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Coleman's Bad Habit In Boxing
Tim "Pitbull" Coleman was about to do what he's not supposed
to do.
At a conference to announce his upcoming elimination bout
against once-beaten Victor Cayo on April 29 at The
Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Coleman (18-1-1, 5 KOs) made his
intentions clear: when handed the mic, he was going to
openly look past Cayo and call out current IBF Super
Lightweight Champion Zab Judah, the man he would potentially
face next.
The mood at the conference was light and the narrative was
clearly supposed to be that both young fighters were honored
by the right to face such a great champion as Judah.
Explaining that while he does respect his accomplishments,
he is personally not a fan of Judah's, Coleman was going to
upset the apple cart by taunting a reigning world champion
while he was supposed to be talking about his fight with
Cayo.
When it comes to boxing, Tim Coleman has a habit of not
doing what he's supposed to do.
In his only loss, Coleman came out of obscurity and took a
huge leap up in opposition while dropping a surprisingly
debatable decision to then-unbeaten red-hot prospect James
De La Rosa while the Showtime cameras rolled.
In December 2009, he was brought in as comeback fodder for
then top contender Mike Arnaoutis in Arnaoutis's promoter's
home base of New York City. However, Coleman stole the show
and won the USBA Light Welterweight Championship by taking a
close but well-deserved decision.
And then in October 2010, Coleman was again considered the
underdog in a bout against well-regarded Patrick Lopez...
Three rounds and two knockdowns later, he was a KO winner.
"I know I'm supposed to come in here and lose against Cayo,
but I'm not going to do what they want. I'm a fighter who
steps up and then steps over the level of competition,"
explains the likeable 26-year-old Baltimore native.
Regarding Cayo, Coleman says he shouldn't have too many
problems. "He's got a very small frame for this weight class
and I doubt he'll be strong enough to keep me off of him.
And his defense isn't so good. He doesn't move his head
enough. I know he'll come out blazing, but I'll just box him
and keep coming forward until I wear him down and score a
late KO."
It's this powerful belief in himself that has allowed
Coleman to spring the series of upsets that have led to
being on the verge of a world title shot. "I have an
excellent core group that keeps me grounded and gives me the
confidence I need to win. My father, Tim Coleman Sr. and my
best friend Raymond Zabeti are always there for me."
Interestingly for someone so often pegged as an underdog,
the hard-working Coleman had approximately 200 amateur
fights, is trained by Roger Mayweather, promoted by Gary
Shaw Productions and has been in camp with notables
including Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Cory Spinks,
Alfredo Angulo, and Steve Forbes among many others.
When his turn came at the mic, Coleman looked out into the
crowd and saw that Judah had already left, so instead he
said a few respectful words about Cayo and left it at that.
But until the boxing world stops underestimating him, Tim
Coleman will continue to look for opportunities to do the
wrong thing.
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