More from Ibarra on His Toney Impressions, Expectations
Lutfi Sariahmed Mar 13, 2010
More from Juanito Ibarra:
On Shocking the World: “He comes from his manager John Arthur who's my partner and we worked a lot in boxing together and that's how we got to know each other but he's a grandmaster in martial arts. James has been around martial arts for a while. I have my dynamic team that's behind me like I always have and we're going to stay humble. We're going to put the work in and I truly believe the world is going to be shocked when they see James fight. We'll just have to see how it plays out, but what a workhorse. I'm very honored and privileged to work with anyone that comes to me and we have great chemistry and I look forward to James growing and James isn't going to fight until he's ready to fight.”
On the Working Relationship: “It's playing out great. It just is. He is a throwback kind of guy. He calls me ‘sir.’ I don't want to be known by anything but Juanito. That's just me. It's great to know that we have that much respect for each other, but I think it's his mindset. His mindset and what he has to do and who he has to do it against and what he's said on record and he wants to back it up so he's putting in the work. I'll tell you it's like teaching a kid that just tasted candy and he likes the flavor and he's tasting it and he wants more. That's all the guy does is train. Three times a day. Seven days a week. I have to take a day off. I have to go to church. But that guy is in the gym seven days right now.”
On His Expectations: “You could teach him. You could teach him how the game is dealt with. Politically. Physically. Mentally. Financially. I want to teach James more, as I always do with my students, outside the ring or cage as well as inside and to prepare him. It's a different game. You can't go in there boxing like you've boxed for a boxing match. You make mistakes (and) you get your head kneed off. James is a very elusive fighter and he's a class example of what you don't do in MMA as far as boxing and standing up, front leg out. There's a lot things I taught Quinton Jackson in the past that people criticized me for -- not checking leg kicks and stuff but you can't fight for the fighter. You tell the fighter to do it and he doesn't respond then he's not doing it for his own reason. So James is going to learn all these things.
On Toney picking up other elements of the game: “He's not going to be a black belt in jiu-jitsu. He's not going to be an NCAA wrestler. It doesn't take a genius to figure this stuff out. But I'll tell you what, he's going to be prepared to fight MMA when he steps in the cage. And the other thing is (that) MMA glorified itself by guys standing up and knocking each other out and the fight staying on its feet. James has that advantage and we'll just have to see how that plays out. I'm not God. I can't create miracles. I can only do the best I can do with the athletes I have and hopefully he'll respond and we could do good things in the Octagon like I think we can.”
On Shocking the World: “He comes from his manager John Arthur who's my partner and we worked a lot in boxing together and that's how we got to know each other but he's a grandmaster in martial arts. James has been around martial arts for a while. I have my dynamic team that's behind me like I always have and we're going to stay humble. We're going to put the work in and I truly believe the world is going to be shocked when they see James fight. We'll just have to see how it plays out, but what a workhorse. I'm very honored and privileged to work with anyone that comes to me and we have great chemistry and I look forward to James growing and James isn't going to fight until he's ready to fight.”
On the Working Relationship: “It's playing out great. It just is. He is a throwback kind of guy. He calls me ‘sir.’ I don't want to be known by anything but Juanito. That's just me. It's great to know that we have that much respect for each other, but I think it's his mindset. His mindset and what he has to do and who he has to do it against and what he's said on record and he wants to back it up so he's putting in the work. I'll tell you it's like teaching a kid that just tasted candy and he likes the flavor and he's tasting it and he wants more. That's all the guy does is train. Three times a day. Seven days a week. I have to take a day off. I have to go to church. But that guy is in the gym seven days right now.”
On His Expectations: “You could teach him. You could teach him how the game is dealt with. Politically. Physically. Mentally. Financially. I want to teach James more, as I always do with my students, outside the ring or cage as well as inside and to prepare him. It's a different game. You can't go in there boxing like you've boxed for a boxing match. You make mistakes (and) you get your head kneed off. James is a very elusive fighter and he's a class example of what you don't do in MMA as far as boxing and standing up, front leg out. There's a lot things I taught Quinton Jackson in the past that people criticized me for -- not checking leg kicks and stuff but you can't fight for the fighter. You tell the fighter to do it and he doesn't respond then he's not doing it for his own reason. So James is going to learn all these things.
On Toney picking up other elements of the game: “He's not going to be a black belt in jiu-jitsu. He's not going to be an NCAA wrestler. It doesn't take a genius to figure this stuff out. But I'll tell you what, he's going to be prepared to fight MMA when he steps in the cage. And the other thing is (that) MMA glorified itself by guys standing up and knocking each other out and the fight staying on its feet. James has that advantage and we'll just have to see how that plays out. I'm not God. I can't create miracles. I can only do the best I can do with the athletes I have and hopefully he'll respond and we could do good things in the Octagon like I think we can.”
