Twenty-Six knockouts in his 27 wins would qualify calling Joey Abell (27-4, 26 KOs) a “Knockout Artist.” This Friday night, the “Knockout Artist” looks to make a big heavyweight statement when he takes on his toughest and most notable opponent of his career in world-rated contender Cristobal “The Nightmare” Arreola at the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, CA. The scheduled 10-round co-main event will be televised on ESPN2 “Friday Night Fights.”
We go “Inside the Mind” of the hard-hitting southpaw known as “Minnesota Ice” with “Six Questions” concerning this showdown:
QUESTION #1: Best training camp?
ABELL: “Definitely! It went really well. With many of my other fights, I really didn’t get enough time in between to have a real heavyweight training camp. This camp no excuses. I had much longer to prepare this time and got in lots of sparring and really worked on my endurance and got everything I needed to win.”
QUESTION #2: Physically, mentally, where are you two days before the fight?
ABELL: “Good! I get nervous like any other fighter before a fight. Since finding out about the opportunity for this Arreola fight, I’ve been excited and anxious to get going. I found the best way to get over the nerves is to keep working as hard as I can until my nerves settle down. I have worked harder than ever for this fight, and mentally and physically I’m better than I’ve ever been.”
QUESTION #3: The biggest fight of your career, yes or no?
ABELL: “Nothing comes in close second. Running, sparring, mentally, I’ve been pushing myself and putting personal things aside to solely focus on the biggest fight of my life and the opportunities a win would open.”
QUESTION #4: Your biggest improvement for Arreola?
ABELL: “If I had to pick one, it would be my endurance. I have been able to run longer than I have before and my endurance in sparring is the highest it’s ever been. With the added endurance I’ll be able to throw my bombs at a consistent level throughout the bout. Whatever it takes to win, I’m ready.”
QUESTION #5: The bell rings, and it’s only you and Arreola tell the fans how you see it from here?
ABELL: “I don’t think anything is going to be that different with him. I know a lot of people think he will come in out of shape again, but that doesn’t matter because he has proven he can still go ten rounds. But I expect he will come forward and throw punches and try to catch me with one of his big shots. But I am not going to just stand there in front of him. I will move around, but I will hit him back and crack him when he leans forward. He leaves a lot of openings. I’m going to look to put his “Lights Out!”
QUESTION #6: Prediction?
ABELL: “I predicted when the fight was announced that I was going to win and it’s not going the distance and I’ve only become more confident since.”
Tickets prices start at $35 and are available at www.pechanga.com, directly at the Pechanga Box Office daily from 10am to 10pm, or by calling 1-877-711-2WIN. Doors open at 5:00 PM. First Bout is at 6:00 PM.
