Speaker 1: Well, it's my pleasure to welcome to the show this
Speaker 1: week for the podcast, it is the IVF Welterweight Champ
Speaker 1: of the World, Jaran Boot Senta's Boots. Thanks for doing this.
Speaker 1: You've got a very big fight coming up, I would
Speaker 1: I would say we'll talk about this, the biggest of
Speaker 1: your career.
Speaker 2: Go square off.
Speaker 1: Against a Monta stanionis they unify your IBF title with
Speaker 1: his WBA Wealthair White Table April twelf It's the Mattroom
Speaker 1: Boxing main event alive on the Zones at the Boardwalk
Speaker 1: Call in Atlantic City, not too far from your hometown
Speaker 1: in Philadelphia. So welcome to the show. Uh, and answer
Speaker 1: that question, is this Do you think this is by
Speaker 1: far the biggest fight of your career?
Speaker 2: Honestly, we don't know. We'll you know, we'll see you
Speaker 2: on you know, all finite. But what's you know, citations wise, Yeah,
Speaker 2: you know, because you got a bet, I got a bill,
Speaker 2: but you know, Star Wars don't know.
Speaker 1: You know, well, you have been calling out for unification
Speaker 1: fight for quite some time, ever since you uh uh
Speaker 1: picked up the title that you have at the moment,
Speaker 1: is this uh? Is it a It's been a long
Speaker 1: trek to get there. How are you feeling now that
Speaker 1: you finally have at least one of these unification fights
Speaker 1: that you've been asking for for such a while.
Speaker 2: I feel great, you know, to be able to have,
Speaker 2: you know, finally get what I want, you know, and
Speaker 2: that's unifications and not fighting these these are other guys
Speaker 2: and things like that. So I mean, you know, I'm
Speaker 2: excited to be able to to fight for unification. And
Speaker 2: like I said, short, the world, well, I'm the best
Speaker 2: in the world.
Speaker 1: When you and your team, when you and your father
Speaker 1: and everybody looks over stanionas checks out the video. Maybe
Speaker 1: you've seen him fight, you know, in person in the past. However,
Speaker 1: it may be what do you see in his style
Speaker 1: that that makes him appealing for your style?
Speaker 2: I mean, I mean we see we see a lot,
Speaker 2: you know, and he you know, he hit a good
Speaker 2: fighter and things like that, but there's nothing we've never
Speaker 2: seen before. He come forward, no pressure, he comes forward
Speaker 2: with pressure, Try Jim, try throw a lot of punches.
Speaker 2: You know, we've seen all that before. Ain't no fing
Speaker 2: we've never seen before. So you know, I'm we're excited
Speaker 2: and uh, we can't wait. You know, I'm ready, ready
Speaker 2: to make a big statement on all the next editent.
Speaker 1: You're coming off of your of your last fight in
Speaker 1: the mandatory rematch against current Chakazi in which was a
Speaker 1: fight that I don't think you wanted. I don't think
Speaker 1: anybody wanted, but because of the IBF situation, he wound
Speaker 1: up as the fight you kind of had to take,
Speaker 1: and you had you had beat him so easily in
Speaker 1: your first fight, which was for an interim title back
Speaker 1: in twenty twenty three. How annoyed? How annoyed were you
Speaker 1: that you were sort of forced into that fight if
Speaker 1: you wanted to maintain your title. It's one thing boats
Speaker 1: to have a mandatory, it's an other thing to have
Speaker 1: a mandatory not that long after you already kicked the
Speaker 1: guys who are in not that long ago.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean it's very hard. You know, it's frustrating,
Speaker 2: but you know, in the day is boxing, you gotta
Speaker 2: do what you gotta do. You know, you put him
Speaker 2: in front of me, I gotta fight him, and I
Speaker 2: gotta beat him. So That's what I'm gonna do.
Speaker 1: He seemed to give you at least a little bit
Speaker 1: of a more competition in the second fight, changed things
Speaker 1: up a little bit dinner run the way he did
Speaker 1: the first time, actually did stand for for for a time.
Speaker 1: For times during that match and fight, you you yourself
Speaker 1: kind of were critical of your own performance when it
Speaker 1: was over. Were you were you a little disappointed in
Speaker 1: that particular? Are not the result because you won the fight,
Speaker 1: but just in the way that you boxed?
Speaker 2: Uh yeah, I mean, uh, you know it's it's definitely
Speaker 2: not not disappointed, but I know better than things like that.
Speaker 2: And uh, it's it's it's hard to fight guys like that,
Speaker 2: you know. You know, like like you just said, I
Speaker 2: beat him already, and you know I already kind of
Speaker 2: like didn't want to want to fight. I was forced
Speaker 2: to fight him. So you know, today is a boxing
Speaker 2: you live and you learn, you got you gotta you
Speaker 2: gotta push through it, you know, and uh, you know
Speaker 2: it made me actually a better better fighter and and
Speaker 2: uh and take you know two things differently in camp.
Speaker 1: You know, well before you had the rematch, I mean,
Speaker 1: the one way that you could have not had to
Speaker 1: fight him at least right away to keep your title
Speaker 1: was under ib f roles because the mandatory was due.
Speaker 1: You could have done the unification fight. And obviously you guys,
Speaker 1: Eddie Hearn and your team at Matt Troom and your
Speaker 1: your side of the of the Alleger had conversations about
Speaker 1: the possibility of a unification with Brian Norman and it
Speaker 1: did not come about because you guys were a little
Speaker 1: part on the money. I wonder were how disappointed were
Speaker 1: you about that? That here on the one hand, you're like, well,
Speaker 1: maybe I'm gonna get the unification I've wanted, and then
Speaker 1: obviously it fell apart and the alternative was you having
Speaker 1: to fight the mandatory again.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean it's very it's very disappointing. But at
Speaker 2: the end of the day, we're here now, I got
Speaker 2: my unification, you know, and I'm ready to put it
Speaker 2: over next year. I'm ready. I'm ready show the rule
Speaker 2: round the best in the world. I guess I'm not
Speaker 2: to stay honest.
Speaker 1: Brian Norman did come back from his own injury that
Speaker 1: he had and he did fight just recently against Derek Kavis.
Speaker 1: He got a third round knockout, you know, look really good,
Speaker 1: you know, blowing him away. Obviously not a top level
Speaker 1: opponent like if he was fighting one of the other champions.
Speaker 1: But if you if you take care of your business,
Speaker 1: like I know you expect to do against Danielis and
Speaker 1: you unify. Is that a fight you want to revisit
Speaker 1: before you go to one fifty four and try to
Speaker 1: continue to unify the welterweight division.
Speaker 2: My many phobies right now is a manches day owness.
Speaker 2: You know. Once I handle business next day and uh
Speaker 2: showed the world around the best in the world, we'll
Speaker 2: figure it out and wilfare what we're going to do
Speaker 2: from there, you know. But like my main phocus right now,
Speaker 2: I ain't really learning about nobody else outside of mantstain Huns.
Speaker 2: I'm locked in on him, and uh, once i'm Victoria's
Speaker 2: you know next here to day, you know, we'll take
Speaker 2: it from there. You know, we'll see there.
Speaker 1: Well. I certainly understand that attitude of being locked in,
Speaker 1: especially on an undefeated champion that you got to fight,
Speaker 1: But I do want to ask you about all the
Speaker 1: things that went into before this got done, which was
Speaker 1: the conversations you know, you know what happened with the
Speaker 1: you know, you were tied to the fight potentially going
Speaker 1: over to Saudi Arabia that would have been this past
Speaker 1: February against Virgil Ortiz that had been a heck of
Speaker 1: a fight, be a great fight, you know in the future,
Speaker 1: I would imagine. I just like to hear from your
Speaker 1: perspective what exactly happened in your mind, because it seemed
Speaker 1: like that fight was the deal made. Everybody seemed to
Speaker 1: be excited. Turkey Alshkh was into the fight. H And
Speaker 1: then it came time to get it done done, and
Speaker 1: it was a difference over what the weight was. Where
Speaker 1: he was at fifty four, you were at forty seven.
Speaker 1: You had said maybe I'll move up to fifty four
Speaker 1: after the Chikazian fight, and then when he got the paperwork,
Speaker 1: it said forty seven, No, no go for him. What
Speaker 1: what was your what was your side of that situation?
Speaker 2: Don't good? It was, Uh, I'm a one forty one
Speaker 2: forty something hundred, you know, and that's that's the weight
Speaker 2: that I'm at right now. So yeah, well, you know,
Speaker 2: there was a lot of confusion and misshands going on,
Speaker 2: but it's out of my control, you know. And uh,
Speaker 2: at end of the day, I'm at one free man.
Speaker 2: I'm I'm like, you know, I'm freezing right now at
Speaker 2: the moment, and I'm I'm getting to collect these boats,
Speaker 2: unify and uh, uh, you know, attract at the other
Speaker 2: chamberge as well, So you know I'm done here.
Speaker 1: For them, Okay, I mean I just was asking that
Speaker 1: because it always seemed to me anyway that it was
Speaker 1: contemplated at one fifty four all long, because of his
Speaker 1: weight and because of your comments after the uh the
Speaker 1: recent fight.
Speaker 2: Yeah, if I that's like, that's like me telling you
Speaker 2: I might come to a party if I don't show up,
Speaker 2: I said, I said, Mike, might you know, like I
Speaker 2: said before, I feel like I got unfinished business at
Speaker 2: one forty seven. I can't I can't just leader division
Speaker 2: without without no compassion what I want to complish, you know,
Speaker 2: and things like that. And I said, like I said,
Speaker 2: I never I never fought for a ward title. I'm
Speaker 2: a one forty seven penal champion. I got the ivy
Speaker 2: of but I never fought for the boat. The boat
Speaker 2: was given to me. So you know, I feel like
Speaker 2: I feel like I'm finally getting what I want and
Speaker 2: now everything like roll, everything like perfect timing, you know,
Speaker 2: and things like that.
Speaker 1: So I was I was going to ask you about
Speaker 1: that because you know, obviously you've already shown yourself to
Speaker 1: uh to be maybe already people. Some people think you're
Speaker 1: number one at war and forty seven. There are other champions.
Speaker 1: But like you said, you won the interim belt when
Speaker 1: you fought to Chikazian, but not the full belt. That was,
Speaker 1: you know, not your fault because the champion was Terrence Craford.
Speaker 1: He was moving up to another way class and vacated,
Speaker 1: so you took over that mantle. Uh So this, this
Speaker 1: would be the first time to win real, a real
Speaker 1: full title if you will in the ring exactly.
Speaker 2: And I'm and I'm gonna be able to take it
Speaker 2: from a champion. So I'm just first time fight for
Speaker 2: about doubt. You know, like I said, I'm excited this,
Speaker 2: I'll finally getting what I want. And like I said,
Speaker 2: I can't leave one forty seven and go go to
Speaker 2: fifty four and and by what I and I can't
Speaker 2: leave forty seven without you know, handling my business. And
Speaker 2: then once I handle my business at forty seven, then
Speaker 2: I'll go to fifty four.
Speaker 1: And right now seven, well, it seems like if you
Speaker 1: do take out of your business that you're talking about,
Speaker 1: that the future is immensely bright, whether you're fighting at
Speaker 1: forty seven or at one fifty four. I wanted to
Speaker 1: ask you about this, and it's not it's lots of
Speaker 1: fans talk about this, but it was Turkey al Chic
Speaker 1: that put this out there and posted to a social
Speaker 1: media not that long ago, where obviously you have this
Speaker 1: fight coming up, but he has a big show he's
Speaker 1: doing in Times Square in May. Ryan Garcia and Devin
Speaker 1: Haney are on that card. Tiafimo Lopez is on that card,
Speaker 1: and we all know the deal. If tia Fimo wins,
Speaker 1: and if if Garcia and Haini both win, they're going
Speaker 1: to have a rematch in the fall. He would like
Speaker 1: to have you fight tia Fimo on that same card
Speaker 1: if ta Fimo also wins. Uh. I just wondered your
Speaker 1: thoughts about that.
Speaker 2: I mean, he he a good fighters, you know, you
Speaker 2: know all the great fighters you know, and that's a
Speaker 2: good card. Yeah. Well, like I said before, you I'm
Speaker 2: I'm like, I'm doubting on one one goal right now,
Speaker 2: and that's becoming unified the word bringing a thirty B
Speaker 2: built home and then uh the ring magazine Bill Hayes,
Speaker 2: I'm believe, believe, not worried about nobody else ouse Saturday.
Speaker 2: Oh you know, like we could talk about dam right
Speaker 2: now then almost hand.
Speaker 1: Let me ask you then about standing on us in
Speaker 1: terms of the way the schedules have gone. Uh, I
Speaker 1: wonder if you know you you have fought, you know,
Speaker 1: as boxing goes today regularly. You fought two times in
Speaker 1: twenty twenty three, you fought two times in twenty twenty four,
Speaker 1: and so you've been you know, act what what goes
Speaker 1: for active these days? He has been very inactive though
Speaker 1: he's just had one fight. It's coming off of your
Speaker 1: layoff when he fights you for the unification, but he's
Speaker 1: only had one fight in three years. When he gets
Speaker 1: in the ring with you, I wonder if you think
Speaker 1: that that is a significant advantage for you, and just
Speaker 1: in terms of the you know, the roster, the the
Speaker 1: timing and all the things that are going to preparing
Speaker 1: for a significant fight. It's hard enough to fight Boutsenes
Speaker 1: no matter what Boutsennis that's been active, and you're coming
Speaker 1: off a long way off. That seems to be a
Speaker 1: kind of a tough hill to climb.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, that's a lot of things that's gonna
Speaker 2: play the part. You know, this fight is gonna be
Speaker 2: It's gonna be me, you know, doing what I'm gonna
Speaker 2: do to him. It's gonna be the crowd, you know.
Speaker 2: Like I said before, he he fought on big cars,
Speaker 2: but he never was like the meaning it every time
Speaker 2: he thought it was no crowds and stuff and things
Speaker 2: like that. I said. He a great fighter, but a
Speaker 2: lot of things are gonna play a ficker, uh into this.
Speaker 2: The crowd, you know, fight week, the media, all the
Speaker 2: you know, cameras and a that stuff being around. All
Speaker 2: the stuff gonna hit the tool. And then once he
Speaker 2: finally get in the ring with he gonna be like,
Speaker 2: I think that's switch gonna hit like I dam, I'm
Speaker 2: finally in the ring with which Boutsen is like, and
Speaker 2: see what it feel like, you know. And I heard
Speaker 2: I heard them talking and things like that, saying this
Speaker 2: is saying that. But you know, we I can't wait.
Speaker 2: I'm excited, I'm prepared, I'm ready to handle business.
Speaker 1: Well, I want to wrap up with this. You mentioned
Speaker 1: about the crowd. The fight's taking place at Boardwalk Hall.
Speaker 1: It's a very hallowed, very famous arena for lots of things.
Speaker 1: But boxing has hosted some huge fights over the years,
Speaker 1: big mega fights. Mike Tyson, Arturo Gotti, Bernard Hopkins of
Speaker 1: Vladimir Klitschko, Miguel Coto, Kelly Pavlck, and Jermaine Taylor. I mean,
Speaker 1: I've covered so many of those fights that could go
Speaker 1: on and on, but this is as crazy as it sounds.
Speaker 1: And I actually had to go look this up because
Speaker 1: just to make sure. This is going to be the
Speaker 1: first fight they've had in the main arena at Boardwalk
Speaker 1: all they've had so I'm in the upstairs arena over
Speaker 1: the last several years. But it's the first really big
Speaker 1: championship fight card in the main arena since Bernard Hopkins
Speaker 1: and Sergey Koval have fought in a light heavyweight unification
Speaker 1: fight back in twenty fourteen. That is a long time ago, Boots,
Speaker 1: I saw. I wondered, just from your point of view,
Speaker 1: how does it feel to be like the main guy
Speaker 1: bring in boxing, big time boxing back to this great
Speaker 1: old arena that is so close to your hometown of Philly.
Speaker 2: Uh, It's it's it's phenomenal, you know. Like I say,
Speaker 2: I actually for at the border in the little room
Speaker 2: for Roman builda you know, so this is like this
Speaker 2: is gonna be you know. I had a couple of
Speaker 2: legendary you know, fights, you know, in La City, and
Speaker 2: I'm excited to be able to do it in a
Speaker 2: big arena, a bigger arena, you know, and uh Floyd
Speaker 2: Ford deer Be for Goutti. There a lot of I
Speaker 2: think Mickey Ward and Garrity for dere you know, a
Speaker 2: lot of a lot of legendary fights been you know,
Speaker 2: been held at this arena. And I'm I'm ready to
Speaker 2: right depend on the legendary performance, you know, come come
Speaker 2: next Saturday. So I think it's it's my turn. Everything
Speaker 2: like I'm saying, I feel like everything just fall right
Speaker 2: in the place, perfect time, and uh, I feel like
Speaker 2: we're gonna have a legendary night, you know, next Surday.
Speaker 2: I'm ready to show up.
Speaker 1: Did you ever, as a younger guy go to any
Speaker 1: of those fights at border Wal Calls young as a kid? Maybe?
Speaker 2: Uh, every fight that I went as a kid was
Speaker 2: at the smaller one, the smaller venume.
Speaker 1: So you're going to be in Boardwalk Calls Maine Arena
Speaker 1: for the first time as a as as a fighter
Speaker 1: in the ring, as even though you've been there as
Speaker 1: a spectator went upstairs.
Speaker 2: Yeah, Yeah, it's my first time being in a bigger
Speaker 2: the bigger room, you know. And uh, I'm excited. Like
Speaker 2: I said before, a lot of legends came through, you know,
Speaker 2: and I'm ready to I'm ready to stand my uh
Speaker 2: my legacy, my my legendary performance on on April, so
Speaker 2: you know, I'm ready for my my legendary performance in
Speaker 2: the in the Borough Golf.
Speaker 1: Well, I certainly wish you the best of luck in
Speaker 1: doing so. It's gonna be a big night for you,
Speaker 1: a big knight for boxing, a big night for standing
Speaker 1: on us as well. So, Boots, I wish you the
Speaker 1: best of luck and I really appreciate you doing this today.
Speaker 1: Thank you so much.
Speaker 2: Thank you appreciate it.