© Marc Wickert
www.knucklepit.com

18 Jan.'07

Silverbacks' heavyweight, Ben Rothwell, has just finished training after hitting the mitts with Pat Miletich and doing some technique drills. But he's taking things a bit easier today after his grueling workout the day before.

"Yesterday we had one of our workouts where we do a circuit incorporating a series of 12 different lifts – two exercises for each body part, then we run for eight minutes, before repeating the process another two times," says Rothwell.

"You go through it as quickly as possible, doing reps of 15 on each exercise, then get on the treadmill, and start again. So I'm kinda resting up from that, plus we did a lot of sparring last night."

Although the Silverbacks won the IFL World Team Championship Final on December 29, they have to compete again on February 2nd against Bas Rutten's Anacondas – the team Steve Rusk regards as being one of their toughest challenges.

And Ben admits it's a challenge backing up with just over a month between events: "It is hard – I'm okay because I'm in great shape and I got out of my fight unscathed, but some of the other guys had tougher fights, and with just one month… Luckily, after we get through this, we get more time in between, so we're looking forward to a break after the Anacondas.

[News in from Ben at time of printing: "Rory's out due to an eye injury."]

"Everybody looks really good – Rory is ready to come back, to make up for the last one, so he's excited about that."

Interestingly, Rothwell shares accommodation above the Team Miletich gym with fellow Silverbacks Rory Markham and Ryan McGivern.

Ben, who's the rowdiest one of your flatmates? You'd be the quiet one, wouldn't you?

"I'm in the middle: Mike C (Ciesnolevicz) is the rowdiest."

But he doesn't flat with you guys.

"Yeah, well everybody's real quiet up here, and then Mike C comes and visits before practice, and then it's chaos. Then we go down to training, and it's still chaos. It doesn't quieten down until he goes home."

So Mike C's a bad influence, is he?

"Yeah, he's terrible – he's always causing trouble." (laughs)

That goes in the article, doesn't it?

"Sure."

You were saying how loud the Quad City crowd was when the Silverbacks fought the Pitbulls. How was the Mohegan Sun crowd?

"It wasn't quite as intense, but after I head-kicked my opponent, they went crazy."

Did Quad City fans travel to Connecticut for the final?

"Not so much: My family did and some of Rory's friends did; Bart had a good group of people, but not like fans from here."

You've won your last eight fights now: Are you looking at double figures, or don't you look that far ahead?

"I don't plan on losing any – I train to win every time – and I don't look further ahead than the next fight."

Read the full article on Knucklepit.com.