Andy Thomas Quotes

You know it. We`re here to represent (the Tampa Bay area).

Jim Wilkes is a like a father to me. He`s a good friend. We have fun together, we golf together and we hang out. In fact, I just got off the phone with him and our relationship hasn`t changed. He advised me, but I never paid him to be my adviser. He looks over me as a friend and will always do that. For people to say he will not, just is not true.

I got some guys I`ll fight, and I tell Gary, and he`s got some guys, and we just have to pick the right one, ... It may not be as exciting (as his previous three fights), but you do what you can do.

I don`t regret winning [against Trinidad) because that`s what I was there for, but I thought it would be a much more exciting fight because of who I was fighting and the offense he was bringing to the fight,

I signed the contract because I knew the fans wanted to see the fight. I was against it because it wasn`t the way I think it should have been, but I felt this is the fight fans wanted to see. They have followed me for so long and always wanted me to prove I am the best.

The way he fights, he leaves himself open, but he can take the hits. It`s like Superman the way he can bounce back.

In my mind, I think they wanted too much money, ... I think it was just a ploy. I told them we`ll do it 50-50. I ain`t trying to take no money from him, but I won`t let him take no money from me. Then it got to the point where they didn`t want it 50-50. Then they wanted this and that. Then we even gave them a little better than 50-50 and they still didn`t want to take it. He just wanted to keep his name out there.

I figure I beat him and then the title (winner) got to fight me, ... We`d be No. 1 across the board. We`re real close to getting it done.

I`m the type of fighter that wants to fight for the people. I just want to fight, and when it`s over, people will say that he fought and beat the best and should be considered one of the best.

We just saw the two best contenders fight each other. I told everybody that this would be a great fight. We both traveled the long road to get here, and he wasn`t going to give up.