Edner Cherry: “I’ve been working all my life for this!”


	<SCRIPT language='JavaScript1.1' SRC="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/N3245.BoDog/B2561294;abr=!ie;sz=740x125;ord=[timestamp]"> </SCRIPT> <NOSCRIPT> <A HREF="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/N3245.BoDog/B2561294;abr=!ie4;abr=!ie5;sz=740x125;ord=[timestamp]"><IMG SRC="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/N3245.BoDog/B2561294;abr=!ie4;abr=!ie5;sz=740x125;ord=[timestamp]" BORDER=0 WIDTH=740 HEIGHT=125 ALT="Click Here!"></A> </NOSCRIPT>

Edner Cherry: “I’ve been working all my life for this!”

Interview by Bob Carroll, Doghouse Boxing (Sept 1, 2008) DoghouseBoxing.com

On September 13th, Edner Cherry 24-5-2, (12) and Timothy Bradley 22-0 (11) will clash for the WBC light welterweight title in Biloxi, Mississippi. Edner has been awaiting an opportunity like this his whole career, and let me know that the opportunity would not be squandered. Edner is coming off of a 10th round stoppage of former WBC lightweight champion Stevie Johnston in May. In his career, Edner has defeated the likes of Meza Monty Clay, Danny Alicea, Ricky Quiles and twice defeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. protégé, Wes Ferguson. In an exclusive interview, Edner gave his thoughts on his September 13th WBC light welterweight title.

Bob Carroll: Edner, first I want to thank you for taking time out of your training to speak with Doghouse Boxing. How are you wife and children?

Edner Cherry: My wife and kids are doing pretty good. I haven’t really seen them in a while, I’ve seen my wife a couple of times and my other son a couple of times. Since I have been in training camp and I had to leave, I haven’t been able to see them as much as I want to see them, but so far, everyone is doing great.

BC: On September 13th, you take a huge step, taking on Timothy Bradley for his WBC Light welterweight Title. How did this fight come about?

EC: You know, working hard. I’ve been working all my life for this and the opportunity has come for me. I’ve have been putting on great fights on TV, so that is how this came about. All of these promoters have seen me on television and thought, well we can put on a great fight between Edner Cherry and Timothy Bradley and I think that it is the respect that they showed me. I think the promoters said ‘We will try to get Edner to move from the 135lb category so that Timothy Bradley will be the stronger fighter’ but that is a huge mistake they made in this fight!

BC: How familiar are you with Bradley?

EC: I’m not really familiar with Timothy Bradley. I’ve seen some of his fights, he’s a tough fighter, I take my hat off, he’s a great guy. I really don’t know much more about him, I’ll just go in there, do my thing on September 13th.

BC: You’re going into your 32nd professional fight against Bradley. How big of a factor do you feel your experience and quality of past opponents will play into this fight?

EC: Well, you know, I’ve been in many wars and great fights and hung in there my second time fighting at 140 lbs., but you know, I’m ready, I’m in great shape getting ready for this big fight. My experience will help me out for this fight.

BC: Being that this fight is for a world title, have there been any changes in your training habits?

EC: Um, You know what, not really. I kept the same basics, we know he will be coming and he will be doing different things, but I’ll still be Edner Cherry on September 13th. There will be nothing fancy, just the basics, just go in there and just do what I do. That is what has got me here, I’ll just go in there and do what I do.

BC: How is the training camp coming along?

EC: Oh man, training camp is great. My trainer said that this is the first camp that they said that I have been totally focused and that it’s the greatest camp I have ever had and that they are really excited. I am really happy and totally focused, working hard and I am really pushing myself!

BC: I’m sure that Timothy Bradley will be reading this interview, so what would you like to say to him before you two meet in the ring on September 13th?

EC: Ah, you know there is nothing I want to really say to Timothy Bradley. He is a great fighter and we will meet up on September 13th, and that’s it.

BC: Let’s look ahead for a minute. The morning of September 14th, you wake up and you are the newly crowned WBC Light Welterweight champion. What will you plan on doing that day?

EC: Man, I’ll be just be relaxing, enjoying it, you know, and thinking, man, I’m the World Champion and that God brought me this far and that he had opened the doors for me and I’ll be very happy, excited and uh, at the same time, I will be no different, but I will be the same person after that fight.

BC: Now a second part to that question, will you call me so I can congratulate you? (laughing)

EC: Oh yeah, definitely, yes sir. Yes sir!

BC: Earlier in the summer, a rumor surfaced on a trashy gossip website, stating you knocked Floyd Mayweather Jr. unconscious in a Las Vegas nightclub, after an argument over money. Were you aware of this rumor breaking and have you ever even been close to a Las Vegas nightclub?

EC: No, not at all. You know this rumor that has been spreading about me and Floyd Mayweather, everything has fallen in the right place at the right time. Before the Timothy Bradley and Edner Cherry fight had come together, my name was everywhere on the internet, all over the world. The people who never knew who Edner Cherry was, they had to look me up, but now I am fighting for a world title and people know who I am, so everything has just fallen in place. Everything has fallen in the right place at the right time.

BC: You know Edner, a couple of days before this rumor came out, you and I had done an interview for Doghouse Boxing, and then three days later that rumor came out, so Doghouse Boxing got to the bottom of that by speaking to Aaron Jacobs of Starfight Productions and squelched the rumor. Aaron stated that although he would love to report that the rumor was true, Edner Cherry would more likely be found in church, rather than any kind of night club.

EC: Oh yes, definitely!

BC: Before the biggest fight of your life, what would you like to say to all of your fans and to the readers of Doghouse Boxing?

EC: I just want to thank all of my fans all over for supporting me 100%. I just want to thank them for being there for me, my family, the team, Starfight, I just want to thank everyone for doing their part. When I win this WBC Belt, it won’t be only for me, it will be for everybody! It will be for the whole team because all of us will be a winner. I’ll be holding the belt, but as a team and as my fans, we are all part of it and it will belong to ‘US’.

BC: As a closing point, would you like to say hello to your wife and children?

EC: Yeah, I want to thank my wife she misses me, I miss my kids. My wife has been through a whole lot. It’s a part of the job, I’ll be here and then I’ll be gone. My wife has been sucking it up and waiting, but at the same time she has been 100% for me. I know I can be a hard head, but she is always there by my side.

I’d like to thank Edner Cherry for taking time out of his training schedule to speak to me and Aaron Jacobs of Starfight Productions for setting up the interview. For more on the Cherry-Bradley fight, listen to Fightin’ Words Radio Show, Wednesday nights, 6-7pm on www.1490WWPR.com