Boxing Insider Interviews Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin
By Kirk Jackson
BoxingInsider.com: You have a big fight Oct. 26th defending your WBO middleweight title against Gabriel Rosado, how was your training camp in preparation for this fight?
Kid Chocolate: Ah man it was good. I felt inspired by my work, I did some things that I didn’t do in other camps.
BoxingInsider.com: In your training camp were there specific things you worked for specifically for Rosado’s style?
Kid Chocolate: I made sure I worked on my mind. Bag work, I was taking less breaks and spent more time working in the ring with my trainer Eric. I turned on the rounds since I been in this camp. I worked with a stop watch the whole time, everything was worked off the stop watch.
BoxingInsider.com: You’re coming off a string of impressive performances, which included victories over Winky Wright, Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam to capture the WBO title and against Fernando Guerrero in your first title defense. Is there a specific reason for fighting Rosado?
Kid Chocolate: It was the fight put together by my team. Being a boxer man, it’s so political now, just at the end of the day, you gotta do whatever and roll with the punches and go with the flow.
Gabriel and D’leon Love were fighting for a spot to fight against me.
Brian Vera is my number one contender, but he didn’t fight me, he went and took a fight with Chavez.
Is that a bad move for him though? No it’s not, it’s actually a good move that he made.
At the end of the day it’s political, I just know what I have to do for myself man, as long as I know that my people are working for me. I have Al Haymon on my squad and Golden Boy being a promoter and putting on some of the best fights out there. I have Showtime backing me up man, all I have to do is worry about putting on the best fights against whoever it is.
BoxingInsider.com: In regards to fight against Rosado, what are some of the strengths of Rosado that you will have to watch out for?
Kid Chocolate: His mind to me isn’t stronger than mine. Do he have more skills than me? I can’t judge it.
Like I said I trained hard for this fight.
This fight was made because people want to see a fight and see how I would do against a guy who fought another guy who is considered one of the best in the sport.
Am I putting that pressure on myself to do well? No all I can do is do me, all I can worry about is myself.
BoxingInsider.com: What are some of the weaknesses you see in Rosado that you feel you will be able to exploit?
Kid Chocolate: From his past fights?
BoxingInsider.com: Yeah.
Kid Chocolate: I can just say he has losses, He has six losses. Regardless if I seen the fight or not I can look at that as his only weakness, is that he has losses.
BoxingInsider.com: Everyone wants to see a fight between you and Gennady Golovkin (GGG). GGG fought Rosado earlier in the year and stopped him in seven rounds. Will you make an attempt to do stop Rosado earlier and send a message?
Kid Chocolate: Like I said if I was going to get caught up that I’d be putting way too much pressure to match another person’s performance. I’ve never had to do that in my whole career, why should I start doing that now?
All I’m doing supporting my fans and giving back to my fans that support me.
That’s like me proving myself to his fans…
I’m glad he has fans and is able to go out there and put out a nice performance.
But I’m not about to match the guy’s performance.
My job up in there basically is to go out there and do me and look good to impress my own fans and whoever supports me. These fighters fight for reasons and that’s why fans follow certain fighters because of the reason they fight.
Regardless whether they knock people out, or they’re from Kazakhstan, or he’s from Cuba, or he’s from Philly.
All these people support people for they own reason. It’s not up to me to go into to detail and fight off the reasons of other people besides my own ya know?
BoxingInsider.com: Aside from yourself, who do you feel is the best fighter in the middleweight division?
Kid Chocolate: You know what, I can tell you on paper who I feel like…
Sergio Martinez is and let me tell you why. Because everybody wants to fight him. Why does everybody want to fight him unless he’s the best? He’s got the recognition of being the best in the world, so I’m gonna give it to him.
Do I feel like he can beat me? Hell nah!! That’s what I’m supposed to think, if I don’t fight from that, then how can I ever win a fight?
I feel like nobody can fuck with me in the middleweight division. I feel like I’m No. 1.
No. 3 whatever they got me rated as in the world, I will show them I’m No. 1.
No. 1 has to worry about the challengers, me I just gotta worry about the people in front of me, getting them out the way to get to that No. 1 spot.
When you on top of the pyramid, it’s a lonely feeling up there.
BoxingInsider.com: What makes you stand out from every other fighter? You mentioned you have a strong mind and that’s what sets you apart, is there any other qualities you feel make you unique from every other fighter?
Kid Chocolate: Yeah the way I talk, the way I move, my swag, the way I fight, the way I look, the way I look at people, the way I get around, the way I give interviews, the friends I hang around with, the different things about me that make me a special person. I know who I am man, I don’t act like I’m doing something that isn’t real.
I’m very respectful man, I am a street dude, I’m just amazed that I’ve been able to achieve what I got to achieve.
I represent the struggle, everyone from the struggle. It’s a big thing I can really go into it and some people will understand and some people won’t understand.
I just hope with the message I deliver to people, it’s a life changing experience. It’s not about me being a champion, it’s not about the money and people supporting me based on money, it’s about me letting people know that whatever you do in life, if you dream about it and really believe it in your heart, there’s nothing wrong with working hard for it and cuz you can accomplish something whether you or fail or do well with it.
BoxingInsider.com: Do you feel like your style compares to anyone and is there any fighters you tried to emulate at some point?
Kid Chocolate: Never man because I fight off of my own swag, off my own personality, I fight off my own smarts, I try to be like nobody else.
I look can look like a fighter like Sugar Ray Leonard, Floyd Mayweather, Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, the original Kid Chocolate, Kid Gavilan, Willie Pep, Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler, Hearns, Pernell Whitaker..
So I use everything to win a fight. It’s the point of using something that actually works and being smart with the punches you use and how you use them.
I can’t explain what I’m doing I just do it and because I believe in what I do.
BoxingInsider.com: How would you feel if someone compared you to Bernard Hopkins? He was a great middleweight champion. How do you feel about that comparison?
Kid Chocolate: It could never be wrong to be compared to somebody that’s great, I’m working on my own legendary status myself.
I don’t fight like him, I don’t fight like that. I think how important it is to look at how people who compare me to someone who is great and I can appreciate it.
BoxingInsider.com: I know you don’t want to look past any fighter, but if you’re able to get past Rosado, is there anyone ideally you would like to fight next?
Kid Chocolate: Like I said I never been a matchmaker in my career. I just know I’m happy with the fight they’re making. I’m able to go out there and perform the way I do and as long as I stay to that I’ll be successful.
I don’t look at nobody else and I see him only and he’s a fool come Oct. 26th.
BoxingInsider.com: In many circles in the boxing community, you’re regarded as a genuine, down to earth individual. Is there any kind of message you want to leave for the fans out there?
Kid Chocolate: If I pull anything from this message, all I want to deliver is that by talking to you, you letting me know my job is on its way and I appreciate you for catching up with me and getting the latest on me and it’s very important for me to reach out to my fans and deliver powerful messages.
And listen man nothing about me is a fraud, what you gettin is what you get with me.
Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin 29-0 (21 KO’s) takes on Gabriel “King” Rosado 21-6 (13KO’s) at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Oct. 26th on Showtime.
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Check out Kid Chocolate’s website @ http://thekidchocolate.com/