Mexican Warrior DNA:
“I do feel it. I do feel I have that Aztec warrior inside me. I really do feel I have that. I feel that’s where I get my ferociousness and power from. It’s from the Aztecs back in Mexico.”
Fighting Maurice Hooker:
“This moment is very important in my career. I would say this is going to be the hardest fight of my career, the most meaningful. It’s going to be the fight that opens up all the doors to the world title opportunities that I’ve always wanted. It’s a really good step up fight. No one can really say I haven’t fought someone in their prime or a world champion because Maurice Hooker is all those guys. He’s there to fight. He’s not there to lose. He still wants to prove he can still get a world title at 147lbs. I’m here to prove that among the top fighters at 147lbs. I’m already top ten in some people’s lists and I’m very grateful for that. I’m going to show people what I’m capable of.”
On Ramirez vs Josh Taylor
“Oh they’re staying over here. I mean it, Jose works too hard and hits too hard. He’s going to outwork him. I saw how Josh Taylor handled Baranchyk. Baranchyk is a really wild fighter. Like i said punches have to have meaning and a lot of those punches he just threw. Josh looked like he had a hard time. Jose is smarter than that and he has the same relentlessness if not more.”
On Terence Crawford:
“You know what it’s even really up to me. It’s up to him if he wants to take the fight. If any world champion comes up to me and offers me the fight I will take it. Maurice Hooker happens to be Terence Crawford’s team-mate, they spar. I know he’s going to be at the fight. I don’t see why not, let’s make the fight happen.”
Rushing
“I feel ready. I don’t feel like anyone at my age at this point in my career would take the fight. I believe I’m ready, this is what I’ve been wanting. I’m not going to turn down a world title for anything.”
Other champions
“Of course. I would love to do that. I’m going to fight anyone. I’m pretty sure if I get a world title they’ll start to come to me. I won’t have to chase them anymore. Those fights will be made easier after that.”
22
“I definitely want to be in boxing but not past 35. I think that’s a very safe number. Once you get past that you start declining. I’m not sure what age you start declining, maybe even 31 or 32. I’ll still be in boxing in my thirties and top of my game. We’ll just see from there. That’s about ten years in the future. But I definitely want to be in boxing for a long time.”