On Friday, May 22, 2015, Featherweight contender Eric “The Outlaw” Hunter (20-3, 10 KOs) headlines a night of boxing on Fox Sports 1/Fox Deportes brought to you by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions. Hunter takes on Antonio Escalante (29-7, 20 KOs) in a 10-round bout in which The Outlaw has promised not only an entertaining night, but also smart boxing.
For those not familiar with Hunter’s career, it comes with a unique story filled with ups and downs. Hunter started his boxing career with an impressive amateur background that led to him being an alternate on the 2004 US Olympic team.
Following struggles with promotional companies and management Hunter now finds himself under the Golden Boy umbrella and is looking to make a statement in 2015. I caught up with him to speak about his past, his upcoming fight and what to expect from him in the future.
Round By Round Boxing: Eric you’re back in the ring this Friday fighting on the Golden Boy card, how are you feeling in the lead up to your bout?
Eric Hunter: I’m very excited. I’m very happy for the opportunity given to me to be able to fight a tough competitor like Escalante.
RBRBoxing: It’s no secret that you have had your fair share of highs and lows throughout your career and you always find a way to bounce back. How does it feel now to have Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy in your corner?
EH: It’s good! It’s sort of a dream come true to be honest. All I hope for is with my hard work and with the help of Golden Boy we can bring a world title back to my state.
RBRBoxing: For some of the fans out there that don’t know your background, your story, or history, how would you describe Eric “The Outlaw” Hunter to them?
EH: Simple. He’s a fighter. I would say that he’s one of the top Featherweights skill for skill and he’s someone I would keep my eye on for sure because he’s heading for bigger and better things.
RBRBoxing: That’s a pretty solid answer. What are some of your main goals for 2015?
EH: First things first, I want to bring a Featherweight title to Philadelphia. That is by far my biggest objective.
RBRBoxing: Let’s talk a little about that. You do hail from Philly, but correct me if I’m wrong, you don’t like to be referred to as a “Philly Fighter.” Why is that?
EH: I don’t. Because I’m not a Philly Fighter, I’m from Philly. Philly fighters are mostly known for getting beat up and getting knocked out. I don’t get knocked out. I want to be known as a great fighter not just another Philly guy.
RBRBoxing: I know you took a lot of mentorship from the late great Emanuel Steward. Can you tell us a little about your experiences with him?
EH: Well he was really like a father figure to me. Emanuel treated me really good and he taught me a lot about the ins and outs of the boxing industry. One thing that he always told me was that I shouldn’t worry about no one but myself. Once you’re in that ring it’s you and only you and no one can take anything from you. He always pushed me to have confidence in anything and everything I was going to do in the ring.
RBRBoxing: It definitely sounds like he played a big part in your career and growing as a fighter. Lets move forward to this weekend. What are you expecting from Antonio Escalante and what does he bring to the table?
EH: Well I know he’s a competitor. I know that he’s gonna come to fight and I’ve also heard he’s got a one-hitter-quitter like punch so I know I can’t take him lightly. I’ll be ready for anything.
RBRBoxing: Obviously, I know that you’re not going to look past Escalante, but lets just say that you do go home with a win this weekend, would someone like Gary Russell Jr., or Vasyl Lomachenko interest you?
EH: Why wouldn’t they? They have world titles don’t they? [Laughs] They have titles that I want so of course I want to fight them, but that time will come. Right now my focus is on this Friday.
RBRBoxing: Lastly Eric, do you have a message to your fans and what they can expect on Friday?
EH: I want to say thank you to all my fans and for all the support. I think the fans are going to enjoy a great night of boxing on Friday. Expect a lot of smart boxing that night.
RBRBoxing: Well we look forward to seeing you on Friday Eric, best of luck and thanks for the interview.
EH: Thanks for having me.
