GL: It's been a while since we've had you on Boxingtalk, what's the latest and greatest with Jerson Ravelo? "The latest is not good news. As you saw in my last fight I hurt my hand, I thought it was just hurt but I broke it again. In my last two fights I've broken my hand. In the Alan Green fight I broke my hand in the third round. In the last fight I broke my hand in the third round and the first time I broke my hand it was in the third round also."

GL: You better start knocking them out quicker or stop throwing punches until round four. How's the hand doing now?

Jerson Ravelo: (laughs) "I wanted to get back into the ring as soon as possible, but I had to get surgery. Then I went to another doctor who told me I didn't need the surgery. I went ahead and did the surgery and after two and half months and the first time I sparred in the gym I injured my hand again. Right now they're saying I need surgery, but my hand feels pretty good now. But the thing is, if I punch someone with a solid punch, will it hold up? I've been hitting the bags hard. I want to get better and my whole thing is, I want to get a shot at the winner of the Contender. Being that I wasn't on the show, I want to show everyone that I'm better than whoever was on the show."

GL: How disappointed are you that you weren't on the show?

JR: "I was looking forward to it. At first I wasn't too excited about going on the show. This year it wasn't about tryouts, it was about invites. They invited whoever they wanted to come on the show. I kind of didn't want to be on the show because all of the guys who be on the show, even though they get great exposure they also get labeled as pretenders. Even though that's not the case, I didn't wanted to get labeled that way. I was looking forward to it, but my hand got reinjured in the gym. I was trying my hardest to get on with one hand, but it didn't happen."

GL: I know you know who the finalists are.

JR: "I heard it was Jaidon and Bika."

GL: That is correct. Would you be able to return against either of them with a hand that is less than 100% and still be victorious?

JR: "Of course. Not to underestimate any of those guys, but I just feel like I'm a better fighter. I had a lot of tough breaks in my career. It seems like every time I get close to a title shot, something happens that brings me all the way back down and I have to start from the bottom. With the Alan Green fight, if I would have won that fight, I'm sure I would have gotten the title shot in my next fight. But then again, before the Alan Green fight I only had three rounds in three years. I don't think Alan Green is a better fighter than I am. He was the better fighter that night, but the three rounds in three years, that's no way for anybody to work his rust off."

GL: Is it important to you to avenge your losses?

JR: "They were both because of inactivity. With the Lopez fight I was off for two years, I came back and a fighter needs to get some rounds in before they step up. When you really sum the three rounds I had before the Green, when you add them all up, it's just one round really."

GL: When can we expect to see you back in the ring?

JR: "If they give me a fight next month, I'm the ring next month. I'm training and I'm walking around at 170. I fight at 168 and I'm walking around at 170. I could probably thinking about going down to 160. If you got guys like Jermain and Pavlik who are 160 pounders and they're walking around at 180 and I'm walking around at 170, I should definitely think about going down to 160."

GL: How are things with you and the Contender people?

JR: "Everything is good. I'm a little disappointed I didn't get on the show, but we have a good relationship and I hope they give me the winner. I told them I want the winner and they told me I could get the fight. It's up to whoever wins if they want to fight me, because they don't have to fight me, but we'll see what happens."


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

JR: "Boxingtalk is the best, I check the site like five times a day. This is the best boxing site and I've always checked it even with a broken hand so thanks a lot for showing me love."

M

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