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Jose Navarro's New Year's
Resolution:
"I Want To Bring The WBC Belt Home"
By William Trillo
Photo: Bret "The Threat" Newton
So, I am driving home from day 2 of the great
Christmas present exchange, when my cell phone
rings and it's my good friend Mack Kurihara. The
trainer of 6 World Champions was in Japan and he
wanted to know if I had a few moments to chat
with a fighter he is doing some consulting for,
# 1 WBC rated Super Flyweight Jose Navarro
(21-0, 9 KO's). They are in Japan as Navarro
prepares to take on WBC Super Flyweight Champ,
Katsushige Kawashima (27-3, 18 KO's) this
January 3rd at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo! I
told Mack that I would be home in 5 minutes and
I would wait for his call on my land line, and
just as always, Mack was right on time with his
return phone call and he promptly handed the
phone over to Jose! |
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Jose! How are you?
How were your holidays?
Umm, a little lonely! We are in Japan, we are working
hard and staying focused, we got an opportunity to be
World Champion so we are working hard!
When did you get to Japan?
We got here on December 11th. Our fight is on January
3rd, just about a week from now!
Let me just stop right here, we were together just a
month ago at Olvera Street in Los Angeles and I said we
should get together and discuss your upcoming fight, and
here we are now and you are all the way across the ocean
and we finally got some time to talk! How crazy is that?
Yeah, you know, I actually left a couple of days after
that! I just wanted to get out here right away, the time
change and the climate out here is so much different, I
just want to do everything possible to win this fight! I
am trying my best, I have been waiting for this all my
life! It's all motivation for me, I want to accomplish
my boxing dream, and in doing this I will be happy for
the rest of my life!
There is an alphabet soup of Championship Belts out
there, but you will be fighting for the prestigious WBC
Belt!
This is the one! This is what you want to accomplish in
boxing, win the WBC Title. As a kid the WBC Belt always
stood out for me, more than all the rest of them!
What do you know about your opponent, Kawashima?
He's the Champ, they talk about him being a strong
puncher and a good fighter! Of course he is a good
fighter, he is the World Champion! I am prepared, every
fight is dangerous, that's the way I see it! There is no
fight where you can just go out there and take your time
and take it easy, every fight is dangerous so that is
why I always prepare the right way. I work hard for
every fight, and this fight is no different than the
rest! And that's pretty much all I can tell you about
this fight, I really don't study my opponents too much,
my trainer Frank Rivera does that whole thing for me and
then we go from there! We are pretty evenly matched,
this should be a good fight, I am predicting a very good
fight from both of us!
You fighting on the Champions home turf, how are you
being treated over there?
We are treated well out here, we are very comfortable.
I'd rather be at home but these are the sacrifices we
have to make, everything is going good so far, our
training is good, and so is everything else.
Most of your professional fights have been in your
homeland, but with your extensive amateur background I
imagine that being away isn't messing with you that
much.
No. I will fight anywhere, especially for The WBC Title.
I have the experience of traveling all over The World as
an amateur fighter, and the pros is only a little
different. And you know, once you step into that ring
you are in there with your opponent and that's it. I
don't hear the crowd, it doesn't affect me, I come out
here for one thing and that's to fight, and it's only us
2 in there so it doesn't make no difference to me!
You are in a country full of very knowledgeable fight
fans, they know their boxing there, and if I am not
mistaken the man you are facing just might be their last
World Title holder so I am thinking it's going to be
pretty electric in the arena that night.
Oh yeah, I am expecting that, and I am excited about it,
believe it or not! I am looking forward to January 3rd,
coming out of the dressing room, during the fight and
after the fight, it is going to be a very special night!
Who do you have there with you right now?
It's just Mack Kurihara, my trainer Frank Rivera and
myself. We just got our run in and now it's time to go
eat breakfast! My weight is good right now, I am having
no problems there, this is the best I have been. We have
been training for this fight for a while now. I am
ready, my mind is set and I am in shape, we are going to
have a good showing, it's going to be a good fight for
us!
This time of the year everyone one is making their
New Year resolution, let me guess that you resolution is
to bring this WBC Belt home with you!
Oh yes, definitely! Let's start off 2005 the right way
and then I will have 3 things to celebrate when I get
home! Christmas, New Years and a World Title!
A special thanks to Mack Kurihara, Happy New Year my
friend!
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