Talking Boxing with "THE KILLER" KERMIT CINTRON
"I'm gonna stop Margarito and after that happens...I want Shane Mosley"
by
Coyote Duran
12/28 - I've always been a Kermit Cintron fan. A "Kermaniac", if you will. (Like that? I just made that up!) So when I first interviewed him, I was delighted to find that Kermit was just as enthusiastic to talk to me as I was to talk to him. I made sure to tell the WBO "Interim"/NABF Welterweight titlist that I felt like we had that "Cosell-Ali" connection and that if ever he needed press time or just an ear to listen to him fire away, he could always call me. So imagine my surprise when, the night before Christmas Eve, the phone rings and it's Kermit "The Killer" Cintron, 24-0 with 22 KOs, on the other end.
What's new with Cintron? Well, his upcoming February 18 fight with Argentinean Sebastian Lujan is now kaput due to Lujan pulling out (For whatever reason, I'm not sure) of the bout.
So what to do now? Well, Kermit's still training, this time for a possible fight with Steve Martinez instead. But as a holiday surprise for Yours Truly, the intense, undefeated welterweight filled me in on everything from how much he's lifting in the gym to calling out Shane Mosley and Oscar De La Hoya to reminding us all why Bernard Hopkins is the best fighter in the world.
So read on, "Kermaniacs", and enjoy some impromptu, holiday "Kermitude" (I just made that one up too!! Damn, I'm good!!)!
KERMIT CINTRON - WBO CHAMPION
Coyote Duran: What's goin' on with this Lujan bout, Kerm?
Kermit Cintron: I have no idea. All I know is that he pulled out.
Coyote Duran: Yeah, that's what I hear! I just read about that yesterday. I'm thinking, "Whoa, man! This kinda sucks!" A big ESPN/Main Events show and then this is what happens?! You're probably still in the middle of training for this, aren't you?
Kermit Cintron: I've been training for going on two months now.
Coyote Duran: (Bummed) Oh, man. Maaannn!
Kermit Cintron: I'm gettin' a fight either way. They'll find another opponent.
Coyote Duran: Right! I thought that there was mention that there was another opponent....
Kermit Cintron: Steve Martinez.
Coyote Duran: Yeah. What do you know about him?
Kermit Cintron: Uh, he's fought a few good fighters. He's got a good record, 46-5, I think. 30-something knockouts (Coyote's note: Martinez has 28 KOs and also a draw on his record)....And he'll be getting his next loss.
Coyote Duran: (Stuck on stupid)....Wow.
Kermit Cintron: I've been,...me and Joe (Pastore, Kermit's strength conditioner and co-trainer) have been working on my strength training for the past two months. I'm physically stronger than I've ever been in my life, even when I was playing football in college and I was 190 pounds. I'm stronger than I was then.
Coyote Duran: (Still stuck on stupid) You serious?!
Kermit Cintron: Yeah.
Coyote Duran: You think you'll walk in stronger than the Teddy Reid fight, huh?
Kermit Cintron: Yeah, definitely. Joe's weight training program is amazing. Right now, I'm 163 pounds and my body fat's at about 4 1/2 %. I'm squattin' 315 pounds for 4 sets of 5 reps. I'm benchin' 240 pounds for 4 sets of 5 reps. I'm doing dumbbell military presses with 80 pound dumbbells for 3 sets of 5 reps. I'm doing pulldowns with the whole weight stack on the machine which is 220 pounds for 4 sets of 5 and, I mean, my conditioning is already good. I mean, all the next month-and-a-half is gonna be is boxing. I'm strong. I'm fit. This fight is to test the hand out and make sure everything's good. But outside of the hand, physically, I'm ready for anybody and I'm gonna show that when I fight Steve Martinez.
Coyote Duran: Now, what weight are you planning on coming in because if you're now at 163 and you only have 4% body fat, how are you gonna take off that....are you gonna come in as a welter?
Kermit Cintron: Yeah! I'll be 147 like I always am. maybe 146.
Coyote Duran: Dude, you're gonna be cut, man!
Kermit Cintron: Yeah, I mean, this is the way that it always is. I'm at 160, maybe 164 before a fight. About 8-10 days before the fight, I'll start taking weight off and I'll be 147 at the weigh-in.
Coyote Duran: Holy smoke...that's gonna be incredible, man.
Kermit Cintron: I don't take weight off until 8-10 days before the fight. When I fought Teddy Reid, I left on a Monday and I was 165 when I left.
Marshall puts the game plan together and I go in and execute. I don't really feel that I need to change my style to accomodate anybody  |
| Kermit Cintron |
Coyote Duran: So what do you think? Are you gonna have to change your game now for this guy (Martinez)? I know that you've been preparing for Lujan. What do you think is gonna happen?
Kermit Cintron: Marshall (Kauffman, Kermit's manager and co-trainer) puts the game plan together. I don't look at tape. Marshall puts the game plan together and I go in and execute. I don't really feel that I need to change my style to accomodate anybody. They need to change their styles to accomodate me. I prepare 100%. If you could see me train......I don't take anybody lightly. I will train as hard for Steve Martinez as I'll train for (WBO titlist) Antonio Margarito. I bring the best I can bring everytime and sometimes, there have been a few fights where I've gotten sick during camp or had some personal problems but you know, it's what you do when you encounter those personal problems that really show your character as a fighter. No matter what I was facing outside of the ring, in training, I've always won. I've scarcely lost a round, let alone a fight. It really doesn't matter what Steve Martinez does. It really didn't matter what Sebastian Lujan was gonna do.The end result was gonna be them flat on their backs. I'm confident of that because I train...you know, this is my life. My job is to get up in the morning and train and then go home and rest and then go back and train at night. I just really believe that....I don't think every fighter out there is doing that. I don't think that many fighters are out there doing that so they need to be prepared for me. I don't mean that in an arrogant way, whatsoever because I respect anybody that gets into the ring.....
Coyote Duran: Oh, no, no! I fact, from our last discussion we had, I didn't perceive that as arrogant at all. My buddies on my favorite message board who read about you were really impressed with the last interview. Not with my interviewing you but they were really receptive with how you were coming across confidently.
Kermit Cintron: Well, I hope so. Confidence is good because it's good for a fighter. Arrogance, I think, is something....(thinking) when you see someone being arrogant, I think they're putting....I don't know how to explain this. When someone is coming across as arrogant, I think that's a cover for a lack of confidence. For weakness. I know what I do. I know that I'm up every morning at 5 and I'm at the weight room and the track and the pool and the hills doing my running, doing my lifting, doing my sit-ups. I know that I'm in the gym every single night sparring and doing my gym work. I know that I go to Philly and I seek out the best sparring out there. Bernard Hopkins. Aslanbek Kodzoev. Yusef Mack. Najal Turpin. Larry Marks. Kassim Ouma. Andrew Lewis. Arturo Gatti. You know, I don't get sparring partners where I can just go in and beat people up. I look and seek work to challenge me, to make me a better fighter. That's why I feel I was able to go from a guy that never boxed to an "interim world" champion in under 5 years.
Coyote Duran: That's pretty sweet.
Kermit Cintron: It isn't false bravado. I earned what I got. I know I earned what I got. When I step into the ring, I'm confident because I put the work in to be prepared. I've got great trainers in Marshall and Joe. Marshall puts the game plan together and I execute it. Joe makes sure that I'm as strong and fit as possible.
Coyote Duran: Execllent, man. Abraham, one of my buddies I chat with often, ran into Antonio Margarito at a Target near where he lives! Margarito mentioned that assuming you two got past your opponents on the ESPN telecast that you'd still be facing each other on the subsequent pay-per-view. For ESPN to kick off their first pay-per-view with that fight,...man they're really starting things off right.
Kermit Cintron: Well, I think Antonio is the best fighter at 147, outside of myself. I think that shows because you don't hear (Unidsputed World Welterweight Champion) Cory Spinks, Zab Judah or anyone else in the top 10 that's looking to make a name for themselves, you don't hear anybody calling out Margarito. And there's a reason for that. He's a tough guy! He comes to fight. He's in shape. He's experienced. You know?
Coyote Duran: Yep.
Kermit Cintron: That's the kind of guy people wanna avoid. It makes sense to me that Zab Judah wants to fight Cory Spinks and Cory Spinks wants to fight Zab Judah. Judah knows that Spinks can't punch and Spinks knows that he already beat Judah.
Coyote Duran: Exactly. It seems like it's kind of a waste of time. I'm still gonna watch it. I know it's gonna be on Showtime, but is that the fight everybody wants to see? I doubt it. Especially with (Oscar) De La Hoya and Shane (Mosley) coming back down to 147?
Kermit Cintron: Yeah. And those are the guys I want. I want Shane Mosley first and after I knock him out, then I want Oscar.
Coyote Duran: (Laughing) I know that Mosley left 147 because he couldn't make the weight anymore.
Kermit Cintron: (Firmly) That's an excuse. I'm 5'11", 164 pounds with 4 % body fat. I've never missed a weigh-in since I became a pro. I've come in as low as 144. So how are you gonna tell me that a guy that's 5'7" that began his career at 135 can't make weight?
Coyote Duran: I think that's what his motivation (not making the weight) to go to junior middleweight was. I don't know the guy myself. I guess that's what he said from time to time, same with Oscar. But he smudged himself a wee bit by going up to 160 and we saw what happened.....
Kermit Cintron: (Cutting in) You know what? I can't say a bad word about Oscar. Oscar's fought everybody. I think that he was cautious when he fought certain people but this is an unforgiving business. People don't give you second chances when you lose early in your career. You need to really establish yourself before the boxing public and the media and then the networks will cut you a break if you lose, so I don't blame him. He (Oscar) turned pro at 128 pounds and he wound up fighting for the undisputed middleweight title against the champ who has the record for the most title defenses. So there's nothing you can say bad about Oscar. I think he beat Shane Mosley the second time around and he's shown good in every fight he's ever fought, even his losses.
Coyote Duran: Assuming that they meet again at 147, 'cause you know they're gonna talk about that....
Kermit Cintron: (Cutting in again) They won't meet at '47 'cause I'll get'em before that. Before that match (a possible De La Hoya-Mosley rubbermatch) is made, I'll get Mosley. I'll do my best to get Mosley. I should, But he's gotta wanna fight me, too. It takes two to make a fight happen.
Coyote Duran: After the Margarito fight, is this something you're gonna be lobbying for soon?
Kermit Cintron: Yeah. Right away.
Coyote Duran: (Like a total boxing nerd) Really?? Wow, excellent! 147's gonna start looking good!
|
If I beat Margarito, I feel that solidifies my claim that I'm the best 147 pounder in the world |
| Kermit Cintron |
Kermit Cintron: If I beat Margarito, I feel that solidifies my claim that I'm the best 147 pounder in the world. I already believe that now. Teddy Reid may not be the most skilled boxer in the world but there's a reason why he wasn't getting many fights.
Coyote Duran: Dude, he's dangerous.
Kermit Cintron: Same as Margarito. Nobody wants to fight him. He (Reid) knocked out William Joppy in the gym. He knocked out Keith Holmes in the gym. He killed a guy in the ring (Coyote's note: Emiliano Valdez who fell into a coma after the fight as a result of his injuries. Valdez passed away almost 2 months later.). He had never been knocked down in his career. He'd been stopped on his feet, but he had never been knocked down and I...I beat the shit out of him. He talked a lot of trash about how I was young kid, too inexperienced and that my management team was making a mistake. The same shit everybody thought.
Coyote Duran: That's actually one of my favorite fights in my collection I like to watch when I'm bored and I've got nothing to do. I'll pop in a tape and boom, that's always one of the ones that I just stare at in awe. (Laughs)
Kermit Cintron: I had a bad time before that fight. I was having a lot of problems, you know, with my girlfriend and I just could not....I couldn't get my head together. I was there physically and I went through....I did the best I could under the conditions I was in. But I was not myself. I didn't look good in sparring. I would have a good day, then I would have two bad days, then I'd have a good day. But, like I said, when it comes time to fight, when the going gets tough, I get tougher. I don't find a way to lose like (Francisco "Panchito") Bojado did or Ricardo Williams. I find a way to win. I just feel that, even though I didn't get credit from a lot of boxing people, I know what I beat when I beat Teddy Reid.
Coyote Duran: Oh, absolutely. I think the experts do, somewhat, feel the same way too. I can't rememnber if it was The Ring Magazine or one of its sister publications, they basically said that Reid was the most dangerous opponent that you've faced and one of the most dangerous welterweights ever.
Kermit Cintron: At 147, he is the most dangerous fighter out there. Besides me. He's not a guy that's gonna go in there and box your ears off and you're not gonna have to hunt him down. He presents his own set of problems. Those problems he presents, he brings them to the table stronger than anyone else in the division besides me.
Coyote Duran: And him being dangerous is not just based on ability alone. He's a dirty guy.
Kermit Cintron: Yeah, he's strong. He punches hard. He's determined. He wants to be a winner. If you really look into his career, you'll see that he was in training camp with Ike Quartey and Oscar De La Hoya. Then they both sent him home. Dude's no joke! You know? But unfortunately, he thought I was a joke and I wasn't. The joke was on him. Like I said, he talked a lot of trash on the internet. He called himself a lion and I was a kitten. You know, it's a shame he was gonna have to ruin my career. Well, last I heard, Teddy Reid hasn't been in a boxing gym since me.
Coyote Duran: I hadn't heard any Teddy news since July. I think it was July, right?
Kermit Cintron: Yeah.
Coyote Duran: At least I think so. So what have you got goin' for Christmas? Are you training or you gonna get a breather or what?
Kermit Cintron: Yeah, I'll be in the gym. Tomorrow, I have to swim for 48 minutes straight and I have to do some ab work. Then I'm gonna go in to gym at night and do some pad work and hit the bag. If Christmas came on a weekday, I'd be training through Christmas. The gym where we do our conditioning work is called Body Zone Sports and Fitness (Free plug!!). It's a huge place, 180,000 square feet! They have an indoor pool, indoor track.
Coyote Duran: Is that in Reading (Pennsylvania)?
Kermit Cintron: Yeah. And they were gonna open up the whole place for me if I needed it. Unfortunately, the holiday came on a weekend and I take the weekends off.
Coyote Duran: Cool.
Kermit Cintron: They treat me great. They close the track down when I need it and stuff. it's a great place.
Coyote Duran: No allowing to pack on a good Christmas dinner, huh, Kerm?
|
As for me, my time is coming. I believe that I am better than Margarito and I'm gonna stop Margarito and after that happens, I want Shane Mosley |
| Kermit Cintron |
Kermit Cintron: No! Uh! (Chuckling) If you seen what I eat in the day....if people knew what I eat and how close to the fight it is before I start taking weight off, they would never believe it if you told them.
Coyote Duran: Well, yeah! Because you're always working!
Kermit Cintron: Yeah, and that's the thing! It's like I said to you before, these guys that say, "Aw, I can't make the weight anymore." or like Miguel Cotto comes into training camp 175 pounds.....I don't understand how! I'm so much bigger than these guys.....well, I know how. They only train when it's time to fight. I train year-round. I take two weeks off after I fight and then I train.
Coyote Duran: Dude, you'd think you tapped into Bernard Hopkins' secret to success.
Kermit Cintron: You know what? You wanna aspire to being a fighter? You wanna know how to last in this game? You wanna know how to be successful? Just look at Bernard.
Coyote Duran: Oh, Hell yeah.
Kermit Cintron: People may not like him but you've gotta give the guy credit. He did things his own way. He's a multi, multi-millionaire. He's the best fighter in the world. He's got the record in title defenses. And when he was training to fight Robert Allen, who's a southpaw, I was down there sparring with him. He didn't have to spar with me. I'm right-handed. But he gave me the work anyway. That's the kind of guy he is. He's constantly training. He's constantly looking to get better and he's a good person on top of it. As for me, my time is coming. I believe that I am better than Margarito and I'm gonna stop Margarito and after that happens,.....I want Shane Mosley.
Talking Boxing would love to thank Kermit Cintron for thinking so highly of us to call us out of the blue and share his latest news with us.
Coyote Duran can be reached at theboxingguy@yahoo.com
Discuss this at our Boxing Forum
