Winfred Harris Interview: New Legend Boxing Federation North American Super Middleweight Champion
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
In a Real Combat Media interview exclusive, new Legends Boxing Federation North American Super Middleweight champion Winfred “Hot Boy” Harris Jr. of Detroit, Michigan, spoke about his ring preparations and boxing life before his eight round vacant Legends Boxing Federation North American Super Middleweight title bout with Esau Herrera De La Cruz, and briefly afterwards, on January 21, 2022, and January 22, 2022, at Comfort Inn and Dearborn Center in Dearborn, Michigan.
Harris, now 21-1-1 with 10 knockouts, won a unanimous eight round decision over Herrera, 19-14-1 with eight knockouts, Mexico City, Mexico, in a bout marked by low blows, rabbit punches, head butts, shoving to the canvas, and spinning the opponent, with most offenses committed by Herrera, who took the bout dirty early. The tactics did not benefit Herrera, as Harris won by scores of 79-73, 79-73 and 77-75 of the scorecards of the three judges, in a bout marked by repeated warnings in both directions from referee Gerard White, who maintained control of the ring despite the infractions.
Robert Brizel: “So tell me about the origin of the name (your ring nickname) ‘hot boy’. Where did hot boy come from? I grew up in basketball camp with (the late) Pistol Pete Maravich. They used to call him ‘hot dog ‘because he never passed the ball. He hit 30 jump shots against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks before the existence of the three points play, and the (Atlanta) Hawks still lost. So where did the name ‘hot boy’ come from?”
Winfred Harris: “That’s just a name everybody wanted (for me).”
Robert Brizel: “When you rose up in the amateurs, which titles did you win?”
Winfred Harris: “I didn’t win any national amateur titles in Detroit.”
Robert Brizel: “But you got a lot of experience in Detroit.”
Winfred Harris: Yeah. I got a lot of experience.”
Robert Brizel: If you are going to get experience, you are going to get it here (in Detroit There’s no free ride in the land of Kronk (as an amateur and professional boxer). So when did they (the fight fans and your friends) start calling you ‘hot boy’ (during your boxing career)?”
Winfred Harris: “Like right before I turned pro.”
Robert Brizel: “Was there a reason for it?”
Winfred Harris: “I just thought of it (the name). I’m the hottest (rising prospect in pro boxing).”
Robert Brizel: “You are thinking of it (the nickname) like someone riding on a hot streak, rather than (being) a hot boy. So, you’ve risen up, you have recorded all but one as wins. How has the Coronavirus affected any of you (your staff) in the boxing game? Has it caused a lot of inactivity for some fighters?”
Winfred Harris: “I don’t think so. Not for me.”
Robert Brizel: “Did the coronavirus Pandemic improve discipline? Did the pandemic change the mindset of a fighter in any way? Did it make fighters more serious?”
Winfred Harris: “I don’t think so. If anything it’s just like annoying, with all the extra rules and everything (meant for professional athletes) to protect us.”
Robert Brizel: “To protect us.”
Winfred Harris: “Yeah.”
Robert Brizel: “You are supposed to get the truth, and nothing but the truth. They (the media and the government) are not giving us all the (complete) truth because they do not want to trigger a panic. I think they are thinking like the Spanish Flu (of a century ago) that (eventually) everybody will acquire immunity, and they think it is going to end that way.”
Winfred Harris: “Yeah.”
Robert Brizel: “So now you are rising up, and are rising up in the super middleweight division. That’s a division Canelo (Alvarez) ash rock and rolled in, but it does not seem he wants to stay there. Correct?”
Winfred Harris: “True.”
Robert Brizel: “So you’ve got 25-0 two-time World Boxing Council World Super Middleweight champion David……”
Winfred Harris: “Benavidez.”
Robert Brizel: “Benavidez is making a lot of noise. So is there anybody in the (super middleweight) division you really want to fight, or do you think the (championship) belts will all become vacant if Canelo moves up in weight?”
Winfred Harris: “I think they (the championship belts) will all become vacant (shortly).”
Robert Brizel: I wrote a story about Sergey Kovalev moving up to cruiserweight now against unbeaten light heavyweight Fan Long Meng of China, who nobody wants to fight anyway.’
Winfred Harris: “Canelo’s (been making noises about) fighting at cruiserweight too.”
Robert Brizel: “Supposedly, well, Canelo’s been talking about fighting on Cinco de Mayo Mexican holiday, maybe against Artur Beterbiev or Dmitry Bivol, I don’t know what he’s going to do. Joe Smith Jr. might also be a target. I don’t know. Cinco de Mayo is a holiday in Mexico. He’s fought on it (that date) before. It’s very promotable for Canelo. He’s fought during the holiday before. It seems to me Canelo (fighting) at 168 is much different than Canelo fighting pushing 200 (pounds). If Ilunga Junior Makabu wins against Thabiso Mchunu again next week to retain his WBC World Cruiserweight title in Ohio, I suppose it’s possible as you state. Every day they are talking different names for Canelo. Winfred, who would you like to fight (most) at super middleweight 168 pounds? Callum Smith has moved up to 175 pounds. What about David Benevidez?”
Winfred Harris: “It’s like I would (will) fight anybody, but I don’t know if there’s anybody I would just really really want to fight (right now). David Benevidez? I would want to fight him. Not right now. Maybe in about two years. He’s gotten hit (in his experience) a little bit more (than me so far).”
Robert Brizel “When you are at the right point in your career when you are ready to step up (to the championship bout level). What about all these belts? You saw what happened with light heavyweight Steve Geffrard last week. He got the chance against Joe Smith when all of the other contenders bowed out. He was not ready for it, but (when offered) a once in a lifetime opportunity (to fight for a world title) you have got to take it. Geffrard was a national amateur, he was a last minute sub preparing for an eight rounder (at the time). He got knocked out in the ninth round. What if all of these (super middleweight world championship) belts get sprung out (freed) at the same time, hot boy? What if the belts are open, vacant, and available to fight for? Would you just go for one of these titles if they were open? Somebody has got to go for those belts?”
Winfred Harris: “You’ve got to (fight for the world titles if the belts become available suddenly). Why would you not? (fight for the world title, that’s what it’s all about).”
Robert Brizel: “Canelo is in a position where has to fight and defend the belts. If Canelo does not, then the WBC, WBA, WBO IBF, IBO and WBA Super World champion belts have to be sprung. So, Winfred, what do you know about Esau Herrera (your opponent) coming in? He has 33 fights under his belt. He has a lot of experience. So, what is the word on him? Certainly if you are not prepared for a fighter with an experienced record like Herrera’s, you are going to be in trouble. You had to do a lot of work for him (this bout)”.
Winfred Harris: “Sure.”
Robert Brizel: “Tell me about this belt, the LBFUSMC Super Middleweight championship?”
Trainer: “Alphabet. Well, it’s a way to get to a bigger (world) title.”
Robert Brizel: “So what do you know about Herrera? Have you seen him fight in videos?”
Winfred Harris: “No.”
Robert Brizel: “Was he the original opponent, or did they switch him out?”
Winfred Harris: “No. He (Herrera) wasn’t the original opponent. It was supposed to be Hugo Centeno Jr., but I guess he didn’t accept the fight that they came to me with.”
Robert Brizel: “On a good night, you could knock Centeno out. This is what I wrote about Centeno. In his last seven fights, he has won, lost, won, lost, draw, won and lost. In his last seven bouts, every fight has been a different result, hot and cold. On a good night he’ll do good, on a bad night you’ll knock him out.”
Winfred Harris: “I’d knock him (Hugo Centeno Jr.) out.”
Reader’s Note: In the Detroit Brawl main event, the 28-3-1 middleweight Centeno, who did not make the contracted weight of 160 pounds and took a penalty, lost a 10 round majority decision to 13-5 Antonio Todd.”
Robert Brizel: “I think Centeno was afraid if he fought you he would have a bad night, and the dog put his tail between his legs and ran in a different direction.”
Winfred Harris: “Yeah!”
Robert Brizel: “Hot Boy, what are your expectations? Are you excited to be (back) fighting in your home area? (Detroit).”
Winfred Harris: “Yeah. I’m excited to be with my people.”
Robert Brizel: “Do you think boxing in Detroit needs a bigger venue than the casinos or Dearborn Center? Should we hold boxing events at Tiger Stadium or Lions Stadium?”
Winfred Harris: “That’s way too big for boxing (right now).”
Robert Brizel: “Depends how big you are, and how many people come. You have not been to Las Vegas yet, have you?”
Winfred Harris: “No.”
Robert Brizel “Would you like to fight in Las Vegas?”
Winfred Harris: “Yeah.”
Robert Brizel: “Are you with Salita Promotions?”
Winfred Harris: “No. I am with Boris Promotions in my next fight up.”
Robert Brizel: “Do you want to stay at 168 pounds, or do you want to go up in weight?”
Winfred Harris: “I want to stay at 168 pounds.”
Robert Brizel: “You were originally at 160 pounds.”
Winfred Harris: “Yeah. My first fight was at 160. I moved down to 154. It’s tough to get down to 154 pounds. I was doing it.”
Robert Brizel: “A lot of fighters, like Jaime Munguia, find it too difficult to stay at 154.”
Winfred Harris: “Yeah. I left boxing for two and a half years. Now that I’m back, I’m bigger than I was before. I’m not a kid anymore. I like 168. It’s easier to make the weight. I get to fight bigger guys.”
Robert Brizel: “I call 168 the division of 160 pound fighters who cannot make the weight anymore, and the 175 pound fighters who are too chicken to fight in that division (who opt to go down in weight instead). Sven Ottke and Joe Calzaghe are among the best fighters who have dominated the 168 pound division for a lot of years (before Canelo). It’s nice that Canelo was able to unify the division. Of course, everyone would like to fight Canelo, because he represents a good payday, and a good challenge.”
Winfred Harris: “Yeah!”
Robert Brizel: “Where Canelo is, to get the Canelo bout, you really have to be a defending world champion to get put in with him anymore (at this point). To get a chance (at Canelo), you would have to win one of the major belts, to establish yourself as the crème de la crème (by beating Canelo). Do you have any interest in a rematch with Dorell Van Horn, the only man to have defeated you? (by majority 10 round decision at Motor City Casino in Detroit in July 2018). How about a 12 rounder?”
Winfred Harris: “Yeah. That’s my first priority.”
Robert Brizel: “Do you still have an interest in fighting Hugo Centeno Jr. at 160 pounds in the near future if the bout can still be made, or you don’t think he will take it.”
Winfred Harris: “I don’t think he will take it (a bout with me at any time in the future), but Centeno will agree to fight me, I will go back down to 160 pounds and knock him out.”
Robert Brizel: “I would not be surprised if Centeno did not make weight for tomorrow’s bout, and comes in over the limit weighing closer to 164 to 165. Centeno doesn’t want you at 168 pounds either. I get it. Centeno doesn’t want any part of you.”
Winfred Harris: “Yeah.”
Robert Brizel: “Centeno loses and wins, loses and wins. Centeno wins over the butter fingers, and wins over the better fighters. The middleweight division has got a lot of tough fighters out there. I like Willie Monroe Jr., whom I’ve met. My friend, boxing writer Ken Hissner, likes GGG very much. After the two Canelo fights, nobody wants to fight GGG. Gennady Golovkin was supposed to unify the world middleweight title with Ryota Murata, The Japanese shut their country down due to the Coronavirus Pandemic Omicron Variant.”
Winfred Harris: “I was in camp with Ryota Murata in 2019. He’s a really good fighter, but GGG will knock him out. Murata is a really good guy, but he’s a one dimensional fighter.”
Robert Brizel: “Is Murata too mechanical a fighter?”
Winfred Harris: “Yes. Very.”
Robert Brizel: “I always said you cannot fight in a straight line. I always called Michael Spinks the weirdest fighter I have ever seen, because he was a fighter of all styles, a fighter of no style. He may have torn up the cartilage in his knees. When he fought Gerry Cooney, he had a bandage on one knee. By the time he fought Mike Tyson, he had bandages on both knees. He was on the way out. On the other hand, Mike Tyson lost to Buster Douglas, Danny Williams and Kevin McBride, fighters Mike Tyson could have beaten with one hand behind his back. I have a story running today on Marvis Frazier. I talk about the psychology of boxing. Marvis Frazier lost in one round to Mike Tyson, yet went the distance defeating James Tillis, who also went the distance with Mike Tyson. So, Hot Boy, you’ve been in many training camps. Have you been in training camps and in the gym and in sparring with fighters who use a lot of psychology.”
Winfred Harris: “You mean like talking?”
Robert Brizel: “Yes. I grew up with Zab Judah, one of the great talkers and ring talk psychologists I have ever seen. Zab knew how to sell tickets. He knew how to get inside somebody’s head. He didn’t necessarily win, but he could sell a lot of tickets, and talk a lot of trash to generate interest before a fight. So what have you seen?”
Winfred Harris: “Not a lot of it. I’ve seen some guys tell you what they’re gonna hit you with, and they’re so fast they’re still gonna hit you with it. I experienced more of that back in my amateur day. As a pro, I don’t really see or hear any of that.”
Robert Brizel: “So, Hot Boy, now that you are back on the correct railroad track, how often would you like to fight in Detroit, and in 2022 and 2023.”
Winfred Harris: “I’m just looking for good fights now. My record’s up there. I’ve got the experience. I’m looking for good fights. I’m not looking to fight a lot if the money’s right, probably two to three times (fights) a year. If the money’s right. “
Robert Brizel: “It all depends where you are. Everyone is not Archie Moore. In the present moment, fight opportunities and the number of cards are limited. There were three boxing cards and one MMA card this weekend. The United Kingdom has shut down.”
Winfred Harris: “Due to COVID-19.”
Robert Brizel: “Yes, and as you said earlier in the interview, promoters have to get approvals for everything. So what are your predictions for Herrera?”
Winfred Harris: “I’m gonna knock him out.”
Robert Brizel: “Schedule for eight rounds. I wonder if your bout will last that long. I find during the pandemic everyone is trying to get a couple rounds in.”
Winfred Harris: “Yeah. Sure enough.”
Robert Brizel: When you went in with Kenneth Council last November in Cleveland Heights, he came at you and you gave him one round to see what he could do, then you closed the show (second round knockout win). So, you’re more direct. When you step in the ring, you feel your opponent out?”
Winfred Harris: “yeah. For the first round. Open him up so he’ll try to take me with something. Then close the show.”
Robert Brizel: “The late great Carlos Monzon never knocked out an opponent in the first round. Monzon would always spot his opponent one round, see what they had got, then go back to his corner and trainer Amilicar Brusa and formulate the game plan.”
Winfred Harris: “Yeah. You got to (approach the game plan that way).”
Robert Brizel: “So, what is your timetable? Would you like to fight for a world title in 2023 or 2024?”
Winfred Harris: “I’d say 2023.”
Robert Brizel: Does that have a lot to do with all of these titles going to be sprung open?”
Winfred Harris: “Yeah. For sure (by Saul Canelo Alvarez).”
Robert Brizel: “You know when these titles get matched they are going to match you hard (against the best). They might put you in with former world champion Anthony Dirrell or David Benavidez.”
Winfred Harris: “Yeah. I’ve sparred Dirrell. Benavidez used cocaine (Benavidez tested positive for Benzoylegonine last August, an ingredient in cocaine, with VADA).”
Robert Brizel: To me, today, the most important thing is that a fighter tests clean. Have you fought Josue Obando?”
Winfred Harris: “I fought him. I beat him by six round decision (in Detroit in October 2018). I would like to fight Benavidez, Canelo, GGG and Danny Jacobs at 168. Danny Jacobs would be a good fight.”
Robert Brizel: How much time did you have to prepare for Herrera?”
Winfred Harris: “Three weeks, but we were in the gym before that. I have been in the gym since I knocked out Council in the second round last October.”
Robert Brizel: “Let’s talk about your fans and friends from Detroit. You have a lot of fans and friends coming out (to see you fight). Are you excited about that?”
Winfred Harris: “Yeah. It’s gonna be cool. There’s gonna be a lot of people waiting to see my fight. It’s gonna be fun. It’s gonna make me (encourage me) to get the knockout real quick.”
Robert Brizel: “Are you looking for a quick knockout, or are you looking to break him (Herrera) down?’
Winfred Harris: “I’m looking to break him down. I want to break him down early.”
Robert Brizel: “The veterans try to hold and survive, and drag the bout into the late rounds, hoping the other guy will get tired, but it never happens that way.”
Robert Brizel “A number of my friends have gotten involved in this Triller boxing with an equal three-sided triangular ring. It’s weird. What do you think of it? It’s not boxing, it’s not MMA.”
Winfred Harris: “It’s just a little fun. It brings a lot of attention back to boxing. It’s like fantasy football. Have fun.”
Robert Brizel: “I want to wish you the best of luck, hot boy, and I predict a knockout between rounds four and seven, or a stoppage. Let’s see how I do.”
Winfred Harris: “Let’s see how I do.”
On January 23, 2022, Winfred Harris won an eight round unanimous decision over Esau Herrera by scores of 79-73, 79-73 and 77-75 in their eight round bout, in the preliminary bout to the main event.
Robert Brizel: “Real Combat Media scored your bout 79-73 in your favor, Winfred. Herrera was throwing low blows, rabbit punches, leaning with his head, shoving you to the canvas. Did you realize in the first round he was going to take the fight dirty?”
Winfred Harris: “No. I didn’t. I was just going out there at first. I actually tried to knock him out right away, but then I had to take my time and settle down. I started landing everything.”
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