Peter Quillin and Gabriel Rosado are preparing for their fight on October 26, two weekends away, as Quillin defends his middleweight strap against Rosado in a Showtime-televised event headlined by Bernard Hopkins vs. Karo Murat, and taking place in Atlantic City. Quillin and Rosado recently hosted a conference call to discuss the fight, their training and what’s next. Take a look at what they had to say below.
Gabriel Rosado
Thanks for having me and looking forward to this fight. I’m having a terrific training camp so I’m just excited for October 26.
R. Diaz
Thank you, Gabe. He will be facing none other than Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin out of Brooklyn, New York with a record of 29-0-21 knockouts, the WBO Middleweight World Champion. When he defeated former champion Hassan N’Dam in a memorable performance where he dropped N’Dam six times at the Barclays Center on October 20. This past April, Peter Quillin successfully defended his title for the first time dropping Fernando Guerrero four times in route to a seven-round technical knockout. On October 26 Quillin will face Rosado in his second title defense and he will do whatever it takes to defend that title. Peter, would you like to make some comments please?
P. Quillin
Yes. I just want to thank everybody that’s going to be tuning in watching this fight, all the hard working people behind the scenes that make this fight possible, all my people, Al Haymon, and, you know, the list goes on. I’m very thankful, and I’m going to do my best to make sure that you get fireworks in the month of October.
K. Swanson
Okay. Thank you so much, guys. All right, we’re going to cruise right through here and we’ll open it up for questioning.
Q
Hey, Peter, in your mind right now, where do you think you rank among the world’s great middleweights?
P. Quillin
I would place myself second behind Sergio Martinez. I’ve been calling Sergio Martinez out from day one when everybody didn’t think I was a serious fighter. I would place myself number two only because I was willing to fight all the guys that Gennady Golovkin is fighting, Matthew Macklin. I was willing to fight Gennady Golovkin, but a lot of things and a lot of business hold back a lot of these things, but I just know that I’m going to fight hard whatever place I am to be number one, be the number one middleweight in the United States and be number one middleweight in the world.
Q
Are you hopeful of-not to look past Gabriel Rosado, I’m going to ask you about him in a second because he’s a tough dude but-are you hopeful of getting the chance to prove that at some point by unifying the titles with somebody like a Martinez or Golovkin?
P. Quillin
Of course that’s one of my dreams, to be a unified champion and I reconstructed my goals after I won the title to say that that’s the next mission that there’d be a unified champion. So, I can only take one day at a time and Gabriel Rosado is in front of me. He’s a very tough cookie to crack and I’m going to make sure that I do everything it takes to go ahead and stay on my goal path.
Q
All right. Well, you kind of told me what you thought about Rosado so let me ask you this, Peter. At what point in your career did you realize that you had something special going? And you are a terrific fighter, by the way.
P. Quillin
Well, I can just say that from the beginning my dream was always become a world champion. Once that happened I knew I would fight. Okay. I accomplished what I really wanted. Now where do I go from here? And that’s when I started to notice that when you become a world champion it becomes a special thing because you’ve got little kids telling you that they’re inspired by you and not inspired to be a champion but like lawyers and doctors and stuff like that. Then I knew that was something special so now I know I have a responsibility to know what I do is just go out there and I work even harder to make sure that every time I go out and defend this belt I’m defending it with all that pride, that honor, and all the kids that are watching.
Q
This question is for “Kid Chocolate.” Earlier this week you said in an interview that Gabe knows how to lose, and I thought that was an interesting comment because a lot of people when they look at Rosado he’s known for his toughness. He’s known for not quitting. So what have you seen in him to make you make a statement like that where you think that you know when the going gets tough he might fold in there in the ring with you?
P. Quillin
I’m not saying he’s a loser in spirit. I’m just saying based on facts and on paper that he knows how to lose, meaning he has six losses at the end of the day. I haven’t had a taste of defeat so my hunger and his hunger are coming from different places. His hunger will always fight from not wanting to lose again. My hunger is never to want to taste defeat. So, when people were thinking I was saying like he’s not tough enough and he knows how to lose, I mean it in a way that only people that will have a thinking mind will be able to put that in to perspective. I’m saying that with six loses on his record, if he ever got a moment in a fight with me where he felt that feeling before he can choose two ways. He can choose to fight on or he can choose to lose.
Q
Gabe, I wanted to get your thoughts on that but I also wanted to ask you, you said yesterday on Twitter that this fight is going to be a war and we’ve seen your last couple of fights that you’re very versatile. When you fought J’Leon Love you took the fight to him. When you fought Golovkin, you actually showed the counter punch. So what about “Kid Chocolate” you think that this fight is going to be a war the way you guys match up?
G. Rosado
I mean he doesn’t have to quit … and neither do I. I mean and I just have a different approach to this fight and my mindset is at a place that I don’t think it’s ever been in my whole career. I’m growing up, being smarter, and I just have a whole different mentality going in to this fight, and I feel like this fight is all or nothing, and I’m willing to go through hell to win that title on the 26 like literally. I’m willing to go through whatever it takes to win that belt.
Q
Question for Gabriel Rosado, I know that your mentor and one of your guys you most respect is Bernard Hopkins. How do you fell about fighting on the same card with him?
G. Rosado
You know what I never thought that would happen. I remember when Bernard fought Calzaghe, that’s when I first started being around Bernard, and at that time they were calling him old, and so I thought by the time I get there to that level Bernard will be retired. The fact that he’s still fighting at the age of 48 and he’s a world champion is amazing. I don’t think that will ever be done again. So, you know, the fact that I’m opening up with “Kid” and Bernard is the main event is just something special. Bernard has definitely been a big influence in my career. He’s taught me a lot and I think my different approach to my career, the approach I’m taking now has a lot to do with what Bernard has taught me mentally and how to live your life outside of the ring, and I take those things to heart because he’s a great champion. It means a lot being on the same card with Bernard Hopkins.
Q
Okay. Do you feel like this fight is a must win for you?
G. Rosado
That’s how I feel about every fight. You can look at the record and you see the six losses and at this point that’s history. That happened already, but I think it says a lot of the fact that I’ve been through all that adversity. The fact that I’m still here and I’m still relevant it speaks volumes because not too many fighters had loses and are still relevant and the fans going to see them. A lot of guys would have quit, and they wouldn’t have taken the road that I took. I mean so it just shows that I have the heart and the desire to be a champion, and I think with all the experience and everything that I’ve been through is going to prepare me for this fight mentally and physically and everything that I have to do. I’ll be ready October 26.
Q
Okay. Now your last fight against Love you had a good fight. It was a close fight. Many people thought you should have gotten the decision. He got the decision. I know that ultimately things were, the result was changed, but what did you learn in that fight? I mean against “Kid Chocolate” you’re fighting a terrific young champion, big, strong, game guy. How will you fight him in this fight and will that last fight, you know what have you learned in that fight? How will you adjust in this one?
G. Rosado
Yeah. I think one thing I’ll admit is the mistake that I made in the Love fight was I looked at the J’Leon Love fight as an opportunity to get a world title fight. I kind of went in to that fight with Love as I’m a veteran and he doesn’t have the experience, and I kind of just convinced myself I would be schooling him in that fight, and I didn’t go in to that fight with a-I should have had more of a killer mentality like how I’m going in to this fight. I think I kind of fought to my level. Sometimes fighters make that mistake and they fight to a certain level, and I just felt like Love wasn’t at my level and I kind of just was tagging amuck. And I think if I would have had the approach that I have now going in to the fight with “Kid” where I know “Kid” is a great champion my attitude, my whole demeanor, the way I’m training is I’m training for war. I’m going in to this fight like it’s all or nothing. You know what I mean? But you know everyone knows I won the Love fight anyway so that’s why I’m here, so I’m blessed that everything worked out anyway.
Q
Hey, Gabe, obviously Peter Quillin is the naturally bigger guy. He’s a guy coming in with the physical strength and the explosive power, and I just wanted to ask you where do you feel your advantages are in this matchup?
G. Rosado
Well, this being the third fight at middleweight my body has actually grown in to a middleweight right now. I’ve been walking around 176. Right now I’m down to probably like 172 so I’m a bigger guy now.
Q
You don’t look at yourself as a junior middleweight fighting a middleweight?
G. Rosado
Honestly, man, I think that junior middleweight the only way I would ever go back to junior middleweight is if it was something worth my while, but just to go back down I wouldn’t do it because I think probably now naturally I’m a middleweight. I think I’ve grown in to it. I think with the GGG fight, I was going up from 64 and I only came in like 163 the day of the fight, and then for the J’Leon Love I kind of felt a little more comfortable, but this time around I’m a lot bigger. I’m a lot stronger. I feel it in my training camp, sparing bigger guys and sparring cruiserweights. I definitely feel the size advantage and I have strict coach where I put more mass on, so I don’t think “Kid” is going to have an advantage when it comes to size.
Q
Do you think you have the advantage when it comes to technique or ring generalship?
G. Rosado
You know I think when it comes to technique I think I flow better with my punches. I think “Kid” is a strong puncher. He’s a raw guy, but I think at the end of the day this fight is going to come down to who is the smarter fighter and who has better skills. I think “Kid” has the will to win and I’ve got the will to win and that’s just going to make it such an action packed fight, but at the end of the day the smarter guy is going to win the fight.
Q
Who do you think has the better experience? I mean, “Kid Chocolate” he’s got some title fights under his belt now, and the fight with N’Dam was 12 rounds and it was a tough challenge. But do you see yourself as having the edge having been in with more champions this time?
G. Rosado
I don’t take anything away from “Kid.” He’s a world champion, right, but as far as names I feel like I’ve fought better names. He fought ‘Winky’ Wright and ‘Winky’ was a great champion, but ‘Winky’ Wright came out of retirement. He wasn’t the ‘Winky’ Wright of old. Guerrero beat me and he beat Guerrero but that fight was-I mean Guerrero was almost was about five years ago so it really doesn’t matter. But I think at the end of the day it really doesn’t matter. Kid is going to come and bring his A game and I’m going to bring my A game and the best man is going to win.
Q
Watching his last two fights, watching the fight with Guerrero and watching the fight with N’Dam did you see any flaws whether it was technically or in terms of just his conditioning? Did you see any flaws that you can take advantage of?
G. Rosado
I think every fighter has flaws. No one is perfect. I have flaws. He has flaws. Everyone has flaws. The key is to make them pay for their flaws so you have to be a smart fighter. I definitely do see flaws in “Kid.” I’m pretty sure he sees some flaws in my game. You know the whole thing is just to do your homework, study film, and then what you study do it in training camp, and then pull it off the day of the fight.
Q
I know you’ve been spending a lot of time with Bernard. How special is that for your career and is there anything that stands out that he’s been able to teach you over the past few years?
G. Rosado
You know Bernard is incredible. He’s like- I look at Bernard like family and it’s a blessing to be around him. I definitely steal everything I see from him. I mean I think it’s made me a better fighter being around him. It’s just a blessing man. I think I wouldn’t have gotten this far without Bernard mentoring me.
Q
And do you think that-I know you haven’t won your last two fights but you’re still getting a world title shot. Does that speak a lot for how much boxing fans want to see you fight?
G. Rosado
Yeah. I think with the GGG fight it was a hard loss and it hurt, but I think the fans they just respect that. I think they respect the fact that even though I was pretty much fighting the fight blind I think they admire the fact that I didn’t quit. Then with the J’Leon Love fight everyone knows that I won that fight, so the fans spoke. I’m glad that Showtime and Golden Boy and “Kid Chocolate” are giving me the chance to fight because they saw that I did win the last fight even though they didn’t give me the fight that night but the fans, we won.
Q
And that Golovkin fight being your first world title shot is there a difference the second time around with your second world title shot that you’re a little bit more focused and more calmed down in the situation?
G. Rosado
Yeah. I’m a lot more focused. I’ve changed some things in my lifestyle that weren’t healthy. I’m a young dude. I’m single. I was probably partying a little too much. I was probably taking it to the head. Sometimes you know you’re on TV and you have some money, people know you and you kind of lose track and I’m man enough to admit that. But at this point I’ve sat down and I’ve had that talk with myself where it’s like, “Oh, God, it’s all or nothing,” like “You either want to be an entertaining fighter or you want to be a world champion.” I had that talk with myself that it’s time to be a world champion so I’m doing whatever I have to do to fulfill that dream.
Q
Okay. Well, I just wanted to know if it was going to made note of it’s almost basically a year today of Hurricane Sandy ravaged New Jersey so would anything made not of that before the fights in Atlantic City on the 26?
K. Swanson
I’m sure something is being planned, and we’ll probably distribute a release on that.
Q
This question is for Gabe Rosado. After the conclusion of the Golovkin fight you were interviewed and you mentioned that you considered yourself a real threat at 154, but after that you fought J’Leon Love at middleweight and now “Kid Chocolate.” Why move up in weight when there are still opponents that are right there ready at 154?
G. Rosado
We tried to make a run for 154 but we weren’t successful getting a fight for whatever reason, but I think weight is a mentality. I think you can make it be a factor or you can just say whatever. It’s just a fight. I’m not going to be looking at this fight like it’s only six pounds. It’s not a big deal. I’m a big guy anyway. As a junior middleweight I was always the bigger man so it’s not like I’m a small dude. If anything “Kid” and I are probably the same height. We’re probably walking around at the same weight right now, so there’s no disadvantage in this fight. It’s an even fight as far as when it comes to size, and it is what it is. Things play out the way they play out and it wasn’t my time when I fought GGG but I feel like it’s my time now.
Q
Okay. Thanks, Gabe. And then, I have a question for “Kid Chocolate.” Until last night the tone between the two of you has been very level, very respectful and quiet until it kind of blew up a little bit on Twitter lasts night. Was there something that you noticed that sparked that or was it a little gamesmanship just to hype up the fight?
P. Quillin
Well, I know Gabe and personally I don’t have a problem with him at all. You know what I mean? But he’s still going to try to come in and win my belt. He made comments about knocking me out. Those types of things I don’t have to take lightly. I’m going in there with the same mentality. When somebody was born with two fists and they became a fighter he wasn’t the last fighter that was born and breed, you know what I’m saying. I’m going to take it for what it is. A lot of the Internet stuff the fans get us involved and all that type of stuff is kind of emotional for a fighter, to have some guy saying what he’s going to do to a person. So, like I said I don’t have a problem with him. I know him. I will shake hands with him before the fight, and then after the fight, but while the fight is going on I’m going to just try to lay hands on him.
Q
I’ve got a question for each of you. First, Gabe, your last two fights Madison Square Garden and the big Mayweather fight, Mayweather card in Las Vegas. Now you’re going back to a place where you’ve fought many times and have won many times. Is that a little bit of a calming effect on you compared to your last two fights?
G. Rosado
This fight could be in the middle of nowhere. It really don’t matter, but Atlantic City is like fight in my-it is like fighting in my backyard because it’s only a 45 minute drive from Philly. In Philadelphia alone each of my brothers bought about almost $20,000 worth of tickets so a lot of people in Philly are excited. Bernard is from Philly so he’s going to have a big Philly fan base as well. It’s like fighting at home, but that’s really not on my mind. I’m just thinking about the fight. I’m thinking about and I’m thinking about the game plan.
Q
And then one for Peter. How would you rate him compared to your last two opponents, N’Dam and Guerrero?
P. Quillin
He’s a different fighter. He’s at a different place in his life. I have to give him that respect. I’m not knocking anything away from him. I look at him like every other guy that I’m against is a guy that’s trying to beat me and I have to find a way to win.
Q
Gabe, you’ve been in the ring with GGG and you definitely felt the strength of his punches. What did you learn from that fight and what are you going to take with you in the ring with Peter that you learned from that?
G. Rosado
You know what I learned in that fight was I went in to that fight-even though I was the smaller man in that fight and I wasn’t as big as I am now, I kind of went in to that fight with that mentality. I’m the little guy and I kind of approached the fight with GGG trying to box. I think that was a mistake. I think I should have just stuck to what I do best, which is what I was doing at 54. I was just walking buys down, and I was just like fighting like the bigger guy. I think I did learn that stay true to your ring identity, don’t try to switch up. If it isn’t broke don’t fix it, and I’m just going to go back to my style of just applying pressure, being smart and not letting the guy back me down. I think that’s what I learned in that GGG fight.
Q
Hey, your last few fights have been in Brooklyn. How do you feel about fighting outside of your home turf and kind of in Gabe’s backyard a little bit?
P. Quillin
It’ll be interesting to see how many people will follow me to AC, but not only that I always said it best is that if I have three people watching in my mom’s back room, we had a fight in my mom’s back room I’d be happy with that. I’m a fighter. I can’t just worry about all the pressures of who is going to come, where I’m fighting. I think to inspire the world you have to be able to fight everywhere so I’m glad to have Golden Boy bringing me to AC and being part of a great card, part of Bernard Hopkins, a guy that I always watched as a young kid. I’m just going to make the best of this opportunity.
Q
Peter, also another question, what have you been doing differently in camp this time around to prepare for your battle with “King”?
P. Quillin
I took more control of my whole camp, brought guys in like Julien Williams from Philly, you know, Daniel Livingston. I got a bunch of guys here and just being motivating to have guys here, let little kids come and be part of the camp and workout and be inspired. Took my work level up and elevated myself mentally. I’m going out there a\whenever I feel like I want to do it. I do it every day. I just get it in. I’m in the gym just putting effortless work in, that’s all I have is effort. At the end of the day, when it comes to this fight I’m just very blessed to be able to get in the ring and showcase my talent.
Q
This first question is for Gabe. Gabe, earlier you mentioned that it would take a big fight for you to move back down to 154. What fighters at 154 would you consider going back down to?
G. Rosado
I mean not to down play your question but we’ll get to that once I take that pendant on the 26 because I don’t want to talk about other fighters and mention names when I’ve got the biggest fight of my life coming up on the 26. Right now I’m just thinking about “Kid Chocolate.”
Q
Fair enough. My next question for you, Gabe, you already actually answered it but you said your brother sold about 20,000 tickets in Philly so you are, indeed, expecting a large crowd of family, friends, and fans in Atlantic City?
G. Rosado
Yes. It’s definitely going to be big. I’m undefeated in Atlantic City. I fought there a couple of times and I have a big fan base over there, so it’s definitely going to be a big crowd. I’m going to make sure that I do everything I can to give them their money’s worth.
Q
And Peter, what are the difficulties that Gabriel presents to you in this fight, and what do you plan on doing about those difficulties so this fight can go your way?
P. Quillin
Well, I learned something as being a fighter; you only can win one round at a time. I’m going to go up in there. I’m going to figure him out every round. I’ve seen a little bit of Gabe as far as who he fought and everything like that. I don’t get too involved with that. I just know when you’re in there a guy fights totally different and you actually have to learn the guy right there in the ring and that’s what I’m going to do. So far as being presented with any problems, I haven’t been presented with any problems in my whole career in boxing. I’ve been an undefeated pro for nine years, and I’ve been up in there with some, some would say not enough guys that give me experience but you can’t do something for nine years and not know what you’re doing. I’m going to go up in there and learn Gabe one round at a time, and I’m going to come out victorious in this fight October 26.
Q
And what does it feel to fight on the undercard of Bernard Hopkins, a fighter just like you who was middleweight champion for many years?
P. Quillin
It’s very legendary, man. Bernard Hopkins I’ve just been a big fan of his. Even when he fought my favorite fighter Felix Trinidad and he beat him the way he did I was like you can’t get mad at something like that when a guy puts out greatness like that. So just being part of this whole card is just like magical and I’m very blessed to be a part of this card because I’m going to learn so much about myself through this card, and I think to go to the sky you’ve got to be able to be part of certain situations and certain opportunities where guys have been in the same place where I’m at now. Bernard has been there and done that and I think I’ve learned so much from him from when he speaks to me and gives me knowledge, and this is just a great card to be part of and I’m glad to be part of it.
Q
Do you feel coming in to this fight you have to be a little less aggressive for the judges since you were on the short end of their scorecard against Love?
G. Rosado
I’m not going to-the truth is, unfortunately, boxing is like that. You saw with the fight with Chavez and Guerrero. I am the underdog going in to this fight, and I understand that. When I signed the contract I knew what I was getting myself in to so I know that I have to approach this fight a lot differently. I’m not the favorite. I’m the underdog so I definitely have to win every round. I can’t give up rounds in this fight. I have to fight hard at a big pace to be victorious. If it goes all 12 I have to make sure that I get the decision. I have to really put a lot of effort in to this fight, and I’m confident about that. No disrespect to “Kid” but this fight isn’t going to go 12 rounds because I’m training for a knockout. I’m really not tripping off of the judges whatever is going to happen because it isn’t going to go to the scorecards.
Q
All right. Knowing that in Peter’s last two fights he had ten total knockouts does that put any-I don’t want to say fear but any thought in your training process because I know you are an aggressive fighter? Does that change your mentality towards how you approach him?
G. Rosado
No not really. He’s a big puncher and I’m a good puncher as well. I’m saying in 2012 all my wins were by knockout. I went up and I fought GGG. Unfortunately I didn’t win that fight but I fought J’Leon Love. I put him down in the 6th round as well so I’ve got power too. This is not a fight where it’s just “Kid” that’s tracking. We’re both tracking. He has to respect my power just like I’ve got to respect his.
Q
Thanks. One more for Peter. Peter, quick question, with you being able to have a lot of knock downs in the last two fights and the fact that Rosado came in with GGG widely considered the best pound-for-pound puncher in the class power wise and basically Rosado was able to walk him down. Did that put any thought in to your training process as far as the way you plan on approaching the fight?
P. Quillin
No because I’m not GGG. I’m a whole totally different cut breed, man. Like I am raw. I’m like straight off the Columbian boats. I’m that raw. When it comes to comparing myself I’m not matching anybody else’s performance and Gabe was fighting a totally different guy. He says the fight is going to a knockout and he’s not going to the scorecard I really, honestly see that but I don’t believe it’s going to be me that’s going to be the one that’s taking defeat, knocked out. I just know that I’ve just been training very, very hard for this fight. I know what I’m able to do. I’m not comparing my performance to anybody. I’m not trying to match my performance. I’m going to do “Kid Chocolate” that’s all I know how to do, and with my last three fights people count for that too but they don’t count the last three where it’s been 11 knock downs. Everyone I touch they have a different approach, and once I touch them it’s not the same, and I’m praying for Gabe that’s he’s able to go up there and put his best foot forward because that’s all he can do, and when that’s not enough he’s just going to have to shake hands and going to have to accept defeat because that’s what I’m going to deliver.
K. Swanson
Okay. That wraps it up, everybody. Thank you for joining us, and we will be sending out some more information on this fight including some activities for next week. You guys, thanks so much, Pete, Gabe, and we will see you very shortly, October 26 so keep training hard. We look forward to watching the fight.
P. Quillin
Good luck, Gabe. I’ll see you in October.
G. Rosado
Stay healthy all right.
