Q&A: Kirkland dicusses his chin, his future, Alvarez - Next

RingTV.com: How far away are you from being among the best fighters in the sport, pound-for-pound?

JK: I just need to be put in there with those types of fighters who have those types of rankings. I want to be in those types of fights. I want to be in there with the fighters who are known as the best and who have been put out there as the best. So, this is what is really, really catchy.

But when you get in my position, and people see that I'm a southpaw who hits hard with both hands and can take a punch, and he keeps coming, you do the math. How many people are smart enough to say, "Do I take a James Kirkland or do I take the other dude and get paid the same amount of money?"

Most often, they're going to say, "I'm going to go with a right-hander that's not going to throw as many punches or come as hard as a left-hander like a James Kirkland." They're going to take the other person rather than this southpaw James Kirkland, because he comes with too much heat and too much animosity for the game.

That's what's the difference between me and the easier person.They do not want to fight James Kirkland because James Kirkland's going to come with it. I've got that drive, still, and a lot of people lose that drive and that focus.

But I still have it, and a lot of people would just rather not deal with that. I understand that, because a fight with James Kirkland, you know, that's scary for a lot of people.

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Photo by Roberto Fernandez / Hoganphotos-Golden Boy Promotions

Photo by Chris Cozzone, Fightwireimages.com

Photo by Roberto Fernandez / Hoganphotos-Golden Boy Promotions

Lem Satterfield can be reached at lemuel.satterfield@gmail.com