By Vitali Shaposhnikov:
VS: Being his good friend, do you see yourself holding back at all in your fight against Andre Dirrell?
AW: We have been boxing for the most of our lives, so we know what we have to do. Its and awkward and unique situation based on the friendship. I don’t think holding back is going to be a problem.
VS: Have you guys ever fought each other before?
AW: We have sparred before to get prepared for the Olympics, but they were short session, and not enough to get anything out of. Dirrell is a dynamite talent. A lot of people thought he won against Froch, and who knows what would have happened if Abraham didn’t do what he did. He was more than competitive in both of those fights, so he is someone to be respected.
VS: Where do you rank yourself pound-for-pound?
AW: I have been checking the rankings lately, because it is such a prestigious list. I don’t feel I should be there yet. Maybe with another victory or two, I can be in a discussion about being there. I never wanted to be a person who got something without earning it, and that includes my title. I wanted to fight the best, because if I won a vacant title I wouldn’t have gotten my due. I wanted to beat a champion, like Kessler. If I was there now, I would probably be about 7, 8, or 9. I think that’s reasonable.
VS: Did you ever anticipate that you and Dirrell would be fighting each other so early in your careers?
AW: We anticipated fighting but not this early. We all used to joke that the world would have to pay big bucks to see me and Dirrell fight, because we felt like we were such dynamite talents. That being sad, when the Super 6 was created, it placed us between a rock and a hard place because all the talent and most of the belts were going into the tournament. We were both invited to participate, and knew that at some point we will have to fight.
VS: Your clean and wholesome image, as well as the way you present yourself, seems to pose a problem for some people. Some say that if you were more aggressive in the way you act, that would satisfy the media and many fans. In other words, are you too nice and calm for boxing?
AW: The bottom line is this: my faith is well spoken about. I know where my strength and my power come from. I am going to serve my god, but will not be obnoxious about it and throw it into people’s faces. I am going to represent the god that I feel empowers and strengthen me. This is not just to win, but to live by. This is what I do whether there are cameras in my face or not. It’s unfortunate that people feel that way, but I am not going to apologize about that. This thing is bigger than putting people in the seats and winning championships. It’s bigger than making it to the hall of fame and making money. There are kids looking at Andre Ward, and parents watching. I have the potential to steer a kid in the right way, or the wrong way. My kids included. All these guys who create these alter egos, they become one guy one day, and something else the next. They have to understand that boxing is going to end one day, and they are going to have to walk away and turn their heads from the crowd. Whoever they created, they are going to have to live with that person for the rest of their lives. My kids are going to listen to these interviews one day, and I want them to be proud. I don’t want them cussing and acting crazy because I did it. I am going to continue to do what I do. We seem to do pretty well selling tickets here. Some of those people who come to my fights don’t even watch boxing; they are just people who come to support and individual who represents the right thing, and is someone their own kids can follow. That means a lot to me.
VS: Sometimes your cerebral fighting style radiates lack of punching power. Your take on that?
AW: It depends. There are so many different tags that people put on my style. During the Olympics people used to say I was not aggressive enough. Now some people say I am too aggressive and lead with my head. It’s about winning. I am going to let the media discuss this, but I have to stay focused, because at the end of the day the ship keeps moving if I keep winning.
VS: Do you see yourself staying at this weight, or moving up after the tournament?
AW: I think that the natural thing would be for the winner of this tournament to fight Lucian Bute. That’s for the Ring magazine title. That’s the most logical move. I think I would want to move to 175lbs. With this tournament, you get everybody at one time so to speak. You clean the division out. I always wanted to be multidivisional champion.
VS: Who came up with the SOG nickname?
AW: It’s a natural fit for me. It represents ‘Son of God”. Obviously I am not saying I’m the son of god. Scripture 326: for all you sons of god, through faith and Jesus Christ. It’s my way of sharing a message without saying a word. If one is willing to release their faith, then they cannot become the child of god. That’s simply what it means. It’s a personal tag for me, and it fits.
VS: Any news on the venue for your next fight?
AW: I can’t say much. Just waiting to hear right now. I don’t worry about that. My goal is just to be ready and avoid slipping at all times.
VS: Thoughts on James Toney in the UFC?
AW: I have no idea what to expect. Interesting is the best word I can come up with. I have a lot of respect for James. He is a legend. This is something different. It will all depend on how Toney is going to perform. If he is able to knock Couture out, nobody will talk about that.
VS: Why is Mayweather stalling the Pacquiao fight?
AW: Because he can. I don’t know why he would want to, but he can. That’s the million dollar question.