Manny Steward on Kermit Cintron: “I think he knocks them all out”
 INTERVIEW by Gabriel Montoya (July 20, 2007) Doghouse Boxing
Following the huge win by Kermit Cintron over Walter Matthysse on the weekend, Doghouse Boxing spoke to Cintron’s manager and trainer Manny Steward about the IBF welterweight titlist’s very bright future.
GM: Hi Manny. Congrats on the big win with Cintron this weekend.
MS: He’s good. He’s a good fighter. Time will show how good he really is. The division is full of great fighters – Williams, Shane, Cotto. But I think he knocks them all out.
GM: Even Cotto?
MS: He gets a hurt a lot in fights. Even recently. He is a tremendous warrior, don’t get me wrong. Kermit is becoming a balanced fighter. He can find that gap in your defense. You cover your head; he comes around to the body. He knows where to go instinctively. That’s just a gift. I’ve always had good boxers boxing together from Tommy Hearns [on down the line]. [Cintron] is training with Andy Lee, Jonathon Banks, and Wladimir [Klitschko]. With that caliber of fighters, you can’t make a mistake. You make a mistake and you can get knocked out in the gym.
GM: We spoke last week about how we both love the knockout.
MS: (jumping in) I love the knockout. I’ve always had tremendous punchers in my gym.
GM: So what do you think of the division?
MS: There are a lot of great fights that can be made in the division. Williams, where he came from in the amateurs to now is just amazing. The Sugarman looks like he is back to where he was even prior to the Vargas fights. Cotto is a warrior. I have tremendous respect for him. I think Cotto and Cintron are the two best punchers in the division. Margarito is a tough fight for anyone.
GM: What would you like for Kermit next?
MS: I would like Margarito next for him. That is his signature fight similar to how people looked at Brewster for Wladimir. Going into that fight he had two hand operations and a lot of time off and yet people still hold it against him despite all his winning. He is a much different fighter now. We traveled all over the world in preparation for the Matthysse fight. He went over with us to train Wladimir. We came back here to the Kronk. He trained a long time for that bout.
GM: How has all that traveling and the new experiences affected him? How does it add to him in the ring?
MS: All the traveling has changed him. He is very shy. A quiet guy. So all that has brought him out of his shell a bit. Now he has a little cockiness, a little swagger. And you need that. Training at the Kronk has given him a family. He is part of a team.
He had never been to Vegas before the Margarito fight. Now he sits behind all the other guys at the press conferences. He gets to see how it all works without the pressure on him. His whole scope has broadened.
GM: So who will he face on the Vargas/Mayorga under card?
MS: It comes down to who is available. But we’ll fight anyone. We just want to stay busy, keep winning and the super fights will come.
GM: What about Mosley? He is available and Kermit said he wants him.
MS: Well, now they [Top Rank] are talking about facing Mosley. The reason he said he wanted Mosley is because Margarito/Cotto was already a done deal. Kermit assumed Margarito would win and so he called out Mosley. That is why he said that. He felt that was the logical fight. Look, he has true one punch knockout power. He's going to be tough for anybody. I tell him and Wladimir, you two guys can be at a party where everyone is having a good time and at anytime flip the switch and its pitch back with everyone wondering what the hell happened.
GM: Thanks, Manny.
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