23.01.06 – By Per Ake Persson: Newly crowned BeNeLux cruiser champ Ismail Abdoul, 26-9-1, is one of those guys I really admire in professional boxing. Always in training, never fails to give his best, doesn´t care too much about who´s in the other corner with almost all important fights on the road at either lightheavy or cruiser. Ismail kindly took time out just before training was to begin in the gym in Gent for this interview..
Q: When is your next fight?
A: I´m looking to fight EU champ Krzysztof Wlodarczyk. There are purse bids January 23 and I know there are promoters in both Belgium and Poland who wants to stage the fight.
Q: In your last fight you upset Don Diego Poeder to win the BeNeLux title, what is your take of the fight?
A: My opponent was strong, it was my first fight at cruiser for some time, he could punch but I stayed on top of him and got a clear win. It gave me good exposure as well.
Q: Speaking of weight, you have fought at both cruiser and heavy during your career, where is your best weight?
A: I would say lightheavy, the new limit for cruiser (200 lbs / 90,7 kg) have made it difficult for me. I´m not so tall (180cm / 5ft11) so lightheavy is where I want to fight. The guys at 200 are a little too big for me but I can fight at cruiser if I have to.
Q: You fought WBC lightheavy champ Tomasz Adamek, what do you say about him?
A: Good boxer, good puncher, good mover, good everything, my best opponent yet but I gave him a good fight.
Q: What happend in your first fight with Wlodarczyk? I have heard you were ahead on points going into the 12th and final round …
A: Yes, I was winning the fight, but 35 seconds or so before the end he caught with a left hook, or left upercut and put me down, I got up and felt allright but the referee stopped it. It was a bad call, I was ready to continue but at the same time I can only blame myself for giving my opponent an opening that close to the end. I taking nothing away from Krzysztof, he knocked me down, but I could have continued.
Q: In 04 you fought Italian stars Giacobbe Fragomeni and Vincenzo Cantatore back to back six weeks apart. What´s your take on those fights?
A: I beat Fragomeni, no doubt about it but officially lost on points over eight. Then I fought Cantatore for the EBU cruiser title on five days notice. I had no problems in taking the fight, I´m always in training and in shape but it´s a different kind of training when you are just working out as to getting in top shape.
Q: What about Ukrainian star Aleksei Trofimov?
A: I won that fight even if they gave him the win. But I have no excuses.
Q: I watched against German Ruediger May and it was a very close fight … what do you say about that it?
A: May? I know the moment I leave the Belgian border behind me I have to win by knockout. That´s the way it is and I accept that. It´s up to me to make sure I win.
Q: I understand you also train fighters?
A: Yes, indeed, I train kids between 6 and 13 years old at my club here in Gent.
Q: What did you do as an amateur?
A: I wanted to make it to the 96 Olympics, I won the Belgian and BeNeLux titles and think I went 35-2 in the amateurs but I was to told the amateur association didn´t have the resources to prepare fighters for the Olympics. They wanted me to stay amateur and go for 2000 but I turned pro in 1996.
Q: What about life outside of boxing, what you do?
A: I have a very busy life, I just had a court case against me, they wanted to give me five years in jail but I got community service instead. I also work as a security guard at a nightclub one night a week and took four 9 mm bullets one time. I have a good woman who believe in me. I´m a Muslim. I believe in life as an examination, you must always get up from the setbacks and always stand up. Boxing is my life and I´m still have my dream. I want to be a World champ. I train every day.