A sit down with Canadian champion Junior Moar By Evan Chan www.boxingcinema.com oxing Cinema recently sat B down with Canadian Light- Heavyweight Champion Junior “The Real Deal” Moar to do an interview before his professional debut fight in the United States. Moar will be fighting against Lafarrell Bunting, former opponent of current WBC Light- Heavyweight Champion Jean Pascal, on November 13 in Tacoma, Washington. Evan Chan: Junior, thanks for taking time to do this interview so close to your fight. Tell us how your training camp has been for this bout? Junior Moar: It’s been really good. I trained for about a good eight to ten weeks for this fight. I feel that I’m in the best shape of my life; I’m only six pounds overweight, compared to my last fight where I was 13 pounds overweight four days prior to the weigh-in. So that’s an indication that I’m in good shape for this fight. EC: How have you and your trainer prepared against this opponent who has a history of knock-outs? JM: Well obviously I’m training to fight a taller fighter, and the fact that he does have all knock-outs in his wins, I have to be very cautious in the first few rounds of the fight so I can feel his power to see how hard he does hit. I’ve fought a lot of amateur and professional fighters who have punched very hard. Usually I like to get a round or two under my belt to get an indication to see how hard they do punch, and just stick to my game plan of putting on lots of pressure and progressively get stronger as the fight goes on as most fighters usually slow down as the fight goes on, as to where I usually get stronger as the fight goes on. EC: The fact that he went the distance with Jean Pascal, does that intimidate you? JM: No it doesn’t intimidate me, but it does give me an indication that he can compete at a world class level. But I do know what I’m getting myself into and I believe that a boxing fight is all in your preparation, and I believe I prepared 110% for this fight. I’m very confident with what I bring to the table, and I believe I’m going to win this fight. EC: Your trainer, Sam Sheppard, mentioned that the fight you guys are after is a fight against Pascal. How far do you feel you are away from that fight? JM: I think that I’m a couple years away from competing at that level, but also I do have an opportunity where my manager Manny (Sobral) is speaking to Russ Anber about possibly going down to Miami to help Jean prepare for Bernard Hopkins in December. So I'll have a pretty good indication as to where I stand with these world class fighters if that ends up working out. EC: Have you had the opportunity to ever spar with fighters coming out of the Las Vegas gyms? JM: No. EC: How has life been for you since you won the Canadian Light- Heavyweight Championship? JM: Life’s been great, I had a little baby girl who’s going to be one years old on the 18" of November. Family business, baby furniture, has been doing very well. Life’s been really good to me and now I’ve been accepted into the United States and I can really see where I can go with this professional boxing of mine. EC: Was it difficult for you to get permission to get into the United States? JM: Well it was difficult getting into the United States, it took about three years. But after finding out that I am treaty status it really wasn’t a problem after that as I qualify under what is known as the “J treaty”, I’m considered what’s known as a North American Indian where I can travel freely from the United States to the Canada. EC: What fights are you looking at if this fight with Bunting goes well? JM: Well I have two contracts that I have been given from this promoter in Tacoma Washington. If I win this one I have to agree to fight on January 7 for ESPN Friday Night Fights for the NABO Championship against Otis Griffin. EC: Now back to Bunting, it was said that he suffered some health problems after his fight with Pascal where he had to go to the hospital. Do you feel it is safe for him to keep fighting after taking a long break? JM: Yeah sure I mean if he’s got medical clearance to fight I’m sure he’s cleared to fight. I know after having a three or four year layoff for myself it’s not easy having a comeback against a tough opponent like myself, so hopefully I can catch him at a time where he may be lacking a bit of confidence. EC: Without revealing too much about your strategy, have you and Sam factored in that he will have the height and reach advantage over you, and that he’s more of a defensive fighter as shown in the Pascal fight? JM: For most of my.amateur career I’ve always fought taller guys, so for this training camp we sparred with guys only over six feet, so I think we brought in the right people to spar with me for this fight, as in my professional career I’ve been fighting guys who are the same height as me. I’ve fared well against taller guys. EC: What does this fight mean to your career? JM: I believe it’s a crucial part of my boxing career to get past opponents like Bunting for me to have a bright future in this sport. EC: You are now 31 years old. At what age do you see yourself retiring? JM: As long as I’m successful and I keep winning and don’t have too many losses...you know if I keep losing and don’t have many successes, then obviously I’m not going to put myself in danger. I have a baby girl and am planning on having more children. And also it’s stressful on my family just as it is stressful for me, so if I’m not successful, I don’t think it’s fair to keep putting them through this. EC: How has working with Manny Sobral and Sam Sheppard been for your career? JM: Manny’s been a huge part of my success. You know he’s picked the proper opponents in building me as a professional fighter. I trust him 110%. He’s having Sam work with me now, but Manny still plays a crucial role in my boxing career as he’s at the gym with me and still giving me advice. He will be working the corner for my next fight. Manny was the IBO world champion, so he knows what it takes A POR be! to be a world champion, so it’s great having that insight from him. EC: Do you have any advice for young fighters starting their amateur career or are looking at a life in professional boxing? JM: I just truly believe that work ethics is one of the most important things if you’re ever going to have a successful amateur or professional career. All the best fighters in the world have great work ethics, and if that’s something you don’t have, you’re not going to have much success. I’ve been on both sides of that, I’ve trained hard for fights, and one point of my career I didn’t train hard and I lost a lot of my fights because I wasn’t disciplined...you know I didn’t train hard. That’s pretty much the best advice I can give anybody. EC: Who do you feel, out of the young group of fighters you work with, has a chance to do well in the sport? JM: Robert Couzens is the person that I feel has the most potential to represent Canada in the 2012 Olympics from this province of BC. EC: Anything you like to say in closing to your fans? JM: Hopefully the next time I do an interview with Evan Chan Ill be the North American champion! EC: Thank you Junior, you’ re the best! 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