Stevenson, Coleman Receive Press Before Baltimore Card!

Two of the co-feature boxers on this Saturday's Baltimore Pro Boxing card at Du Burns Arena are the subjects of a couple of interesting internet press clippings.




Baltimore welterweight James "Keep 'Em Sleepin'" Stevenson sat down for an interview with freelance writer Chip Mitchell as he gets ready for his bout with Ken Dunham. Here is the text of the interview.

CM: James, thanks for granting us this opportunity to interview you before your fight. How has training gone for you?

JS: Pretty good, man. Excellent, excellent.

CM: Last time out versus Manuel Guzman, you weren’t able to record a knockout for the first time in your professional career. How disappointed were you?

JS: I wasn’t really disappointed man, I just wanted to show everybody I could go 8 rounds… a tough 8 rounds. So it let everybody know I could get the win. I got a chin as everybody saw so it was a good fight.

CM: Your bout this Saturday is against Ken Dunham. He’s an opponent that you’ve seen before and beaten. What are your thoughts about his skill set and does a rematch play to your advantage or Dunham’s?

JS: It plays out to my advantage because I stopped him in the 2nd round before. I know he’s going to train a lot harder so I’m going to train extra hard. I’m not going in with the mindset that I’m going to knock him out. I’m just going to go in there and just box and whatever happens will happen.

CM: Describe your fighting style to Internet readers out there who have never seen you fight.

JS: I’m all-in-one. I can box, I can brawl, I’m fast. Like I said I’m all-in-one. So I don’t just have one style.

CM: Let’s talk about your moniker. Tell the fans online how your nickname Keep‘em Sleepin came to fruition?

JS: After my first 4 knockouts my manager said if I get one more knockout we’re going to name ourselves Keep‘em Sleepin. So we went out there and knocked him out and that’s where we got that name from Keep’em Sleepin!

CM: How did you get your start in boxing?

JS: Aww man, you know I just walked past the gym one day. It was something I always wanted to do. I went in, talked to Mr. Mack (famed trainer Mack Lewis), and told him I’d be back the next day. I came back the next day and in the next 2 weeks I had a fight.

CM: Who do you consider your favorite boxers, past or present?

JS: Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson!

CM: Baltimore has produced world champions in the past such as Joe Gans, Hasim Rahman and Vince Pettway. Will we see James Stevenson’s name along with these men in the future?

JS: Oh yes sir, yes sir, yes sir!!!!

CM: What do you do when you are not in the gym training or sparring for your next fight?

JS: I’m always training everyday regardless. I have a job I work at Giant warehouse. I’ve been there for 8 and a half years. And I have a family. I’m also married so I spend time with my family when I’m not at the gym.

CM: In closing, is there anything else you would like to tell Internet readers who are viewing this transcript?

JS: I’m coming! That’s all I can say is that I’m coming! Just believe what I say, I’m coming!!

CM: Thanks a lot James, and Keep ‘em Sleepin baby!!

JS:

Thanks to Matt Yanofsky for facilitating this interview for Mitchell.


Meanwhile, I found an interesting interview with Baltimore's Tim "Pitbull" Coleman on Coleman's Facebook page. Coleman, who will be in a rematch with "Magnificent" Martinus Clay on Saturday, is joined by former world champion Ricky Hatton in this interview. Coleman was Hatton's chief sparring partner for Hatton prior to Hatton's bout against Paulie Malinaggi. I will post the link, but you may need a Facebook acoount to view.

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