Jono Carroll: I’m At the Best I Can Be
Well its fight week for Jono “Celtic Warrior” Carroll (17-1-1, 3 KO’s) and personally, he couldn’t feel any better. For countless boxers, fight week is an aggravating time filled with waiting, answering the same media questions in an endless loop, and the strain of making weight. Yet, for Carroll, he is not concerned or hampered by any of these items, as he explained to Boxing Social.
“Listen, I love fight week, you know what I mean, this is what it’s all about! The hard work is done so its time just time to sharpen the pills, get ready and get mentally prepared to go to war.”
NO PRESSURE ON ME
Not only is the Celtic Warrior not feeling any ill effects of fight week, he is pretty carefree and relatively excited about going to war with former two-division champion Scott Quigg (35-2-2, 26 KO’s). As most confident fighters are, Carroll believes that his training camp has left him more than well enough prepared to thwart any game plan that Quigg plans to employ.
Yet, going a step further, Jono Carroll is convinced that there is not even any pressure on him to win the bout. Of course he realizes that a loss is nothing to downplay. However in his estimation all the mental strain is focused on Scott Quigg.
“I don’t know what way he is going to come out and I don’t really care because I’m at the best that we can be. So I am prepared to box, I’m prepared to fight, I’m prepared to do it all to be honest…there is no pressure on me, I take the pressure pretty well anyway. It’s like water off a duck’s back. I enjoy pressure almost because it makes me perform better.”
“…pressure doesn’t bother me, but I do think it bothers him a little bit. For him it’s a lot of pressure because it’s a make or break fight for him. For me, shit, if we lose it’s like it don’t matter. It’s like you got beat by a former world champion, back to the drawing board, I’ll have to build myself back up.”
“If he loses he’s finished, so I’m still in the game, so it doesn’t matter! I am still young, you know, so there really is no pressure no.”
GET IT ANY WAY YOU WANT
Outside of his own preparation, Carroll is expecting, and hoping, that he gets the best version of Scott Quigg when they test their might against one another on March 7. When reviewing his professional career, Carroll is of the mind state that Quigg has more than enough tools and experience to cause some problems in the ring. Yet, it’s the challenge that Carroll is eagerly looking forward to.
“I’m expecting a former world champion you know, I’m expecting the world champion in there. For me he has a lot of experience and you can’t underestimate anybody in this game, you know? He has a little bit of pop in those hands as well, so I just have to be careful. I just have to be smart and use me head while I’m in there and fight my fight.”
“…if he comes forward and just comes at me on the front foot, it’ll be an easy night’s work. I’ll just destroy him later on and so for him I think that’s a very dangerous game plan if that’s his game plan. I don’t know what way he is going to come out and I don’t really care because I am at the best that we can be.”
By: Bakari Simpson
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