Emanuel Steward Quotations

You look at boxing being an international, world-famous sport, right up there next with soccer, and there's only two fighters the people want to see fight. Two little fellows, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather.

My favorite hobby is being alone. I like to be alone. I also like dancing, fishing, playing poker sometimes and vegetable gardening - corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, I have a big garden every year.

I went to a motivational training course once, a course of self-discovery, and I found out after a week that my fear - it was not a fear of not being accepted - was a very violent fear of failure.

There's not as much oxygen in that hot gym and I think it's great for conditioning. I believe in a lot of boxing. You can train and work on the speed bag and heavy bag, but when you get in the ring with another fighter, it's a different story. Punches are coming at you, there's physical contact, muscle against muscle.

I began these clinics because I want to share my years of experience in around the ring, in addition to my proven winning methods. I have seen the good and the bad. I have learned valuable lessons, which I want to pass along to those truly interested in the sport.

When I was a little kid I wanted to be an artist or a painter. But once I got into boxing, all I wanted was to box.

Hopefully in 2011 the fans will get to see some fights that they want to see. Manny Pacquiao Vs. Floyd Mayweather needs to happen, and so does David Haye Vs. Wladimir Klitschko. The fans deserve to see fights that they want to see and not just the fights that the promoters want to see.

I would love to see Wladimir Klitschko fight Antonio Tarver for many reasons. One is Tarver talks a lot; he would build up a big fight. And Tarver is coming off of a great victory. So I think he would be a good opponent.

I started boxing when I was eight. I enjoyed when I could hit someone and they couldn't hit me back. It was like a game for me. The feeling of knocking someone out. My first knockout victory was when I was ten. He went down and his nose started to bleed, so they stopped it.

I used to love to see Willie Pep and Ray Robinson. To me, the epitome of a great athlete is a great boxer. I just love the rhythm of seeing a man dance, slip punches. I loved the dancers and boxers. I would see them and be mesmerized.

If there is one abiding theme in the gym, it's the withering work in the ring. Those not fit do not survive.

For pure passion and dedication to boxing, you couldn't beat Wright. Brad wasn't a politician, but he worked so, so hard. In all my years, I have never seen anyone in boxing work as hard. This has hurt him a lot.

He was a pioneer in a lot of ways. His punching power for his size was phenomenal.

He'd lean over and whisper to me that this is never going to leave Detroit. He made me promise.

I said two years ago that the European fighters and the Africans would take control because I hate to say it their amateur system is better than our American system. They're benefiting from that good foundation, and then they're spending more time staying and training over here and getting used to a variety of styles that they don't see in Europe. They're also developing sort of a gangster mentality, whereas before their mental makeup was a little more delicate.

People are going to have to start giving him credit. He is the best heavyweight out there. Wladimir has established himself as the premier heavyweight in the division. I don't see anything out there on the horizon, even in the amateurs. I think he can dominate until he retires.

That fight with Brewster, I understand exactly what happened. I won't go into it but even if Wladimir had scored a fourth round knockout, which he was one punch away from doing, Wladimir would still have been in (serious distress) because of what he told me after the very first round. We had serious problems after the first, second round which had nothing to do with Brewster.

I wish the fight was last week. He's that prepared. I'm more confident than when Lennox Lewis fought Mike Tyson.

That's the way Peter fights. He gets in close and he hits you in the back of the head and the shoulders. That's his style. You're relaxed when you're in close because you figure you can't get hurt. And that's when he hits you with those punches, when you're vulnerable.

We get into the ring and we say, 'Welcome to big time boxing,'

Andy is performing very well in training and his punches are very sharp during sparring. A boxer's pro debut is very important so we are focused on the job.

Andy is a thoroughbred. There are a lot of people coming to see his debut.

Oscar is one of the most naturally-gifted fighters I've ever seen. When Oscar fights on his toes, he reminds me of Sugar Ray Robinson. What they have in common is, Ray punched best from his toes, and Oscar punches best from his toes. It's the opposite of what you'd expect and I don't understand it completely, but it has to do with rhythm. When Oscar stands flat-footed, he loses his punching-power.

A lot of these kids dream are to put on that jersey and not just here. That is like a dream of anybody.

It's a whole new world for him, ... He had always been the star, not his brother. The pubic has totally forgotten him because of those two losses. It's like that's the only two fights he had.

It's a mess. It's like it was 20 years ago before Mike Tyson cleaned things up. There really hasn't been a dominant heavyweight to come along since Lennox Lewis.

I never saw him being successful past 26. His style was strictly youth and instinct, based on driving through people. It never allowed for a long career. All youth and aggression, fighting with your head up front. The second you slow down, for whatever reason, you lose it. Because your face, which is 10 inches closer, isn't getting out of the way like when you were young and fast. You just can't get away with it anymore.

I personally don't think the fight is going to go 2 rounds. I think he's going to knock him out within 2 rounds.

I personally don't think the fight is going to go 2 rounds. I think he's going to knock him out within 2 rounds.

I really appreciate the fact that people have gotten together in the city of Detroit and have really supported me in this, more than I expected. People all over the world.

He thinks he'll overpower this guy, but believe me, that is not going to happen. Peter is going in with an experienced big man this time, and he's going to realize it's a big man because of the way we're going to control him. This is a very experienced man who is focused. Peter is not going to just walk through him like he did these other guys.

I don't see anyone on the horizon, even in the amateurs, that's going to beat him. He can hold the title until he retires.

The state of mind of a fighter is so important. I don't like to see a fighter stay locked up in a room. Sometimes it works against them. They think and they worry. They dwell, sitting in that dark room. You come back and they're psyched out. I like to see boxers eat and then walk, mingle with people. You have to have a certain amount of movement.