08.11.03 – Carlos “Stiff-jab” Kalinchuk: This morning at the Savanah Boxing Club in Houston, I was able to speak at length with World-renowned Boxing trainer and former Champion Ronnie Shields. Currently he’s training hot Heavyweight prospect Dominick Guinn, Juan “El Torito” Diaz, and “Jesse” James Leija for their upcoming bouts. We discussed his fighters, whom HE thought won the Mosley-De La Hoya 2 fight, and his funniest press conference moment. With a vast history in the sport as both a boxer and trainer he’s seen a lot. It’s a good read and the interview will be posted in its entirety tomorrow; but this is what he had to say about tonights Tarver vs. Jones fight.
Eastside: So speaking of tonight’s Tarver vs. Jones fight. Who do you think is going to win the fight? Ronnie Shields: I think Roy will win. There’s no doubt about it. I think Tarver is talking a lot of noise but he’s never been in a fight like this. This is his biggest fight and I believe that he’s just trying to sell the fight. Trust me. I’ve seen it a thousand times.
Eastside: You think so?
Ronnie Shields: Most definitely.
Eastside: So will it be a decision or knockout?
Ronnie Shields: I think it will be by KO in the late rounds. I see the ref stopping the fight in the 10th round and that’s when he’ll have seen enough and that’ll be it.
Eastside: So Jones by 10th round KO?
Ronnie Shields: Absolutely! Yeah I can definitely see that happening. Tarver’s been talking about the amateurs so much that Roy has him right where he wants him. One guys saying he won that fight and the other is saying he tested him but you can’t compare the two. It’s the amateurs. So he went 3 rounds, the pro’s is a whole different story! Roy has Tarver thinking and focusing on the wrong things.
Eastside: What did you think of all Roy’s ridiculous demands so close to fight time?
Ronnie Shields: I think it was Roy’s way of playing with Tarver and having him sell the fight and lose his focus. Roy has him talking about all sorts of stuff. Roy has Tarver where he wants him and once he makes that long walk to the ring and the music starts and he hears that big crowd, reality will set in. I’ve seen it so many times before. He’ll come out with so much energy and aggression he won’t know what to do with it. But once he realizes Roy’s anticipating all his moves and boxing and moving laterally and he’s getting caught-it’s over. You’ll see it. He’ll just steadily start to lose the fight and lose confidence. Roy is just too good for him. Tarver has a good left but what else? He’ll realize that once his punches are doing nothing to Roy and they’ve tried to get back in the fight with no success, it’s over. You’ll see. You can’t focus on stuff that happened in the Amateurs and he’s just too good for Tarver.
Eastside: Kind of like the Forrest-Mosley-1 right?
Ronnie Shields: Yeah. We did that on purpose. Shane was so focused on what happened between them as amateurs that it distracted him. Forrest beat him twice as an Amateur and when you’ve got the other fighter talking about that kind of stuff and focusing on it so much, it’s good for you.
Stay Tuned; For The Entire Interview Which Will be Posted Tomorrow!
Carlos “Stiff-jab” Kalinchuk
Contributing Writer and Photographer