AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH JOEL CASAMAYOR By Elisa Harrison

Immediately following the press conference held at the Miccosukee Indian Gaming in Miami, on the evening of his fight against NABA Featherweight Champion Joe Morales, we had a Q and A with Cuban Lightweight champion Joel "Cepillo" Casamayor.

This is what we talked about...

BRC: Joel, Acelino Freitas told me a few minutes ago, that although he has an interest in fighting you and unifying, he really doesn't see much in you as a champion. Can I have your reaction to that statement?

JC: Well, that's his opinion and his way of thinking. But, I believe that if he is such a great champion, as he says he is, with 29-0 29 KO's, then I don't understand why he has had so many excuses when it came time to fight me. Our fight was set for July 14th and it didn't happen, I don't know why. He had some excuse, problems with his girl, problems with his manager, problems with his promoters; he has changed the date like five times already. Everybody has problems, I have more problems than he does, my family is in Cuba, I have a wife, I have children...

When one is a champion, and desires to fight the best, one sets the problems aside and goes for it. At least, that's how I see it; I've been ready to fight him, he's the one who hasn't been ready. I'm really not interested in what he has to say because he is the one that is looking bad, looking like he is beneath me. He is misleading you, the media, because I have always been ready to fight him.

Like I told him earlier, we can fight tomorrow and I give him the five pounds edge. You heard me say it, right? And then, he changed the story again, because he said he couldn't do the weight at 130, then he said he wants to go down to 126 pounds. How is it that he can't make 130, and he is going to make 126 pounds?

BRC: Yes, I asked him about that...

JC: That's where you can see that he makes no sense, it makes no sense. He has had problems making 130, how is he going to make 126? The problem is he doesn't want to fight Casamayor. Like I told him, I'll fight him tomorrow and give him the 5 pounds edge, but he doesn't want to fight me. He must think he has a better chance of beating Barrera. He doesn't want to fight me!

I have problems making the weight myself, how could I want to fight Hamed or Barrera at 126? I couldn't make the weight. He is just making excuses, and anyway, he is saying that I wasn't a good amateur... Let me say this, all fights are hard here, I am undefeated in 25 fights, I thank God for that, and the easiest fight for me to win would be fighting him. He is a slow boxer, he couldn't hit me, I know this, I have him measured already; although we haven't fought, I have him measured.

BRC: Have you studied tapes of his fights?

JC: Yes, and I have sparred with guys that have his style. Let's see if God willing, the fight takes place like he said in January or February. Then we'll see who is the best of the two.

BRC: Joel, Freitas also told me that he wants to unify at 135. He wants to unify with you at 130, go down to 126 and then unify at 135...

JC: He doesn't really know what he wants. Is he crazy? You know what? Pretty soon, I am not going to care to fight him. I told him I would win his belt and throw it in the trash, I need to move on with my career. I would love to fight with Mayweather, it would be a good fight, but I have to wait and see if Freitas is on, but when the time comes, he has woman problems, this or the other; then, maybe I should go ahead and fight Mayweather...

BRC: Let me ask you this. If it was up to you, and let's set aside all considerations, i.e. money, promotional, all of them, assuming that you win tomorrow, what would your next move be?

JC: I would want to beat up on Freitas, yes, I would want to fight Freitas, to shut his mouth, Brazil's, his 29 knockouts. I would let the whole world know that I am better than him. That's what I would want to do, and let's hope that the fight will come off.

BRC: If you unify with Freitas at 130, will you move up to 135?

JC: Yes, that's my plan.

BRC: Did you say you would like to fight Floyd Mayweather, Jr.?

JC: Yes, I would. I have heard rumors that he is moving up to 135 as well.

BRC: What do you think of the problems he is having with his hands? How do you think that it's going to affect his career?

JC: I don't know, I don't know what to tell you. Because when you have a fracture in your hand, it's never the same. You don't throw punches the same way with that injured hand anymore. You are weary of re-injuring the hand. One is not the same fighter anymore.

BRC: What are your thoughts about tomorrow's fight between Trinidad and Hopkins? Have you had a chance to analyze that fight, and if so, who do you pick to win?

JC: Yes, I am a very analytical person. Hopkins is a dirty fighter, and that fight, the way I see it, Trinidad wins by KO, under 10 rounds. I dare say a 3rd round KO.

BRC: I understand that you want to finish your fight by KO so that you can watch the Trinidad fight. Are you a Trinidad fan?

JC: Yes, I am, we are friends. We know each other since we were amateurs, when he went to fight in Cuba. He respects me, I respect him; his father is very fond of me and Garbey.

Tito has never changed. When he went to Cuba, he fought and beat a friend of mine. He came to Guantánamo, came to my house, which is very modest. He met my mother, my family. I have been to his house in Puerto Rico. I mean, he is just a very humble guy, and he has never changed, and the same goes for his dad.

BRC: Who is your pick for P4P?

JC: Félix.

BRC: I want to talk to you about an observation I made earlier. When you came to the Press Conference, you were wearing an American flag bandana and a tee shirt with the American flag emblazoned across it. Talk to me about that...

JC: Well, it is a gesture of support. I mean, we are, well, I am Cuban, and I came to this country, and this country has given me opportunities to be who I am today. And what happened, what those terrorists did, it goes against all of us. Therefore, we must all unite, we are united. I was very hurt, I felt terrible about what happened. I thought about my family here in Miami, my family in Cuba; anyone of our relatives could have been in the Towers when this happened, thank God it didn't happen like that, but it could have happened.

I was in training in California when it happened, and although I trained, I just felt awful. It was something out of this world, incredible. But I know we are going to take care of things, we are going to retaliate against them, I know that we are going to hit them and hit them very hard. I can tell you that I felt sick for a couple of days, I felt bad, worried. This is such a beautiful country, a free country.

BRC: Would you like to send a message to your fans?

JC: Well, I want to send greetings to my fans, I want them to know that we will win tomorrow. I also want to send a shout out to Tito, because I know that he will win tomorrow as well, and he is my friend.

I want to send my respects to the people of New York, I have a lot of fans there. I know that you are going through terrible times right now, but I want to wish you a great night of boxing tomorrow night.

BRC: Joel, thank you very much for granting us this interview. I appreciate it, and the best to you tomorrow and always.

JC: You are welcome and I thank you.