EXCLUSIVE: Abner Mares talks Gervonta Davis, in-ring advantages on fight night, and more in phone in
Photo: @sulaimanphotographer
Transcript from phone interview with 3-division champion, Abner Mares ahead of his fight with Gervonta Davis on February 9, at the Stubhub Center in Carson, California.
Q: Training camps often take on a theme. What’s your theme for this camp? What’s motivating you for your fight against Gervonta Davis?
A: Training camp has gone great. Conditioning has been great. I’m bulking up a bit for this fight. Sparring has been good. The theme for this camp is positivity. I’m feeling strong and confident. I’m ready to fight.
Q: Your trainer Robert Garcia has been very vocal on the fight being off if Davis misses weight. Did that come from you or him?
A: It actually came from me. Me and Robert were just talking one day and I said I’m not conceding any advantages to him whatsoever. We’re both professionals so we should act like it. But that was me who made the point.
Q: Tell me about the game plan you and Robert Garcia are cooking up. Can you give any details?
A: Without giving too much away, the game plan is great. The game plan Robert has created has given me a lot of confidence. Working with one of the greatest minds in the sport, in Robert Garcia will give you confidence. There’s some things we saw that were going to try to exploit. We see some things that we can attack. We want to make him think a lot in there. Make him think about his next move.
Q: Davis has been out of the ring close to a year. Do you feel like that will affect him on the night of the fight?
A: Oh most definitely! Mainly with timing. Timing is critical in boxing and if you’re not active you’ll be a little rusty on fight night. It definitely affects fast fighters, so I see it having an effect on him as well with being so athletic. That's definitely something I
'll be looking to take advantage of.
Q: How do you create doubt in the mind of Davis?
A: I don’t you think can, honestly. Everyone’s been telling him he’s “The One” for a long time and for the most part he’s lived up to it. He’s been told he’s the next one up for a very long time. And truthfully, I don’t want to create doubt. I want to face to best version of Gervonta possible.
Q: What challenges does Davis present in the ring?
A: He’s a hard hitter. Very fast. A very speedy fighter. It will be a challenge, but a challenge I’m prepared for.
Q: What advantages do you see yourself having over Davis?
A: Experience. Will. Heart. Being tested at the highest levels. He’s a great athlete, but we haven’t seen him in the later rounds. We don’t know what version of Gervonta we’ll get in the later rounds. It still remains to be seen.
Q: What do you have to do to win?
A: A lot. Get in there and feel him out. See what he’s all about. He’s only gone the distance once. Make it a thinking game. Make him think about every move he makes. At this point my experience will take over.
