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In an interview NoSmokeSport, boxer Anees Taj discussed his upcoming rematch with Viddal Riley, scheduled for June 16th, 2023 at York Hall. Taj expressed confidence and asserted that he has analyzed the mistakes he made in their first bout which ended in a TKO victory for Riley due to a cut over Taj’s eye. Taj believes that Riley's fitness was lacking in their initial encounter and challenges him to have addressed this weakness. He pointed out that in the first three rounds of their previous fight, it was evident that Riley was struggling with stamina.
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0:00
I know exactly what I did right and what I did wrong in the fight sort of thing
0:04
Hopefully in these three months you sorted his fitness out because that was an issue for him last time
0:08
Boxer made me make two videos calling Vidal out about the rematch
0:12
Go back and watch it. See his face at the end of that third round. He went back to the corner blowing
0:18
And when the fourth round started, the camera panned to him and he was sucking up the air very hard
0:23
If he thinks the first fight was hard, you know, if he thinks he was in a fight, that was heaven to me
0:30
I'll bring them to hell this time. This is Lee Brown for No Smoke Sport
0:37
joined this evening by Anise Tage. Enise, how are you doing? I'm good, mate. How are you
0:43
Very well, very well. So I've got you on tonight to discuss your upcoming fight with Vidal Riley
0:50
Going in straight in with the rematch, and it's come around quite quickly. It has, which is, I guess, a good thing
1:00
bad thing so um there's i know exactly what i did right and what i did wrong in the fight sort
1:08
of thing um and i'm going to build on the stuff i was doing right build on how i was hurting him
1:15
and you know there's only so much he can improve in a few months you know in theory will he look
1:22
at it as he's won so he doesn't really need to improve he was you know doing things that were
1:27
working for him, but, you know, we'll see come next Friday, we'll see just exactly what's
1:34
happened. Hopefully, in these three months, you sorted his fitness out because that was an issue
1:38
for him last time. How has the rematch come about so soon? Was it a two-fight deal discussed
1:43
initially, or is it because of the way the last fight ended that talks began
1:52
I can't go into detail, and I don't want to go into detail just yet, but there was talks
1:57
of me being on the show against someone else. And then whilst we were proceeding with that
2:06
then my manager said to me, look, we've got the rematch. So it was pretty much, he was like, look, this is what we wanted
2:13
which is straight after the fight. I had a bad taste in my mouth
2:20
Boxer made me make two videos calling Vidal out about the rematch
2:25
Because, let's put it, in an easy way, you know, I'll get loads of people calling me names and stuff
2:31
Oh, you're silly all this because of what happened. But from what I saw, from what a lot of people I know who have spoke to me off the record
2:38
you know, even on the record, it was two one, two rounds to one
2:42
I won the second. He won the first and the third was closer, but you give it to him because of the cup
2:50
So I was still very much in there, yet he was blowing quite badly
2:55
his fitness wasn't issue for him in that fight. So would he have been the same in round four, five and six
3:04
which is why I was pleading to the doctor to let me have one more round? That's why we have a cup man
3:10
You know, the adrenaline they use in the cart, it takes a minute to work
3:15
So you got a minute in the corner So let say by the time you sit down it 10 seconds in By the time I get out it be another 10 seconds for the adrenaline to actually fully work And then you know it shouldn bleed unless it gets hit again
3:29
So that's why I wanted another round because I knew he was blowing very badly
3:35
And if you go back and watch it, you know, and if anyone wants to say I'm, you know, talking rubbish, whatever
3:40
it's all good and well, go back and watch it. See his face at the end of that third round. He went back to the corner blowing
3:46
and when the fourth round started, the camera panned to him and he was sucking up the air very hard
3:52
So there are things that I took from that that I believe is better for me
4:00
And, you know, the fact that the rematch has happened, I'm happy for it
4:05
You mentioned there about the cut. I was ringside that night and it did appear that the doctor actually, the bleeding did seem to have stopped
4:12
and the doctor opened the cut himself. Is that what you sort of felt happened as well
4:17
Yep. And going off what you've said, a lot of people on Twitter have come off on that
4:23
And the main guy that, and I don't like using Twitter as an example, you know
4:28
but when someone of a stature of Adam Booth, you know, quality trainer
4:33
he knows what he's talking about. When he comes to boxing, he even said the doctor shouldn't have touched the cut
4:38
Because what the doctor essentially did was he come in and he sort of just pushed it up
4:44
which he shouldn't be doing. He should have come and had a look at the cut
4:48
because that's what he's called up for. Just like we saw with Joe Joyce
4:52
they had a look at the eye. Can you see? Can you not, whatnot
4:56
At that point in time, I could see there was no blood in the eye. So I should have been given the benefit of the doubt
5:00
to go on to, let's say, another minute. And if it opened up again badly
5:05
then you can call it. You know, then you've given chance for it to work
5:09
or given the quantity of chance. But the doctor shouldn't have put his hands on the cup
5:14
Yeah, it looks like that's what opened it back up. Obviously, so there's unfinished business there
5:21
There was a bit of needle in the build-up to the first fight. Do you think Vidal Riley's up for the rematch
5:28
Do you think he wanted, was calling for this like you were? I'm not going to go into detail about that
5:36
I know a few things about how the rematch came about, how it got agreed, etc
5:44
um but let's just say this i don't think i was his first choice right i don't think it was his
5:52
second choice either so take that how you want come uh head to head press conference all that
5:59
then you you'll get what what i'm talking about because i'm going to bring it all out then
6:03
uh but for now that's the most i'll say well i don't think i was his first choice or second
6:08
choice him or his teams so you're promising there's a revelation to come out in fight week that
6:14
regarding the fight and who he was going to fight? Yeah, it will come out as to when he was fighting, who he was fight
6:24
Not so much who. I can't really speak on who he was agreeing to fight and who they were looking at
6:30
because that's confidential with boxer and their team. I found out so I can you know I can say it off the record to people but I wasn the person he was looking at fighting That just about as much as I can say at the moment from what I know
6:49
But we'll ask, we'll ask Vidal myself, I'll ask him, see what you're saying
6:53
Yeah, okay, mate. In terms of the cut, how is that effective preparation
6:58
Did it heal quite well? And have you prepared any differently for this camp
7:03
No, preparations haven't been different. gone in essentially the same as last camp
7:11
The only difference is I've got a scar on my face. But I know personally my eyes, you know, I've got protruding eyebrows
7:24
So, you know, my eyes a little bit set back. My eyebrows are sticking out a little bit
7:28
So it's something that is going to happen. Maybe there wasn't enough Vaseline on my face
7:33
I don't know. It's all, you know, if. watts, maybe, but and in the day, look, you got the cut
7:38
I didn't get the chance to actually go forward. It had stopped bleeding, but
7:42
the preparation has been good. It's been the same, if not better than last time
7:48
I feel like I'm in a good place. Okay. And how do you think this fight will differ
7:54
to the first fight? It will differ because it will depend on how Bidal comes in
8:04
because he was talking about, oh, he didn't hurt me all this
8:11
You know, in the second round, his legs buckled quite badly. His hands went up, went into protection mode, which is all fair and well
8:20
So he knows I've got the power to affect him. He doesn't have the power to affect me
8:26
So all depends on how he'll come into this. His corner team was shouting, boxing, boxing
8:32
But this time, I guess. gave him a little bit of respect in the first fight. I was, yeah, I was rushing in a little bit, but I was still trying to take my time
8:41
whereas this time, I know he can't affect me. I'm just going to walk through everything, walk through him
8:45
And, you know, I take it as is continuation of round four of the first fight
8:51
This isn't a new fight for me. So I said in the first fight, I'll take him out by round six
8:56
So if this is round four going in, I've got two rounds to do it. Okay
9:01
Obviously, in the build-up to the first fight, like I said earlier, there's a bit. a needle. Is there, after you've now shared the room with him once, is there a bit of a mutual
9:07
respect there? There was always respect first, but I just don't like when people want to call me
9:13
a journeyman, want to call me stuff like this, essentially say, why is he fighting a bin man
9:20
I don't like that. You know, I'm not in boxing to turn up for a payday. That's not
9:28
I've got, you know, I've got a law degree. I've got my family business. You know
9:33
know, it's very well. So I've never been found needing stuff or wanting stuff
9:41
So boxing isn't, I don't box for the money. And like I said, in the buildup of that fight
9:48
I could have, I could have old fighting for free. I don't have an issue. And I have in the past fought for free, essentially
9:55
So it people I deserve respect And people want to look at me in a way are the Dow all this just because he kissed the YouTubers are essentially
10:09
got himself up there with kids who don't know about boxing, really
10:13
The people who know about boxing, no, yeah, he's good, but he's also susceptible, just like myself
10:18
I'm good, but also susceptible. You know, I've been in the same. As a junior, he might have done a bit
10:24
but as a senior, he did nothing. you know, essentially, I might have done a bit more than him as a senior
10:31
because that's when I actually started boxing. So there's neutral respect, but he's not going to get any from me
10:38
same as last time. It's all one and the same. If they want to show me some respect, then maybe they'll get some back
10:44
But that's what he is. From the three rounds that you shared, is he the best that you've been in with
10:52
though, would you say? And the three rounds we shared, no. I weren't in there thinking
11:01
someone asked me this before, did you feel like you were in there with a future world champion, no? I didn't feel, to be fair
11:09
okay, let me reiterate, let me re-ask your question, or clarify what you mean
11:17
Best I've been in a fight, is that what you're meaning? Just in a professional boxing fight with
11:25
in a professional boxing fight, no, in a in a ring as a professional boxer
11:32
be that sparring or whatever, nowhere near. Okay. I've been, I've spared
11:38
and last time he said, I don't want, I don't talk about sparring in all this
11:42
you know, this guy said this, this guy said that, whatever. I've shared the ring with
11:47
the people along the lines of Arson Gullimirian, WBA Super World Champion at Cruzeaway
11:53
You know, I was in the ring with him, And I was like, you know what, this guy is good, different gravy
11:57
When you're doing four minute rounds, it's a different, different level of, different kettle of fish
12:03
Spider Richards, Craig. You know, you're like, yeah, you know what this guy is, you know, the cream of the crop
12:10
Yeah. So, you know, he's not the best I've been. And I wasn't shocked by anything he did
12:15
I wasn't surprised. Essentially, the fight went, bar the car. It went how I expected it to go
12:21
I was expecting to come into it come the fourth, fifth round, because I knew he'd
12:25
fall off and gas. Okay. Okay. And yeah, just to close this out, mate, I'm going to sort of pass it over to you and see
12:34
whether you've got a message for Vidal Riley ahead of your rematch
12:38
I've got a little message for him, but I think I'm going to save that for the face-to-face
12:42
because there's a little bit of stuff he said in interviews that I'm going to get him on
12:48
But I'll do that at the press conference, I think. But aside from that, I just hope he's ready
12:55
I hope he's done his running. I hope he's got his hard rounds in camp, you know
12:59
gotten all the hard work done because come 16th of June, it's another hard night
13:04
And if he thinks the first fight was hard, you know, if he thinks he was in a fight
13:10
that was heaven to me. I'll bring him to hell this time. And he
13:14
Saj, good luck in your rematch next week, and thank you very much for taking the time with us
13:19
Thank you
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