TODD KIDD ON RIVAN CESAIRE: “I’M NOT LOOKING PAST THIS FIGHT”

By Aus-Boxing.com

TODD Kidd isn’t allowing himself to look past Rivan Cesaire.
The former AIS scholarship holder, who has also represented Australia at both the Commonwealth and Olympic Games, will get his second chance at capturing an Australian title as a professional on Saturday night.
Standing in his way is former foe and reigning Australian welterweight titleholder Rivan Cessaire (13-5-1, 3 KOs), who has also featured at the Commonwealth Games while holding a decision win over Kidd dating back to 2011.
Kidd is looking to make amends for his stop-start journey as a professional by avenging a loss and fulfilling the promise that had many talking about the highly credentialed amateur, well before he ditched his singlet.
“The last fight I had was back in September 2014,” said Kidd in an interview with Aus-Boxing. “In that year I had some bad cuts over the left eye. So I decided to seek some advice and thought it was best to take a break,”
“I’ve had what’s been over eighteen months away, which has been good. I felt it was the best option at the time.”
“I’ve stayed in the gym the whole time and stayed active, the passion is still there. It’s just been a matter of timing and making sure everything has been coming on right. I’ve been keen to go around again,”
“I wanted a good challenge and that’s what I’ve now got on my hands with Rivan Cesaire.”
For Kidd (12-2-2, 6 KOs) coming back to the sport was about achieving a goal he set at the start of his professional career, capturing the national title. Having unsuccessfully challenged for the title in a previous attempt at light welterweight several years earlier, Kidd is excited by his latest challenge at hand.
“It’s an exciting fight – it’s what I’ve needed to get me up – to be honest,” he explained. “The Australian title is the Mecca in Australian boxing. I’ve missed out before and it was a long time ago now,”
“I’m up at welterweight now and feel more comfortable at this weight,”
“I’ve put in a lot of hard work; it’s definitely the fight I want. It’s not about revenge from the last time we last met in Melbourne, but I know it’s a great fight and I know it’s a challenge for me. I feel we are quite similar fighters.”
“I’m a waiter and I respect that Cesaire is a very good counter puncher.”
“I’m expecting him to be similar to when I last fight him,” he added. “I have a plan in changing a few things up. But really I’m expecting when it comes down to it, what comes out of you naturally is what works.”
Despite being in a good place both physically and mentally, the 31-year-old is refusing to commit to a future beyond his fight against Cesaire. As far as his concerned, Kidd is taking his career on a fight-by-fight basis.
“I’m not looking past this fight,” he concluded. “It’s going to be one at a time for me. I’ll re-evaluate things after. If the body holds up and I feel I’m still enjoying it, it’s going to be one at a time.”
“To be honest, I’ve had more rounds for this fight than I’ve had for any fight. So I’m feeling a lot more comfortable in the ring. That’s probably been the biggest difference between this and other fights,”
“In the past, I’ve had a hard time keeping sparring going with injuries a couple of years back. Even for my last Australian title fight – I suffered a few cuts going in – so it was hard to get the constant rounds.”
“I’ve had such a good camp and touch wood I’ve had no injuries, which is just fantastic.”