25.03.04 – By Keith Terceira – IBU and NABF Super Middleweight Champion Scott Pemberton (27-3-1 22 KO’s ) may be coming off two wars with Omar Shieka but that is not deterring his desire for the WBC or any other additional crown. Markus Beyer (29-1 11KOs) has not left the borders of Germany in almost five years to defend his title. Danny Green who was to face Beyer on June 5th is reportedly suffering from an illness and was hospitalized shortly after his last bout with dehydration. That left the window open for Jimmy Burchfield to throw down the gauntlet for a Beyer/Pemberton match.
When news was received yesterday of the CES offer Scott Pemberton took the challenge even further.
“I can’t say Beyer is ducking me. I mean, if he wants to fight me then he isn’t ducking me, but if he don’t, then he is ducking me.”
Pemberton is very familiar with Markus Beyer and his talents. Prior to the Beyer/Woodhall bout in 1999 Pemberton went to Germany to spar with Beyer.
“I gave Beyer pretty much all he could handle sparring for Richie Woodhall. I didn’t kick his butt or anything but we were back and forth in sparring. When I heard he beat Woodhall, I couldn’t believe it. Both he and Ottke won’t leave Germany.”
“They seem to waiting me out, letting father time do what he can’t. I can’t fight him when I’m sixty five.”berton referred to Bernard Hopkins successes in his thirties as we discussed the possibilities that father time may prevail in his attempts at gaining a shot at the one of the big three titles.
“It gets tough; I have a couple of injuries that keep nagging me and bothering me now. It is getting a little bit harder to get up everyday and train. When you’re hungry though and you can’t pay the bills. I want to buy a home for my family. That’s my number one priority, my number one goal. I want the home bought and paid for so I don’t ever have to worry.”
Pemberton revealed that though the two title bouts with Omar Sheika were tough, he didn’t sustain as much injury in the first as he did in the second.
“The first Sheika fight I didn’t hurt at all, just a little black eye was all I had. That fight wasn’t even tough on me. That was one of my easier fights as far an injuries being sustained. The second fight, I broke my ear drum. Other than that, I sustained no injuries. So I don’t feel like I got wore out from those fights, even though they went twelve rounds.”
Commenting on the prospect of fighting in Germany as the substitute for Green, Pemberton went as far as challenging Beyer on his own turf.
“They have fifteen, twenty thousand fans at the fights in Germany. That’s why these guys don’t want to leave – they don’t have to! If I’m the champion and someone offers me a half a million, I’ll go to hell and fight him. This is a chance for them to come to beautiful America. Beyer was a very good guy, and they treated me very well in Germany, but I want that house for my family. Making money is how I look at boxing now; I used to love it for the sport. Now it’s so much work. I would fight Beyer in a second in Germany if the money is right. If he offers me thirty thousand dollars, no way, but for the right price, I already left.”
I’ll do it in a second; I’ll go to hell for that fight.”
Jimmy Burchfield replied to Pemberton’s statement with one of his own:
“We would go there if the money was right. You see how many times Beyer has fought in Germany, and he has been saying he would like to come to America to fight. We most certainly would go there if need be. It’s time for Scotty to get a money fight. He has earned it, he deserves it. We would go to Germany of course if the conditions were right and there were all neutral judges.”