‘THE SUPER FIGHT’ – TRAINING CAMP NOTES – PART II
Devon Alexander ‘The Great’ Training Camp Notes Part 2
“We are in the heart of our training camp. I’m here in Las Vegas sleeping in Mike Tyson’s old bed in Don King’s house at night, pounding the pavement for six miles every morning and in the gym every afternoon for training and sparring.
“You can’t beat a fight town like Vegas to find good sparring partners. It is critical for my preparation. I have guys here who are not just giving me good rounds, they are giving me good looks—the kind of looks I expect to see from Tim Bradley come Jan. 29 at the Silverdome.
“A daunting challenge is when we drive up to Mt. Charleston three times a week to run on the mountain road I call The Monster. It’s one thing to run it in the summer. It’s quite another to face it in the dead of winter.
“I had a TV crew from HBO up there with me on The Monster last week, and we got snowed off the mountain! We are up so high I’m jogging by people who are skiing at the Mt. Charleston Ski Resort. Heck, it snowed two inches in Vegas the other day! So much for fun in the sun….
“My trainer, Kevin Cunningham, has been with me since I was 7. I wouldn’t be where I am today without him. He is an excellent trainer. His goal is to make sure I peak on the night of the fight. We are moving towards that goal every day. I feel like that is exactly where we will be come fight night.
“I can tell you one thing for sure: Timmy Bradley is going to have to deal with what I am preparing for. This isn’t a hobby for me, it’s my job. Bradley is not going to come to Detroit at the end of this month and take what I have worked my whole life to gain.
“He will have to deal with what I am going to bring. I know he’s trying to boast himself up, trying to convince himself of all the things he’s going to do. Well, I remember something Felix Trinidad said when Fernando Vargas was doing a lot of bragging before they fought. He said there is an old Puerto Rican saying that goes like this: ‘It is one thing to call out the devil, and it is quite another to see him coming.’ You’ll see what happens to Timmy Bradley when he sees me coming.”
Timothy ‘Desert Storm’ Bradley Training Camp Notes Part 2
“I am still here training at the Boys and Girls club in Indio, California. This is where I have always trained for my fights and what works for me.
“I am ahead of schedule so the following week I will be closing my training camp with my fitness coach and will continue to work in the gym on the game plan.
“My training regimen is more so new school and I have incorporated strength training as of August.
“We are getting closer to the 29th and as that is soon approaching there is more intensity in all that I do and I also start tapering off my workouts.
“At this point in my training camp I feel like every day has a moment like in the Rocky films. When I am sparring or when I’m running and just feel like I have pushed myself to the limit and can’t go any more I start to talk to myself and become the one that tells me to push it.
“I hear a voice within me that tells me to keep going… keep on it, keep pushing. Yeah, I want this for me but also I want this for everyone… my family, the kids I coach and to those whose lives I’ve touched in any way in my work with the community.
“I always have a motto that I follow and take to heart and that is that at the end of that night (fight night) my family will be the one that eats. I know that every man is hungry out there and that is why I need to be the one starving.
“I feel that my motto will not only help me keep mental focused and determined but it also keeps me grounded. I train hard every day because I want to be remembered as one of the best fighters years from now I know this is not an easy thing to accomplish but with God’s help I know that I will one day accomplish my goal. Turning in now. Lights out.”
WBC super lightweight champion Alexander (21-0, 13 KOs), of St. Louis, and WBO junior welterweight champion Bradley (26-0, 11 KOs), of Palm Springs, collide in “The Super Fight,” Saturday, January 29, at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich. Their world title unification will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing, beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.
Remaining tickets, priced from $25-$400, can be purchased at the Silverdome box office, by calling (248) 338-2500 or online at www.silverdometickets.com. Alexander vs. Bradley is promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, Don King Productions, and Thompson Boxing Promotions.
