Talkin’ Boxing with Harold “The Shadow” Knight

31.10.07 – By Scoop Malinowski: You know “The Shadow.” World class junior lightweight boxer from Plainfield, New Jersey. He fought for a world title against Rocky Lockridge on national TV, losing a close decision. He also worked as the second assistant in the corner of Lennox Lewis from day one all the way until the Vitali Klitschko fight. Harold was a surprise ringsider at the recent Taylor-Pavlik war in Atlantic City. We had a chance to chat and talk some boxing with popular boxing man Harold Knight…

Q: How are you Harold, what have you been up to?

HK: I am fine,just been attending college for Criminal Justice and working as a Correctional Officer in Pennsylvania.

Q: Do you have any fighters to tell boxing fans to be on the lookout for?

HK: At the moment, I am not working with any fighters presently but its a few fighters I have been watching closely…Andre Berto, I feel is special and Andy Lee and Kermit Cintron are fighters I might have the chance to work with.

Q: You were with Lennox Lewis from day one till the Vitali Klitschko fight, in what fights do you think Lewis performed at his very best, what were his finest, sharpest performances, in your opinion?

HK: My opinion,Lennox Lewis was at his best – Gary Mason. Finest performance – Tyson. Sharpest -Fortune, Golota and Rahman 2.

Q: Looking back on LL’s career, are you at all surprised how massively successful it was? How it ended so almost perfectly?

HK: Not surprised at all, Lennox Lewis has always been a perfectionist and hard worker, always been a fine specimen of an athlete who could have played any professional sport and excelled.
Q: Which boxing matches are you looking forward to seeing as a fan?

HK: As a fan looking forward to the Mosley-Cotto, Mayweather-Hatton, Taylor-Pavlik 2, Pac-Marquez, Calzaghe-Kessler, Cintron-Williams, Campbell-Juan Diaz.

Q: You were at Pavlik-Taylor, what were your observations of that great battle?

HK: Classic battle between a boxer/puncher Taylor and puncher Pavlik. Pavlik was an unknown commodity,with less experience on the big stage and questions to be answered. Taylor,on the other hand as champ with experience and fought and won against other champions. Looking back, no one was going to beat Pavlik that night. Determination, heart, power, being in tip-top shape made it a classic night to remember.

Q: Jermain Taylor is supposedly going to take the rematch with Pavlik at 166, do you think it’s wise move or should he take a confidence builder tune up first? What does JT need to do to win?

HK: I would take a tune up first against someone with the same style as Pavlik. Then fight him next. Taylor needs to box more and not go straight back, stay off the ropes and out of the corners and punch more to the body. And bring more shots underneath.

Q: Emanuel Steward recently said, to the effect, with all due respect to the all-time greatness of Lennox Lewis, “Basically I knew how to train another fighter to beat Lennox. I knew Lennox’s weaknesses. And I could train a fighter to beat him. Wladimir Klitschko – I have no clue how to train a fighter to beat him. He makes you fight his fight. Your comment?

HK: Manny’s a professor and the best to plan a strategy and the fighter has to execute, so if that’s what he said I believe him.

Q: Mayweather and Hatton, how do you see it going?

HK: Mayweather unaminous decision – but a close and competitive fight.
Q: Mayweather seems to avoid talking about unification, do you think he can legitimately call himself the best without first proving he is the best at his weight class?

HK: Well,he has won titles six different times but unifying the welterweight division would make him the best since Sugar Ray Leonard or Thomas Hearns.

Q: Sounds good to us. Thanks Harold.

HK: Any time Scoop, see you at the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame (dinner and awards presentation in Garfield, N.J.) next Thursday.

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