Boxing

National Conference Call Transcript: Klitschko Brothers, Freddie Roach

27.08 - The Klitschko Brothers, Wladimir and Vitali, Wladimir’s new co-trainer, Freddie Roach, and the Sportfive Head Of Boxing, Bernd Bonte, participated in a conference call. Wladimir (40-2, 37 KOs) discussed his upcoming fight against Argentine Fabio Moli (29-2, 17 KOs) on Saturday, Aug. 30, in Munich, Germany. ESPN is planning to run highlights of the Klitschko-Moli bout the following week. Vitali (32-2 KOs), who is actively pursing a rematch with Lennox Lewis, talked about his future plans.

Question: Can we get some opening comments?

Wladimir: I am here and ready to answer all questions. I am looking forward to next Saturday. I have been prepared for this fight for eight weeks. I am pretty sharp right now. I am fighting a good fighter from Argentina, Fabio Moli. All fighters from Argentina are very tough, so I think the fight will be interesting. This fight will be for the Intercontinental championship and will be 12 rounds.

Vitali: I am training well. I have received congratulations every day since I fought Lewis. Right now, I look very good. My face is fine. I am making preparations for a fight on Dec. 6. I hope Lewis will fight me on Dec. 6. I am not ready to say who my opponent will be. I hope HBO will get a good fighter for me.

Roach: It has been great working with Wladimir. We were up in Austria for training camp during the past five weeks, and it has been going very well. He is a pleasure to work with. He works hard and there is no B.S. He is ready for Saturday.

Question: Bernd, what was the reaction in Germany and the Ukraine when Wladimir lost to Corrie Sanders?

Bonte: It was a huge upset. It was on the front page of all the papers. It was as shocking here as it was in the U.S. The Klitschkos are superstars in Europe and are very well known. In all of Europe, it was a huge story and huge upset.

Question: Freddie, how would you contrast a Mike Tyson training camp against a training camp with Wladimir?

Roach: It is a bit different. Wladimir has very good work ethics. Tyson works hard when he is at the gym, but he did not show up all the time. Wladimir works very hard, is a very good athlete, and runs very well for a big guy. It has been a good experience.

Question: Vitali, do you think Sanders might be your opponent on Dec. 6?

Vitali: It is possible my opponent on Dec.6 could be Sanders. I am ready to fight Sanders. Everyone wants to know why Wladimir lost to Sanders. My opinion is Wladimir has to fight Sanders. I am ready to fight anyone. I want to show everyone I am stronger than Lewis. In my opinion, I am very close to beating Lewis.

Question: Freddie, having worked with the Klitschkos, do you see any weaknesses in them?

Roach: I am only working with Wladimir right now. We watched tape of the Sanders fight and Wladimir made some mistakes in there. We are just looking to improve on that with a little more head movement and not moving back in a straight line. He made some simple mistakes and he knows it. We will take it from there.

Question: It has been reported that both Klitschkos will be moving to the U.S. Is that true?

Wladimir: All my preparation for this fight was in Germany because my fight is here. We will have future fights in the United States, so we will come over there. The more time we spend in the United States, the easier it will be for us to communicate with everyone.

Question: Vitali, how is your eye?

Vitali: I was in London three weeks ago. Lewis wanted to see my eye. He said it healed so quickly and there was nothing to see. I am feeling very well. When you see me next time, you will not see anything near my eye. The reason it healed so quickly is because I came home everyday and my wife kissed my scar. My eye looks like it did before the fight with Lewis. It looks very good. There is nothing to see. I told Lewis that he can check my eye whenever he wants to do it. I had my eye checked by three different doctors. They all said the same thing. I can box now, and I am completely healthy.

Question: You are going to be fighting on Dec. 6. When will we know your opponent?

Vitali: I am not ready to give a name for Dec. 6. HBO will decide my opponent, and I hope they find me an interesting opponent.

Question: What do you think of fighting Kirk Johnson in the future?

Vitali: He is a good, strong fighter. I think a fight against Johnson will be interesting because he is a strong fighter. I think when I fight against Johnson on Dec. 6, I will show everybody I am stronger than him. I saw Johnson fight against Larry Donald. and it was a close fight. Donald beat Johnson, and I knocked Donald out. When I fight Johnson, it will be the same result.

Question: Wladimir, what can you tell us about Fabio Moli?

Wladimir: He has a pretty good record. I think he is a tough fighter. He has shown in his fights that he has a good heart and is a tough guy, so let’s see what he does in the ring on Saturday night.

Question: Do you think your loss to Sanders was due to fighting low level competition before prior to that fight?

Wladimir: I think the biggest mistake I made was having too many fights right before that fight. I was a little bit bored. Maybe I was not focused against Sanders. I took him easily and underestimated him. I made some simple mistakes and paid for them.

Question: Do you think you have to step up your competition level to bring out your skills?

Wladimir: I have been talking about fighting guys like Lewis, (David) Tua, (Evander) Holyfield and others. I will fight my fight on Saturday, and then we will see. Hopefully, by the end of the year, each of us, Vitali and me, will fight one more time in the U.S.

Question: Vitali, do you still want to work with Tommy Brooks?

Vitali: I hope you understand that I am in the middle between my promoter and trainer. It is a difficult question. I think it is sports politics. It is a good question for my promoter. I was happy to work with Brooks. We have a very good relationship.

Question: When do you start training camp for your Dec. 6 fight?

Vitali: I am starting right now with Wladimir. I have started weight training and condition, but will really start working hard in September for the Dec. 6 fight.

Question: Wladimir, what does this upcoming fight mean to you?

Wladimir: It is my first fight after a long break, so it is my comeback in the ring. I cannot wait for a rematch with Sanders. The rematch could come in December, but I did not want to wait until then to fight again. I want to stay active, so that is why I am fighting Moli.

Question: Do you really consider Moli a good test?

Wladimir: Yes, I consider him (Moli) good. You cannot underestimate anyone. Before this fight with me, Sanders had a break for about a year. On the computer rankings, Sanders was under Moli. Everyone is looking to win the fight. Everyone thinks it is easy to beat me now, but I do not think about that. I do my job, and like I said, I am really looking forward to fighting on Aug. 30.

Question: Freddie, how long do you think Wladimir should wait before he challenges for a title?

Roach: After this Saturday, I would like to see him get right back in there with a rematch against Sanders. He made some mistakes in that fight, and I think he is a better fighter than he showed at that time. I think the changes will prepare him to win that fight easily.

Question: Vitali, how do you feel about your performance against Lewis?

Vitali: I signed to fight Lewis 10 days before that fight. I was supposed to fight Cedric Boswell, and he is much smaller than me. I signed contracts with Lewis three times last year to fight me and he broke them every time. When we signed this last contract, I told him now or never. I only had a few days to prepare for him. I want to show everyone that I am stronger than Lewis. My opinion is a rematch against Lewis will be very interesting for everyone who likes boxing. It will be much better than the first fight from both sides. He is a great fighter and I have respect for him, but I feel I am stronger than him. I want to show myself and everyone else I can beat him.

Question: How would you feel about fighting Hasim Rahman?

Vitali: Rahman is an interesting fighter. I am ranked No. 2 right now, and he is No. 1 right now. It would be very interesting. I hope Lewis does not retire because he is the biggest name in boxing. I hope Lewis fights me. Right now, he is not in a good position to retire. I would like to fight Lewis, but I would be happy to fight Rahman.

Question: Wladimir, why did you start out so aggressively in the Sanders fight?

Wladimir: I wanted to win the fight in the first two rounds. He had fast hands in the first few rounds, and I made a mistake by jumping at him. I paid for it by losing the fight. I always have to be very focused, and I was not. It does not matter who is in the ring across from you, your opponent always has a chance to beat you. I was taking it too easy against Sanders.

Question: Did you say you would retire if you lose to Moli?

Wladimir: I do not want to think about losing the fight or making mistakes. I am looking forward to winning the fight.

Question: What is the reason for hiring a co-trainer?

Bonte: I did not hire Roach. This was a request from Wladimir. He is only working with Wladimir, not Vitali.

Wladimir: I met Roach in Los Angeles, and we worked well together. I asked if he could come with me before my next fight to smooth things out in my technique. We work well together, and I am very satisfied with the work. Results are most important, and we are looking for good results..

Question: Vitali, do you think Lewis will retire?

Vitali: It will be great for everyone if Lewis fights me again. It is not good timing for him to retire now. I do not know about him fighting Tyson or (Roy) Jones. I do not need to fight Lewis, but I want to fight him. I have some feeling that Lewis does not know what he wants to do. We will have to see what happens.

Question: Any closing statements?

Wladimir: I am looking forward to Saturday night. I would like to be in the ring again. I want to prove myself and prove to myself that I am good enough and tough enough.

0 comments
 


Bookmark and Share

 

If you detect any issues with the legality of this site, problems are always unintentional and will be corrected with notification.
The views and opinions of all writers expressed on eastsideboxing.com do not necessarily state or reflect those of the Management.
Copyright © 2001- 2015 East Side Boxing.com - Privacy Policy