By Ismael AbduSalaam
DMX will become the latest emcee to enter the boxing world when he faces actor Eric Martinez this December.
In a recent interview on Washington D.C.’s 106.7 The Fan radio show, DMX (Earl Simmons) explained the origins of the fight and why he felt it wasn’t necessary to train for the contest.
"We got a phone call, you know, asking if I wanted to participate in it. Yeah, why not?" DMX stated. “I used to participate in…oh, nevermind. But yeah, I figured I could do it. I’m just going to walk in as it is, you know what I mean? It wouldn’t be fair if I trained.”
In a sport which suffers fatalities every year from head trauma, DMX was surprisingly unconcerned about fighting in Alabama, a state that has no organized athletic commission.
"I can fight for real though, so it is what it is,” X maintained.
Regarding his corner and entrance music, X revealed he hasn’t made any decisions yet.
"I have no idea [about my corner]…I haven’t even thought about that yet,” X admitted. "[The entrance music, I] haven’t thought about that either....More than likely I’ll pick one of my own songs, [like] 'What’s My Name.'”
According to DMX, a new album will be in stores by the first quarter of 2010. Before his legal troubles and incarceration this year, the rapper had originally planned to release a Hip-Hop and gospel LP on the same day in early 2009.
The fight card, entitled Alabama Pride, will take place in Birmingham on December 12 at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex.
Tickets can be obtained through ticketmaster.com.