04.09 - He has gone coast-to-coast without leaving his St. Petersburg, FL-based training camp. IBF jr. middleweight champion, RONALD "WINKY" WRIGHT, 43-3 (25 KOs), ends five weeks of intense media interviews this Thursday, September 5, (1 PM EDT / 10 AM PDT), when he talks to his fans around the world in a 30-minute live chat on ESPN.Com.
Wright did no less than five interviews over a two hour and 30 minute span on Labor Day alone (while putting in a full session at the gym in the morning and playing 18 holes of golf in the afternoon!), discussing his title defense against No. 1 contender and mandatory challenger, Bronco McKart, 45-3 (29 KOs), and the possibility of finally unifying the title against the winner of the Oscar De La Hoya - Fernando Vargas WBC-WBA super welterweight championship fight. Wright's fight, which will take place Saturday, September 7, at the Rose Garden in Portland, Ore, will be televised live nationally on HBO as part of a "World Championship Boxing" doubleheader, which will also include the Roy Jones, Jr. - Clinton Woods world light-heavyweight championship. De La Hoya and Vargas fight September 14, on an HBO Pay-Per-View telecast.
Wright can do no wrong with the media, accepting all interview requests from newspapers, radio, wire services and websites. He has done over 20 major interviews, including seven of the top-10 markets, plus USA Today, WestwoodOne Radio and the Associated Press.
"Well at least everyone knows I can talk the talk," laughed Wright. "But on Saturday, I will have to walk the walk and take care of business with McKart. Otherwise, there will be nothing left to talk about."
Wright and McKart have fought each other twice, with Wright winning both by 12-round decisions. Wright dethroned McKart and captured his WBO jr. middleweight title via a split decision in 1996. In 2000, Wright won a decisive unanimous decision for the NABF and USBA jr. middleweight titles. Wright has not lost a fight since 1999, when he lost a controversial majority decision to previously undefeated IBF jr. middleweight champion Vargas. In that fight, Wright continually backed up Vargas throughout the fight, landing the sharper punches. In the ninth round, Wright knocked Vargas' mouthpiece out with a vicious left.
"I beat Vargas once and I do not mind doing it again," said Wright. "Oscar, Fernando, I really don't care who wins. I just hope the winner is man enough to accept the challenge of really unifying the title. That's the definition of a true world champion. Now, with all the belts on the line, it makes the unifying fight historic. Historic because no one has held all three jr. middleweight titles as undisputed champion. In fact, none of us has ever been an undisputed champion. The man who doesn't stand up to the challenge can kiss greatness goodbye!"
