Ahead of this weekend’s fight between former NFL running backs Adrian Peterson and Le’Veon Bell, both appeared for their final press conference and talked about their training for this fight and how their experience as professional athletes in football might carry over into the ring. Check out some excerpts of what both had to say about Saturday’s matchup below with some video highlights above.
Le’Veon Bell on his thoughts on facing Adrian Peterson and his preparations for the fight
“I think I’ve got a great opponent,” Bell said. “I get to be in front of a lot of people and showcase my skills and show what I been working hard on.
“I’ve just been doing a lot of, obviously, running, a lot of rounds on the mitts, a lot of sparring. I understand AP one of those guys — look at his football career — he’s one of those guys that always come in shape, he’s always in better shape than everybody else, he works hard. So I just tried my best to meet that level, try to exceed that level if I can.”
Adrian Peterson on what he’s learned during his boxing training that he’s looking to display this weekend
“Really learning how to pick your shots, being smart. People look at my football style and of course I’ve been able to transition that into the ring as well. But in football I was able to be a little out of control at times, and in boxing you have to be really precise and pick where you gonna try to deliver that knockout blow.”
Peterson on if he believes their respective running styles will translate to what we’ll see in the ring
“Yeah, but kind of like I just said, boxing is a totally different ballgame. So you have to be patient, you have to understand where you need to deliver your blows and when as well. So I’m not just gonna be out there throwing haymakers — that wouldn’t be my style if I didn’t play football the way I did. You got to be smart, this is a different arena when you in that ring, you gotta be smart, pick your shots, and be good with your defense.”
Peterson’s prediction for Saturday night
“At the end of the day I’m leaving with a W.”
Bell’s prediction for the fight
“I’m obviously confident in myself so I’m obviously going into the ring to showcase my skills to the world, show people why I’m here, why I’m doing this.”