Craig McEwan interview

http://www.britishboxing.net/news_4...ew-McEwan-is-Scotland-s-only-Golden-Boy-.html

Edinburgh born boxer Craig McEwan is the only Scot to be promoted by Oscar de la Hoya's Golden boy promotions. In addition to be being promoted by one of the most famous names in the sport, he is trained by legendary trainer Freddie Roach at the famous Wild Card gym in Los Angeles.

McEwan has amassed an impressive pro-record of 13-0 with eight of his wins coming inside the distance. His most recent victory came on the 19th of February with a seventh round stoppage of Ivan Stovall.


BBN recently got a chance to speak to the talented Scotsman.

BBN: Congratulations on your win against Ivan Stovall, which takes you to 13-0. How did you rate your performance (RSF7)?

CM: Thanks. I was pretty pleased with my performance. I have been out of the ring since September. I expected to be rusty for the first few rounds, but it was okay. Watching it back, I still have a lot to learn but it's still early in my career and I'm improving in every fight.

BBN: Stovall was a dangerous opponent with a decent record (10-2). He also generally fights at super middleweight. Did you feel this bout was a big step up in class from your previous fights?

CM: He was also a good amateur and has a reputation as a tough fighter here in California. I had never seen him fight so I didn't really know what to expect. On paper it looked like a big step up but I feel I have had tougher fights in the past. This doesn't reflect on Ivan, I just feel that I have learned a lot from previous fights and was better prepared for this one.

BBN: So do you have any idea when you will next be in the ring and whom you will be fighting?

CM: Not yet. I leave that to Golden Boy. Hopefully the next one will be soon and another step up.

BBN: As mentioned, you are promoted by Oscar de la Hoya and trained by Freddie Roach; it doesn't get much better than that. Could you have ever imagined your career going this way when you first took up boxing?

CM: To be honest I always said that I wanted to come over to America to fight but I never could have imagined landing the best coach in the world and being promoted by Golden Boy. I feel very privileged but, at the same time, I feel I took a risk and it has paid off.

BBN: So what is it like training at the Wild Card gym? Have you sparred with a lot of the big names in the gym? If so how do you think you have handled yourself?

CM: Freddy likes to throw people in at the deep end to see if you can handle it! In my first week in the gym he put me in the ring with the likes of Kingsley Ikeke and Vernon Forrest. I must've impressed him because after that he signed me. Since then I've sparred with the legendary Bernard Hopkins, tough Mexican Antonio Margarito, Contender star Peter Manfredo and even former Heavyweight UFC champ Andrei Arlovski, amongst others. Sparring is a big thing in the Wild Card, everyone takes it seriously. Everytime you get in the ring you know you are getting good work no matter who you spar with.

BBN: Sounds like you are getting some good experience. You had your pro debut at the MGM Grand, somewhere most boxers can only dream of fighting. Do you prefer fighting on the undercards of the big fights or would you prefer to be headlining smaller shows on your own?

CM: I'm happy as long as I'm fighting. It's always good to be on the big shows. It means more exposure for me and it's pretty exciting. Saying that, I headlined the Battle in the Ballroom show against Ivan Stovall. It was sold out and the atmosphere was great! Hopefully I'll be headlining the big shows sometime down the line!

BBN: If you were fighting in Scotland then you would surely be looking to fight for the British title in the not too distant future. Is that a belt you would like to fight for or will you staying in the States and bypassing the Lonsdale belt?

CM: It's not something I'm thinking about at the moment. I just want to keep boxing here, racking up experience.

BBN: Would you like to come over to Scotland and headline a show over here in the future?

CM: Definitely! It would be great to headline a show at Easter Road. That's a long way away though. I'm taking each fight as it comes and hopefully that'll become a reality in the future.

BBN: On that topic, despite your impressive start to your pro career, you have not had a great deal of recognition back in Scotland. Is that something that bothers you at all?

CM: No not at all. I love Scotland and I'd like to put in on the map. I know I eventually will, but at the moment I happy just to stay under the radar.

BBN: At the moment, boxers such as Kelly Pavlik, Artur Abraham and Felix Sturm are dominating the middleweight division. Who do you rate as the best and how long do you think it will be before you are fighting for a world title?

CM: It's a toss up between Pavlik and Abraham. That would be a great fight. I don't know why it hasn't happened. I'm in no rush; I'd love to fight any of these guys. It's all about opportunity. I will hopefully get a big fight soon and we'll take it from there. I still have a lot to learn.

BBN: What ambitions do you have in the sport, what do you hope to achieve before you retire?

CM: Like everyone else in the sport my ambition is to win a world title. I'd love to be involved in a few super fights as well. It would be great if there were, say, four top guys in the weight and we could all fight each other, like the Leonard, Hagler, Duran, Hearns fights.