“With all the talk that’s been going on, to me, it’s just still a rumor, so I’m focused on August 17th. I treat it the same way as I did my pro debut to my first world title to my last fight; it’s all the same. At the end of the day, it’s putting on some gloves and just putting a beatdown on someone. It’s a pretty simple sport, so despite all the talk that’s going on, I still gotta be focused. I gotta take care of August 17th…If you never saw fireworks in Cancun, be ready to see them August 17th. Tune in because it’s going to be a hell of a fight,” stated former super bantamweight champion Ana Julaton, who talked about her return to the ring this Saturday, August 17. Check it out!
BT: Hey Ana. How’s it going?
AJ: Hey Ben. I’m just getting my hair done at Creative Styles. Kena does it all, whether you’re a pro boxer or a UFC fighter; guy and girl, she does it all. Check out her work at creativestyleslv.com.
BT: This is a first for me, doing an interview while the person is getting their hair done (laughing), but I’ll be sure to check out the site. Obviously you’re getting it done in preparation for your fight this week. How does it feel knowing that you’re about to get back in the ring after nearly a year layoff?
AJ: It feels exciting. I mean, this is something that I’ve been waiting for for awhile. Obvioulsy my promoter, Allan Tremblay, had been dealing with cancer and I was a little inactive in the ring since, but it’s nice to actually get a call from Eric Gomez from Golden Boy and hear him say, “Hey Ana, how about a 10-rounder on this date?” I said, “Well, let’s do it!” Now that it’s finally here, I’m just happy. I’m thrilled.
BT: You sound pretty pumped and ready to go. I take it you had a great training camp.
AJ: Yeah. We’re treating this fight like it’s a title fight. It’s not even a title fight; it’s a 10-round televised opener, you know, but I’m always thinking as soon as a person signs that contract, it doesn’t matter who they are or where they came from, their motives are to just put it down on me and it’s my job to tell them otherwise. It’s a fight. You gotta train hard. I feel like that’s just the standard. It’s the basics for anyone at this level. If you don’t do that, then why are you in this business?
BT: Prior to the layoff, you were getting in about 3 fights a year. Is there any concern about ring rust or have you been able to stay sharp just from training?
AJ: I wouldn’t say ring rust; I just feel like it’s just another day at work. I was supposed to have a fight last Ocotber and that fell off. I was supposed to have a fight earlier this year in February and that fell off. Ever since then, I’ve just been in the ring. I’ve been able to stay active in boxing, but in a different field where I got to hook up with people like Al Bernstein and I did some stuff with CSN Bay Area, trying to do like media work and stuff. You know, at that point, you gotta keep an image on the screen. You can’t look like you’re overweight, especially if you’re a fighter, you know what I mean? So it helps being active in boxing altogether, whether it’s for a fight or even just covering the sport. And this fight, it’s no different. I mean, I’ve had my sparring partners throughout the year and we’ve been duking it out and I’ve just been waiting for a moment like this. It just so happened to happen.
BT: Was it difficult to stay motivated during that time, not knowing exactly who or what date you were training for?
AJ: I mean, obviously it’s frustrating just knowing that you don’t have a date. I guess just being able to have that type of feeling, it can form inspiration. So whenever I was getting on the bag, I would just let loose. I would have people in the gym saying, “Hey Ana, are you getting ready for a fight?” I’m like, “No! I wish there was one coming up.” I need to be ready to go, you know. I can’t pass up on an opportunity. This is my full-time job and you gotta be ready to go. I mean, obviously there’s some frustrations and I think that’s just a part of life. It’s all about what you do with your emotions. I think actions will dictate your life, obviously. That’s just how life is.
BT: Being a woman a male dominiated sport, do you think you have to deal with even more frustrations when it comes to getting opponents or fight dates?
AJ: Um, I mean, obviously there’s always like, I don’t know if I want to call it an excuse because I don’t see it as an excuse, me being a woman in a male dominated sport, you know what I mean? I just kind of feel like if I were to go into any other industry, whether it’s music, or if I wanted to get into food, or if I wanted to get into business, it’s going to be the same either way. It’s all about hard work and dedication, right? I mean, I’m a fighter at the end of the day and that’s how I attack it. If I want to make this my livelihood, I have to do everything that I can to put me in the best opportunity possible. So I can’t look at it that way. I can’t have that dragging me down. I have to move forward.
BT: I know all fights are important, but this one may be even more important given the rumors that you could be appearing on the Mayweather vs. Canelo undercard. Knowing that Stephen Espinoza is extremely interesting in getting women’s boxing back on Showtime, do you feel any added pressure going into this fight?
AJ: You know, boxing overall is a pressure sport; it’s a pressure lifestyle. I mean, one day you’re just getting in the ring getting ready for a sparring session and the next you’re in the ring in front of millions of viewers on TV. There’s a lot of pressure, you know what I mean, and it’s something as a fighter you deal with on a daily basis. It’s almost like an exercise and you can either use it to drag you down or you use that energy to help you move on to the next level. With all the talk that’s been going on, to me, it’s just still a rumor, so I’m focused on August 17th. I treat it the same way as I did my pro debut to my first world title to my last fight; it’s all the same. At the end of the day, it’s putting on some gloves and just putting a beatdown on someone. It’s a pretty simple sport, so despite all the talk that’s going on, I still gotta be focused. I gotta take care of August 17th.
BT: What type of fight are you expecting from your opponent, Celina Salazar?
AJ: I treat it just like all my fights. Whether it’s your first time moving up to a 10-rounder or if you’ve fought world titles and have won world championship fights, it doesn’t matter, everyone always shows me the best, which is why I feel like a lot of people are entertained when they watch me fight. When people see me fight, they don’t just see a woman’s fight; they see Ana Julaton fighting, so I feel like this fight’s no different. They come up the same way. I expect this girl to come in at her best. They build them up and my job is to put ’em down, so people are in to see an entertaining fight.
BT: Before I let you go, tell the fans what they can expect when they tune in to Fox Deportes or Televisa to see you in action on August 17? And other than FightHype.com, where can they get the latest and greatest about you?
AJ: If you never saw fireworks in Cancun, be ready to see them August 17th. Tune in because it’s going to be a hell of a fight. Fans can reach me on Twitter @anajulaton and at my official website, www.anajulaton.com.
