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01/09/2006 Archived Entry: "Cruiserweight Prospect Aaron Williams Talks on Facing Johnson This Friday and More!"
Cruiserweight Prospect Aaron Williams Talks on Facing Johnson This Friday and More!
By Juan C. Ayllon
LAS VEGAS, January 9, 2006 –Professional fighter Aaron Williams shows a lot of commitment and dedication for a young man his age of 19 years. Especially one whose backers have taken care of his financial needs, including providing a beautiful black 2005 Dodge Charger Sports Coupe, so he can focus 100 percent of his energies on training.
A less disciplined athlete might squander his opportunity and energies by chasing women and various licentious pursuits that his status and good looks avail him, as have so many before him. However, he is solely focused on building up his boxing career and, eventually, winning world titles.
No doubt, the mental discipline he cultivated in amassing an exceptional amateur boxing career as a fighter has helped. His accomplishments in the amateurs include the following:
· 2002 US Nationals Runner-up
· 2004 Olympic Trials Bronze Medalist
· 2003 Under 19 National Champion
· 2003 Silver Gloves National Champion
· 2001 International Jr. Olympics Champion
· 2-time Nat'l P.A.L. Champion
· 2-time Nat'l Junior Olympic Champion
· 4-time Nat'l Silver Gloves Champion
· Member Kronk Amateur Boxing Team (Coaches: Emanuel Steward & Javin Hill).
Moreover, during his amateur career, he beat Matt Godfrey, who is currently a highly regarded professional cruiserweight prospect, three times.
Williams is trained by Jesse Reid, a Hall of Fame trainer who’s had over 30 years experience and 20 world champions and numerous contenders, including the likes of: Roger Mayweather, Johnny Tapia, Gaby and Orlando Canizales, Reggie Johnson and Lamon Brewster.
He is managed by Albert Falcon and Pat Doljanin.
At 5-0-1 and four knockouts, lately Aaron has been training with former world title challenger Derrick Harmon, and heavyweight Willie Chapman. WBC Heavyweight Champion Hassim Rahman, who recently watched a sparring session, complemented Aaron on his abilities, as did world class trainers Kenny Adams, Roger and Floyd Mayweather, Sr.
Aaron is preparing for a fight against James Johnson this Friday at Cicero Stadium in Cicero, Illinois. Johnson stands at 19-20-2 and 11 knockouts and went the distance with former WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Lou Del Valle in October 2004, but has also been stopped 11 times.
Soft spoken, Aaron Williams took a few minutes from his busy schedule to grant the Cyber Boxing Zone an exclusive interview:
JUAN AYLLON: How are you feeling today?
AARON WILLIAMS: I feel good and I had a good workout earlier. I’m ready for this Friday coming up.
JA: And what do you know about your opponent?
AW: A guy named James Johnson. I heard the guy’s kind of aggressive, but I heard he cannot take a punch good. He’s a heavyweight. He’s from Louisiana.
I plan just to go out there, box him, just do what I do best, box him and win it!
JA: What have you been doing in training?
AW: I’d say this time, I had a lot of good sparring for this. I sparred with light heavyweight contender, Derrick Harmon; I sparred with heavyweights Willy Chapman, [and] Tye Field. So, I have been having really good work for this time. And I have really good trainers. There’s Jesse Reid, my other trainer, Rod Krissler (sp?), and my strength conditioner is Axel Morello—I think that’s his name. Yeah.
JA: Is it true that you knocked out Chapman in sparring?
AW: I didn’t knock him out. I hurt him to the body, kind of made him quit a little bit. He kind of got out of the ring. That’s what happened.
But, It was some good work. He kind of tricky a little bit. I had to really dig down a little bit, ‘cause I couldn’t really hit him; he was kind of awkward to me. And I really couldn’t do what I wanted to do.
So, I just boxed him and caught him with a shot. It kind of hurt him a little bit, and he just stopped for a minute, walked around the ring, and we do one more round and he got out.
JA: I heard that WBC Champion Hassim Rahman said that he’d never seen Chapman stopped in a sparring session.
AW: Yeah. Willy Chapman, he [is] a good fighter to me, a good sparring partner; he’s brought up all the guys getting them ready, and, like I said, he never got hurt like that in sparring. And, he been in the ring with a whole lot of world contenders, you know? I was just kind of shocked to see him go down like that.
JA: And what has Axel been doing to improve your game?
AW: He my strength trainer. He’s been basically, working on my abs, and giving me advice on nutrients and then working on my body. That’s basically what he do.
JA: Does he work weights with you?
AW: No, we basically do everything natural, like sit-ups, crunches, and do all that kind of stuff [including push-ups and explosive, plyometric push-ups].
JA: How far are you running these days?
AW: I just run the same: four miles. On a day that I want to test myself, I run about five, [or] six. If I want to build myself out, test my endurance, I run about six.
But, I’ve been working on a lot of different things this time, you know. I’ve been going longer rounds, tougher opponents—tougher sparring. I’ve been doing things I haven’t in the past. I’ve been taking it more serious. I’m even more confident in myself now that Axel be working with me now. Now, I’m going in the ring with more confidence. And, I know what to do now. I have a lot of good people around me—my management, my trainers. So, I feel real good. I’m not going to worry about that no more.
JA: Tell us about your amateur victories over cruiserweight prospect Matt Godfrey in the amateurs.
AW: I was 16 when I first fought him; I beat him in the National US Championships. I believe in the Golden Gloves, too (I was 17). I beat him twice when I was 17. Every time we fought we fought in a national tournament. Every time we fought we were in very good matches. The only time it was close was at the National PAL 2003.
I’ll fight him anytime. [However], it would have to be where it’s worth it.
JA: In regards to your draw with Harvey Jolly, I’ve heard that since then, you’ve redoubled your efforts to get in better shape. How has that fight affected you, in terms of training?
Williams (right) and Jolly exchange in close (Josh Walls photo)
AW: After I got that draw, I got tired of everybody talking to what I need to do. I didn’t want to hear none of that, so I just really was, like, by myself. I wanted the time to get my mind together. I just told myself that I was going to change a lot of things I do. I just started taking it, ‘I’m serious now, but I’m going to take it even more serious now. We’ll keep boxing.’ ‘Cause I know anything can happen any day. And, that was like a close call for me. So, I told myself, it’ll never happen again.
And then I fought again, one month later, and won a first round knockout. I was in good shape for it. I could have went like eight rounds that day!
And I fought again like a couple weeks later and same thing happened. So, now, I’m more serious; now I know what I need to do. My point is just fight and not let it be close. You know, if a knockout comes, it comes.
JA: One thing one of your sponsors said was that for the Jolly fight, you were sparring a lot with heavyweights, which may have accustomed you to fighting at a slower pace.
AW: Yeah, that and before that fight, like so many days before that fight happened, I had another fight [scheduled] before that for a week later and that didn’t come through. So, it’s kind of hard to get back motivated once you have something planned already and you have your mind set on fighting this day, and then, that fall out. Then, you kind of like, ‘Dang, you know, I was depending on that fight on that day.’ And, it’s kind of hard to get motivated.
I think that night I was just kind of off, you know, I felt kind of sluggish. Ain’t no excuses—no. I had a draw. He was a good fight. But, any other day, if you know me, if you know me as a person, you know what I’d been going through, you know my style, you know the fight wouldn’t have happened like that.
JA: Would you like to have a rematch with him?
AW: Yeah, I would love to have a rematch with him! But, if we fight again, I want to fight him on the West Coast. Yeah, I would love that fight any day!
JA: Are you still playing video games?
AW: That’s what I do just to stay out of trouble, just so I won’t be out, going anywhere. I just do that to kind of relax and have something to do.
Sometimes, I go shopping around the mall. That’s about it. Yeah.
JA: Do you have any girlfriends?
AW: No, I don’t have no girlfriends right now. Really, I don’t even think about a girlfriend right now, you know, ‘cause I’m in a position right now where I can be successful and I don’t need those distractions at all! Right now, I just got friends that I talk to, and that’s it. We’re just going to have a good time when I have free time, and that’s it. Nothing serious. I just got friends.
JA: Are you religious and, if so, what kind of role does it play in your life?
AW: Yeah, I’m very religious. It plays a lot; it kind of made me the person I am today. it kind of matured me and kind of made me a better person. And, it kind of made me see things in a different way. It made me take life serious. I’ve been worshipping Islam.
JA: How are things working out with your sponsors?
AW: Oh, everything is going fine. They take really good care of me, make really sure I’m alright. I can’t be in a better position. I don’t want for nothing.
JA: What are your goals this next year?
AW: This year, I just plan on fighting every month, and being used to fighting and build my record up, and eventually—hopefully—this year, sign with a promoter. Just get ready to take on one of the top cruiserweights and win the title.
JA: How about the next several years?
AW: Like I said, this year, I plan on getting as many fights as I can, experience to get me in line for a title and, hopefully, win a title. Then, if bigger and better things come, I’ll go up to heavyweight and take on a heavyweight contender, then get me in line for a heavyweight title, do the same thing Evander Holyfield did.
JA: Who else would you like to fight on the way up? Would you like to fight an O’Neil Bell?
AW: My plan is, I really don’t care. Whoever the cruiserweight champ is, that’s who I want. So, O’Neil Bell, if I fight him, I fight him; if I don’t, I don’t. But, I want to fight the best out here when the time comes. Right now, too, but, whoever the champion is at the time, that’s who I want to fight.
JA: Do you have any predictions for your fight this Friday against Johnson?
AW: This Friday? No, like my plan is—I’m a boxer—my plan is to box him and win. That’s my plan.
JA: Any last thoughts you’d like to share with us?
AW: I want to thank Juan for having me on the Cyber Boxing Zone, talking to me and giving me this chance. I’d like to thank him.
