Gavin Rees gets his shots in as the war of words begins (From South Wales Argus)

Gavin Rees gets his shots in as the war of words begins

4:33pm Wednesday 13th February 2013 in Sport By Michael Pearlman

BRONER v REES WORLD TITLE FIGHT

GAVIN Rees pulled no punches at his first face to face meeting with WBC lightweight world champion Adrien Broner ahead of their fight on Saturday night, telling the young American: “Even your own fans don’t like you”.

The pair were thrust in front of the cameras in Manhattan with Rees’ trainer Gary Lockett writing in the Argus that the pair would walk out if unbeaten Broner indulged in his usual trash talk.

As it was, Newbridge boxer Rees, bidding to become a two-weight world champion, is the one who did the most confrontational commenting.

After Broner sat in Rees’ seat and then picked up his name card and announced he didn’t know who he was, he went on to call Rees a ‘melon head’ and a ‘cabbage head’ before declaring himself the best fighter of his generation.

In response, Rees made it very clear that his opponent is motivating him nicely.

“You’re one cocky ****,” Rees said. “What will you say about that, when I knock you out cold Saturday night?”

Broner grinned and rep-lied: “You’re just a target. It will be target practice. How can I miss that head? How can I?”

Rees continued: “I’m going to knock this **** out Saturday night and I can’t wait.

“His attitude stinks man.

“He shows fighters no respect, but he hasn’t even earned the right to do that. What has he done? I’ve been in the States for five weeks now and American boxing fans don’t like him.

“They tell me they hope I beat him and shut him up. I think he acts like a fool for no reason and no one really likes that.”

Rees also believes Broner is overhyped.

“Who has he fought? I’ve seen his fights and half of those guys just stood in front of him letting him dictate the pace of the fight,” he said.

“I’m not going to let him do that.

“This is the first fight that I have trained away from home because I’m going to show him I’m no walk in the park.

“I’ve never been stopped. I can take him out in the first round, but I am ready to go into deep water if I have to.

“Either way, I have trained hard and will be ready to dictate the pace of the fight and not let him get away with a lot of what other fighters have let him do.

“I have to watch for his right uppercut which he throws from down low, but he’s not the best on his feet either. Work rate is going to be important.”

Broner insists that his bravado is merely genuine self-belief.

“What can I say? I’m 23. I’m young and I’m getting it.

“I don’t underestimate him (Rees).

“If we stood face-to-face, I probably couldn’t see him, but I respect him as a fighter.

“I respect every fighter because only a boxer knows what we go through once we get into that ring.

“Training camp was great. We don’t watch tape. I’ve never seen him fight before.”