FNW Sits Down with Rolls Royce

Steve Rolls is coming soon to an arena near you.  That’s what he’s telling fans and if his past is any indication of his future then the sky is the limit for Rolls Royce.  Fight News Weekly's Tommy Herr got to sit down and talk to the boxer from Toronto when he was in at Syd Vanderpool’s club in Kitchener to spar with “Dangerous” Denton Daley for his upcoming fight. 

Q:  Tell us a about your impressive amateur career.

A:  I have been boxing since I was 15 years old (now 28).  I had 97 amateur fights and won 2 Canadian National Championships.  I also finished 10^th at the World championships in 2009.

Q:  After such a successful amateur career what are your goals in professional boxing?

A:  I have the skills to be a World Champion.  I want to fight and make money but it’s not about the money.  I want that World Championship Belt.  I train at the Grant Brothers Gym in North York and they surround me with what I need to get to the top.

Q:  You are 2-0 so far as a professional and you travelled out of province for both fights.  Talk a little bit about travelling to fight and where would you most like to fight in the future.

A:  It’s been tough finding opponents on the local scene because everyone knows about my amateur career.  Things are on the up and up now though with my new manager Todd Christie getting me fights.  As far as travelling to fight, I fought all over the world as an amateur so travelling doesn’t bother me at all.  I’d love to fight in Las Vegas and at MSG (Madison Square Garden) but I’d also really like to fight at home here in Ontario.  I want to build up a Canadian fan base.

Q:  What does Ontario as a province provide you as a boxer and what does it need to improve on in order to grow the sport of boxing?

A:  There is a good boxing scene in Ontario.  We can get a lot of different looks in sparring but I don’t think the talent is being exposed to the fullest.  Guys need to promote each other to really get the names out there.  We have the population and number of fight fans in the area but we need to continue to grow the sport through the community.

Q:  How would you describe your style as a boxer? What are your biggest strengths?

A:  I’m a boxer/puncher, who can fight in all areas.  It’s important to be adaptable to any situation.  I can box on the inside or wherever the fight goes.  I’d say my main strengths are my hand speed and my punching power.

Q:  Outside of boxing as your profession, what do you love about the sport?

A:  I love the Science of the sport.  It’s important to me to put on good exciting fights to entertain fans and bring in the bucks but I really enjoy the technical battles.  Guys like Pernell Whittaker and Bernard Hopkins that really show attention to detail in the ring.  It may not always make the most exciting fight but I love the technical side.

Q:  You mentioned earlier that you had the chance to go down to the Kronk gym in Detroit and train with the late Emanuel Steward, what an honour.  Do you have a story about him that sticks out in your mind?

A:  Yeah actually, back in April he paid for a hotel for me to go down and stay for a week and train.  He was a very giving guy who actually cared.  One night he took a group of us out for Sushi, there were a few of us Troy Ross, Adonis Stevenson, Andy Lee.  He told stories from the past about training Champions like Holyfield and Lewis.  Emanuel Steward wasn’t just a Legend for the World Champions he trained but also in character.

Q:  You are in town to spar with “Dangerous” Denton Daley for his upcoming December 1st fight at the Hershey Centre, talk a little bit about Denton and how you know him.

A:  I go way back to the amateur days with Denton.  He’s one of my best friends and he’s a great sparring partner.   He is very determined and has a ton of athletic ability and talent.  He’s such a student of the game too, I remember when he first started boxing at the Grant Brothers gym, I had already been boxing for a while so when we sparred I would get the better of him but he had so much talent and potential and he eventually caught up.

Q:  What does the immediate future hold for Steve Rolls?

A:  Right now I have a fight booked for December 8^th in Montreal (Bell Centre) so I’m training for that.  I want to stay as active as possible, I’d like to fight every 4-6 weeks.

Q: Thank you for sitting down with me today, is there anything you would like to say to the fans and people who haven’t heard of Steve Rolls?

A:  Like I said to everyone after my last fight, “Steve Rolls is coming to a theatre near you.” My goal is to provide exciting fights for the fans.  I’m creating a fan base and I’m just getting started.

                  Steve Rolls is a talented and accomplished Canadian Boxer who not only has a passion to be great but to put Toronto, Ontario and Canada on the map.  Look out for Steve December 8^th in Montreal at the Bell Centre when he takes on Ahmad Selemani in his third professional fight.