble anyone. Ever since Kassim Ouma put hands on him he hasn't got much to say I guess. But the silence will do him no good and it's not going to effect how I put hands on him on February 17. Nothing changes, he's done on February 17."

GL: When we last spoke you mentioned the possibility of you fighting on the De La Hoya card. In fact you said you'd like to fight Vernon Forrest on May 5...

IS: (cutting in) "Right now I'm totally focused on shining against Sechew Powell on February 17. If all goes as expected, fighting on May 5 in front of my hometown fans in Vegas on the biggest card of the year would be wonderful. I know I have a very good chance to be on that card. There's so much money in the main event that I'm a strong possibility for the televised co-main"

GL: Cory Spinks is looking for marquee fights. If he's unable to secure a fight with a big name how would you feel about that fight?

IS: "Absolutely I would fight him. If you ask me I think him and Sechew are on the same level. They're pretty even if you ask me. I have no problem with Cory but I think his trainer Kevin Cunningham talks way too much...

GL: (cutting in) Shay, you think someone talks too much?

IS: "I do, because everything that I say on the record I would say it to that person's face. I hate it when people come to Vegas and say things, but don't say them to my face. I've told Sergio Mora to his face that I think I won that fight. I have nothing against him personally because it wasn't his fault, but I truly felt like I won that fight. 3-2 either way I could have lived with, but when one judge has it 5-0 and the other judge only gave me one round, I still feel I won the fight. I know in the past Kevin has said stuff about me behind my back, but not in my face and I don't respect him because of that. I think Cory Spinks is a good fighter, but to be honest with you I don't think he's that much better than Sechew Powell, who is a real junior middleweight. I would love to fight Cory on May 5 too. He's not going to get the big names he's looking for and he wants to fight on May 5 I'll snatch up that title after I dispose of Sechew Powell."

GL: Who are some of the guys you're going to be sparring with in preparation for Sechew?

IS: "Other than my trainer the master southpaw John David Jackson, we've got a bunch of lefties we're going to be working with, but their names are confidential information at this moment."

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

IS: "You're going to see the best in Ishe Smith on February 17, and I'm pretty much shutting it down as far as interviews go, so the only place you're going to be hearing from me is on Boxingtalk."

M

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