GUEST COLUMN
Why I didn’t need to be asked twice about taking on Canelo on December 15
Rocky Fielding on fighting Canelo
I IT was a big shock for everyone in the boxing world. Just Canelo stepping up to supermiddleweight and picking me to fight. I’m happy and I’m up to the challenge.
He’s the face of boxing at the minute, he’s poundfor-pound the best. There’s me, he wants to fight me. It’s a challenge. It’s what I’m in boxing for. Fighting the best in the world at Madison Square Garden, regardless of anything. It’s a big, big ask and a big challenge. But anything can be done in boxing. He’s coming up a weight and I’m big for the weight.
He is a complete elite fighter, experienced, 50 fights, he’s only lost to Floyd Mayweather, turned pro when he was 15. So I’m up against it and I know that. But if I can stick to what I’m good at, I can do it. I’m not going there to lie down.
Anything can happen on the night. If I catch him, I’ve got the power I believe. I’ll have to keep what’s worked the last couple of fights. The gym’s buzzing with Carl Frampton, Martin Murray, they’ve all got fight’s coming up in December so everyone’s working hard, pushing each other on. The camp’s good at the minute.
It’s every fighter’s dream. To fight the best. To be the best you’ve got to fight the best and to top it off at Madison Square Garden… It’s surreal. I was there three years ago doing a tour with my girlfriend around Madison Square Garden and I got a picture outside, saying one day, do you know what I mean? Not even slightly thinking I would fight there. I just put one day. Every fighter’s dream is to fight at Madison Square Garden, I just put one day, not even thinking it would happen. I went to a basketball game there, in the upper tier I was looking down thinking ‘imagine fighting here.’ All the stars that were there, Lebron James was playing.
Then three years later I’m getting a phonecall about fighting the biggest fighter in the world!
When I turned pro I didn’t have a promoter. It was just me and Oliver [Harrison]. I was on Oliver’s shows. My debut was in Salford Sports Centre. I even jumped on the double decker bus on my way home with my fans. I boxed at Preston night clubs. I went from having no backing or anything like that, to going to Madison Square Garden. I’ve had a few setbacks… I’ve worked through it all and just kept positive.
I’m going as a champion, I’m not going because I’m fighting Canelo at Madison Square Garden. I’ve got to put that at the back of my head now and train to win, and for the next 10 weeks now I’ve got to put myself through it to do it.
It was the biggest purse I’m probably going to get now. I beat him then it’s off the scale. But it’s life changing. But before even that got mentioned, it was, ‘Canelo wants the fight,’ I said, ‘sound, yeah, let’s do it.’ Without the rest of it. But I knew fighting him it’s going to be and it was life changing.
I’ve got to do it for my family. I’ve got to pay the bills, I’ve got to look after my kids and my girl. That’s what life and this sport’s about. Getting in, getting out, achieving what you’re going to achieve. Basically, doing as much as you can. My life after this will be making sure that my kids are secure and are going to get a good life out of what I can provide for them. It was everything. There was no turning it down. Fighting on a big undercard in London is great but fighting in Madison Square Garden, what would you rather do? Do you know what I mean? It was no brainer
Everything’s changing. I’ll stick to who I am and what I do.
I’m going to enjoy the press conference as well. I’ll have to go buy a nice suit. I’ve only got one, from the baby’s Christening.
‘THIS IS FOR MY FAMILY. FOR MY KIDS AND MY GIRL’