I fought Sugar Ray so many times, I'm surprised I'm not diabetic.
Fighters like Bernard Hopkins can go on because their style is not based on reflexes and timing.
I wanted to start in boxing, but you have to train a little harder to be a boxer. A lot of those guys can take punches. MMA, you only have to hit someone so hard to knock them out.
When I was an amateur, I would go to knock guys out in the first minute. When you get experience, you know it doesn't work like that.
Obviously, I don't want to be in the box for over a hundred minutes during the season, but at the same time I have to try to play with an edge and battle out there.
My goal is not getting hit and to knock the other guy out. Some people might complain because they want to see boxers beat up on each other, but you cannot last long in professional boxing if you take a lot of punches.
You're either good at boxing, or you're not.
Listen: I'm a fighter. I'm a brawler. I'm a boxer. But I'm a technician as well.
Every boxer needs to be able to punch, but none more than me, and that's because I'm not that skilful, and I'm one of the smallest heavyweights you'll ever see.
I think I've become one of the best finishers in boxing; if I hurt a guy, I normally take him out.
I was an OK boxer, I wasn't great, I was OK, but I loved the discipline of getting together every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, usually Saturday afternoons too, with a whole bunch of mates and training, very, very hard for about two-and-half hours.
I don't see a holiday as a time to break from boxing - it never stops.
In the school of boxing that I come from, that's frowned upon, giving up free shots, cos we know what those kinda shots do to a man's career, regardless of whether it shows up now, or shows up when you least need it. It takes a toll.
You not only have to box smart, you have to be ruthless in the ring.
I have always been a puncher, but I tried to use my other tools and take my time, because in boxing, you need longevity. I can have a dust-up and knock anyone out in the first round, but you need more than that.
In order to understand the mindset of a boxer, I needed to become a boxer myself.
Rigondeaux is a high-class boxer. He is smart, has speed and skill.
Before 'Cinderella Man,' I didn't box. But I boxed. It's possible. You go and you work hard at things.
I just try to stay half way decent looking. Boxing's a rough sport and you get hit a lot.
A guy like Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather is used to fighting 12-rounders. Put them into the ring for three rounds against a top amateur boxer at a much faster pace, and they'll lose a fight, and how bad is that going to make them look?
