“Tank And Shakur Are Career-Defining Fights”
Unbeaten lightweight contender Trevor Thonson of Canada is making moves in the division, the talented 31 year old having reached the 9-0(8) mark. Thonson, promoted by former heavyweight contender and world title challenger Cedric Boswell, has also sparred a number of top names.
Thonson, who was born in Montreal, went pro in January of last year and yet he already feels he is the best in the world at 135 pounds. Kindly taking the time to speak with ESB, Thonson says it is his goal to become a world champion after “16 to 18 fights.”
Q: Thanks for speaking with us. Firstly, what was your amateur record, and who is your head trainer today?
Trevor Thonson: “Bobby McRoy, from Las Vegas. My amateur record was, I had 80 fights, I had 69 wins and 11 losses. I boxed all over. I was boxing in Montreal at first, I was ranked #1 there. And then I moved to Jamaica for two years, and I boxed on the national team.”
Q: You obviously met all manner of styles when boxing at amateur level?
T.T: “Yeah, absolutely. But in sparring, I’ve sparred Devin Haney, Shakur Stevenson. I sparred Brandon Figueroa…..I’ve sparred a lot of people, you know? I sparred Haney last year, when he was getting ready to fight [George] Kambosos the second time. We did four rounds and that was good work. He didn’t have power, but his jab was like lightning. And I sparred Shakur, maybe in February I think it was.”
Q: Three superb fighters there. I won’t ask you who is the best fighter of the three!
T.T: “They’re very good. Absolutely I want to fight those guys myself, of course. I’m getting close, getting close.”
Q: How old were you when you first put the gloves on?
T.T: “Honestly, I was 21. I did start at 19, but the relationship with the woman I was with at the time, she was having a baby, so I decided not to box – I had to go get a second job and work and provide, you know? So I was 21…..some might consider that a late start, but I’ve beaten guys who have been boxing their whole lives. It’s a matter of determination and will, so if you’re gonna start late, you have to understand that you’ve entered a race where people have already started. So, there is no breaks for you, there is no chilling. You have to step on the gas and never get off. So, I fought every weekend, I’m a gym rat, I’m always in the gym. I’ve been an athlete my whole life, so boxing, learning it came easy. And I’m blessed with my youth (laughs).”
Q: You are at 135, is that your full-time weight?
T.T: “I fight strictly at lightweight, 135.”
Q: And your twin brother, Chann, also boxes, right?
T.T: “Yeah, he’s 15-0 right now. He turned pro first. We spar each other a lot!”
Q: For those fans that have not yet seen you box, how would you describe your style?
T.T: “I have an aggressive style, I come forward. I do like to box at times. Maybe if you see me box, it’s because I’m assessing the fight. I can’t come in too aggressive all the time because I’ll figure out my opponent, over the first couple of rounds, and then work on my strategy as far as aggressiveness. Maybe I’ll be more aggressive towards the jab, maybe I’ll be more aggressive to the body.”
Q: You’re 9-0 with 8 stoppages right now. You have made two guys stay on their stool and retire in fights?
T.T: “Yeah, exactly [I have overwhelmed guys]. Definitely power is my attribute. I do have respectable speed and agility, but my attribute is power.”
Q: Who are your boxing heroes?
T.T: “That’s interesting, because I never really had like heroes growing up – I just always liked fighting. Me and my twin brother, we used to fight each other all the time in the basement, we used to watch fighting movies. I just love fighting and what comes with it, like the discipline. I always look at fighters as warriors, and I always wanted to be one. So in terms of who I looked up to, of course Muhammad Ali, I met Sugar Ray Leonard, who was really interesting.
“So as I decided what combat sport I would do, I started paying more attention to the fighters, the great fighters in that field. [I like] the old-school fighters, Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns. Those guys, just the grit on them. They were very serious and very disciplined. The way they punched back in the day was just crazy. I liked Bruce Lee, too. I feel he was a master, with his philosophy of fighting.”
Q: It’s interesting, because Sugar Ray Leonard said he got into boxing to be like Bruce Lee…..
T.T: “Yeah, that’s what he said – the speed, everything, right?”
Q: You’ve been a pro since January of last year. Do you feel you are where you want to be, progress-wise?
T.T: “Yeah, I feel like it’s gone really well, the promoters are moving me properly. If you look at my age, I don’t feel that I need 30, or twenty-something fights before I get to a world title. I think I’ll be a world champion in under 20 fights, you know, because I’m at that level with the guys in the gym. And my last fight, I just went eight rounds, and the eighth round was my strongest round, I didn’t feel fatigue, nothing. So doing 12 rounds, I’m in shape, I have the ability, the strength and the skill. So I believe maybe by my 16th fight or my 18th fight, I should definitely be a world champion.”
Q: Certainly, guys do win titles much quicker these days. I know you just fought on October 4, but do you plan on getting another fight in this year?
T.T: “I’m definitely gonna fight in December. Because, I would have had more fights, but my last fight (before the October 4 fight) – I suffered a biceps tear. That’s why I had to take five months off, to heal. I’m a 100 percent now.”
Q: Who is the best in the world right now at 135?
T.T: “I think the best, well, I wouldn’t say the best because I feel I’m the best. But the most difficult, is Tank [Davis], and Shakur. Only because, he’s [Shakur] super-super defensive, and in sparring, he didn’t waste punches. He picks his shots extremely well. But his best attribute is his distance and his defence. And Tank, I think overall he would be easier [for me] than Shakur, because Tank is more aggressive. Even though Tank has great defence and great boxing ability, he likes to attack, and he would be more open to counter-punches. Tank has the power also. Those two would be the hardest to fight in the division.”
Q: And these are the dream fights for you of course?
T.T: “Yeah, beating someone like Tank or Shakur, they’re the type of names that will make you solidified in boxing. Some world champions, they never get remembered. Maybe they won a vacant belt, defended it three times and then they leave. They never had a career-defining moment. Tank and Shakur are career-defining fights.”