8CN sat down with world title challenger Rocky Juarez and got his thoughts on the very controversial loss that he suffered to Jason Litzau. The fight was stopped in the 7th round after referee Jay Nady ruled that an accidental head butt occurred. This appears to have been an incorrect ruling and one that Golden Boy Promotions is trying to get reversed. It appears that the cut was the result of a punch at 2:21 of round 7. Video clearly shows that a left hook landed flush, and Nady just didn’t see it. Juarez is known to be a slow starter and that was apparent in this fight as well, but he clearly was coming on late and the tide was turning. Unfortunately, the cut was ruled a head butt and Juarez suffers another defeat. One thing is clear, Juarez is NOT retiring.
8CN – Tough break Rock, tell us about the head butt ruling.
RJ – Very tough break. The fight was taken from me Brad. I am a slow starter, everybody knows that but as this fight went on I broke him down. He has decent power and he is a quick starter, so we knew we would break him down. The fight was stopped but it shouldn’t have been. Look at 2:21 seconds of round 7 in any video of the fight and you will see it was clearly a punch. I don’t see how Litzau can back out like this. How can he get respect from the fans by doing this?
8CN – It didn’t appear as if the cut was bad enough to stop the fight, there was no blood, and the cut was below the eye.
RJ – Well Jason was wondering and asking if the cut was due to a head butt. It was his way out of the fight and getting a victory. He knew he was done, and he knew that I was bringing it, and he knew that he was going to get stopped.
8CN – Do you really feel like he was looking for a ticket out of the fight?
RJ – No doubt, it was his easy way out. The bad ruling gave him his way out of that fight! The cut was as a result of a punch, it was not a head butt. I told everybody that if I lost to Jason Litzau, I would retire. If I would have lost fair and square to him, I would have retired but I do not see this fight as a loss. If he can beat me, beat me right. Don’t take the easy way out. This was a bad call by the referee.
8CN- You did start off slow. You did the same thing against Chris John, so is it a situation where you just can’t help it? You just are a slow starter?
RJ – Well it depends on if I can catch a guy early on or not. I have stopped guys early in fights in the past. I carry my power from round one all the way to round twelve. I lost this fight based on a bad call from the referee.
8CN – What happened with you and your last trainer Ronnie Shields?
RJ – Ronnie taught me a lot, but it was just not the right fit anymore. I decided to go back to my old trainer, I can hear his voice better. I have no personal bad feelings for Ronnie at all. I wish him luck.
8CN – OK, so has Golden Boy officially appealed this decision yet?
RJ – I talked to my manager and he told me that if they could see that the cut was a punch, they would demand a rematch. I didn’t lose this fight Brad. If I lost it, I would retire but I did not lose. He took the easy way out.
8CN – Do you think this bad decision will ignite an old fire in you?
RJ – I am still very much hungry. I feel that I belong in there with the best fighters in the world.
8CN – Has Golden Boy rallied behind you on this?
RJ – Very much so. They made it clear that they thought it was a bad stoppage. I just wanted to argue my case, and make it clear at the press conference that it was a bad call on the referee’s part
8CN – Rock, do you have any closing thoughts?
RJ – To my fans, keep the faith. Rocky Juarez is not done! I am still hungry, and this has just added fuel to my fire. If I don’t get this rematch against Litzau, you will see me in there against another big name fighter.
VIDEO – See 2:21 Juarez punch causing the cut and not the head butt
