"I don't care who I have to fight, I just want those titles."

Heavyweight Cedric Boswell has spent the past twelve months sitting on the sidelines while his right rotator cuff heals, an injury he says he suffered one month before his loss to Jameel McCline last October.  Possessing the warrior’s spirit, Boswell went on with his plans to fight McCline thinking that his shoulder had healed, but four rounds into their fight, it was reinjured and the Bos ran out of gas and wound up suffering his first professional loss by tenth-round technical knockout.  Last month, Boswell hoped to fight on the James Toney – Rydell Booker undercard, but he was once again shelved when he tore the same rotator cuff during training.  Now back in the gym and going through rehabilitation, Boswell and new trainer Joe Goosen are looking to come back at 100 percent and also make waves in the process until he has some championship belts around his waist.  Boxingtalk caught up with the Bos to get the scoop on training with Goosen, how his shoulder is feeling, and what 2005 has in store for him.

BoxingTalk:  Cedric, when I saw you last, you had just tore your rotator cuff and had surgery on it.    How are you feeling now?

Cedric Boswell:  Really well.  I had the greatest doctor, Doctor Dudley.  He is the doctor for the LA Clippers and for the USA's Olympic Basketball team this year, so he did a wonderful job on my shoulder.

BT:  What are you able to do now after your surgery?

CB:  Actually I'm doing rehab right now, and I'm moving it around really well.  It's coming along really good.  I expect to be back in the ring towards the end of December.

BT:  Are you able to lace up the gloves yet?

CB:  I haven't been back in the boxing gym yet.  I'm in Atlanta right now, but I'll be heading back to LA this week.  I'll finish my rehab and start boxing there.  You know Darren, I still have a left hand and I can start working out with my left hand.

BT:  Any idea who this December fight could be against?

CB:  I don't know who it is.  I don't want to say it will be a tune-up fight, but it will be against a lesser opponent.  We all know any heavyweight is a possible dangerous opponent, so I'll train really hard for whoever my fight is with.

BT:  Throughout your career you have stepped in competition is almost all your fights.  Now at 35 are you looking for only bigger named opponents?

CB:  Yeah, I need to keep fighting guys in the top ten and top five right now.  I had a little set back with the [Jameel] McCline fight, but I hope he beats Chris Byrd, so I can get a rematch with him.

BT:  Have you had any word from McCline that he would fight you again?

CB:  No, he doesn't want to take the fight because he got a gift in that fight.  I tore my rotator cuff a month before that fight, but I knew he was such a screw up so I took the fight. I tore it again in the fourth round of our fight.  He got a gift.

BT:  The same rotator cuff that you injured a year ago is the same one you injured last month?

CB:  The same one.  I thought it would heal up in a year's time, but it never did.

BT:  Who do you like in the Byrd - McCline fight?

CB:  If I was a bettin' man, the reason I would pick McCline is because he's got an ego going on right now that makes him think that he's unstoppable.  This might bring up his game a little bit, and Chris Byrd has not been looking that good in his last couple fights.   He's just sitting there.  He used to be a moving-type, but now he sits in front of the guys and is getting hit a little bit too much.  I think McCline might pull it off.

BT:  Being a heavyweight, do you feel the heavyweight division is in as poor of shape that people say it is?

CB:  I think the heavyweight division is in bad shape right now, and they need a good heavyweight to put people back in the seats and excited about watching the heavyweight division.

BT:  Is that something that you can take care of?

CB:  I don't really like to talk about it, I like to be about it, but you will see a lot of great things from me in 2005.  People have not seen 100% of me yet. Every time I went into a fight I have not been at 100%.  For the McCline fight I would say I was at 60%.   I got a good team around me now.  I have Joe Goosen training me now, so everything is going good for me now.

BT:  What has Joe done to improve your boxing skills?

CB:  You know, Joe doesn't want to change my style.  He's putting more to it - more reps and things like that.  I'm having fun in the gym again.  I needed somebody to teach me what I need to know.  Before Joe Goosen, I was teaching my trainers what I knew.   Now somebody is teaching me things, I'm learning more, and I know what it takes to get to where I need to be, because before I never knew what it took.  I knew I was a good boxer but I really never put everything in there.  I thought I was, but when I got with Joe I realized there were a lot of things I should have been doing.

BT:  You have been boxing professionally for ten years now.  Would you say that, not considering your physical injury, you are the best you have ever been?

CB:  No, this year and next year you guys will be saying, "Where has this guy been."

BT:  If you can't get McCline in the ring again, do you have someone else in mind that you would like to fight?

CB:  I want to face anybody that's got those titles.  Vitali Klitschko, John Ruiz, and Lamon Brewster.  I don't care who I have to fight, I just want those titles around my waist.

BT:  What would you like the boxing fans out there to know about you?

CB:  I want everyone to not forget about Cedric Boswell.  You will be seeing a lot of me next year, so get ready.  You will be seeing good big things coming from me.

BoxingTalk thanks Mr. Boswell for taking the time to speak with us.  We wish him continued success both in and out of the ring.

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