25.08.04 – “Relentless” Lamon Brewster (photo: Tom Casino/Showtime) will make the initial defense of his WBO heavyweight crown when he battles Pan Pacific heavyweight titleholder Kali “Checkmate” Meehan on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on Saturday, Sept. 4, 2004. SHOWTIME will televise the Don King Productions-promoted world championship doubleheader from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas at 10 p.m. ET/PT. In the co-feature, Cory “The Next Generation’’ Spinks will make the second defense of his undisputed welterweight title when he faces former WBC champion and current No. 6 contender, Miguel Angel Gonzalez. Tickets for this exciting evening of boxing are priced at $500, $300, $200, $100 and $40 and are on sale at the Mandalay Bay Box Office and all TicketMaster outlets. To order tickets by phone, call (702) 632-7580.
Brewster: I am just looking forward to getting this fight on.
Meehan: Fighting for the world title to me is a dream come true. When I was a little boy in New Zealand, we used to see fights on America on television. To fight in America was just something that every young boxer dreamed of in New Zealand. Even to fight in Australia was such a big thing, and I ended up fighting most of my professional career out of Australia and now I am in America, not only fighting here, but fighting for a world title against a very good, quality opponent, Lamon Brewster. Like Lamon, I am very excited to get the fight on. At the same time, I am just living this dream and it is coming true for me.
Question: Lamon, you came to Los Angeles from Indiana with a gym bag, a pair of tennis shoes and a Bible. You waited so long for your shot at the title, and when you finally got it, you defeated a guy no one expected you to beat. What did winning the WBO heavyweight title mean to you? How do you think it has helped your confidence and has there been any change in your life since you won the crown?
Brewster: It really gives more confirmation to my faith that God does exist because I prayed to him for so many years asking that if this be his will that he let it be done. So now even more so that I have won the title, it really just kicks my faith up into high gear. Hopefully through me being successful, others who are trying to do things in life will see through my faith what I have accomplished and then they also will try to strengthen their faith in accomplishing their goals in life. It is just a dream come true because as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a world champion.
Question: Lamon, do you think this is going to be an easy fight?
Brewster: If I thought it was going to be an easy fight, I would have stayed at home and trained. I trained for five weeks in Big Bear for Klitschko. I have been here for eight weeks for this fight. That should tell you how tough I think this fight is going to be. By no means, do I think Kali Meehan is going to be a walk in the park. I have personal experience with this guy and I know he is going to give me all I can handle. So I felt like I needed to be at my absolute best. Therefore, I came to camp even earlier for this fight.
Question: Lamon, how much confidence did that give you beating Klitschko and how much weight do you give the excuse that he was drugged?
Brewster: I will say this much. Winning the world title boosted my confidence. Beating Wladimir Klitschko did not really do too much to me because I did not really think much of him anyway. I think he was a good competitor, a great athletic person, but I did not think very much of him. I never really did.
Simon: Any allegations of drugging go against blood tests and urine tests given by the Nevada and approved by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. There is no evidence of this whatsoever. If you watch the fight, you will see exactly what happened. Lamon took him apart and destroyed him. Yes, Klitschko was landing more punches, according to the stats early in the fight, but Lamon was landing devastating punches throughout and took it out of him. Basically, this guy has a record of quitting. This is the third time Klitschko has done this. For a so-called sportsman like him to tarnish Lamon’s heroic victory is really disgraceful. And I am actually surprised that Nevada licensed him. His charges completely backfired. But I do not think it is appropriate for Lamon to have to deal with this stuff. I think it was outrageous. So I am sorry for getting irritated about it, but I was just hoping this stuff would go away.
Question: After the controversy from the Klitschko fight, you seem like you have a lot of critics now. Is it your intent to prove everybody wrong?
Brewster: I have nothing to prove in terms of what people think. Everybody is entitled to their opinion and if I went out and would have knocked Klitschko out with the first shot I threw, there still would have been some doubt or some criticism. Even in this fight, if this fight was an easy fight or a hard fight or whatever, there is still going to be criticism. Everybody is entitled to their opinion. I am just looking forward to this fight because he is a good fighter, and in order to prove myself to be the best fighter, I have got to fight good competition. So therefore, Kali Meehan is definitely someone to help me to rise to the top.
Question: Lamon, he used to be your sparring partner. Is that going to be an advantage or a disadvantage to you?
Brewster: I think both — because on the one hand, I know how he works, but on the other hand, he knows how I work. So, really, this is going to be, in my mind, a chess match because I know the things I cannot go out there and do and he knows the things that he cannot go out there and do. This is going to be a very interesting fight. It will probably be the best fight of the year.
Meehan: I love it, you are reading my mind.
Question: Kali, is the pressure off you knowing that you are such a decided underdog and that some media are even saying that you should not be in this position? Also, the only blemish on your record is a 30-second knockout loss to Danny Williams. For the people that did not see the fight, can you explain what happened?
Meehan: Being an underdog means nothing. What I am trying to do is just hop in the ring and not let anything phase me – crowd favorite, non-favorite, underdog, whatever – not let the occasion overrule me. Just get in the ring and do the business the best I can. I am not really trying to use being an underdog as an advantage or disadvantage. The Williams fight was the one I feel made me more as a fighter, as a boxer, because what happened. I threw some shots at him and I thought to myself, ‘he is so easy to hit.’ I was so relaxed and calm. He threw the big right hand and I went down. Instead of trying to survive, I tried to get up fast and he caught me again and I sat there laughing, thinking to myself, ‘this is not how it is supposed to go.’ So I stood up and the referee stopped the fight and I thought to myself, ‘I cannot argue, I cannot say anything because I have been down twice.’ And then all of a sudden, I went back to Australia and everyone told me I have got a glass jaw. But I know my jaw is good. That fight, I knew, well, it can make me or break me, and it was not going to break me. I was not going to lose like that. Just to be honest with you, the first thing I thought when the referee stopped the fight was to start fighting again. I just wanted to punch him. It is the fighting instinct I suppose you get. Then I thought to myself, ‘I have won. I have learned how to win fights and be a champion.’ What I had to learn was how to lose a fight and be a champion, and keep my head up high and go back to the gym and learn from it and work hard. And that is exactly what I have done. So that is what happened. I lost the fight. On that night, he was the better fighter. I have got no excuses. I know it has given me more desire and I have learned to fight more aggressively than I did on that fight.
Question: Lamon, what do you think of James Toney’s rantings that the heavyweight division is garbage right now?
Brewster: Well, you have got Chris Byrd, who is a very elusive fighter and styles make fights. So he wins his fights, but he is not what a lot of people consider to be an exciting fighter. So a lot of people do not want to fight him. You have got John Ruiz, who wins his fights, but his fights do not look that good. Then you have Lamon Brewster. I am fresh on the scene. My feet are still wet. You have got Vitali Klitschko, who probably is the tallest heavyweight champion in noted records, but he has not, in my opinion, proven himself to be a worthy champion because the guy that he beat looked like Elvis in his last concert. I understand why a lot of people have a lot of questions about the way the heavyweight division is going. But young fighters like myself who come to say that ‘I am the truth and I am not a front-runner.’ It is like I am here to give the people what they want. So that is what you will get from Lamon Brewster. Every time I step in a ring, it is an exciting fight.
Question: Kali, what is your game plan?
Brewster: To win the fight. That is my game plan. You can have all your plans, but it is whatever happens in the ring that counts. Sometimes your plan will not work. You can devise everything you want, but the main thing, I believe, is you have to make sure you are fit and mentally and physically prepared, which I believe I am, and just do your best to win the fight.
Question: Lamon, which heavyweight would you most like to fight to prove you are the best in the world and why?
Brewster: Vitali Klitschko — because when they had the voting of which of the four heavyweight champions they felt was the best, everybody unanimously picked Vitali and I really disagree with that. So, therefore, I feel in order to sleep good at night, being a world champion, feeling that I am the best, I have to beat who the people say is the best because it is the people who pay our salaries. So I would definitely say Vitali Klitschko.
Simon: The vote that Lamon is talking about, they are the HBO champions, at least Vitali is — and the other guy had a relationship with them. And they have been propped up by HBO and the vote that Lamon is talking about, on an HBO telecast, came after viewers were told to go to their web site and vote. I am glad we are on SHOWTIME so we can talk about these guys. And if you went to the web site, because I did to vote for Lamon, it said that Vitali Klitschko is the true world heavyweight champion, and it had a big picture of him, and then right in there, in the little box, it had the question: “Who is the true heavyweight champion?” So that was a ridiculous self-serving poll and there is nothing about Vitali Klitschko that makes him the legitimate heavyweight champion of the world except it served HBO a self-serving, self-fulfilling prophecy election.
Question: Lamon, do you care about Mike Tyson anymore? Is he still a contender?
Brewster: I personally do not think so. I look at Mike in a totally different light. I feel as though my era has surpassed him. For him to stay around boxing, it really is sad because here is a man who was great in his prime, but he just passed it. The only thing I can see getting out of that is getting his name on my resume, but what does that mean? The only thing people are going to say is, “You beat an old Mike Tyson.” So, really, other than the paycheck, I do not see any reason to fight Mike. I just like to remember him as I did, as a great fighter.
Question: Your career seems to be so much more reinvigorated since the knockout win over Klitschko. A couple of years ago, you had a very disappointing fight in Detroit with Charles Shufford. What do you think has been key in turning this around for you?
Brewster: For one, the Charles Shufford fight was nutrition for me. I came down from 280 to 225 inside of two and a half months. I did that by taking advice from weightlifters who were telling me if I just ate protein that I would be fine. They did not know that I needed carbs for fuel for energy. I looked good, but when the bell rang, I had nothing.
Question: Lamon, assuming you win this fight, what do you think the prospects are for a unification fight in some kind of tournament?
Brewster: My answer to that is that I am willing, ready and able to do whatever it takes to prove that I am the truth. You have a lot of different styles. That does not necessarily make other fighters less fighters or better fighters. But to give the people what they want, if they want to make a tournament like that, Lamon Brewster would be the first to sign up. Only thing that I ask is that you continue to, because of the year layoff I had, let me get fights so that I can get myself back to where I know I can be on on a mental level. And then I am ready for anybody. I will fight Superman.
Simon: Our promoter, Don King, has said many times publicly that his plan is to take the three belt holders that he had promotional deals with, which are Ruiz, Byrd and Lamon Brewster, and possibly a James Toney, and do a tournament. I do not think there is any chance of Vitali Klitschko will want to participate in this. I think he knows exactly what his situation is, which is he is lucky to have a belt and he is lucky to be on HBO. So I do not think that boxing fans will get the four champions in a tournament. But certainly, Don has said that it is his intention to take his three belt holders and have a box-off.
Question: Kali, is your fan base back in Australia or in New Zealand really getting behind you and giving you a lot of support?
Meehan: I know on the island of Fiji, where my mother is from, I have a lot of support. In Australia, I have got a lot of supporters. The thing that I think is wrong in Australian boxing is that we have got a lot of good fighters there, but have too many people going against each other. But I know the everyday sort of person, people that I know, and people that just follow sports, a lot of them are behind me. I have a big following back in New Zealand, too. Coming over here to America, which is the home of boxing, and fighting in such a big fight, it makes it a lot easier when you know you have a lot of support back home.
Question: Lamon, when you think about how came back off the floor against Wladimir, does it give you a lot of encouragement about your heart and your ability to really continue in the heavyweight division?
Brewster: The shot that hit me with did not hurt me. He just caught me on the temple, which affected my equilibrium. I was never hurt. So that is why, when I got up, I went right to him and let him know that he did not do one thing to me. At no point in the fight did he ever hurt me. It was one of those things that happen and you hope for the best but expect the worst, so you are not surprised by anything. Because when you step in that ring, if you are thinking that you will not fall or touch the canvas and you do, you have not prepared yourself for it.
Question: Kali, how do you feel about fighting this fight in America?
Meehan: I feel good, fit and strong. I did a lot of strength and fitness work before we came here and now am getting all the sparring. I am very excited and I am just trying to keep focused. I do not really know how to explain these feelings because it is the biggest moment of my life.
Question: Kali, how better a fighter are you now after having trained and worked in America?
Meehan: The problem in Australia was getting good sparring. Coming here, sparring with Lamon and fighters like Derrick Jefferson, you have to improve. You either improve or get knocked out. It was such a privilege for me to come here and spar with these guys, and also such a lucky break. My new trainer, Mark Jensen, is awesome. He has taught me a lot of things, a few things that are different. I know I have not shown my best fighting back home in Australia yet. You are busy, working two jobs or whatever, taking fights on short notice, and now I have been training full time. I know I will show my best on Sept. 4,, whatever the outcome. I know it will be the best that I can be and I know I will be giving a good account of myself. I know Lamon will, too. That is why I know, even though people have not heard of heard of me, that we will have a good fight. When two men come in there at their best with will and desire and faith, you have a good fight, especially for the heavyweight title.
Question: If Wladimir does good in his next fight, and maybe one after that, what are the chances of you giving him a rematch?
Brewster: I just want to say this for the record: After the fight, I would have been more than willing to give Wladimir a rematch just based on it was such a good fight and to let the people know that it was not a fluke. But after his allegations, unless it is absolutely mandatory, I will not be giving that dude a fight.
Question: Lamon, when were you and Kali sparring partners and how has your life personally changed since you won the world title?
Brewster: We were sparring partners from February to April while I was getting ready for Wladimir Klitschko. As far as my life changing, I do not personally feel that it has changed. I just get more phone calls. That is about it.
Question: Kali and Lamon, did you watch tapes of former great champions?
Brewster: I think with any fighter who wants to be better, you want to watch tapes on fights and you want to see what style you think compliments yours and you want to see what moves that maybe they do against certain opponents that you may be able to incorporate into your arsenal. So that is what I do.
Meehan: I agree with everything Lamon said. I am trying to take a little bit of every fighter you like to try and make you a more complete fighter. I think it is very important. You have to watch these fighters on tape and learn from it.
Question: Who are your favorite fighters?
Brewster: Julio Cesar Chavez.
Meehan: I like Larry Holmes and Thomas Hearns and Joe Louis.
Closing comments.
Meehan: A lot of fighters in the past, they liked to trash talk. I think it sells a lot better for TV, but I used to look at the old fighters like Joe Louis and I hardly ever heard trash talk at their press conferences. But the fights that they fought were the best wars you had seen. Lamon, I would just like to say to you it is a privilege and honor to challenge you for your title and I know it is going to be a good fight on Sept. 4.
Brewster: I would like to say the same to you, Kali, because you are a classy guy. I have a lot of respect for you and I think we are going to give everybody one of the best fights in who knows when — the way real fighters do.