EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: HASIM RAHMAN

How is everything less than a week away from your big fight with James Toney? "Everything is lovely and I promise this won't be the last defense. I'm going to shut James Toney's mouth up once and for all and move on to bigger and better things."

GL: How does this camp compare to some of your previous camps?

Hasim Rahman: "Mentally I'm more into it. Physically I'm in superb shape. I always maintained that if I was a focused fighter or if I could have this drive and desire from day one I would be the undisputed heavyweight pound for pound king right now."

GL: What's been your biggest motivation coming into this fight?

Hasim Rahman: "The bottom line is James does run his mouth and he is considered one of the best. If I feel I have a big test in front of me I'm going to do all of my studying to prepare for the test. I've done all of my studying, all of my preparation so I'm ready to fight the best and after I beat up the best I'll take on the rest."

GL: What kind of fight can we expect to see on Saturday night?

Hasim Rahman: "You're going to see whatever I feel like doing if I feel like beating him up from the outside for a couple of rounds. If I feel like standing there and going toe to toe, I'm going to do everything. I think I'm going to beat him on the inside and outside and I'm going to do it all. I'm ready for his speed and he better not bank on me missing and he better not expect to take my shots and smiling at me. Whoever thinks my power is overrated is going to find out the real deal come Saturday."


GL: You've been saying that you were knocking James out from day one, has your position changed any?

HR: "The only way James goes twelve rounds with me is if he makes it a hug fest and keeps on grabbing to where the ref is telling him to stop because he's just blatantly holding on. That's something I've never seen him do but when guys get in there with me you see them do things you never see them do. We definitely don't underestimate him. We feel we have the key to beat him and we feel we have what it takes to make it work. He's a legitimate heavyweight and one of the best out there so we're just looking forward to a tremendous victory."

GL: What can we expect to see you weigh-in at?

HR: "At about 235-240."

GL: James has done quite a bit of talking on Boxingtalk, have you seen the videos?

HR: "Yeah. The reason I don't respond to that kind of stuff is because when you do stuff like that you take it out of the realm of me coming back verbally at you. What he did was make an enemy for life. There's nothing no more to be said, after I beat Toney up I'm liable to smack him wherever he sees me. He's going to answer for that and after I beat him up I'm going to slap him again. And when you see me I want you to put my hand up on Boxingtalk. There's not a nail on my hand so for me to scratch him with. It was just the vicious momentum of that slap that drew that blood."

GL: Have the sparring partners been going home?

HR: "A lot of them have been going home but they've been here to help me towards a common goal and I'm thankful to them. I'm in each and every one of their corners when they fight."

GL: Has there been a bunch of long lost friends trying to get at you for tickets and things of that sort since this fight is so close to home?

HR; "Absolutely, but that's why a brother like me got a couple of phones. The number that everyone has isn't the one they're going to get me on."

GL: Is there anything you'd like to say in closing?

HR: "I just want everyone to tune in. This is a free weekend for HBO so you don't even need to have HBO to witness James Toney's slaughtering."