Purnell Gates: "I can beat Chavez Jr!"
 INTERVIEW by Benny Henderson Jr - AKA "Big Dog" (Aug 11, 2006)
The once beaten welterweight prospect Purnell Gates 13-1 (11 KO’s) is usually a quiet soft spoken individual, never quick to jump the gun and speak out his mind but always willing to throw down, but when he’s fervent for a fight or attempting to make a statement he will let loose, and now he’s geared up to speak out on his career and in hopes of a face off against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
The three-year pugilistic veteran from Grandvill, MI, made his debut in December of 2003 after a successful stint in the amateurs, registering back to back knock out victories Gates stepped in with the tough Puerto Rican Christian De Hoyos
in March of ’04. Suffering from bronchitis Gates struggled through out the fight but survived to the scorecards to lose his one and only bout, via unanimous decision, a bout that Gates described as one his toughest bouts to date.
Earning the nickname ‘Knock You Out’ for his unrelenting power Gates marched on defeating all in his pathway pounding out nine knockout victories, registering three first round W’s. June of this year Purnell faced his toughest task taking ok Terry Tock, after getting caught with a solid shot shaking up the thirty-three year old a bit Purnell went on the war path to gain a third round knockout, and just last month in Manchester, IA, Gates sought out and destroyed ‘The People’s Champ’ Harold Cutts in the opening round.
Aside from being a professional fighter Purnell owns and operates his moving company and manages fighters as well. In this exclusive interview Purnell details his plans for his future, as well as his fighters under his management company, he talks stepping up, his abilities and Chavez Jr., enjoy.
Benny Henderson Jr.: What have you been up to as of late?
Purnell Gates: Right now I have been working on moving my fighters, I am really focused on the management side and have been in talks with quite a few fighters that are interested in signing with my management team, so I am looking at building that. I think it is going to work out for me because I understand business first and foremost, boxing was just a hobby for me and the business side of the sport I just love, I love doing business and have been doing business for myself for the last ten to twelve years so it is just second nature for me. I want to do business with business men, I don’t want to work with cheats, I have fighters that I am trying to move up as well as myself, so if any promoter would take me on I would bring my fighters along as well, it is a win, win situation for us both.
BH: Give us a little insight on your last victory.
PG: Well I went in there aggressive, and I am not usually an aggressive fighter but in my fight prior to this win I got caught, I was a bit to relaxed coming into the fight with Tock and he caught me in the second round, but then I went on to knock him out in the third round, but this fight I didn’t care to feel out my opponent, I wanted to go in there and get him out.
BH: What has been your toughest bout to date?
PG: Probably my loss against Christian De Hoyos, and I say that was my toughest because it was tough for me mentally because I had bronchitis. I was sick and didn’t know what was going on and that fight was my toughest. I really couldn’t breathe from the second round on, it went to the decision, I didn’t know I was even sick until after the fight, I had to go to the doctor and they told me I had bronchitis, so that was tough for me dealing with it because I wasn’t 100% for the fight. To prepare for the fight I felt something was going on but I press on. And my debut was a bit tough; I think anybodies debut is tough because of the unknown.
BH: What about stepping up, some would ask when are you going to?
PG: My thing with stepping up is this, there is a time to step up and a time not to. I feel like with anything you want to step up when the risk is worth the reward, and I feel like that is good business, and this is a business for me as well as it is a business for the promoters. If it is beneficial for me to step up then I will do so without a problem, I am not dodging anybody and I don’t have a problem with fighting anybody but if the risk isn’t worth the reward then why would you ask a fighter to step up? What am I stepping up for to benefit the promoter, to prove something? This isn’t a game of proving to somebody that I am tough, any man that steps in the ring has proven that he is tough, this is a business and my business is to make the most money I can make in this profession, the reason hwy I have been taking the fights that I have been taking is as well as my guys is just to basically stay sharp, you have to stay busy. And when we step up we will step up to money, take a chance but take a chance for the money. I am just trying to be honest with you bro, as well as I am with everybody, this is a politic business, and if somebody really wants to know if I can fight then let’s step in there and do it, but it is going to be worth my while just as well as it is yours. I will fight anybody they want me to fight and give them all they can handle in the ring, but pay me. I am a fighter, but I am also a businessman. Somebody is going to end up paying me and they are going to have a rude awakening as well. I had a heck of an amateur career, and my losses were to top ranked fighters, I am not a push over, so if you want me to fight, pay me.
BH: About a month or so ago I read where you called out Chavez Jr., what was that all about?
PG: Why did I call him out, my purpose for that was this, this guy is fighting all of these guys around my record, they are building the guy and I don’t have a problem with it, but why would the media knock everybody else for doing the same but they haven’t mentioned him. Let’s be real about the situation, I called him out because I think it would be a good competitive fight, and I feel like I can beat him, you have this guy who has this great record which was built up, I am one of the guys with the same record of the fights he has been taking so call me out, fight me (Laughs). But I doubt if they will take a risk against me, nobody wants to take a risk unless it is worth it, its good business, but I am going to call him out because I am interested in fighting him.
BH: Greatest asset in your arsenal?
PG: My training, everybody has two hands and everybody can throw punches, but everybody doesn’t have the dedication to go out there and but there butt to work, not everybody has the dedication to go that extra mile, if you are willing to go that extra mile than that is your advantage. And I am willing to go that extra mile; I’ll do it as a fighter and as a businessman.
I would like to thank Purnell Gates for his time and thoughts, for more info on Purnell please visit: www.knockuout.com.
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