“Davis will pay the price for my last defeat.”
A brief, temporary onset of insomnia days before his fight last July with underdog David Estrada, kept the skilled welterweight Nurhan Suleyman from performing at his best, and resulted in the Turk’s first loss after fourteen pro fights. Now, fully well-rested, Suleyman is making his return to the ring this Friday in New Jersey as he faces another tough challenger in Thomas Davis. If that name rings a bell to you, it is because Davis was the one who recently knocked out the ESPN fan favorite Kendall Holt last June in the first round. Suleyman is fully aware of the potential harm Davis can bring to the ring, but is confident that his experience and superior boxing ability will be the winning factor in their scheduled 10-round scrap. BoxingTalk caught up with Suleyman to get his thoughts on returning to the ring after his first loss and what a victory on Friday will mean for his boxing career.
BoxingTalk: How has this training camp compared to your camp when you were fighting David Estrada?
Nurhan Suleyman: My training camp is always the same. I work hard to get the right conditioning. Everything has been right. I am ready all the time to go ten to twelve rounds, and Davis is not that experienced. He’s my age, 32 years old, but he should not be a big problem for me. I will take him very seriously and I want to show my great boxing abilities for this fight.
BT: Davis only has 11 professional fights, what does that mean for your preparation for this fight?
NS: Davis has never fought eight or ten-rounds. Step by step I’ve got to check him well through the second round. I’ll feel him out, I’ll see how I feel, and then that’s it. I made a big mistake with Estrada, but I’m coming back, and Davis will pay the price for my last defeat.
BT: Do you feel that you underestimated Estrada in your last fight?
NS: First of all, Estrada is not a true fighter or a true puncher. He couldn’t punch me well, not could he knock me out. That was not me in there last July. I could not sleep before the fight. My body did not listen to me. I wanted it to do something and I couldn’t do it. I fought with my heart and that was it. I couldn’t even think. Hopefully I will be able to change that when I fight him again in a rematch.
BT: How will this fight with Thomas Davis be different than your fight with Estrada?
NS: In this fight I’m going to be more technical and box better. I also want to show people how well I can go to the body.
BT: Davis is the fighter that knocked out previously undefeated and respected prospect Kendall Holt last June. Do you feel this could be too tough of a fight coming off your first loss?
NS: No, no, no, no. It doesn’t matter who I am fighting, I am a top-level fighter. I just need to show the boxing world who I am – I need to prove who I am, that’s it. If I do everything right I can do anything.
BT: What will your strategy be when you face Davis this Friday?
NS: I have to use my strong right hand, but if you are a good boxer, then you can’t just use your right hand. If you are a good boxer, you have to have good defense, be able to work both inside and outside of your opponent. I have to fight at every angle. I will use my experience to figure out Davis. I feel very strong and I worked hard to show my superior boxing.
BT: Do you feel a victory against Davis on Friday puts you back on track for you to become a welterweight great?
NS: Yes, definitely. In this business I have to show the sacrifices that I have made for boxing. I have so many sacrifices. I want to fight for my family. I know I have to beat the best to be the best, and I only want to fight with the best fighters. Therefore, I trust myself to win because I know I work hard.
BT: What is your prediction for this Friday?
NS: Well, for Thursday I will have a good weigh-in by making weight at 150, and then after that I will have a good sleep. On Friday, when I am in the ring I will have a good mind and I will punch very hard. When I throw my left hook I bend my knees like Tyson. When he throws his punches he steps into them, right? I use the same strategy…I will get deep down and then BAM, BAM BAM!
BoxingTalk thanks Mr. Suleyman for taking the time to speak with us. We wish him continued success both in and out of the ring. CLICK HERE FOR THIS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
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