I recently was afforded the opportunity to interview highly regarded heavyweight contender, Malik “King” Scott, to talk about his victory from last week against Tony Thompson. Scott, 38-2-1 (13 KOs), won clearly against the 44 year old Thompson but found himself dropped in the ninth round from a shot to the side of the head. Scott discussed in detail his performance and what things he felt he could do better. Malik also talks about his standing in the heavyweight division and if he would like to get another chance to face Deontay Wilder. Additionally, Scott shares his thoughts on Pacquaio vs. Crawford and who he could pick to win that bout. Here is what Malik Scott had to say.

Robert Brown: I have perennial top contender and a fighter with one of the highest skill sets in the heavyweight division, I have Malik ‘King’ Scott with me. How are you tonight Malik?

Malik Scott: I think from here on out from this interview I’m gonna make sure people stop saying I’m one of the most highly skilled heavyweights. I am and I say that with such confidence because when it comes to skills, there’s not a heavyweight on planet earth that can match my skills. There’s a few in between that got good skill sets, but it’s for sure that nobody is 6’5, 240lbs that has my skill set. I think we should start saying right now that I’m the most highly skilled heavyweight in the heavyweight division.

Robert Brown: You’re coming off of a very good victory against Tony Thompson, who has only lost to the best fighters out there. How do you feel about your performance?

Malik Scott: I feel as though the accomplishment was A+ but I feel as though the performance was C+. Sometimes you can do something great in life and it’s like, “Yes, he did a great thing,” but then when you dissect the actual performance and how it got done, that’s a totally different thing.

I feel as though the opportunity presented itself to me and I feel as though I passed the test with flying colors but when I critique the performance, I think it was a strong C+, going into a B- performance. There was so much more I could have done.

If you ask me honestly, I feel as though Tony got off the hook, he can leave that fight feeling as though he can do more. My job was to make him think he needs to sit his old ass down, and I didn’t do that.

You’ll see Tony fight, he’ll continue to fight from that fight because my performance gave him some hope, which is okay because I won by a large margin, it was a unanimous decision. I’m proud of myself for the accomplishment but as far as the performance and when I dissect myself, I gave myself a C+.

Robert Brown: Did you want to retire Tony Thompson?

Malik Scott: Yes that was the goal. Tony Thompson is the type of fighter that nobody looks good against. Wladimir knocked him out twice and people still to this day say that he’s one of Wladimir’s toughest opponents, and Wladimir knocked him out. I heard a writer say today, “No one ever beat him that easy,” the way that I beat him.

I came out of the fight with no broken hands, I came out with a little lumped eye, a knockdown, but I’m back in training already. Shout out to Tony Thompson but there’s so much more I could have done to get him out of there.

Robert Brown: You were cruising until you got caught with a shot in round nine which knocked you down. How badly were you hurt by that shot?

Malik Scott: I thank God that the shot was in the ear area where it’s connected to the equilibrium but I recovered from the shot. I was in great shape, and as far as me being hurt, I think when I got up people saw I didn’t have wobbly legs or anything. I feel as though I still was winning the round after the knockdown and in the tenth round, I still won that round. It was a good try for the old fellow, but it just wasn’t enough.

If Tony Thompson was gonna beat me that night he was gonna have to do more than just knock me down one time, he was gonna have to put me to sleep and I wasn’t having that. It was a great opportunity and I took full advantage of it.

Robert Brown: Who are you hoping to fight next in a title shot? Are you hoping for the winner of Tyson Fury vs. Wladimir Klitschko, or are you hoping for another shot at Deontay Wilder?

Malik Scott: In my perfect world, me and my brother Deontay would be heavyweight champions at the same time. But this is not my world and it’s not a perfect world, so I feel as though me and Deontay doing it in front of the world one more time is perfectly fine with me. I’m also looking at the winner of Klitschko and Fury.

The guy that I beat was just number eight or number nine in the RING magazine, so we’ll see what happens. I just want to fight people with names of relevance, people who are going to up my position and somebody that is gonna make it worth my while.

Robert Brown: Are you confident that if you fight Wilder again that you have the skills to deal with him and take the title?

Malik Scott: I think I got the skills to beat anybody and the skills to take anyone’s title. It’s just all about the fight on that night. I’m the best skilled heavyweight on God’s green earth and I can’t wait to fight again and continue to prove people wrong about Malik Scott.

Robert Brown: You had a good performance against Alex Leapai in Australia, do you hope you get another opportunity to come down to Australia once more at some stage?

Malik Scott: Yeah definitely man. If they could put Lucas Browne in a good position and give him a title, I’ll come over there and beat the shit out of him. I like Australia, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, all that shit. I got people that I really care about over there and me and my photographer, we’ll come over there anytime that they make it legitimate.

Robert Brown: Manny Pacquiao looks like he might be fighting Terence Crawford. Do you think that will be an exciting fight and how do you see it playing out?

Malik Scott: I think Terence Crawford can beat anybody in the world.

Robert Brown: If those two match up, do you think Terence Crawford will end Pacquiao’s career?

Malik Scott: Yes, he would end Manny Pacquiao’s career

Robert Brown: Back to you, would you like a rematch with Dereck Chisora to rectify that situation?

Malik Scott: I feel as though the Chisora fight, if they put some relevance behind it, some nice money on the line, some title contention talk or for a title, then of course. But I’m not fighting him just because, my heart is free of that fight, I’m not walking around with some bitter chip on my shoulder.

That fight made me the Malik Scott I am today and I wouldn’t change anything on my road on this journey, I wouldn’t trade anything for the world. It all happened for a reason, and like I said, Rome wasn’t built in a day, it was built brick by brick.