Unbeaten Turkish welterweight star Selcuk Aydin is on collision course with WBC champion Andre Berto. But does ARENA’s „Mini-Tyson“ feel he is ready for the big shot yet and what does he say about his performance in his last fight against „Jo-Jo“ Dan back in June? Let’s ask him…Selcuk, how did you recover from your last fight on June 5th against „Jo-Jo Dan“?
Aydin: As usual I took some time off to see my family and friends. But I also analyzed the fight and the special circumstances surrounding it.
What was the result of your analysis? And what do you mean with ‚special circumstances’?
Aydin: First of all I have to say that I am a perfectionist and I’m never one hundred percent satisfied with my performance. In this case I realized that I was not as focused as I need to be.. It was a very special night for me; my first world title fight and a fight in my home country with so many fans pushing me forward. I felt the pressure because I knew I could not disappoint or let down my people. And I didn’t only focus on the fight and my fight tactics but also on the promotional work. I thought about ticket sales and TV ratings which is not what you should do when you’re the fighter. In the future I will leave all of this to my promoter and my manager as it should be.
Apart from the pressure and the marketing – how would you rate your performance in the ring? Were you satisfied with the way you fought the fight?
Aydin: As I said I am never satisfied. When I saw the fight on tape I realized that I didn’t throw enough punches in the last couple of rounds. To be honest I probably thought that I would knock out my opponent in the early rounds. You know that I knocked him down and had him in trouble early on. But he is a tough guy and I got to give him credits for his stamina and willpower. He kept on coming forward from the first to the last bell no matter how hard I hit him. It was a very tough fight and a great test for me.
Some people say you only won the fight because you were the home fighter in front of an enthusiatic crowd which helped you getting a very lucky decision win…
Aydin: I think I deserved the win but, of course, my people pushed me to the win. I know that there are always discussions about close fights. And it will always be like this. That’s why I like to end my fights early instead of going to the scorecards. Still I think that I connected with the clearer and harder shots. Of course, my opponent was very active and threw more punches – especially in the late rounds. But most of the time I was able to block or avoid his punches and he only hit my defense. He wasn’t nearly as accurate as I was. Although I don’t know the statistics I would say that we connected with a similar amount of shots although he threw a lot more punches that night. It always depends if you favor accuracy or activity.
Would you consider giving „Jo-Jo Dan“ a re-match? Do you know if there are any talks about this?
Aydin: Of course, we can talk about a re-match at some point of time. Fighting this opponent again would give me the chance to prove that I can knock him out to end all discussions. But for the time being I have other opponents waiting for me. I always said that I wanted to fight big names in great showdowns. After winning three consecutive elimination bouts I think it’s about time that I get my hands on one of the top guys in the division. And everybody knows that Andre Berto is no. 1 on my personal hit list.
The WBC has ordered Berto and his camp to start negotiations with your promoter. Have you heard anything about it yet?
Aydin: I recognized some news articles from Lou DiBella saying I’m not an interesting opponent. But I also know that talks have started. As I said before – I learned from my last fight that I must not care about the manager’s and promoter’s work. They are doing a great job and I trust them. I’m sure they will make this fight happen. I only focus on my job which is getting ready and in shape for the upcoming challenges.
After your last performance would you say you are ready for an opponent like Berto yet?
Aydin: Of course, I’m ready. You cannot only judge a fighter from one fight. Before „Jo-Jo Dan“ I have knocked out Sugar Jackson Bonsu and beat Said Ouali in his backyard. If we are talking about judges favouring the home fighter I have proven against Ouali that it’s possible to get a decision win abroad. I am not afraid of travelling. Of course, I love to fight in front of my home crowd back home in Turkey. But I am also ready to prove myself in the USA or anywhere in the world.
Talking about fighting in America. You were recently spotted on a Don King show in St. Louis where you were introduced as one of King’s new hot prospects. What do you know of and think about Don King and how did you get in touch with him?
Aydin: My promoter Ahmet Öner made a co-promotional deal with King. Ahmet and ARENA had brought me to the US before when I fought Ouali in April 2009. America is still the best place in the world for professional boxing so I am proud that I can represent my country on the biggest stage in the world. Don King is the most popular and most successful promoter in the history of the sport. In fact, he is already a part of history but still very active and a very intelligent man. I am proud to have a legend like him in my corner now. This is what every young fighter all over the world dreams of: Having the chance to shake Don King’s hand and get big fights in the USA.
So when will we see you in the ring again? Do you have any idea if and when the fight against Berto will happen?
Aydin: I hope that the fight will go on and I hope it will go on soon. I can only say that I am ready and up for the challenge. I always said that I want to fight the best in the world and I am willing to live up to my word right away. I am not ducking anybody. I want to prove my critics wrong and show my fans the best I got.