This interview was before Khan was stopped for the first time in the first round, by colombian Breidis Prescott.Amir Khan makes his PPV debut this weekend on Sky Box Office. Last month, we talked to Khan and his new trainer Jorge Rubio about a number of things and Khan was particularly bullish when discussing the big names at lightweight. Here is what they had to say.

Khan on the lightweights Juan Diaz I think he’s made for me, especially now I’ve been working with Jorge on things I’ve never done before. A lot of coaches just see me as a tall, lean, good boxer so they used to keep me just boxing people but Jorge has got me working on the inside because there are times, like in the Gomez fight, when I had to work inside. I think it would be an explosive fight.

Michael Katsidis I think I would box his head off. He’s a fighter who comes running in with his chin up. He’s very predictable and easy to hit.

Manny Pacquiao I think he’s the best in the lightweight division. He’s quick on his feet and it would be a good fight because I could see my speed coming in useful in that fight and my power, too, as well as my footwork and fitness. That could be a very good fight.

Nate Campbell I think he’s past it. I think my footwork and speed, once I hit that level of fighting I think he’s an opponent I would just take out.

Joan Guzman He’s the one I know the least about.

Juan Manuel Marquez He would be a good fight. I’ve seen him fight. The difference between thses guys and the British guys is the British guys walk forward taking shots and think they will wear you down and make you tired by taking shots but with these guys it’s all about keeping distance and using techniques and it’s more technical fights and when it come to technical fighters I think I’m one of the best in the division. Technical stuff in the amateurs and work with Jorge.

Joel Casamayor With him it would be more technical fight. He’s another who moves a lot picks his shots, a typical Cuban fighter who moves and hits and doesn’t get hit but I’ve got experience of fighting Cubans in the amateurs.

On promoting himself I don’t know. Never looked into it would rather leave that to Frank Warren and just keep the pressure off. A lot of fighters have looked in to promotion but they forget about the fight. They’re more focused on promoting themselves than the actual fight and I don’t want to be in that position. I might do it after my career but I would rather leave it to the big boys and the professionals in that part of the game. On his speeding conviction It was harsh. I was younger. I know if it was a normal person it would have got brushed off. They might have got a couple of points but that would have been it. But because I’m high-profile they made an example of me that they’re not letting anyone off, which is the right way. I made a mistake and since then I’ve never done it again.

Rubio on what he’s working on with Khan Amir is doing everything better now. Before he made a few little mistakes but I’m working very hard and little by little he’s getting better. I’m putting more emphasis on defence and to move around when he attacks [make angles], keeping his hands up all the time and making sure he doesn’t jump in too much. He was amateur for a long time and now, little by little, I need to change everything. I’m not trying to take away what he had, only increase more defence, more technique and more moving around. Rubio as a fighter I never made Olympic team because it’s very difficult. In Cuba you have six or seven good opponents in one division for one opportunity.

On Yuriorkis Gamboa, who has sparred with Rubio’s fighters in Miami Gamboa is a good fighter, good power. If they fight [now] I go with Amir. He’s taller, more reach, has power and he has experience. Right now, and after in two months training with me I go with Amir. It would be good if Gamboa helped with sparring. When Amir goes to Miami maybe then they could help each other. I want him to learn, I don’t want him to kill Amir or Amir to kill him because maybe in the future they can fight.

Who do you think will prevail guys? With Ricky revealing he’s going with Mayweather Sr. will that add new skills and a different edge that Paulie won’t predict. Or will Hatton be made to miss and be outboxed by Paulie? I personally think the Hatton of the here and now would be made to miss a lot by Malignaggi. But i think he would bully Paulie into a points win or late stoppage. If Mayweather can add some defensive slickness to Hatton then who knows what may happen………..GO RICKY!!

Antonio Tarver

America’s 39-year-old former world
light-heavyweight champ, 26-4 (19)

Age started boxing: 10. Jimmy Williams laid the foundation. First boxing memory: My first fight, a 30-second knockout at Eddie Graham Sports Stadium in 1979. That was my first great memory and I was on my way after that. Inspiration: Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard were my idols. Favourite all-time fighter: I have to say the “Marvelous” one [Marvin Hagler]. He looked like me, he shined like me and was a beast in that ring. Best fight seen: Diego Corrales – God Bless his soul – and Jose Luis Castillo. When he came back after being down and out, that was tremendous. Pre-fight meal: A lot of pasta, the stuff that gives you that energy. What do you do to relax: Play golf and travel with my baby. I enjoy my daughter and family. Pre-fight superstition: None. What training do you do between fights (if any): I take two-three weeks off just to enjoy my victory. Take my wife on vacation, enjoy good cooking and all that stuff. I splurge a little. Typical breakfast: Egg whites. Oatmeal. Some fruit. Tea and coffee sometimes, but not much. Toughest part of being a boxer: The work you have to do for that level of success. I have people to support me, but if it don’t come from within, you can’t get it. You don’t ever play boxing. Favourite music: R&B, hip-hop, Mary J [Blige], R Kelly, Jay Z. Last book read: I don’t ever finish books. Favourite film: Scarface. What car do you drive: Depends on what day. I have nice cars. I got a Range Rover. Where do you train: Calta’s Health & Fitness in Tampa, Florida and also at the University of Tampa. Training routine: Monday, Wednesday and Friday I get up at 4.45, meet Rafael Ruiz at the University of Tampa for my strength and conditioning. I go home, take a nap, eat a light breakfast and lunch. Go to the gym at 2-4.30pm, try to make it home. Then at night we shake loose at about 10pm in the garage. And then, if need be, we go on like a three-mile sprint. Interval running. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I go with Dudley Pierce early in the morning on a nice, long run. And on Saturday we spar. Once we start, we spar every other day. Toughest man you faced: Eric Harding was one. I would have to say Glen Johnson. Harding was just a southpaw that was very crafty and slick. Johnson just applies enormous pressure. What supplements do you take: Amino Acids and multi-mineral vitamins. If you weren’t a boxer what would you be: A golfer. I played with [Michael] Jordan in the Bahamas. I won about a grand from him. Last place you went on holiday: Bahamas. Favourite football team: The Bucs and the Cowboys. Best boxer in the sport today: You have to say Floyd Mayweather. He’s making the most money.

New Jersey’s 35-year-old former WBC
light-welterweight champion, 40-8 (31)

Age started boxing: Seven First boxing memory: Broke my hand. I was very young – 12. Inspiration: My father. Favourite all-time fighter: Roberto Duran. I resembled him, I think, as a young kid. Best fight seen: Wow, there’s a lot of them. Marco Antonio Barrera v Erik Morales I. Pre-fight meal: Spaghetti. What do you do to relax: Nothing. Just sit down on the bed. Pre-fight superstition: Watch who takes me out to the ring. Watch my entourage. Like, at times in the dressing room, certain people that don’t belong – I don’t want them there because they shouldn’t be there. I can’t stand groupies. What training do you do between fights (if any): Just run. Run and lift [weights]. Typical breakfast: Cereal [Fruit Loops] and pancakes. Toughest part of being a boxer: People all want a piece of you. Favourite music: Rap. Last book read: Old Man and the Sea, Hemingway. Lou Duva bought me that book [laughs]. That’s the only book I read, I finished it. Favourite film: I just saw it. With Ben Stiller. What car do you drive: 1974 Corvette, blue. [NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr souped it up for Gatti two years ago] It’s great. I can buy any car I want. I like old cars. I’m gonna get a ’57 Corvette now. And then a ’69 Corvette. Old ones. Where do you train: Fort Lauderdale, Florida – Rombor Gym. Training routine: Run three or four miles in the morning. Box in the afternoon. Lift weights at night. Toughest man you faced: Micky Ward – in all three fights What supplements do you take: Carrot juice, wheat grass, B-Complex and B 12. If you weren’t a boxer what would you be: I would probably follow my father’s footsteps – electrician. Last place you went on holiday: Aruba. Favourite soccer team: Juventus. Best boxer in the sport today: Arturo Gatti. I’m an exciting fighter. People pay to see a fight. That’s what I do.
Dated July 2007

IN my experience many athletes, and especially boxers, tend to adopt a style of training far more suited to that of a bodybuilder than a performance-based athlete. The influence of the bodybuilding boom in the 1970s and the phenomenal marketing efforts of the Weiders, with Arnie leading their charge, undoubtedly made bodybuilding and weight training practically synonymous. Indeed numerous athletes and members of the public saw the phenomenal physiques on guys such as Arnie, Lou Ferrigno, Lee Haney, etc, and took much from their training approaches. Sport is not, however, bodybuilding. Athletes shouldn’t care less about how they look, as long as performance is maximised.

A good physique should simply be a by-product of their sport-specific conditioning. Often, though, because the bodybuilding influence has been so penetrative and persuasive, many athletes simply are unable to distinguish between the two approaches. Hopefully this article will shed some light on this. I recently watched one of the world’s leading boxers performing a chest press exercise on a machine, a very bodybuilding-inspired exercise and piece of kit; an exercise I’m sure many other boxers have also used, in my opinion, erroneously.

I have opted to use that specific exercise to illustrate the various points I wish to make in this article as, to me, that exercise summarizes everything a fighter shouldn’t do in the weights room. It makes sense, then, to dissect that particular exercise, and through that hopefully convey some important messages regarding resistance training for boxers.

Problem No. 1 – They’re sitting down Whilst using this machine the fighter is in a seated position. As such the benefit to pillar strength, transfer of force through the legs and core, balance and the reinforcement of the punching movement pattern is practically zero. In layman’s terms, you fight on your feet, not sitting down. Furthermore, the seated position prevents almost any core rotation, something present to some degree in almost all boxing movements, taking place.

Problem No. 2 – The back is supported In the real world, when you punch or push something, is there a back support or wall behind you to give you that stable foundation off which to generate force? Clearly there isn’t, but on this machine there is. In a real world environment it is your own balance and core stability and strength that provide this foundation. Yes, supporting the back will allow the chest, shoulders, triceps etc to generate far more force and this may be beneficial from an injury prevention perspective. For example I do use free-weight bench press to enhance shoulder joint stability. There may also be some benefits to pure triceps strength, which, depending what type of other training is engaged in, may transfer to greater power in a pure elbow extension movement such as a basic arm jab with little body weight shift. Try, however, a standing chest press using cables and see how much you can shift compared to a bench press; it will be markedly less. Pillar strength and stability are at least as important to athletic performance as pure strength and power isolated at a joint.

Problem No. 3 – The machine has a fixed range of motion Unlike free weights, this machine is fixed into one pattern of motion from which it cannot deviate. Because of this there is no potential for instability to occur, which means that the stabilising muscles around a joint get zero training effect. Whilst the big prime mover muscle groups get hit very hard, these other stabiliser groups, which are basically responsible for holding the whole joint together and controlling movement, are neglected. So the end result is a pretty much the worst case scenario for injury risk; ability to generate massive forces but absolutely no capability to stabilise the joint should even the slightest deviation occur in any other direction than the exact one used on the machine. The unpredictability and instability of free weight and ballistic training is a great advantage in preparing the athlete for the unpredictability and instability of competition.

Problem No. 4 – The movement is being performed with a slow speed of movement This becomes problem only if other more explosive forms of training are not being performed alongside these more strength-based, slower exercises. The piece relating to strength and power hopefully illustrates how the two interact. For building a pure strength foundation this slow pace of movement would be fine; however, given that boxing is a sport which relies upon explosive power, rapid, ballistic type exercises are vital to maximising performance.

Problem No. 5 – It is impossible to fully accelerate the movement This becomes an issue when trying to perform resistance exercises explosively. This can apply to both free weights and machine weights. Clearly on this machine, if you were attempting to develop power you would ideally want to be accelerating as rapidly and forcefully as possible through the entire range of motion. On this machine, as well as under a bar in a bench press, it is impossible to fully accelerate the movement; you have to control it towards the end of the motion to slow its velocity. This is not optimal when attempting to maximise explosive power. Imagine trying to maximally putt a golf shot but then not let it go at the end of the movement. It would make no sense and hinder your expression of power. This is why, in my opinion, other methods, highlighted in other articles in this guide, often have a distinct advantage over machines and free weights in some instances. Hopefully this dissection has illustrated the problems with this type of machine and the slow, isolated bodybuilding approach in general.

To me, the public and the boxing community are far too impressed by an amazing physique. Commentators can often be heard to remark about what fantastic condition a fighter looks to be in, implying that this muscular, toned body validates that boxer’s sport-specific conditioning. The reality is, it does not. Because a muscle is big does not necessarily mean it is strong and it absolutely does not mean it is powerful. Bodybuilders are far from the strongest athletes on the planet, even though their appearance would indicate otherwise. Furthermore, when they are in competition shape, looking their best, they are usually at their weakest. Bodybuilding and sports performance are two entirely different worlds and looks can be deceiving.

This article was taken from a british boxing mag. Hopefully you can learn some important data & put to your own personal good use!

QUESTION: Who are the only three male track and field athletes to have won four individual Olympic sprint medals?Answer: Carl Lewis of the United States, Frankie Fredericks of Namibia, and Ato Boldon of Trinidad and Tobago. However, track and field wasn’t the sport that captured Boldon’s fancy at a very young age; it was the art of pugilism. Ato was seven years old when his countryman Claude Noel won the vacant WBA lightweight title against Rodolfo Gonzalez in 1981 in Atlantic City. “When I was growing up – very young – we didn’t have a lot of heroes,” says Boldon, now 34. “Two we had were Noel and eventually Leslie “Tiger” Stewart. My appreciation for boxing came through them.

You’re talking about a country with a population of one million. When somebody wins a world title, that’s the only news there is.” Boldon, though, did not consider trying boxing for himself. “I never got introduced to it,” he says. “It’s nothing my parents would have pushed me into. My parents wanted me to be a priest or a lawyer.” His track career started by chance. “I got discovered in New York [where he moved at 14]. I was a high school soccer player in Jamaica, Queens.” Legend has it that the track coach saw Boldon sprint by during a soccer practice. The rest is history. Boxing still intrigues Boldon, though, who captured the world championship in the 200m in 1997 in Athens, and won bronze in the 100m and 200m at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. “As a former world-class sprinter, boxing appeals to the individual in me,” he explains. “Most boxers have a lot of swagger. Sprinters do as well. In sprinting, just one mistake can be the difference of winning and losing. It’s the same in boxing.” When asked who are his favorites of today, Boldon says, “I really like Shane Mosley. I enjoyed Oscar [De La Hoya]’s career. Zab Judah has a lot of style and swagger. Of course, I liked [Evander] Holyfield and [Mike] Tyson. Floyd Mayweather is probably my favourite, currently.” Boldon thinks we’ll see the allegedly retired wonderkind in the ring again. “One thing he always made clear is he’s about the money. I think he’ll be back if the money is right. I understand his motivation.”

Boldon is a little down on today’s heavyweight situation, though, terming it “lacklustre.” And adds, “Another boxer I really liked to watch was Prince Naseem Hamed. I just loved to watch him fight. Though I worried about his defence, or lack thereof. We need more personalities like him in boxing and in sprinting, too. In boxing and also in track and field you have the people who say, ‘Just shut up and box. Just shut up and run.’ “Then, when those personalities disappear from the scene, those same people say, ‘Oh, it’s kind of boring around here’.” Almost forgetting, Boldon thinks of another boxer to add to his favourites. “Razor Ruddock – because he was Jamaican [Ato’s mom is Jamaican]. And he used to throw the occasional low blow.” Best fight he’s seen? “Probably Marvin Hagler-Sugar Ray Leonard. I could watch that fight every day for the rest of my life and enjoy it.” Like most of us, Boldon is not sure who really won. “When I was younger I rooted for Leonard. Now when I watch it, I think Hagler may have had a point.”

When Boldon was active, he occasionally went to Las Vegas with some of his track pals. But he mostly prefers to watch the big fights on pay-per-view at home. After retiring in 2004 after the Athens Olympics – where he captained the Trinidad and Tobago 4 x 100 relay team to their first-ever final – Boldon has become a CBS and NBC television broadcast analyst for track and field. Boldon has both good and bad memories of his time in the UK. “I never ran well in England,” he says. “I never won a race there. I don’t know why. And I should have. There’s a large Caribbean population there. There’s a lot of good curry.”

Today, Boldon lives in California. He is a renaissance man, of sorts. The father of two daughters also works as the coach of the Saudi Arabian sprint team and earned his pilot’s licence in 2005. Boldon was sworn in in 2006 as a Senator of Trinidad and Tobago, representing United National Congress, but resigned last year citing issues with leadership. Boldon also wrote, produced and directed a DVD film entitled Once In A Lifetime: Boldon in Bahrain, which documents his 2005 voyage to Bahrain where Trinidad and Tobago won 1-0 in a play-off to become the smallest country ever to qualify for the World Cup (of 2006). But which sprinter could have been a great boxer? “I had a teammate, John Steffensen, who was a Commonwealth champion from Australia. He said he used to box. Then one day he got into a fight on the track and got his ass kicked,” Boldon recalls with a smile. “I started questioning his boxing credentials after that.” And which boxers would make great sprinters? “Probably Thomas Hearns,” answers Ato. “I could see Hearns running a good 400. I think boxers are just great athletes. They have to get in incredible shape to do what they do.”

Age started boxing: Nine

First boxing memory: First amateur fight when I was 10, beating a regional champion who’d had 37 fights. I knew then I could be something
Inspiration: My family [parents and two older brothers]
Favourite all-time fighter: Rocky Marciano for the way he fought and for what he achieved in the heavyweight division, despite being so small
Best fight you’ve seen: The first Arturo Gatti-Micky Ward clash and Diego Corrales-Jose Luis Castillo I [May 2005]
Pre-fight meal: Luncheon meat or chicken sandwich
What do you do to relax: Play golf, spend time with my family
Pre-fight superstition: I’m not really superstitious. I always say a few prayers and the night before a fight go to see a movie
What training (if any) do you do between fights: Weight training and running [three times a week]
Typical breakfast: Eggs, pancakes and fruit bowl
Toughest part of being a boxer: Dieting and going away to training camp, away from my family
Favourite music: Heavy metal, hard rock
Last book you read: The Most Evil Dictators of All-time
Favourite film: A Bronx Tale starring Robert DeNiro
What car do you drive: Cadillac Eldorado 1993
Where do you train: South Side Boxing Club, Youngstown, Ohio
Training routine: Running about three miles in the morning, lots of stretching, two hours in the gym in the afternoon and weight-training at night
Toughest man faced: Ross Thompson ( Sparred with Pascal at Irongloves )
Supplements, if any: GNC multi-vitamin
Job outside boxing: Full-time professional
Last place you went on holiday: I’ve never been on vacation
Best boxer in the sport today: Floyd Mayweather
Favourite football team: Ohio State Buckeyes

Age started boxing: Nine
First boxing memory: Hearing the thump of the bigger kids hitting the bags in Newbridge boxing club. Pretty scary to be honest.
Inspiration: My dad and kids ( sons Joe and Connor ).
Motivation: Fear of losing. Love of winning.
Fav all time fighter: A toss up between Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler. My loyalties were split when they fought. I’d say Hagler, he was a southpaw like me. I liked his aggression and determination in breaking people down.
Best fight seen: Hagler v Hearns, awesome.
Pre fight meal: I eat light. High carbs, a little pasta, and jaffa cakes !
What do you do to relax: Spend time with my kids doing regular things.
Pre fight superstitions: I never do my laces up all the way. Something i’ve done since the amateurs, i don’t know why.
What training do you do between fights: Go for a few jogs, maybe play a little footie with the boys.
Typical breakfast: I hardly ever eat breakfast. If i’m in training weetabix or porridge and maybe toast.
Toughest thing about being a boxer: The dedication , and losing the weight.
Last book read: My own , it was excellent !
Fav film: The godfather 1 or 2 and goodfellas.
What car do you drive: An Audi Rs4 and a Range Rover sport.
Where do you train: The Calzaghe gym in cwmcarn wales.
Training routine: I train twice daily. I start with a 5 or 6 mile hill run. Then gym work. 12 to 15 rounds of speedball, pads , bags and sparring, all fast and intense. Then my exercises, i haven’t skipped for years.
Toughest man faced: Probably Chris Eubank. Mikkel Kessler would have beaten Eubank, but that was the first time i did 12 rounds and i was knackered after 4. I was running on empty for the last 5.
What supplements do you take: Multi-vitamins, but i forget to take them most of the time.
If you weren’t a boxer what would you be: I never liked working 9 to 5 before i turned pro, so probably a musician , a drummer or a chef.
Last place you went on holiday: Dubai.
Fav football team: Juventus and italy.
Best boxer in the world today: Apart from myself (floyd) Mayweather.

Unbeaten Canadian star Jean Pascal 21-0 14 ko’s ( who we all know did his training at Irongloves earlier this year ) has turned down the chance to fight for the WBO interim title in favour of a clash with England’s Carl Froch 23-0 19 ko’s. Pascal has recognised that Froch is “a good puncher with good skills” but believes he has the edge in speed. Promoters Yvon Michel and Mick Hennessy have already started negotiations for a fight in Nottingham England, Froch’s home town.

They are looking at the end of October or start of November. “I’ll be ready,” said Pascal. “I don’t care if it is England, Montreal or the US. I was in England and fought in front of 15,000 people and won the commonwealth gold medal against the hometown fighter Paul Smith. I’ll be ready no matter where it is. I haven’t had a fight in 6 months, but i’ve been in the gym ( we know where that was folks !!! ) I knew if i just kept working hard something would happen.” Pascal’s decision upset German promoters Universum, who had been preparing to match him with the WBO No.1 Karoly Balzsay for the interim belt.