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JEREMY MCLAURIN IN ACTION FRIDAY NIGHT
Photos and Report By Jesse Kelley
February 4th, 2010

Jeremy McLaurin (left) strikes first against Darryl Hayes

 

Lightweight Jeremy McLaurin (6-0) looks to stay on track this Friday night at First Avenue in Minneapolis. McLaurin will be part of the first ever pro boxing card to be held at the legendary concert hall as he faces Hector Orozco.
McLaurin passed his first big test with flying colors his last time in the ring as Shobox visited the Grand Casino in Hinckley this past December. Mclaurin, who's mother and father are Marine's, found himself in unfamiliar waters as he stood opposite Hayes, who some felt was the favored fighter going in. McLaurin went on to dominate the out of towner by switching from boxer to brawler and winning a unanimous decision. McLaurin talked about the fight with Hayes, While also sharing his thoughts on his future hopes in the sport amoung other things.

 

There were a lot of things going on outside of the ring leading into the Darryl Hayes fight. You made the decision to part ways with your trainers and promoter not too long before the fight. I would think all of that would have an effect on the fight?
Honestly, yes, it hit me real hard. My head was messed up, it was all crazy. It was like a week or two before the fight and I calledmy girl because things were just so messed up. With everything going on, I called her and told her that I was fine with losing this fight. I never, ever thought anything like that in all my years boxing, pros or amateur. I never had a thought like that enter my head. I really felt I would be ok with losing if it happened. But the night before the fight I called her back and was upset that I had thought that way. I said there is absolutely no way I am losing this fight. No way. I am going to take this fight no matter what. It's a wrap. I see that 99 % of this game is mental. And I thank the lord that Johnny (Johnson) and his team were able to come in on short notice for me. That was beast for me. I went against the grain in that fight and I went against diversity. I was picked to lose in that fight man. I was actually the underdog in my own state. I came into the ring first. Everybody knows how big that plays into your role in a fight. Darryl Hayes's managers and people that were actually scouting him came up to me before the fight and said "Dude, you were picked to lose". These were Floyd Mayweather's people. They told me they were scouting him. They told me if I was scared that I should stay home. I told them that there was no frickin way I was losing this fight.

So these guys were trying to psyche you out before the fight?
Well I don't know what the intentions were but I used it as motivation. I took it all in and it pushed me harder. I think that without having a team behind me, it pushed me that much harder. Training for this fight without having someone to hit the mits really pushed me. I had to do extra stuff on my own to get to where I needed to be. I think I proved to everybody that I can take that next step and that I can get the win when the chips are stacked against me under tough circumstances.

Darryl Hayes was kind of a rough type of fighter. Hitting on the break, hitting on the back of the head. A little bit dirty at times. Recap the fight and talk about how you out-brawled him through those frustrating moments.
I think it was a good fight because I fought a different fight then I normally do. I probably should have fought a different fight and just out boxed the dude but I just went in there knowing I was the underdog and did what I know I needed to do to get the win. Instead of just boxing on the outside I showed people that I could sit back and brawl. Nobody has seen that from me yet and each time I fight I want to show a new look. My next fight I want to show people more of my boxing. My jab, I want to dance like Mohammed Ali (laughing)! But no, just box and pick my spots to brawl also. I am going to let my hands go when necessary. But yeah, back to the Darryl Hayes thing. Yeah I was frustrated. When you are constantly getting cracked in the back of the head, it jolts you. I was able to overcome it. Yeah it was frustrating at first but hey that's part of the game. I over came adversity and got the win. Antonio Tarver actually came up to me afterwards and said "Man, that was one heck of a fight". He told me I had the best fight on the undercard. That was really nice to hear.

You faced an undefeated prospect, were the opponent in your own backyard like you talked about, and came up with the Win. But I know afterwards, you kind of felt like you weren't given a lot of credit for the victory...
Yeah, I felt like I might have been overlooked a little. Everybody was talking about Gary Eyer this and Gary Eyer that. The whole Gary Eyer thing and his fight got so much attention but nobody really said anything about my fight. I give Gary his props, he dropped the dude twice but the guy he fought was not a prospect. Nobody really knew a thing about the guy in the amateurs or anything. I am not trying to say the guy he fought is a bad fighter or a bad guy but I think I beat a prospect with my back against the grain. I just didn't see Gary Eyer having the chips stacked against him going into that fight like I did. He actually might have lost every round but scored two knockdowns to get the win. Like I said, I commend him on his win. But it was a little upsetting that nobody seemed to care about my win. It is what it is though. That just means I have to work harder to show the fans what I have. I am just going to remain humble and let my action and hard work show people what I am capable of. You see how hard I have been training and it looks like Lisa (Bauch), Alfonso (Vasquez) and Sean (Hickman) are going to help me out in my corner for my next fight so it is time to prove my loyalty which is hard I guess when you are moving from gym to gym but I am just doing what my manager is telling me and what is best for my growth as a fighter.

Is a fight between you and Gary Eyer a possibility in the near future like rumors suggest?
It is definitly a possibility. If it happens then it happens. You never know what is going to happen in this fight game. All I know is that if it does happen, then I will be ready. If it doesn't happen soon then I know I will see him somewhere down the line. We are going to meet up one way or another. Like I said, I respect Gary Eyer but it is a fight I would like.

Talk about this weekend and your opponent Brandon Quintana (Since the interview, McLaurin's opponent has been chnged to the always tough, Hector Orozco).
Quintana is definitely somebody I am not looking past. The guy has been in there with some undefeated fighters. I hear he is going to be a beast for at least the first few rounds. I am not worried about what he is going to be doing though as much as what I need to bring to get the job done. That is the case with all my fights. I am excited to get the opportunity to showcase my talent to Minneapolis and the rest of the fans that show up to watch. I want to be the best in Minnesota and each fight is an opportunity to make a case why my name should be up there. Of course Jason Litzau is number 1 in my book here. Those are big shoes to fill. But hopefully time will show that I can be the next best thing here in Minnesota. That I am the one that people can be talking about when it's time to pass the torch. I am not one to run my mouth and say that I am the greatest of all time or anything because that is something that you need to earn by performing. I just want to be known as a fighter that will do his best to put on a great show each time out.

I understand that you just finished a hard conditioning workout right before I called you...
Yes! API is the name of the place. API is unreal and an experience that I am going to keep putting myself through. It really shows you where you truly are condition wise and the things you need to improve on. I was able to push through it and the guys that where there were actually really impressed that I was able to get through it. I want to take my hat off to these guys because that was the hardest workout I have ever endured. It really lets you know what kind of fighter you can be because once you get in there, they are going to push you to the limit. I think it is the number one place in Minnesota you can go to get in the best shape. The kind of shape Matt Hughes and Sean Sherk and great fighters like that are in. There are actually great champions like that sitting in the other room while you are training there. It is pretty unreal.

Anything you would like to add?
I want to thank everybody for their support. I wan't to thank the Lord, the fans, friends and family. I just want to thank everybody while I stay humble and try to continue moving forward.

 

CHECK OUT JEREMY'S CLOTHING GEAR BY CLICKING HERE

 

 

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