24.10.03 – Interview by Carlos Kalinchuk: On September 27, 2003 Dominick “The Southern Disaster” Guinn 23-0 stepped in the ring against the mammoth sized and undefeated Dunkin Dokiwari in Buffalo New York. Not only did Guinn show he could take a punch, but he gave the much larger Dokiwari all he could handle in 10 tough rounds to pull out the unanimous decision. I recently had the opportunity to talk with Guinn at length. If you haven’t heard of him, he’s one of the Heavyweight Divisions hottest prospects. He’ll be fighting here in Houston on November 22, on the Bojado, Juarez, and Juan Diaz under-card. We spoke about a variety of topics. His reasons for gaining weight, what he “really” thinks about Ronnie Shields hard approach with him, what he’ll do to “Baby” Joe Mesi if they fight, and a variety of other topics. This is a good read. Enjoy.
Eastside: What did you learn from the Dunkin Dokiwari fight?
Dominick Guinn: Just another tough fight. I think I showed the whole world that I could take a punch. They really didn’t see if I could take a good shot in the Michael Grant fight, but the other night I kind of showed them that “Hey this guy can take a punch” and I’m serious. I could and should have been a little more busy. I didn’t stay with our game plan and Ronnie (Shields) didn’t want me to do that. He wanted me to start out early going to this guy’s body because he was so ripped up, and so I could take some power out of him but I didn’t stay to the body like I was supposed to. I came out victorious though and now I’m happy and ready to take the next step.
Eastside: Ronnie (Shields) seems to know when to give you that “tough love” when you need it. Some people don’t react to it too positively but you accept it and he’s your coach but can you give some more insight into your relationship with him?
Dominick Guinn: I understand simply because he’s looking out for my well being and he knows I have better in me. We’re closer than a coach and a fighter. He’s like an uncle to me who’s trying to be a father figure. So he’s on me and he’s hard on me. “Hey” I respect that. He pushes me and he wants me to give it everything I’ve got. I have no problem with that.
Eastside: You see so many athletes today that if their feathers get slightly ruffled, they’re ready to walk and look for somebody else.
Dominick Guinn: NO, I’m definitely not like that way and I already told him that I’m going to be with him for a lifetime even when my career is over with and I’m not even boxing anymore or I don’t have him as my coach. It’s the same with Main Events because I look at it this way, I’ve been loyal to everything I’ve done and that’s what I’m going to do.
Eastside: Did you think Dunkin Dokiwari would prove to be such a stiff test? He seemed to prove his mettle by sticking in there with you as hard as he did?
Dominick Guinn: I thought that I could have gotten him out of there. Like I said, I don’t think I put enough punches together. If I would have listened to Ronnie and I would have put 6-7-8 punches together, I would have gotten him out of there. Putting 3-4 punches together just wasn’t enough. But yes, going into the fight “Yes” I did know it was going to be a 10 round fight. I was just going to have to go in there and fight and beat him.
Eastside: Obviously you had seen some videotape on him but the guy physically was VERY imposing compared to some of the guys that you’ve fought. Can you comment on that?
Dominick Guinn: No, no, no. I already knew that coming into the fight. My first pro fight, I was in Las Vegas when we trained for it, I got the privilege to watch him train in the other ring (smiles) and I was like “Whoah” I don’t want to fight that guy!
Eastside: (Big laughs).
Dominick Guinn: I wasn’t even pro yet and to see him and then end up having to fight him…that’s the game.
Eastside: Tell us a little bit more about your future, what’s next for you?
Dominick Guinn: I’m fighting down here (in Houston) on November 22nd just to stay busy and then on January and February, we’re back on HBO. We’re stepping up and going all the way!
Eastside: Do you have any comments about what Joe Mesi had to say after his fight with Davaryl?
Dominick Guinn: My comment to that is…Joe Mesi knows who the last guy was that beat him that MADE him turn pro and he knows it. They were trying to make the fight between him and me a while ago and they didn’t take the fight. He doesn’t want to fight me and pretty soon he’s going to HAVE to fight me but like I said, I’m not trying to call anybody out but he knows that the little comments he did say, he knows that I boxed his head off in Marquette Michigan when we were training to see who was going to go to the Ali Cup-and he realizes that and he doesn’t want to fight me! And he knows he doesn’t want to fight me! But we’re going to come to a cross roads here soon enough and I’m going to box his head off again!
Eastside: (Laughs).
Eastside: Where would you want that fight to be once it does “get-made?”
Dominick Guinn: Anywhere. Anywhere but Buffalo. I will go back to Buffalo but they just got to pay me more money to go to Buffalo!
Eastside: One of the boxing polls asked who was the most promising heavyweight as a result of that fight card and you and Mesi were ranked 1 and 2. Grant it is only an opinion poll, but you’ve guys have definitely added some spice to the Heavyweight Division.
Dominick Guinn: “Hey” that’s what I want to do. I’m a boxer and I just want to go out there and put on a show for the fans and do everything I can do to increase the popularity of the sport.
Eastside: Ronnie Shields was telling me yesterday that you have a nutritionist and a physical trainer now helping you out to bulk up a little bit more.
Dominick Guinn: I’m going to put on 10 good solid pounds. Every time when I used to lift weights in the past (every time I did lift weights) I always felt stronger like a beast. So it’s just going to improve me more and I think in the next fight you will see that.
Eastside: The weight gain is not stamina related but more to wear your opponent out right?
Dominick Guinn: Yes, yes, yes. Exactly yes. To be able to push them around a little bit instead of me always getting pushed around and them laying on me because they’re stronger. I feel stronger than a lot of guys I get in there with but I would like to put on a little more weight so I could be more dead weight and not be able to get pushed around so easy.
Eastside: Who did you think won the DelaHoya and Shane Mosley fight?
Dominick Guinn: Oscar DelaHoya. Clearly. I was like utterly surprised. I didn’t think at all, maybe I gave Shane 3 rounds. 9-3, but I didn’t think they were going to do that. And then to turn around the following week in the Chris Byrd fight and do the same! That’s why Ronnie was pushing so much on my knocking Dakawari out because we were fighting on Lou Dibella’s card and we were fighting Lou Dibella’s fighter and we didn’t want to chance it. I chanced it and we got lucky and we squeaked it out and hopefully I don’t have anymore fights like that.
Eastside: Most people in boxing agree that Byrds stock went down significantly after his performance. Are you in that group and that mindset as well?
Dominick Guinn: You know what? I listened to Byrd and I think he underestimated him and didn’t train hard. He usually does. I’d say the same thing about Lennox Lewis. He’s a tremendous fighter who’s always coming in shape for most fights and he underestimated Kirk Johnson and he figured “I’m going to go in there and knock this guy out and half-train.” And then when they made him switch the fight I know he thought about it like “Whoah” but he had already made the fight and he had to take the fight and he went in there out of shape. I guarantee you that when he gets the rematch with Klitchko, he’s going to knock Klitchko out!
Eastside: What are your thoughts of the proposition of stopping the crap going on in boxing with the lopsided scores? I mean one judge had it 117-111 in favor of Byrd. I don’t know how that happens.
Dominick Guinn: What fight was he watching?
Eastside: Exactly. What do you see as far as boxing being able to alleviate that? There’s been some talk of giving the scores to each corner so the fighters are able to adjust to try and take those rounds in the next round. What do you think about that?
Dominick Guinn: I think it’s good. They need to that and also if you make a bad call, you don’t need to judge anymore. If you are a judge and you make a bad judgment and you know the fight wasn’t like that, then you should never judge again. Just like in boxing, if you get in there and do something, where they revoke your license and they won’t let you fight again-they need to start doing that to the judges!
Eastside: I believe that and agree. I definitely have some thoughts about that.
Dominick Guinn: If they have 3 judges in the fight then they need to have 6 then. Then 3 judges judge the fight and 3 judges judge from here and then compare the cards and the decision is rendered. If it’s not right, then we need to talk to somebody.
Eastside: Pick like a random 3?
Dominick Guinn: Yeah that’s right.
Eastside: I know you said your going to keep your fight in November as more of an activity fight. Not to look to far ahead but whom would you like to fight in January? Any names out there that come to mind?
Dominick Guinn: I don’t know. Just whomever they come up with.
Eastside: Any last words?
Dominick Guinn: Thank you for supporting me if you are supporting me and continue to watch the sport of Boxing because the heavyweight division is about to change rapidly and it is alive and well.
Eastside: Alive and well huh?
Dominick Guinn: Yes, alive and well.
Eastside: Thank you Sir.
Dominick Guinn: Thank you
Carlos “Stiff-jab” Kalinchuk
Contributing Writer and Photographer