Curtis Stevens Interview: “I just gotta let go of my hands and do what I do”

Curtis Stevens Interview: “I just gotta let go of my hands and do what I do”
By: Matthew N. Becher

Curtis Stevens (27-5 20KO) is a hard hitting Middleweight from Brownsville, NY, who on May 7th, will return to the ring after a 2 year layoff to take on undefeated Patrick Teixeira. This is a great opportunity for both men to showcase their skills on the Canelo v. Khan HBO Pay per View, especially for Stevens, who looks to right the ship and get back into title contention. Curtis was nice enough to take some time out of his training schedule and sit down to answer some questions for Boxing Insider.

Boxing Insider: Your last fight was in October 2014. Why has it taken you so long to get a fight and what have you been doing in that time?
Curtis Stevens: Nobody wanted to fight me, to tell you the truth. I’ve been training, that’s about it. Just training and working, can’t really do nothing else.

Boxing Insider: Recently, you started training with John David Jackson. What has he been able to add or change to your style of fighting?
Curtis Stevens: Getting me back to moving my head. Not blocking too many shots with my hands or my arms. Going back to the body and just being more relaxed.

Boxing Insider: You are represented by Main Events Promotions and they have had trouble matching you up with other fighters. Do you see that as a promotional problem or do you see anywhere else you could go to get more fights in your weight class?
Curtis Stevens: I’m not gonna say, necessarily, that it is a promotional problem. I believe I’m high risk. People know that I hit hard and I’m high risk and low reward. Nobody wants to get into it and waste their time.

Boxing Insider: In between regular boxing matches, you participated in a BKB pit style match. What are your thoughts on that format and would you do it again?
Curtis Stevens: BKB is cool, it’s different, and it’s more fighting than anything. It’s very different than boxing. I’d do it again, I liked it. The first time I got in there it was a little unusual, because it doesn’t have ropes like a ring. It was a little different, but cool, I’d do it again.

Boxing Insider: Changing gears to the fight on May 7th. What do you know about your opponent Patrick Teixeira?
Curtis Stevens: From what I’ve seen of him, he throws a lot of punches. He comes forward, and it seems like he likes to fight. His work rate is cool, and that’s what I can see.

Boxing Insider: Do you have to make a big statement in this fight to get to where you want to be, as a title contender?
Curtis Stevens: I believe I just have to go in there and beat him in general. I’m not the one with no losses. I believe it’s more on his shoulders then on my shoulders. I just got to go in there and win. I’m the one that’s been in the ring the longest, so he is the one coming up. They are giving him this pedestal to overcome me. The pressure is on him. I just gotta let go of my hands and do what I do.

Boxing Insider: Finally, who do you have winning in the main event on May 7th, Canelo or Khan?
Curtis Stevens: This is boxing, Canelo is very strong, and Khan is very fast. It only takes 7 ounces of pressure to put you down or get knocked out in general. If you don’t see it coming, it could hurt you, or if you see it coming it could hurt you. I have Canelo winning. He is strong and he’s versatile. He’s the champion, to beat the champion, you have to beat him convincingly. I’m not saying I can’t see Khan beat him convincingly, but his chin is not too great.