Percy Crawford: How has preparation for the Roy fight been going?Prince Badi: Preparation has been going really well for me.
PC: How did the fight with Roy come to fruition?PB: At my last fight, there was a guy by the name of Rich Danner who obviously had some ties with Roy Jones. Rich presented the opportunity for me and Roy to fight. Roy had another attorney or someone that represents him who advised him this was a good fight to take.
PC: This is the biggest fight of your career. Have you done anything differently in this camp compared to previous camps?PB: Um, definitely. I would say the caliber of people I work with and where I held my training camp also helped.
PC: We’re shortly away from the fight. What do you do now up until the fight?PB: Just starting to level everything off, tapering down.
PC: I speak with Brother Naazim often and he praises your training habits. Do you think conditioning may be the determining factor of this fight?PB: I think a great aspect of it will.
PC: We’ve seen Roy use many different styles. Which do you think you will see on the 29th? PB: I want to believe that he will try to be aggressive. He’ll try to get me out of there and look good.
PC: That was my next question. PC: Knowing that Roy wants to look good against you, do you think that he will come out aggressive to knock you out?PB: I don’t know. I don’t know. He had his moments in the last Tarver fight, but you never can tell. I know if he’s taken this fight seriously and doing the things he’s supposed to be doing, he’s capable of it, but I won’t let that happen.
PC: Roy Jones is definitely a Hall of Fame Fighter, but lately he’s had setbacks. How do you view Roy as a fighter now?PB: Honestly, I view him without the setbacks.
PC: For those who never saw you fight, how do you describe your style?PB: I’m an adjustment fighter, that’s the best way I can explain it; so many times I’ve had to adjust in the middle of fights to different styles.
PC: You had a bad motorcycle accident that caused you to give sports up. What brought you back to boxing and did you think you would be in this position?PB: No, I never thought I’d be in this position. I just couldn’t think about what happened to me, I had to flush it all out. The thing that brought me back to boxing was the challenge. Being an individual, you know? Being responsible for self.
PC: You’re dedicating this fight to Floyd Patterson. Could you speak on that a bit?PB: The most I can say is he’s my grandfather’s first cousin. We spoke about me fighting and me having my family to...you know what I’m trying to say?
PC: No doubt. PC: Do you have a prediction for this fight? Do you think we’ll need the judges?PB: It depends on how much he’s willing to engage. It all depends if he wants to fight aggressive or defensive.
PC: With the fight being in Idaho, which is not a big fight state, and Roy usually not helping much in the promotion, do you think a lot of people will pass on this fight? PB: It’s really hard for me to pay attention to that aspect of it. I just know the work I put in for this fight.
PC: Is there anybody in camp that you want to thank?PB: My man Walter has helped me a lot and all my fans for their support. Also, my trainer Denny Brown who has worked side by side with Buddy McGirt for a long time.
PC: I know you are busy getting ready for the fight, and we’ll definitely get a post fight interview with you, so is there anything you want to say in closing?PB: Man, I just want to appreciate the fans for supporting me. Tune in to this fight. Those who don’t know who I am will after July 29th.
PC: Well I appreciate you taking the time out to speak with me. PB: Anytime.
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