Ishe Smith, one of the participants of the first season of the television show, the contender, worked as Floyd Mayweather’s chief sparring partner leading up to his fight with Shane Mosley and in an interview with the Examiner’s Brent Alderson on FightFanNation Radio, Smith 21-4 (9) talked about his experiences working with Mayweather in the gym.
Ishe Smith: I helped Mayweather get ready for Mosley so that was huge for me to be able to help the champ. I was his chief sparring partner pretty much. I still get good work. It?s hard to keep training training training and then it?s hard to get fights. I?ve had like five guys turn me down, like Charles Whitaker, Verno Philips before he retired turned me down so I?ve had like maybe three or four fighters at my weight turn me down so when this fight with Guerrero was offered to me I said sure, but now it looks like they are trying to get this other guy so I just stay prayerful and hopefully something will come up.
Examiner: How sharp was Floyd in training camp? Were you confident in his victory over Shane?
Ishe Smith: I was. I knew that if it went past five or six rounds that he would win. He is a beast when he trains, his training regime is just unreal, the way he trains and the stuff he does in there is something I?ve never seen before in my life, the stuff he does when he trains is amazing. I was confident, but I was also thinking Shane has that big right hand and that if he was to get caught that it would be earlier and I was telling everybody that if it goes past six rounds that Shane would lose and maybe even get beat up pretty bad and my prediction was right because I didn?t think it would be the third or fourth round on I just thought if it goes past six that he would beat Shane up pretty bad because Mayweather doesn?t get tired I?ve never seen him tired in the gym and I?ve seen the guy work out literally two and a half hours, three hours straight with only taking sips of water and I’ve never seen him get tired. When he spars he goes five six minute eight minute rounds and when they call time he only goes to the corner, drinks a sip of water, and he?s back at sparring. He doesn?t take minutes and all that kind of stuff. Even when he hits the bag and stuff he doesn?t take minutes off and I?ve never seen him get tired before in the gym or even during that camp. He was never huffing or puffing or breathing for air. I knew with Shane?s history getting tired down the stretch that he wouldn?t be able to do anything after six rounds.
Examiner: Is Mayweather always trying different things and throwing combos or does he do the same stuff he does in the ring?
Ishe Smith: He is like a good chess player. He does whatever seems fit for him to do. Meaning like if you are playing chess if you just come out reckless he is going to take advantage of you, but if you come out more subtle, more reserved then he is going to be a little more reserved. His IQ of boxing is like ten times more than like a Shane, more than a De La Hoya, more than a Pacquiao. His IQ of what you are going to do before you do it is unbelievable. He adjusts. He had three different sparring partners and I was the main one. I came on late and he told me I made him think more because ultimately I?m a counter puncher too and he made me think even more so than like a Fernando Vargas, or a De La Hoya, or any of those guys or Shane Mosley for that matter had ever did. He made me even have to out think myself thinking what he?s going to which really you don?t know what he?s going to do because he?s already though about what you are going to do so his IQ is unreal. After sparring with him I was fifty-fifty I couldn?t really call it. I just don?t believe Pacquiao could do anything to really offset what he?s going to do. I mean Nine out of ten people get knocked out with that right hand that Shane threw. Hands down they would at least go down. The way he took it and the way he took command of the fight afterwards and was able not only to rebound from that right hand, but took command of the fight like ok I?m going to readjust and show him I?m the man and come forward and dominate the fight, that?s unheard of for Floyd. That?s what I mean by him adjusting and doing whatever you are going to allow him to do and he is always thinking even when he looks like he?s not thinking, he?s thinking. I just don?t think Pacquiao is going to hit him with that wild stuff. I?ve seen it in the gym; he?s a very good fighter. I don?t see anyone at 147 and a lot of guys at 154 being able to compete with him.
Ishe Smith is schedule to fight the undefeated Fernando Guerrero on July 16. To listen to the interview in in its entirety click here.
