SCOTT SIGMON PREPARING FOR KELLY PAVLIK BOUT
By Michael Walters

Scott Sigmon faces the biggest test of his career on June 8th when he steps in the ring with former world middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik.  Most people in boxing give Sigmon little to no chance at all, and see him as a likely stepping stone on Pavlik's march back to the top. But Sigmon plans to shock the boxing world. After months of talk, it's almost time for the man they call "Cujo" to prove that his bite is as big as his bark.

Boxingtalk: So the fight is coming up very soon how are you feeling?

Scott Sigmon: I feel great.

BT: It seems as though no one is giving you much of a chance. Teddy Atlas said as much last week on ESPN2, How has that motivated you?

SS: Actually he said that this (Sigmon) is no competition for Pavlik and that basically I am no competition, I am a low level opponent. I guess Teddy's said some things and regretted them before, I remember like 4 or 5 years ago I was watching a telecast and he was like I don't think Danny Jacobs has real power, and as soon as he finished the sentence Danny Jacobs hit the dude once and stretched him out. So I hope I can give Teddy Atlas one of those moments.

BT: Kelly has been saying recently that he's wants to beat your ass, knock you out etc... do you think you've gotten under his skin?

SS: He keeps saying that I talked all this trash. I said one thing when his management messed up our fight. I mean I did take it to a personal level , but I guess whatever he's got to do to motivate himself. Really he's been the one talking all the trash and if I really am this low level opponent that everybody says I am and Kelly looks at me as, then he looks like a real idiot for talking trash to me.

BT: Kelly has only lost twice, once to a future hall of famer (Bernard Hopkins) and the other time to a top pound-for-pound guy (Sergio Martinez). What makes you think you have what it takes to beat him?

SS: He was expecting those guys to come and bring the fight I don't think he's expecting me to come and fight at all. I think he has severely underestimated me and secondly if you look back through his career it has been very carefully guided. I mean he's fought some guys with some great records and he has some great fighters on there such as Jermain Taylor. Most of the guys are guys that will stay in the perfect punching distance for him to land those straight right hands and those left hooks. A lot of those guys have come up from smaller weight classes like 140, 147, and 154, they been a lot smaller then him. Everybody keeps saying that I am giving away a lot of size against him. When he started his career he was like 158 (155 per boxrec) and I was like 178. I do believe I am a small super middleweight, but I think Kelly is too. It might look like on TV that he's bigger then me when you first see us because of his height and his width, but I think sometime in the middle rounds I am going to make him look like the small man that he is.

BT: Do you think you will have gained his respect after this fight?

SS: Kelly Pavlik can think whatever he wants. This is just basically my statement to the boxing world, you know they can think whatever they want. They have this cookie cutter image of what they think a guy coming from the south, especially Virginia is supposed to look like and I am about to blow that out the water.

BT: If you were to lose, what does that do to your career?

SS: Well you know as long as the ref doesn't get all caught up in the Kelly Pavlik is a monster puncher stuff, and tries to give him a gift by stopping it for absolutely no reason, as long as it goes to the scorecards, like I've said I have no fear of Kelly Pavlik. I don't think he can hurt me. I don't think he can stop me but, like I said (about) the ref,  I don't want him giving Kelly any gifts by stopping the fight. If it goes to the scorecards I think everybody is going to know who Scott Sigmon is.

BT: So you see this fight going the distance?

SS: Unless I stop Kelly Pavlik.

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

SS: I am getting sick of hearing him refer to me as a kid. He's about to see that I am a grown ass man.

To check out a short documentary on Scott “The Man They Call Cujo” you can go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StHKCFncscg

Send questions and comments to: michaelroywalters@gmail.com