Happy New Year BOXINGHEADS! I always tell you how I love the sport of boxing. Also how I recognize today's champions but as you know I always have my ear to the streets looking for the next champ. I recently have come across middleweight prospect J'Leon Love. Love is a 9-0 (6KO)prospect from Dearborn Heights, Michigan promoted by Lou Dibella and his company DBE(Dibella Entertainment). I got a chance to see Love in action last year while attending the Super Six Froch vs Johnson semi finals in Atlantic City, NJ. Love won a unanimous decision in a four round bout against Lamar Harris from St Louis on the under card. My guy Joe Calix of "THE JOE CALIX SHOW" on Halestormsports.com told me to look out for J'Leon he said I think this guy Love is on deck. Joe was right, J'Leon was real impressive looking strong and though had his opponent hurt at times didn't loose composure so he wouldn't punch himself out like most prospects make the mistake of. Love finished out 2011 with two more wins and is set to open up 2012 on the season opener of ESPN's Friday Night Fights series this week. I sat down with J'Leon Love this is what he had 2 say.
Me: Happy New Year J'Leon hows it going?
Love: "Happy New Year to you. Nothing much man I just recently moved to Las Vegas so just moving from Detroit to Las Vegas their two different places you definitely see the change but its beautiful here the mountains, the people, the buildings, the lights everything is beautiful I'm just enjoying it and training".
ME: Cool so how long have you been boxing and how did you get into the sport of boxing?
Love: "Ah man Ive been boxing for over 8 years now and growing up in Detroit and all the places I grew up and lived, I've always been a fighter. You know fighting with my brother fighting with neighborhood kids and stuff like that so its something that came like picking up a pencil it was just easy to do. My family members my dad my cousin took me down to Detroit Kronk boxing gym and that's where it all started I walked in and fell in love with the sport since then".
ME: So your signed to Lou Dibella. What I like about Lou is that he's a big boxing fan or as I say "BOXINGHEAD" Ive been to plenty of fights, boxing cards that Lou isn't even the promoter he's just there because he's a fan of the sport. Tell me how's that relationship and how is it to be promoted by Lou Dibella?
Love: "Lou is great a awesome guy you know what i mean, outside of boxing Lou is a great guy I had a chance to hang out with Lou here in Vegas at the WBC convetion. Its a great thing to have a promoter and friend outside of boxing. I also have a awesome adviser Greg Leon who works with me being on a good team with them I feel I have that support that background I need my team the perfect team".
Me: Your opening up this Friday January 6 2012 on the season opener of Espn's Friday Night Fights a card in Key West Florida, 2011 was a bad year for undefeated prospects on ESPN. You had guys like Mike Dallas, David Lemieux, and Fernando Guerrero just to name a few that were upset. How does J'Leon Love prevent that from happening to him in 2012?
Love: "That's definitely staying hungry I'm not satisfied until I make it to the top and even when you make it to the top your job gets harder you know what I mean. So I keep god first that's the first thing I do because with god in my life I feel I'm unstoppable. Besides that training hard, I feel like the way I'm going ,the way I'm moving, the team that I have behind me, the support, the fans I'm hungry there is nothing that can stop me. Whoever the opponent is in any of my fights, I feel like they shouldn't be there. Their in my way to becoming successful to becoming world champion pound for pound and they must be eliminated that's what separates me from other fighters.
Me: Also some of these new guys coming up these days get carried away. They start getting 10-0,11-0,14-0 and their head starts blowing up they start getting that Floyd Mayweather swag. I met you back in June of last year and you seemed like a real humble dude. How do you separate yourself from all that lime light and stay focused but at the same time stay humble?
Love: "Ah man like I said its all god and the way I was raised, the way my mother raised me. It doesn't matter what you got how much money you got, how many people that love you your no better than the next man your only a man. I'm just excited to have fans or someone to welcome me as they are happy to meet me. There's so much love I'm getting from the sport that I'm just soaking it all in. And I don't want to be better than the next man I want someone to always be able to walk up to me and ask me any question or tweet me and say what up J, that's why I'm this way".
Me: You mentioned the move from Las Vegas hows that transition been like moving from Michigan?
Love: "Right now its helping me a little bit because Michigan is freezing cold right now. Its harder to make weight and things like that, here the weather is warmer. And people sometimes say moving to Las Vegas you can get caught up in casinos and stuff like that. Good thing for me I don't even know how to gamble(laughs) so that's something I wont even get caught up in. I'm training, this is a beautiful place running these good mountains getting this good sparring so the transition hasn't been that bad only thing is I miss my family and friends".
Me: So was it to stay focused or a business move?
Love: "Well I always wanted to move to a warmer climate I hate the winter so me and my fiance came to visit and just agreed lets move to Vegas so we went for it".
Me: You recently got a Chance to work with Antonio Margarito in his camp for the Miguel Cotto fight how was that for you?
Love: "It was great the whole camp was awesome I sparred with Antonio Margarito, Jesus Soto Karass and trained besides Brandon Rios. The environment was great those guys definitely work hard. And watching guys like that, that have made it to that level it gives you that fire to keep that flame
burning, because you know what you have to do to make it.
Me: Your 9-0(6KO) what can we expect in 2012? You fought four times last year are you going to try to stay busy?
Love: I'm a leave that up to my promoter Lou Dibella and my adviser Greg Leon. 2012 is going to be good for us I'm with the right team the right people if a title shot is there hey I'm cool with that. I don't want to move to fast or to slow that's why I leave it up to those guys.
Me: Anything you want to tell your fans?
Love: "All the Boxingheads I appreciate you hit me up on twitter @2012Jlove I'm a cool guy I show all my fans love. January 6 will be a good night of boxing tune in ESPN 2 I appreciate the love and support thank you".
Well there you have it Boxingheads make sure to leave your comments both positive and negative. Thank you for the support.
Mr Prez,
@NUBLUEYANKEE
