30.07.04 – Unwavering confidence is what makes a fighter great. He must believe he can beat anyone in the world at any time. That’s why a competent team to develop him slowly is a must. Dino Duva of Duva Boxing, promoter for Samuel “The Nigerian Nightmare” Peter, says that because of the overwhelming amount of press attention and “buzz” from the fans Peter has received, he’s concerned his fighter will grow overconfident and sloppy before he’s actually fulfilled his promise as the “next heavyweight king.”
And with a rugged fellow up-and-coming prospect Jovo Pudar slated as Peter’s next opponent on August 5 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida and televised nationally on Showtime network’s Sho-Box “The Next Generation,” Duva says he wants to remind fans and the media that Peter is in for a very dangerous test.
“The way Samuel has smashed his way through his first 19 opponents (he is 19-0 (17KO), it’s been easy for all of us to get very excited about his chances,” said Duva. “But what we all have to remember is that he still has to go out and beat these guys. Now that he’s at this level of the division, nobody is going to be lying down at the first sign of trouble. When you develop a reputation as a devastating KO artist, you can have one off performance and people will call you a fluke.”
Duva says that from what he’s seen of Pudar, this will be no cakewalk for his man. “Jovo Pudar is an aggressive, hard-nosed technically sound fighter. He comes out every time ready for battle and with a record of 22-2 (12KO), he’s proved he’s a legitimate threat to anyone else in this division. Samuel is working hard in the gym as always, but I just hope he realizes how much a big victory means to his career now. This is also Sam’s first opportunity on one of the big TV networks. We’re thankful that Showtime is giving him this opportunity and now it’s up to him to take advantage of it. Sometimes I wish Samuel hadn’t had so many people talking about him as the next heavyweight champ for so long. If it goes to his head before he has the job done, it could cost him at any time.”