Post-Fight Interview: Kermit Cintron

By G. Leon

26/11/2007

Post-Fight Interview: Kermit Cintron

GL: Congrats on your tougher than expected victory over Jesse Feliciano. Can you give us some thoughts on your performance? "It was a good fight. Jesse Feliciano came to fight. Right when the bell rang, the first right hand I threw and landed and that's where I hurt my hand. From the point on the fight was a little hard, I fought sloppy, but I got the victory and that's the most important thing."

GL: Did you take him lightly at all?

Kermit Cintron: "Not at all. That's the thing, I knew he was going to come in and try to bang. A guy with a record of 15-5 doesn't get the chance to fight for a world title. I knew he was going to be hungry. I didn't take him lightly at all."

GL: Was there any point of the fight where things weren't going the way you wanted them to or did you feel like you were still in control?

KC: "I feel like I was doing enough to win the rounds, but I didn't expect it to go the way it went. When you hurt your right hand and can't use it as much it just makes the fight a little harder. I think if I was fine with my right hand longer than the first round it would have been a different fight."

GL: Has the hand been looked at?

KC: "I got it checked out yesterday. Fortunately it's not broken or fractured, it's badly bruised. I was in tremendous pain during the fight and it hurt like hell. I never had so much pain in my hand even when I broke my knuckle. Last night was way more painful that."

GL: You did a pretty good job of hiding your injury until the fight was over.

KC: "I just gave it all I had and in the tenth round I went in there to try to get him out of there and I did."

GL: What did he say to you at the end of the ninth round?

KC: "He came over to my corner and said I was in the wrong corner."

GL: Does the hand injury you've sustained jeopardize the February 2 unification bout with Williams?

KC: "I don't know. As soon as I get back home, I'm going to have it looked at again just to make sure my hand is fine and then I'll go from there."

GL: Does knowing that the unification bout is on the table mean that you're going to do everything in your power to make sure the fight happens?

KC: "Oh yeah. Definitely. As soon as I get back we're going to have it worked on and looked at. Hopefully it heals up quickly."

GL: What did you think about the Cotto-Mosley fight?

KC: "It was a great fight. Cotto fought an excellent fight. He fought him smart. I had it a little close than what the judges had it, but I still had Cotto winning the fight."

GL: How does a fight with you and Paul Williams play out?

KC: "I think it would be a good fight and I think it would definitely be a different fight for Paul Williams than the Margarito fight was."

GL: You had the worst night of your life against Margarito, Williams had the best night of his life against Margarito. How do you feel you've grown as a fighter since the Margarito fight?

KC: "I think that I've improved a lot. It's sad that the fight with Feliciano didn't go the way I wanted it to go. Injuries happen and the injury to my hand changed everything around. I think that people will be surprised when they see how I look against the best and my hands are healthy."

GL: In your opinion would a victory over Paul Williams erase the loss to Margarito?

KC: "I would still want to beat Margarito myself no matter what. I don't think people will be happy with me until I fight him again."

GL: I think you want to see that fight more than anybody else."

KC: "You might be right."

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

KC: "To my fans out there, I'm sorry I didn't look the way I wanted to or perform the way I wanted to perform. The most important thing is I came out victorious and on top of that I got the knockout."

M

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