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05/10/2006 Archived Entry: "Antonio Escalante on Title Fight: 'Everything is Going to Go Good on Friday!'"
Antonio Escalante on Title Fight: 'Everything is Going to Go Good on Friday!'
By Juan C. Ayllon
Photo by Tom Barnes
Escalante (right) jars Jose Hernandez' head with a booming right hand.
EL PASO, Tex. – On Friday night, he'll be slinging leather in Uptown Chicago. Antonio Escalante is an all action super bantamweight fighter who, at 11-1 and 7 knockouts, will fight Juan Ruiz, 21-2 and 6 knockouts, for the World Boxing Organization’s NABO Super Bantamweight Title this Friday at the Aragon Ballroom. Born in Ciudad Juarez, CH, Mexico, he now fights out of El Paso, Texas under the promotion of Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions.
In January, Escalante won a thunderous unanimous decision over Chicago’s Jose Hernandez in a war that had cried out “Fight of the Year” and had Chicago fans clamoring to see more of him in coming days.
Now, with his wife, Maria, their two-year-old daughter, April, his two sisters, a lawyer and some friends at ringside, it’s a family affair.
Speaking by telephone from his home in El Paso, a confident Escalante spoke with the Cyber Boxing Zone's Juan Ayllon about his impending battle in Chicago.
JUAN AYLLON: How are you and how did training go?
ANTONIO ESCALANTE: Pretty good. Actually, today was our last day of training and I’m doing pretty good. I’m a hundred percent in shape, [and] ready for the fight.
JA: Can you tell us what you did in training camp this time around?
AE: Well, I practiced on speed, my combinations and everything you could imagine. I worked from speed to power, from balance to strengthening the legs and everything.
JA: How far were you running this time around?
AE: I was running about four to five miles a day.
JA: And can you tell us who your sparring partners were?
AE: My sparring partners were Joe Larza, Adan Hernandez, Carlos Madrid, and Carlos Contreras from Juarez, Mexico.
JA: Where are you at in bodyweight?
AE: I’m at 125 right now and I’m dropping three pounds.
JA: What do you know about this Juan Ruiz that you’ll be fighting on Friday?
AE: Well, I know that he’s consistent. He keeps on coming forward throwing punches, and I know that he’s got a good defense. And he’s got speed and he must be good because, I mean, he’s the champion.
JA: And what can you tell us about what you plan on doing in there?
AE: Well, I plan on boxing him the first three rounds and, then, as soon as my trainer gives me the green light sign, attack!
JA: What is your prediction about this fight?
AE: Well, I don’t really have a prediction for this fight. I’m just hoping to win. I’m not looking to win by knockout or anything. I just want to get in there and win. Yeah, everything’s going to go good on Friday. I feel good, I feel confident. We’re going to do good.
JA: You had a war in January with Jose Hernandez. What can you tell us about that fight?
AE: Well, I learned a lot from that fight. That was the first time that I was dropped. I got a lot of experience out of it. I learned a lot from that fight, from the first 10 rounds that I went the distance—that was the first time. Fighting with a fighter like that, with a long reach and that power gave me a lot of experience from my side. Now, I’m taking advantage of that.
JA: Where would you like to go from there, assuming all goes well on Friday? What next?
AE: Ah, I have no idea who we fight after that. As soon as we get that title, we start worrying about whoever’s next. Me and my team, we’ll get together and discuss it. But right now, I’m just worrying about and focusing on this fighter.
JA: Long term, are there any faces that you would like to take on?
AE: Nope, to be honest with you, no. I have nobody in mind, or any boxers that I want to fight. Really, I’m just going to get ready for whoever who they pick for me and I’ll be ready for any style.
JA: What’s it like to work for Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions?
AE: Oh, it’s great! It’s working good. He’s getting me the fights that he promised me and so far, we’re happy with him.
JA: How did you feel about Oscar’s fight with Mayorga this last Saturday?
AE: I think he did good. He know how to manage him. He was smart and he deserved that win.
JA: What would you like to pass onto the fight fans?
AE: Well, I would like to thank all the people over there [in Chicago] because they are supporting me, they are requesting me to fight over there. And, I’d like to thank them for that support. It’s because of them, I’m fighting over there. And I would like to thank everybody who’s making all this possible for me to fight over there again.
Antonio Escalante’s bout with Ruiz will headline “War by the Shore” at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, a show presented by Dominic Pesoli’s 8 Count Productions and Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions along with Miller Lite and TCF Bank.
