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Photo © Elisa Harrison
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In boxing, the main event often has the show stolen by an explosive undercard match up. This may prove to be the case on December 11th, when former two-time champion Randall Bailey locks horns with WBO Jr. Welterweight champ Miguel Cotto underneath the Vitali Klitschko-Danny Williams fight. Cotto is regarded as one of boxing finest young talents but Bailey is looking to play the role of the spoiler when the two meet on HBO PPV. An upset isn’t out of question, as Bailey comes equipped with dynamite in both fists and also the rare knowledge of knowing what it takes to become a champion.
Randall took a break from his busy training schedule and stopped by to talk about the fight and other areas of interest as well. Here’s what we discussed, topic to topic..
Miguel Cotto as a fighter…
"He’s OK. I don’t rate him as high as other people do but he’s a pretty decent fighter. I do see things in him that I think I can exploit. He keeps his hands too high above his head and I think I can work off of that. I don’t like watching too many tapes of fighters, because when I watch them on tape I see all their vulnerabilities and it makes the fight look real easy.”
His back and forth brawl with Ener Julio in July of 2000…
"Both of us were just banging. Going back and forth, back and forth all night. There were a lot of headbutts and it was just a real rugged, dirty fight. That’s the type of fighter Ener Julio is anyways, he’s just dirty. He uses his arms, his elbows, and he’d even use his knees if he could. That fight was a real battle.”
Kostya Tszyu dismantling Sharmba Mitchell in three rounds…
"I wasn’t too surprised, I figured it would happen that way. It all depended on Tszyu, on how he performed. I actually think the layoff helped him.”
The Jose Luis Castillo-Joel Casamayor clash…
"That’s a good, competitive fight right there. Casamayor is a great boxer with speed and smartness. Castillo is a heavy puncher and he can box a little bit as well. It’s hard for me to say who wins because it’s a tough fight for both guys.”
Scoring the KO or going the distance?…
"Scoring a knockout is the best feeling in the whole world because it means the fight is over, but overall I really do like the distance fights. I like long, tough fights over a quick knockout because I can go in there and show all of my ability and not just my power.”
Commenting on Vivian Harris, who recently had an impressive win over Oktay Urkal…
"I don’t think much of Vivian Harris at all. He beat up a wounded cow in Diosbelys Hurtado to win the title. They should have stopped my fight with Hurtado because the guy was bleeding from his ear like he was pouring water. After my fight with him, I knew Hurtado was never going to be the same.”
A possible rematch between Cory Spinks and Zab Judah…
"Cory Spinks will take him again. Zab can’t fight. He will go in and just try to use his speed but he can’t deal with boxers. Anyone who sticks a jab in his face is going to beat him. “
Thoughts on South Beach, Miami and attending the fights…
"It’s not hard for me to stay focused for a fight because I don’t really hang out in South Beach. Living in Miami is alright. I don’t really go to the fights too much. If a friend is fighting then I might go and check it out, but I usually just stay home. “
Fighting in Las Vegas for the first time…
"I’m very excited. This is my first fight in Vegas and I’ve always wanted to fight in both Vegas and at the Mandalay Bay. It’s like two wishes coming true in one night. Plus I’m going to be winning a world title, and that makes it even better.”
Fighting in an opponent’s ‘backyard’…
"It’s all part of the job. I really don’t like fighting in other people’s hometowns and their backyards but sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do.”
Boxing idols…
"I always liked Sugar Ray Leonard when I was younger. I just loved his style, his speed, and how he was as a fighter. I read the book they had on him when I was younger, ‘The Baby Faced Assassin’, and that got me interested in him.”
Getting into boxing…
"I was trying to keep myself out of trouble and I thought boxing would be a good idea. I told my mom that I wanted to try boxing out, and we went to the gym and it’s been on from there.”
Future opposition…
"I’d love a fight with Kostya Tszyu and also a fight with Arturo Gatti.”
Strengths as a fighter…
"I’d have to say my punching power and my jab. When I use it effectively I have a nice jab.”
Growing up rough…
"My childhood was pretty rough. We weren’t rich by any means. It helps me in a fight, just knowing what I’ve been through. I know that when I’m the ring there isn’t anything that can be done to me that hasn’t been done to me on the streets already. To me it’s like having no fear.”
Outside of boxing…
"My PlayStation 2 keeps me busy. Madden '05 and Grand Theft Auto are a couple of my favorites at the moment.”
To his fans…
"To the fans who have been with me through all the hard times, I really do appreciate it.”
We thank Randall Bailey for this interview and wish him the best on December 11th and all future endeavors.
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© Copyright / All Rights reserved: Doghouse Boxing 1998-2004
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By Chris Robinson (November 30, 2004) 
