by Geoffrey Ciani (Exclusive Interview by Jenna J, Geoffrey Ciani, and Chauncy Welliver) – This week’s 125th edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio (brought to you by CWH Promotions) featured an exclusive interview with heavyweight contender Chris Arreola (31-2, 27 KOs) who is coming off of an impressive third round stoppage against Nagy Aguilera (16-6, 11 KOs). Arreola is now preparing to fight again on May 27 against Kendrick Releford (22-14-2, 10 KOs). Arreola spoke about his recent victory and discussed his upcoming fight and his quick turnaround. Additionally, fellow heavyweight contender and On the Ropes Co-Host Chauncy Welliver (47-5-5, 17 KOs, #11 WBO, #9 WBC) issued a challenge to Arreola which he seemed both willing and eager to accept. A showdown between Arreola and Welliver would undoubtedly provide entertainment and fireworks between two of the more exciting ranked fighters in the weight class. Here is a complete transcript of that interview:
JENNA J: It is actually time for our second guest of this week’s show. He is a current contender in the heavyweight division making his second appearance “On the Ropes”. We’re joined by Cristobal Arreola. How are you doing today, Chris?
CHRIS ARREOLA: I’m doing good. I’m about to have some lunch right now in a little bit.
JENNA: Alright well last time we saw you in the ring against Nagy Aguilera you looked pretty good. You were down to 234. How did you feel?
ARREOLA: I felt great. You know I felt a lot faster obviously, but there are always things I need to correct. I think I should have given myself a little more space, and moved my head a little bit more, and not chased him around the ring as much as I did. But overall I would give myself about a C-. There is always room for improvement.
JENNA: Yeah, I saw Nagy was running a little but in the first few rounds and at one point you just dropped your arms and were daring him to hit you. How did you feel in there and what did you think about his strategy against you?
ARREOLA: I already knew he was going to run. He was going to try and fight me the way Tomasz Adamek fought me, but then again I’m not the same fighter that fought Tomasz Adamek. He was just trying to run. He would run to his left and then switch directions to his right, so it was just a matter of time before he stopped and fought.
JENNA: Okay, when he did stop and fight you had him against the ropes. You were just nailing him with shots. Do you think the stoppage was well timed?
ARREOLA: Yeah you know, actually I thought it was going to be stopped a little sooner but the good thing about the ref was he actually let it go on because he wasn’t as hurt as I thought he was. So finally when he was stopped I had seen his eyes just roll back so it was the time to stop.
JENNA: Okay well the interesting news to come out of this is since you won so quickly, you will actually be fighting next Friday against Kendrick Releford on Friday Night Fights. Why the quick turnaround?
ARREOLA: The main reason is I only got three rounds in and it’s actually been four rounds in t he past five months. It’s really not much work for me, so I might as well go in there and fight again. You know I’m not hurt. I’m fine. So I might as well go in the ring again.
JENNA: That’s good. Alright I’m going to toss it over to my Co-Host Geoff.
GEOFFREY CIANI: Hi Chris. It’s a pleasure to have you back on the show. Congratulations on the victory.
ARREOLA: Thank you. I appreciate it man.
CIANI: Chris I wanted to ask you, now the criticisms around your career has often revolved around your weight and the shape that you come into the ring, and we’ve heard you say before that you were going to come in good shape and get your weight down. But this time you actually did it and you surprised a lot of people. How did you go about doing it and what made you so determined to actually get to that point this time around?
ARREOLA: The main reason that I came in such great shape is to fight someone like Nagy Aguilera. I came in shape for him. Also I love boxing and it’s time for me to treat it like I do love it. 2010 was just a horrible year for me from a boxing standpoint and in 2011 it’s time for me to throw my name out there and make believers out of people and win the world title. That’s my main goal is to be a world heavyweight champion.
CIANI: Now you mentioned you want to make people into believers out of you. How do you think is the best way to go about doing that?
ARREOLA: Well it’s to do exactly what I’m doing—work, and then work a little bit more, and then also I have to work a little bit more. So that’s all it is, is just work. It’s just boxing. I need to make boxing easy and the only way it’s easy is by training hard.
JENNA: Alright well we’re also on the phone with my Co-Host Chauncy Welliver.
CHAUNCY WELLIVER: Hey Chris. I’m also a heavyweight so I have a couple of questions for you and one just to kind of break the ice. A couple of years ago, even when you were fighting tune-ups, you were fighting pretty tough guys—guys like Brian Minto and Travis Walker, but you were beating these guys. The last couple of fights and the fight you have coming up with Nagy Aguilera and Kendrick Releford seem to be steps down. Is this a promotional reason for doing this, or is it that you want to work with your new trainer and work on something he’s showing you?
ARREOLA: Well I still have the same trainer. I didn’t change trainers. One fight I went with Ronnie Shields and then I went back to my old trainer. Me personally, I’m just taking what they give me. I’m not the promoter. I’m not the guy who’s saying who I am fighting. My job is just to fight plain and simple. I’m not worried about who I’m fighting. Regardless I believe that any fighter that’s going to fight me is going to step up to the plate and is going to come in the best shape that they possibly can and give themselves the best position to possibly beat me, so I got to do the same for myself.
WELLIVER: Okay, also as I’ve said I’m a heavyweight. You’re one of the biggest names in the heavyweight division. I myself have been calling out David Tua as you were earlier in your career, and I think you’re still kind of gunning for that fight but neither one of us has gotten it and it doesn’t look like we will. You know I’ve been looking to get big fights on TV and stuff like that. I think I have a very exciting style and I think you’re probably the most exciting heavyweight out there, and I thought that me and you would be a good fight. Do you have any plans after Releford? Or what’s your future plans?
ARREOLA: You know my future plans are whatever Dan Goosen have in store for me. Whatever Dan, Al Haymen, and Henry Ramirez, whatever they say that’s what goes. You know my job’s to fight. I duck nobody. I fear no man. I’m willing to fight anybody. It doesn’t matter who it is. I mean I don’t know who you are, but sh*t! I’ll fight you too if I had to. You know it doesn’t really matter to me. I’ll fight the fight. You know I love boxing and like I said styles do make fights. People love watching exciting heavyweights so you never know. It could always happen.
WELLIVER: I’m a couple of spots ahead of you in the WBO. I’m ranked #11 in the WBO and #9 WBC, so I always thought it would be a fight that would definitely be TV worthy and be a good fight for you and a good fight for me to kind of hit the scene. I think it would be something that the fans would enjoy.
ARREOLA: Of course the fans would love to see me smack you around! It’s something that fans and people would love to watch. You know it’s not a problem with me. I’m not the person you need to call and ask for a fight for. For that you need to call Dan Goosen, because I’ll fight anybody who challenges me to fight. Basically you can call me out in public or call it whatever you want to call it, but that’s what I do. I’m in the hurt business. I’m in there to fight. If you want some of me you know where you can find me. I’m willing to fight anybody, bro. Like I said there ain’t nothing wrong with a little smack in the face.
JENNA: Alright well Chris, I have just a couple of more questions before I let you off the line. Your fight against Kendrick Releford is on May 27. What do you expect to happen?
ARREOLA: My main thing is just to be active and to make it an exciting fight. That’s my job. I love to fight and I love to bring the fights for the fans. I’m a fan friendly kind of fighter. I hate the judges. No offense to any judges, but I don’t like leaving the fights up to the judges. I’m in there to win by knockout as always.
JENNA: Well in your last fight you actually fought on the same card as Andre Ward, a fellow California fighter. What do you think of him?
ARREOLA: You know Andre Ward is probably by far one of the most skilled young American fighters, period. I don’t think there is any better American fighter out there right now. You know he’s a smart fighter. There is a reason why he is a champion and there is a reason why he has advanced to the Finals of the Super Six. He deserves all the accolades that he gets.
JENNA: Alright well I have one final question for you Chris. You have a lot of fans that obviously went out and supported you that night. Is there anything you want to say to them?
ARREOLA: For everybody that came out and for everybody that watched it on YouTube or whatever they watched it on, I appreciate it and this is just one fight. Like I said before I just got to keep going forward and looking forward to things in 2011. And if your boy over there still wants to fight me he knows who he can call and who he can reach. Like I said I’m not someone that’s going to duck anybody and I’m not someone that’s going to rain on somebody else’s interview and try to call him out. So it is what it is and we can get it done whenever he wants.
JENNA: Alright well thank you very much Chris for your time and we wish you all the best of luck in your upcoming fight.
ARREOLA: Thank you. Bye.
CIANI: Thanks Chris. Good luck.
JENNA: Alright well that was Cristobal Arreola. He had definitely a lot of things to say about the heavyweight division and his upcoming fight in just over a week, and of course to my Co-Host Chauncy Welliver who I’m going to go to first. What were your thoughts?
WELLIVER: You know I absolutely loved it! I’ll give him credit for one thing, he does fight any heavyweight. He’s proven he’s not scared of any man. So I’m glad that he would fight me. That’s great! I’m ranked ahead of him in an organization, in the WBO—one of the top organizations. I think me and him would be an excellent fight. As far as him saying I’m trying to steal his thunder or jump in front of his recent victory, I give him 100% props for his last victory. But I do think at the same time that me and him, for the fans of boxing, make an excellent fight. We’re both bigger guys, we both throw a lot of punches, and neither one of us gets very tired. I think we make an excellent fight for the fans of boxing. I think we help the heavyweight division. I hope it would be a fight that TV would pick up. Once again, as he said he accepts any challenge and he’ll fight any man. Hopefully he accepts my challenge that I posed to him today.
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For those interested in listening to the Chris Arreola interview in its entirety, it begins approximately forty-one minutes into the program.
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