Interview with Adam Etches
Posted: 25 Mar 2015, 16:59
Hey, we did a video Q&A with Etches ahead of his fight with Khomitsky. I hope this is ok to post here? Notable things he said: Mayweather is the best ever, he's going to KO Khomitsky and whilst he's not good at scrabble he'll destroy any man alive or dead at connect 4.
Comes across as a good kid with his head screwed on who loves the sport. Hopefully he does the business on Saturday, Khomitsky is a great fight to gauge where he's at.
Cheers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXmrRRV7MIk
Who’s the best fighter you’ve shared a ring with, either fighting or sparring?
I would have to say probably Kell Brook. Between Kell Brook and Sergey [Rabchenko] but I would probably edge towards Kell. I think Kell’s a good all round boxer, you know? He can box, he can fight, he can move, he’s strong, he’s got good feet. Kell’s just a good all round boxer.
Do you think you can achieve your goals with Hatton Promotions?
Yes, I do. A lot of people say that I can’t and you know, on Twitter that I “need to move on” and “there’s nothing there for you” but you know, Ricky, has done a cracking job with me. He helps me with my sparring and him and Richard [Poxon] get me opportunities to fight on undercards abroad. So, you know, I think it’s down to the boxer; if I keep winning he’ll get me to where I want to go. There’s no doubt about that.
You’re known for being a big ticket seller, how have you managed to create that following?
I don’t know to be honest. I think, obviously, people like coming to watch me otherwise they wouldn’t come. I think they must like my style or like me as a person. I don’t know but I’m really happy with the progress that I’ve made. I started off selling 100 tickets, now I’m selling thousands and I’m doing it all myself, without a box office and without any help. So thank you to everyone really.
Have there been any concrete offers proposed by your team for you to face any of our domestic middles? Why does he think he is being avoided?
Well, I think it’s easy. A lot of people are not going to want to fight me because A: I’m not the biggest name yet and B: I can punch. It’s the same scenario but obviously on a lot smaller scale as with Golovkin. There's names as big out there like your Chavez’ and your Quillins and there all as big names but they’re easier fights. Even if you said to me now, I would fight Golovkin without a doubt, I’d fight any fighter but out of the middleweights he would be the last one that I would pick.
How experienced were you with other combat sports before turning to boxing?
Yeah, I was very experienced with kickboxing. I had hundreds of fights but it’s a completely different sport. It’s just a completely different sport but it’s put me in good stead for my boxing career.
Richard Poxon asks: Who’s the most handsome and stylish chap you know in boxing?
Definitely not him! Otherwise he wouldn’t be asking that kind of question. I’d probably have to say, probably you, Andy.
If you could spar one current boxer that you haven’t yet sparred, who would it be and why?
Floyd Mayweather because I’d just like to see if he’s as good as he looks on TV. Which I sure he will be but, you know, I’d just like to see if I could lay a glove on him.
If you could box or spar with any fighter in history at their peak, who would you choose?
Same because I think a lot of people say about boxers “who are the best?” and I think it’s the same as with football. I think Messi is ten times better than George Best was and I think Klitschko is ten times better than Muhamad Ali was. I think as time moves on, things get better and people get fitter, faster, stronger. I’m not saying that they’re as exciting or as popular or as flamboyant but as time goes on people get better and faster and stronger. I think Mayweather is without a doubt the best fighter ever to have lived.
Have you ever been dropped? If not then who is the biggest puncher you have met either in a fight or in sparring?
Yes, I think that any fighter that tells you that they haven’t been dropped is a liar. Every fighter has been dropped, that’s just a fact. I’ve never been dropped where it’s been on the verge of getting knocked out, you know, a lot of it can be off balance or you walk onto one. The strongest boxer that I’ve ever sparred is either Russ Henshaw who’ve I’ve been sparring with, the cruisereweight or Sergey Rabchenko. I mean Sergey just seems to…when you look at him he doesn’t seem to have any power at all really, the way he throws his punches, but when he hits you you know you’ve been hit.
Are you tight at the weight or do you think you will be a career middleweight?
I wouldn’t say I’m any tighter than other fighters are. I think all boxers struggle to make their weight, if they don’t then they should be doing one lighter. As for being a middleweight I’m going to keep at middleweight for as long as I possibly can. When I wake up and I find it’s just too hard or not possible to do middleweight then I’ll go up to super middle because I think I’m big enough and I’m strong enough to box at super middle. But I’ll stay at middleweight for as long as I can.
Do you read any boxing forums and if so, which ones?
No, I don’t really read boxing forums. I’m very interested in boxing, I follow it, I watch fights, I look at what’s going on on twitter, I study it. But as for looking at forums, I don’t do, no.
How and who gave you the nickname ‘The Bomber’ and are you or Tony Bellew the legit bomber?
Well, the first answer is it happened in my amateur days. I was having amateur fights and I was knocking people out with a head guard and 10 ounce gloves on and in amateurs, as you probably know, it’s not really normal. It started off saying “oh he bombed him out” and then the nickname bomber came from Scott really and the lads in the gym, the other amateurs in the gym. As for Tony Bellew, well, I think if you just look on boxrec and look at the knockout percentages you can make your own minds up.
Will you not consider fighting Lewis Taylor?
Yeah, when he’s got something to put on the table but I can’t see him having anything to entice me into a fight. It’s like Accrington Stanley against Man United. I’d like it to happen because it would probably be 5 or 6 nil but realistically it’s not going to happen any time soon. His promoter put out an offer to me but to be honest it’s just one of them where he knows that the fight isn’t going to happen. A: I’m getting paid more than he offered me anyway and B: Even if I were to take the fight I know that he wouldn’t be interested anyway….and he drew with a journeyman!
Do you have any funny stories from when you used to work on the doors?
Yeah, I have. I could sit here all day and tell you, honestly for 5 or 6 hours I could tell you stories from working on the doors. We’d probably have 10 or 15 stories, little ones, just from one weekend. There is some mega ones to be honest.
Who is the best fighter you have faced?
To be honest, I’ve boxed a mixed bunch of opponents. I would say the most dangerous fighter I’ve boxed is probably that Mendes. He’d had 10, won 10 and stopped 9. Obviously he hadn’t boxed anyone of any credentials but nevertheless it was a dangerous fight. He didn’t hit me because I did him in in the first round so I don’t know how strong he actually were. In terms of the best boxer I would probably say either Abramenka…yeah probably Abramenka is the best boxer I’ve fought up to yet but Khomitsky is way above both of them two.
What aspects of training do you find the hardest?
I think it’s making a start back after having a fight. Because I like to have a bit of time off, I like to enjoy myself. It’s getting back in and getting back training. I think that’s what I personally find hardest. I know people say ‘you should tick over’ and ‘you should keep fit’ and I genuinely do. I’ll do a couple of short runs but I’m not in the gym. I like to have a good couple of weeks off. So getting back into the gym without a fight but as soon as I get that fight date I find it all a doddle, once I’ve got a date.
Do you dislike any of your middleweight rivals?
No, I don’t dislike anyone. Nevermind any of my rivals. I think if you dislike someone it’s a weakness. There’s plenty of people out there that I’d like to fight and I’d like to share a ring with but I don’t dislike any of them. When you ask who I’d like to fight with, Eubank’s probably the top one but do I dislike him? No. But I would like to fight him.
What sort of sparring have you had in the last 12 months?
I’ve had all sorts of sparring. Obviously it depends on who I’ve been matched up to fight. I’ve boxed, well sparred, come forward fighters, runners, boxers, movers. It all depends who I’ve been boxing. For this fight I’ve been sparring a big heavy cruiserweight that’s strong and just keeps coming forward because you know, that’s what Khomitsky’s going to do. Well that’s what I’m thinking he’s going to do. So yeah, I’ve had a real mixed bag of all different kinds of sparring.
Who would win in a game of scrabble out of you an Terry Flanagan?
[laughs] That IS a daft question. Not me! I’m not good at spelling for a start. If it were a game of Connect 4 I’d probably win. Not scrabble.
When fighting Khomitsky, what will you do differently to Martin Murray and Frank Buglioni?
Get him out of there. [Simple as that?] Yeah. Get him out of there and win convincingly.
Do you not worry that your regular calling out of Chris Eubank Jr could take away from your own status as a genuine prospect?
No, not at all. I’ve mentioned him over and over again because I’d like my manager, as in Richard [Poxon] to sit down with his team and talk about a possible fight. It doesn’t have to be now, It doesn’t have to be in 6 months, it could be in 12 months. But there’s been no comeback, nothing whatsoever so I’m doing my thing, he’s doing his thing, I’m unbeaten and he’s not. So no, I don’t think it is.
What do you love most about being in the ring?
I think being in the ring is the biggest buzz out of anything in the world. When I were younger and even now you get people coming up and saying “why do boxers carry on so long? Why do they do this, why do they do that?” I mean, even if I were multi-millionaire now I’d find it hard to walk away because I love the sport. I don’t know, it’s a tricky one.
How do you want fans to think of you?
This is a good question. I’ve always said I want everybody to want me to win. Like when Ricky was a boxer, everybody in that arena wanted him to win. Whereas you get some fighters where people go to watch them lose or they hope there’s an upset on the cards. You’re always going to get some jealous person or some idiot that wants you to lose but generally I want as many people to love me and want me to win as possible. I think, well a lot of my fans who buy tickets and come and see me I know they’re genuine fans and they want me to win. Like I say I can’t thank them enough and I hope my fanbase keeps growing.
What do you think about Mayweather-Pacquiao happening?
I’m buzzing to be honest. As soon as it were booked I booked to go to Vegas so I’m going to be heading out there. Hopefully Richard can get me a ticket to go and watch it. I just think it’s a mega mega fight. Whether it lives up to the hype and whatever I don’t know but I think it’s the biggest fight that’s ever ever ever happened. So I’ve just got to be there, I want to be there.
Thank you to Adam and to the guys at Hatton Promotions. Good luck with the fight :bbb
Comes across as a good kid with his head screwed on who loves the sport. Hopefully he does the business on Saturday, Khomitsky is a great fight to gauge where he's at.
Cheers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXmrRRV7MIk
Who’s the best fighter you’ve shared a ring with, either fighting or sparring?
I would have to say probably Kell Brook. Between Kell Brook and Sergey [Rabchenko] but I would probably edge towards Kell. I think Kell’s a good all round boxer, you know? He can box, he can fight, he can move, he’s strong, he’s got good feet. Kell’s just a good all round boxer.
Do you think you can achieve your goals with Hatton Promotions?
Yes, I do. A lot of people say that I can’t and you know, on Twitter that I “need to move on” and “there’s nothing there for you” but you know, Ricky, has done a cracking job with me. He helps me with my sparring and him and Richard [Poxon] get me opportunities to fight on undercards abroad. So, you know, I think it’s down to the boxer; if I keep winning he’ll get me to where I want to go. There’s no doubt about that.
You’re known for being a big ticket seller, how have you managed to create that following?
I don’t know to be honest. I think, obviously, people like coming to watch me otherwise they wouldn’t come. I think they must like my style or like me as a person. I don’t know but I’m really happy with the progress that I’ve made. I started off selling 100 tickets, now I’m selling thousands and I’m doing it all myself, without a box office and without any help. So thank you to everyone really.
Have there been any concrete offers proposed by your team for you to face any of our domestic middles? Why does he think he is being avoided?
Well, I think it’s easy. A lot of people are not going to want to fight me because A: I’m not the biggest name yet and B: I can punch. It’s the same scenario but obviously on a lot smaller scale as with Golovkin. There's names as big out there like your Chavez’ and your Quillins and there all as big names but they’re easier fights. Even if you said to me now, I would fight Golovkin without a doubt, I’d fight any fighter but out of the middleweights he would be the last one that I would pick.
How experienced were you with other combat sports before turning to boxing?
Yeah, I was very experienced with kickboxing. I had hundreds of fights but it’s a completely different sport. It’s just a completely different sport but it’s put me in good stead for my boxing career.
Richard Poxon asks: Who’s the most handsome and stylish chap you know in boxing?
Definitely not him! Otherwise he wouldn’t be asking that kind of question. I’d probably have to say, probably you, Andy.
If you could spar one current boxer that you haven’t yet sparred, who would it be and why?
Floyd Mayweather because I’d just like to see if he’s as good as he looks on TV. Which I sure he will be but, you know, I’d just like to see if I could lay a glove on him.
If you could box or spar with any fighter in history at their peak, who would you choose?
Same because I think a lot of people say about boxers “who are the best?” and I think it’s the same as with football. I think Messi is ten times better than George Best was and I think Klitschko is ten times better than Muhamad Ali was. I think as time moves on, things get better and people get fitter, faster, stronger. I’m not saying that they’re as exciting or as popular or as flamboyant but as time goes on people get better and faster and stronger. I think Mayweather is without a doubt the best fighter ever to have lived.
Have you ever been dropped? If not then who is the biggest puncher you have met either in a fight or in sparring?
Yes, I think that any fighter that tells you that they haven’t been dropped is a liar. Every fighter has been dropped, that’s just a fact. I’ve never been dropped where it’s been on the verge of getting knocked out, you know, a lot of it can be off balance or you walk onto one. The strongest boxer that I’ve ever sparred is either Russ Henshaw who’ve I’ve been sparring with, the cruisereweight or Sergey Rabchenko. I mean Sergey just seems to…when you look at him he doesn’t seem to have any power at all really, the way he throws his punches, but when he hits you you know you’ve been hit.
Are you tight at the weight or do you think you will be a career middleweight?
I wouldn’t say I’m any tighter than other fighters are. I think all boxers struggle to make their weight, if they don’t then they should be doing one lighter. As for being a middleweight I’m going to keep at middleweight for as long as I possibly can. When I wake up and I find it’s just too hard or not possible to do middleweight then I’ll go up to super middle because I think I’m big enough and I’m strong enough to box at super middle. But I’ll stay at middleweight for as long as I can.
Do you read any boxing forums and if so, which ones?
No, I don’t really read boxing forums. I’m very interested in boxing, I follow it, I watch fights, I look at what’s going on on twitter, I study it. But as for looking at forums, I don’t do, no.
How and who gave you the nickname ‘The Bomber’ and are you or Tony Bellew the legit bomber?
Well, the first answer is it happened in my amateur days. I was having amateur fights and I was knocking people out with a head guard and 10 ounce gloves on and in amateurs, as you probably know, it’s not really normal. It started off saying “oh he bombed him out” and then the nickname bomber came from Scott really and the lads in the gym, the other amateurs in the gym. As for Tony Bellew, well, I think if you just look on boxrec and look at the knockout percentages you can make your own minds up.
Will you not consider fighting Lewis Taylor?
Yeah, when he’s got something to put on the table but I can’t see him having anything to entice me into a fight. It’s like Accrington Stanley against Man United. I’d like it to happen because it would probably be 5 or 6 nil but realistically it’s not going to happen any time soon. His promoter put out an offer to me but to be honest it’s just one of them where he knows that the fight isn’t going to happen. A: I’m getting paid more than he offered me anyway and B: Even if I were to take the fight I know that he wouldn’t be interested anyway….and he drew with a journeyman!
Do you have any funny stories from when you used to work on the doors?
Yeah, I have. I could sit here all day and tell you, honestly for 5 or 6 hours I could tell you stories from working on the doors. We’d probably have 10 or 15 stories, little ones, just from one weekend. There is some mega ones to be honest.
Who is the best fighter you have faced?
To be honest, I’ve boxed a mixed bunch of opponents. I would say the most dangerous fighter I’ve boxed is probably that Mendes. He’d had 10, won 10 and stopped 9. Obviously he hadn’t boxed anyone of any credentials but nevertheless it was a dangerous fight. He didn’t hit me because I did him in in the first round so I don’t know how strong he actually were. In terms of the best boxer I would probably say either Abramenka…yeah probably Abramenka is the best boxer I’ve fought up to yet but Khomitsky is way above both of them two.
What aspects of training do you find the hardest?
I think it’s making a start back after having a fight. Because I like to have a bit of time off, I like to enjoy myself. It’s getting back in and getting back training. I think that’s what I personally find hardest. I know people say ‘you should tick over’ and ‘you should keep fit’ and I genuinely do. I’ll do a couple of short runs but I’m not in the gym. I like to have a good couple of weeks off. So getting back into the gym without a fight but as soon as I get that fight date I find it all a doddle, once I’ve got a date.
Do you dislike any of your middleweight rivals?
No, I don’t dislike anyone. Nevermind any of my rivals. I think if you dislike someone it’s a weakness. There’s plenty of people out there that I’d like to fight and I’d like to share a ring with but I don’t dislike any of them. When you ask who I’d like to fight with, Eubank’s probably the top one but do I dislike him? No. But I would like to fight him.
What sort of sparring have you had in the last 12 months?
I’ve had all sorts of sparring. Obviously it depends on who I’ve been matched up to fight. I’ve boxed, well sparred, come forward fighters, runners, boxers, movers. It all depends who I’ve been boxing. For this fight I’ve been sparring a big heavy cruiserweight that’s strong and just keeps coming forward because you know, that’s what Khomitsky’s going to do. Well that’s what I’m thinking he’s going to do. So yeah, I’ve had a real mixed bag of all different kinds of sparring.
Who would win in a game of scrabble out of you an Terry Flanagan?
[laughs] That IS a daft question. Not me! I’m not good at spelling for a start. If it were a game of Connect 4 I’d probably win. Not scrabble.
When fighting Khomitsky, what will you do differently to Martin Murray and Frank Buglioni?
Get him out of there. [Simple as that?] Yeah. Get him out of there and win convincingly.
Do you not worry that your regular calling out of Chris Eubank Jr could take away from your own status as a genuine prospect?
No, not at all. I’ve mentioned him over and over again because I’d like my manager, as in Richard [Poxon] to sit down with his team and talk about a possible fight. It doesn’t have to be now, It doesn’t have to be in 6 months, it could be in 12 months. But there’s been no comeback, nothing whatsoever so I’m doing my thing, he’s doing his thing, I’m unbeaten and he’s not. So no, I don’t think it is.
What do you love most about being in the ring?
I think being in the ring is the biggest buzz out of anything in the world. When I were younger and even now you get people coming up and saying “why do boxers carry on so long? Why do they do this, why do they do that?” I mean, even if I were multi-millionaire now I’d find it hard to walk away because I love the sport. I don’t know, it’s a tricky one.
How do you want fans to think of you?
This is a good question. I’ve always said I want everybody to want me to win. Like when Ricky was a boxer, everybody in that arena wanted him to win. Whereas you get some fighters where people go to watch them lose or they hope there’s an upset on the cards. You’re always going to get some jealous person or some idiot that wants you to lose but generally I want as many people to love me and want me to win as possible. I think, well a lot of my fans who buy tickets and come and see me I know they’re genuine fans and they want me to win. Like I say I can’t thank them enough and I hope my fanbase keeps growing.
What do you think about Mayweather-Pacquiao happening?
I’m buzzing to be honest. As soon as it were booked I booked to go to Vegas so I’m going to be heading out there. Hopefully Richard can get me a ticket to go and watch it. I just think it’s a mega mega fight. Whether it lives up to the hype and whatever I don’t know but I think it’s the biggest fight that’s ever ever ever happened. So I’ve just got to be there, I want to be there.
Thank you to Adam and to the guys at Hatton Promotions. Good luck with the fight :bbb
