Over the weekend Boxingtalk received a call from former junior welterweight champion Sharmba Mitchell. "Let me tell you how I found out about this fight with Collazo. My cousin brought it to my attention and he knows that I don't want to fight if it's not for a title or if there's not a whole bunch of money on the table. When he called me and said I could fight in September, I said fighting what these demons? He said, 'nah, you're going to be fighting Luis Collazo in a super welterweight eliminator. I told them just like this, I wasn't coming out for nothing, but for a fight with Collazo in an eliminator that would get me back into the ring. I've been wanting to fight Collazo after I saw his fight with Ricky Hatton. I think he won the fight with Ricky Hatton, Ricky Hatton beat Tszyu and since there's no way for me to get Tszyu back in the ring I might as well fight Luis Collazo.
GL: I spoke with Collazo and he made it clear that he's fighting at welterweight.SM: "I don't know where this 154 thing came from."
GL: Neither does he, but he said since you came out your face he has no problem retiring you.SM: "I have no problem fighting him either as long as it's some kind of eliminator."
GL: To be honest with you if you want to fight him, the fight being an eliminator should be meaningless because if you win the fight you're chances of getting another shot at the title would only increase a great deal.SM: "That's true and you're exactly right."
GL: It's kind of tough to imagine you not getting ranked by winning this fight and I'm sure you wouldn't mind not paying sanctioning fees if you didn't have to.SM: "Exactly right again. But you're missing something, I don't have to fight this guy and I'm not a one option man. I'll fight the guy and I would like to know the fight means something but if you're telling me it doesn't have to be an eliminator I think you're right so we'll see if we can make a deal."
GL: Would it have to be a one and done kind of deal or would you and your people be willing to give King options?SM: "Wooooooo."
GL: Well if we're going to talk about the fight let's talk about the fight because that's what it could come down to.SM: "Do I want to dance with the devil? Dance with him again? It's hard to answer that right now because that's up to my management company on whether or not they want to deal with him again. They know I want this fight, but I don't want to talk politics until I speak with my team.
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