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?The Contender? Champ, ?The Boss? supports ?Pacman? By Socrates Celestial PhilBoxing.com Thu, 11 Nov 2010  In a recent exclusive interview , Philboxing?s Canadian correspondent Socrates Celestial caught up with the IBF?s number one ranked Cruiserweight (175lb-200lb) Troy ?The Boss? Ross(24-2 and 16 KO?s). He spoke openly inside the Bramalea Boxing club, a place he calls home that is enriched with the sport he endorses. Ross was a celebrated amateur boxer before turning professional which led him to train south of the border in the United States for a part of his career. He represented Canada in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, was a Silver medalist at the 1998 Commonwealth games, a Bronze finalist in the 1999 Pan American games and an Olympic fighter in the 2000 Sidney games. He has had an illustrious resume as an amateur even before making his professional debut. ?The Boss? and I spent several hours together where we did a light workout, talked about his career and his analysis of the upcoming blockbuster fight between Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito to be held this weekend, November 13th, 2010. Socrates Celestial: From the 2000 Olympics in Australia you went proffesional, is that correct? Troy Ross: That?s right, after the 2000 Olympics I had made a decision that if I win a medal, don?t win a medal I?m going to turn pro because it?s another stage of my life and I wanted to see what the other side had to offer. SC: How many fights did you accumulate before you went into your first retirement? TR: (laughing) I would hate to say retirement because I have read people say that I?ve retired for a period of time, but during that time I just couldn?t get any fights. Until 2004 I had about 10 fights and kept training but I couldn?t get fights. I had either fights pending or promoters promising me fights, but then a fighter would withdraw or the entire event would be canceled. SC: So to clarify this was not a retirement, but a hiatus. Is there anything notable you did during this period of time? TR: I had an opportunity to be in a movie with Russell Crowe. I played John Henry Lewis in the movie ?Cinderella Man? (2005). I also played a young Samuel Jackson in the movie ?Resurrecting the Champ? (2007) and I played in another movie called ?Phantom Punch? (2008) with Ving Rhames. Every time I had a break from boxing, I had to find ways to put food on the table so it came down to acting and personally training. SC: After completing all the movies, there was a television show you took part in. That would be the fourth season of ?The Contender ?(2008). How was that whole experience? TR: The experience with the Contender? It was amazing because that actually helped me to resurrect my career as a boxer. Going into that tournament I thought the only way I can help resurrect my career is by winning the entire tournament. That?s exactly what I set out to do and that?s what I did. It gave me so much exposure all around the world and helped my boxing career and now I?m a well known name in the division. SC: Currently, is there anyone you would like to fight right now, living or dead? TR: The only person I really want is Steve Cunningham because I felt the fight was ended unjustly and the real champion is the person that?s talking to you right now, and it?s me. That?s a fight that I really want, but right now I?m ready to go after any title. The WBC, WBA, WBO it doesn?t really matter to me. I want to make sure I have a world title within a year. Definitely I want to fight Cunningham, but I know Cunningham doesn?t want to fight me. SC: What is your prediction for the Pacquiao/Margarito fight coming this Saturday? TR: I love Pacquiao, I love the way he fights, and he?s a south-paw like me. I have to support the South-Paw fighter. I?ve studied Pacquiao and I like the way he fights. There?s no way he?s going to lose to Margarito. I don?t believe that Margarito deserves that chance to fight him considering what he?s done to the sport with the Paris of Plaster on his hands. I don?t believe that?s fair for him to get the biggest shot, the biggest pay day of his career. I believe Pacquiao will win the fight hands down. SC: How do you see this fight going? TR: Pacquiao is a fighter that can stop an opponent or go the distance. I would like to see him outbox Margarito and put a lot of pain on him because of what he?s done. Pacquiao has a beautiful style. He?s unorthodox and has some serious punching speed. SC: On the topic of Filipino fighters, there are several that come to the Toronto area to fight. What would you recommend for them coming from a hot climate to a cold one and also factoring in the time and altitude differences? Do you have any advice? TR: Anyone coming from the Philippines to anywhere in this country (Canada) will need time for their body to acclimatize to the various conditions. A week would not be enough, because of the time difference. You would want to come at least two or three weeks to properly acclimatize to the constantly changing weather in Canada. Their bodies have to adjust to the time difference, the weather conditions depending on the season they?re fighting in, cutting weight in a different environment and the fact that they?ll be fighting at night too. A simple way to look at it is to factor a day for every hour difference. So in respect to the Philippines being twelve to thirteen hours different by a time zone, that?s realistically twelve to thirteen days. And that?s at a minimum. It?s hard for boxers because you don?t always have the luxury to decide when it?s time to go when everything is pre-arranged by flights and schedules. SC: Besides your brilliant boxing career, you?re also a fashion designer. Where can someone find your clothing line? What if someone wanted to find out more about you, where could they get this information? TR: The website you can to go and follow up on my career and see the next thing that I?m doing would be www.TroyRoss.ca. You can also go there to see my clothing line. My clothing line consists of boxing attire such as boxing shorts, boxing tops and assorted T-shirts. * * *  Troy Ross (R) in action. His passion for the sport, humble persona and determination to remain at the top make Ross a great champion and currently Canada?s biggest boxer. With a strong record and only two losses, one recently of major controversy, Ross remains focused and the rankings only further prove his prowess. His study of the game, movie roles supporting boxing and love of great fighters like Pacquiao show the totality of his kinship with this incredible sport. Ross? next fight will be early in 2011 and Philboxing will be there to support the efforts of the number one ranked IBF Cruiserweight. * * * Socrates Celestial is a Canadian correspondent for Philboxing and hails from Brampton, Ontario, Canada. He is a Nationally Certified Boxing Coach and can be reached at coach.socrates@gmail.com Click here to view a list of other articles written by Socrates Celestial.  |
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