29.05.07 – Boxingrealm’s, Phillip Pastrano sat in on today’s conference call involving current WBC light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson and his challenger, Jesus Ruiz and asked them about their upcoming title bout on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, June 9 with the telecast beginning at 10 PM ET/PT.
Phillip Pastrano Boxingrealm.com: Good morning everybody. Thank you for allowing me on this conference call. Appreciate it.
First question to Chad Dawson,.this is just a simple question about your opponent Jesus. What do you know about him and what do you expect to see from him come Saturday night( June 9th)?
Chad Dawson: I expect him to come and fight. I expect a tough fight. He’s going to come forward the whole fight. But like I said. I mean Adamak, he’s (Jesus Ruiz) the same type of fighter. I’ve seen him fight and he’s going to try to come forward but it’s going to be pretty hard. (laughs)
Boxingrealm: Another question to you Chad. Can you tell us a little bit or talk a little bit about how your relationship with Floyd Mayweather Sr. has evolved since he began training you up until this point with this latest fight?
Dawson: Our relationship is much better. When we first got together we had our differences in the first couple of weeks. But now it’s been going smooth. When I come into the gym he will show up about 20 minutes after me. I am already working. Working on things that we have been working on. So everything is good. Our relationship is good.
Boxingrealm. OK. Thank You Chad. Now a question to Jesus, You said earlier that you watched the Adamak/Dawson fight. What did you see in that fight that you can tell us about? What did you learn about that fight and about your opponent Dawson?
Jesus Ruiz: I see that Mr Dawson (meant to say Adamek) has the European style. Doesn’t move a lot you know. European style they don’t move a lot. Mr Dawson (Adamek) was upright like a tree. Mr Adamek I mean. I’m sorry. But I think the Mexican fighter is different you know. That’s the difference. I don’t want to be like Mr. Adamek. I won’t stand by.
Boxingrealm.com: Thank you Jesus. If I could ask one or two more to Gary Shaw, Gary assuming the Tarver/Dawson fight pans out. When do you foresee this actually transpiring? When do you see this fight happening?
MODERATOR: GUYS GARY SAID HE WAS GETTING ON A PLANE. CAN ANYONE ELSE ADDRESS THE QUESTION?
Joe Deguardia: Well assuming they both get by. We’ll look and everybody will get together and see if there is something we can make for the fall. That is when Tarver is expected to fight next and I would imagine that is when Dawson is expected to fight next as well. But again both of these guys have their work cut out for them on June 9th. So nothing is going to be done until after June 9th.
Boxingrealm.com: OK. Just one more question kind of outside of this fight and I guess it can go to either Joe or Gary if you’re still on the line. Can you just very briefly sum up the state of boxing post De la Hoya/Mayweather or if there is anything to even say about that issue?
Joe Deguardia: The state of boxing is doing pretty well quite frankly. When you look at see that you have an event that can do over two million buys and set a record. You have Showtime putting on two world championship-boxing events from a historic boxing city like Hartford in one night. Every month and every week you have boxing events taking place. So I would say other than what the doomsayers are saying the fact is and the reality is that boxing is still thriving and it’s thriving on major networks like Showtime. It’s thriving on pay per view. Which is your real gauge of what the common person is doing and whether they want to buy and pluck down their money for an event. It’s thriving in the venues throughout the country where we’re setting records on attendance.
BOXINGREALM.COM: Well thank you everyone and good luck Chad and good luck Jesus. You all have a good day.
Jesus Ruiz: Thank you very much.