On “Q” Sports recently spoke with Phillip Jackson-Benson, who is quickly making a name for himself in the super-middle weight division in Boxing. The 29-year-old native of New York, is 13-1 with 12 KO’s and is prepping for a possible upcoming fight in July.
Jackson-Benson took time out Wednesday before training to talk about his recovery from a hand injury he suffered during his last bout, his signing with Al Haymon, and why he wants to expose every undefeated prospect out there and what makes him a dangerous man at 168lbs.
Rich: You have been on a tear of late, winning your last 10 fights, the last two in dominating fashion. Both of those bouts were for titles. Talk about the Scott Sigmon fight for the then vacant WBC United States (USNBC) super middleweight title. Nice win for you?
Phil: “Scott is a tough guy, a tough fighter, I predicted a KO in the seventh road or so, I messed my right hand up in the second round. I had to rely and use my left and hooks, I caught him with a left upper cut to the nose, really messed him up, broke his nose. He actually said to the ref “that is it for me, no more”. He is the one that actually stopped the fight.”
Rich: How is your hand right now?
Phil: “It is great man, much better, Scott just kept putting his head down when I threw my right, like he planned it, and I just caught that and hurt the hand. But it is better, it feels great, it hurt a bit when I first started sparring after the Sigmon fight. I had to wait for about six months or so, it was really messed up, but now it is fine. I am using bigger gloves to spar with, 18oz gloves. I feel great.”
Rich: The fight before that, against Maxwell Taylor, you got another belt. You could have defended that, even though it is more of a regional belt but you didn’t. Any reason, or was it just to get some jewelry and move on?
Phil: “They came to me with that opportunity for the FECARBOX title when I fought Taylor. It is regional like you said, but an accomplishment for me, it was a good win.”
Rich: You are now signed with Haymon, first do you have a date or venue set for your next fight? And second, give us the details on how you were approached and such. Walk me through it.
Phil: “Well, I am looking to fight in July, still up in the air, they asked me when I was ready and I told them July 1st, I am on. My hand is perfect, like I said after the Sigmon fight, it was bad, it was getting better and I started to spar and I hit this dude on his elbow and re-inured it. But I am ready to go now. I am good.”
Rich: Take me through the process of being courted by Haymon.
Phil: “It was actually right before the Sigmon fight, they were actually looking at me, it just really happed on it’s own. They came to the fight and after told Al, this guy can do something here, and Al was like ok, lets talk to him. After the fight we had a meeting with Al, they found out my background, they knew I beat all the top prospects and stuff and if I beat them in the amateurs then I can beat them in the pros. I have been. I won’t name names, but there are guys that have belts and that are undefeated but they are being protected by their promotional team.”
Rich: They are ducking you, or you feel like they are getting the fights and you are not?
Phil: “If they are in my weight class, I will stop them. If they are there and I do not stop them, then it is a loss for me.”
Rich: I get the sense that you are a guy who is not cocky, but confident in yourself. But what I also see is this guy who has a big chip on his shoulder and he wants to show the world that he is a bad man. Is that accurate?
Phil: (Laughing) “Yeah, Rich, that is pretty good man, that is pretty accurate. Yeah man that analysis is accurate. I am glad you picked up on that. Look, I know my worth, when I get in the ring, I will prove it. I have not been able to get in the ring and now if they offer me money in these fights, and if the dude is standing I will lose. If the guys fight on their own cards, by their own promoters you lose, you get robbed, they rob you blind. You know how it works. I will take the fight, but if my team says let’s wait, then we wait. I have been waiting for a long time, we can fight anyone on an even level playing field. With Al, if I get the 10 or 12 round fights, I am stopping them there will be no decision.”
Rich: Are you talking about anyone specifically?
Phil: “If they are in my weight class I will stop them, if they are still standing then that is a loss for me. From my eyes, I watch all these fights on TV, and these guys in real life outside the ring, I respect, as a fighter in the ring, I do not believe anyone on TV belongs in the ring with me, not at 168lbs. Only person is Andre Ward, I like to stress that. I am not going to be cocky, but I worked very hard, I train very hard with my trainer. He is the best. Adrian Davis has taught me a lot. Man, he is just the best since I came to DC. Man, he trained like 14 world champions.”
Rich: You turned pro in 2008, you had over 50 amateur fights and you are 29-years-old. You never know how long of shelf-life of a boxer is, it is fact of life. But you are now in your prime. Seems like the timing is everything for you?
Phil: “Everything is falling into place for me, hand was messed up and I had contract issues with my old manager. Al wanted to get me my release and the guy did not want me released, even though the contract was over. I just stayed in the gym and kept working and working and I had good people around me. Man my guy, Dominic Wade is undefeated, he will be world champ, he is my stable mate, he is talented, and he had contract issues, so it happens all the time. Now he is with Al. Yeah, timing is everything, look when I was in New York I would watch tape on guys and say I can beat this guy, I can go to DC and beat a guy, and my friends and everyone would be like, you can beat this guy, but I always had doubt someone knew more then me in the ring before I started with Adrian Davis. But he showed me so much, he showed me I can fight, I am a student of the game man, but you ask me to show you how to fight and all I can say is I can show you better then I can tell you.”
Rich: Who was the guy you were talking about in DC?
Phil: (Laughing) “Man it was Dominic. He is guaranteed champ, no one at 160lbs. can beat him at all. I have never seen a boxer like this. I have been around, almost everyone. He is going be champ.”
Rich: I want to go back to something you said before about the guys in your weight class. Some good fighters there, Derrick Webster is in my backyard as is Jesse Hart. And you mentioned Ward, are you saying you can beat all those guys expect Ward?
Phil: “Man, I do my own research, I know all about Derrick “Taking it the Bank” Webster, and Hart and they can’t beat me. I think a Ward fight would be a good one. But look at some of these guys, they are fighting bus drivers and coffee makers and they know that, they can be 15-0, 16-0, but their record is not what it is. Ok, they are padding the records, they are being protected and babied and they know it, I know it, everyone knows it.”
Rich: You think they have had it easy?
Phil: “Easy road, they are getting what I have to really work for, at the end of everything, there will be more for me. The politics put these guys on pedestals and after I stop them they are not what the politics say they are, it is working for them right now, the real stars do not get a chance because of that.”
Rich: Dusty Hernandez-Harrison is in your backyard and there are some people that think he has had handpicked opponents. He is a talented young boxer. You talk about these hot prospects, any thoughts on Dusty?
Phil: “Dusty is a friend of mine, I know him from boxing. I know his dad and they are cool, they are moving him correctly. Only he can control that when he steps up in competition. How they are picking the opposition, it is now like the B-Class, and that is tough. These are the people he needs to get past, when you have that class it gets tougher. the guy he fought on TV before. What class was he to you?”
Rich: You are talking about when he fought Michael Balasi on ESPN, he won but he also got caught and was floored, to me Balasi was a club-level fighter.
Phil: “Ok, right, but like I said, he is going get those guys that will test him and he has to get past them. I like Dusty, they are moving him the correct way.”
Rich: How have you matured as a boxer from five years ago?
Phil: “Man, five years ago if I never came here, to DC, I would not have won 12 or 13 fights. My boxing IQ is amazing now. I have never really had that. I watch film on guys, I study but now my boxing IQ is so much higher in the ring then it was. I would not be where I am today if I never came down here. I know I am not supposed to be here at this point of my career. Before I did not fit in, everyone was looking at me and saying I was a good fighter, but. Well now everyone is looking over me, the fighters they all know that. To tell you the truth, this is my life, the other fighters want to go to the clubs and party and get on TV. I have a family to take care of and I want to fight as much as possible. I just want to fight.”
Rich: You have the right person now to get you those fights and stay active.
Phil: “Yeah definitely. Right now the fights will add up, bigger venues and bigger purses. I believe I will be back in July on Showtime or SHOBOX, where ever it is, I will be ready. I am a real fighter. I do not have it easy, they want to baby these guys and get them to 18-0, 19-0, and then they get stopped when they fight someone overseas. I was being treated like I was the B-Side. I am not, I am the real deal, and they will see that.”
Rich: What should the boxing world know about you. Any message you want to convey to people?
Phil: “I really just want to expose these undefeated prospects, I want to give the world a chance to see me first before I fight a Ward, or the No.2 or No.3 guy. I won’t name names (Pause) Well, I will give you a clue. One pro just lose to this bum 61 seconds or so into the fight. I tried to get the fight, dude was better off losing to me, he lost to a 39-40 year-old guy. I will not name the guy, but come one, the guy he fought was not Bernard Hopkins. But why are you putting these guys on TV still? I do not believe they belong on TV getting these fights. One is American and the other two are not, like I said, let the world see me first. Take the fight against Sigmon and the guy tried to dictate everything, he had his own referee. he was talking to him. He head-butted me, but when the bell sounds and rings nothing can save you, I am not a dirty fighter. But I will beat you up, KO you, make you quit, or thrown in the towel, you are not beating me. I do not have time to wait, I do not have time to be valiant, I have been waiting and now I am ready, I can beat these guys. I am really looking to make a statement on anyone in my weight class, for the fans, at 168lbs. I guarantee they can not beat me, 110% I will win. I am not cocky, I just work. Like I said, I can show you better then tell you.”
Rich: Most important question. Knicks just hired Derek Fisher as head coach. Thoughts?
Phil: “I do not know what they are doing, man whatever it is, it is not working. They try anyone and anything and it doesn’t work. They are cursed.”
Rich: Always great speaking with you and catching up?
Phil: “Thanks Rich, and do not forget to plug my twitter and instagram, come on, get people following me.” (Laughing).
Rich: Done deal. Follow Phill on twitter @IamPhilJackson and Instagram at IamPhilJackson and like him on F/Book.
Rich Quiñones is an award winning broadcaster and the lead blow-by-blow Boxing voice for GFL.tv and Go Fight Live’s Boxing on Comcast. He has sat ringside calling the action with Monte Barrett, Brian Adams, Amir Mansour, Danny Garcia, James Kirkland, Mark Breland, Ronnie Shields, Teddy Atlas and Lou DiBella, while broadcasting over 125 bouts for GFL in 2013-2014.
Rich Quiñones is an award winning broadcaster and journalist. He is the lead blow-by-blow Boxing voice for GFL.tv and Go Fight Live’s Boxing on Comcast. He has sat ringside calling the action with Monte Barrett, Brian Adams, Amir Mansour, Danny Garcia, James Kirkland, Mark Breland, Ronnie Shields, Teddy Atlas and Lou DiBella, while broadcasting over 125 bouts for GFL in 2013-2014.
Rich is also a contributor to Ringnews24.com and he has also handled calling the action for Muay Thai and is exclusive lead blow-by-blow voice for CFFC MMA.
You can follow Rich on twitter @ https://twitter.com/RichQonQ and Tumblr.com @ http://onqsports.tumblr.com as well as LinkedIn.
