Many of the fighters scheduled to compete in Thursday’s Big Time Boxing USA event at Wayne State Fieldhouse in Detroit appeared for the first time at media training Tuesday at Cronk Gym in Detroit.
The spotlight during training was on American heavyweight contender Jermaine Franklin Jr. (22-2, 14 KOs), who faced off against former U.S. Olympian Devin Vargas (22-10, 14 KOs) in the 10-round main event. 9KO). Joshua James Pagan (9-0, 4 KOs) of Grand Rapids, Michigan, will compete against fellow undefeated super lightweight prospect Roger Hilly (13-0, 8 KOs) of Chattanooga, Tennessee in a televised co-feature. to play against. Almaty, Kazakhstan, Ali Akhmedov (20-1, 15 KOs) of Venice, California was added late and will face Encarnacion Diaz (18-4, 11 KOs) of San Jose, Costa Rica in an interesting eight-fight bout. -Round special attractions.
Akhmedov’s trainer, Detroit native Jonathan Banks, was also on hand to train his fighter and take questions, as was Hall of Fame analyst Al Bernstein, who will be part of the broadcast crew that night. Former welterweight titleholder and Cronk mainstay Milton McCrory was also on hand to offer his support.
Workout interview quotes:
Jermaine Franklin
“It’s great to be fighting in my hometown again. The energy is great. It’s like an aura and it feels great.”
“What I learned from those two games in Europe is that not everything is fair and you don’t need the referee to clear everything up. Fight with all your might and don’t pay attention until he stops you. I was already mentally tough, but those two games there gave me a new ferocity. Not many things get to me anymore. If the referee doesn’t stop me, I’d better get out of there.”
“I still want a rematch with Joshua, but we’re chasing the belt. Hopefully chasing one of the top contenders like Daniel Dubois, Filip Hrgovic, Cassius Chaney, Michael Hunter. can do.
“I only saw bits and pieces. [Tyson] Fury vs. [Oleksandr] Although it’s Usyk, I think his punching power is much higher than those guys. Usyk can punch and move against big heavyweights – he has really great feet. But I think my punch output can keep up with him much better than most other heavyweights.
“Vargas was a great boxer in the past, he was in the Olympics. His style is punching and moving, so I’m going to beat him with what he does best, shut down the ring and force him to fight. I wouldn’t predict it, but he’ll end up falling on his ass.”
“Until now, it has been a big problem for me to compete on the same level as my opponents. I can’t really explain why the better my opponent is, the better I am. We have been working on increasing the pace and intensity in the gym, so I am no longer confined to my comfort zone and I fight to my limits every time.
“I still consider myself a top guy and I’m just trying to get back to competing at the top. I’m mentally and physically ready to take on the next big challenge.”
Joshua Pagan
“It’s great to be back. I had plans to fight in February and March but that didn’t happen, so I’m happy to be back. It was very frustrating not being able to train and fight but I think this is God’s timing. I’m ready and I can’t wait to bring the belt home.”
“I know he’s a crafty southpaw. I’ve seen a few of his fights and I know what he brings to the table. But I also know what I bring to the table, so I’m ready. I’m determined and I’ve been training hard for this, so I’m sure I can win. I’m ready to execute my game plan.”
“I knew that I would eventually reach a level where I could co-star on TV, but not so soon. I’m very happy and excited to have this opportunity. Thanks to my promoter Dmitry Sarita.”
Jonathan Banks
“[Akhmedov and I have] It’s been fun ever since the first day we worked together. We met about five years ago when I started training Gennady Golovkin.
“This is a return home for me. Ali gets to fight in Detroit for the first time and I get to work from home for the first time in a while.”
“The Kazakh style of boxing is similar to Cronk’s style in that it involves a lot of movement. The only difference is that the late, great Emmanuel Steward taught us to rhythm with our movements. And that’s what we worked on a lot, that’s what Emmanuel was all about. is.
” [Gabriel] The fight against Rosado was a tough test for Ali. When he got into the 12th round, I looked him in the eye and said, “We’ve been here before, and we’re here again.” Now listen to everything I say and you won’t have to worry. ” He said, “Jonathan, I believe in you,” and kissed me on the forehead. Then he went out and won the title. He listened, did everything he was supposed to do, and it worked.
Ali Ahmedov
“I am very happy to work with Jonathan. We have a very good relationship. He understands me and I believe in him. I have learned a lot from Jonathan. He has taught me a lot about moving better in the ring.
“Of course, I knew about Kronk Gym when I lived in Kazakhstan. All the fighters around the world know about Kronk Gym. This is my first time training here and I’m excited.”
