Wladimir Klitschko & Bryant Jennings Interview
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Wladimir Klitschko & Bryant Jennings Interview
By way of Doghouse Boxing (April 20, 2015)

Wladimir Klitschko

Wladimir Klitschko
Bernie Bahrmasel: Hello and thank you to the media around the globe for joining us on this international media conference call just ten days out from the heavyweight championship of the world, Wladimir Klitschko vs. Bryant Jennings on Saturday, April 25 in the world’s most famous venue, Madison Square Garden and telecast live in over 150 countries, including HBO in the United States and RTL in Germany. Some tickets for this event still remain and can be purchased at Ticketmaster and www.thegarden.com.

We’re honored to have both of these world-class athletes join us on this call. First, the long-reigning champion, Wladimir Klitschko from his training camp in Florida; and then Bryant Jennings will join us—he’s wrapping up his training camp in Houston, Texas.

Without further ado, it’s now my honor to turn the call over to the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world with a record of 63 wins amongst 66 fights over his legendary career with 54 coming by way of knockout, undefeated since 2004, the heavyweight champion of the world since 2006, Wladimir “Dr. Steelhammer” Klitschko.

Wladimir Klitschko: Good afternoon, everybody.

Q. When you’re at the stage of Bryant Jennings now where you’re climbing, where you weren’t yet the champion, what did life change after you became the heavyweight champion of the world? Also, fighting again in the United States and bringing the belt back here?

A. The first question was how did it feel when I became champion?

Q. How did it change your life?

A. Okay. Well, you know, there’s a lot of life change, things were happening in my life, and I remember before I went to the Olympics and former Olympic champion in track running, Borzov, he was Minister of Sports in the Ukraine. He said, “Guys, you’re going to Olympics and one of you is going to win gold. That’s going to change your life.” He was really right about it. I remember by winning the gold at the Olympics, when I came back home it completely changed my life.

So sports definitely has the power to change the life and the world, as Nelson Mandela said one day, and also, when I became champion of the world in the heavyweight division, that was 15 years ago, in 2000, and it was an amazing moment. I do remember clearly how it was and it was additional motivation to keep doing what I was doing. I was only 24-years-old. I mean, very, very young, but I took it seriously and I was working up to it and I believed that my work was appreciated with its success in the ring and that I became champion.

The second time when I fought in 2006 and became the champion the second time it was more obvious, believe it or not. Bryant Jennings is fighting for a lot. He’s fighting for his pride, but also he’s fighting for a lot of financial assets. I remember 2006 I was fighting for free, pretty much. I was getting – I was the official challenger and it was a long ride with beating Samuel Peter in 2005 fight when he was undefeated and was the biggest threat in the heavyweight division. And after becoming number one, different situations as mandatory, I couldn’t really get the fight. So different circumstances and lawsuits involved in a lot of things.

So it’s a lot of modern training and financing to become more determined and it affected me. So this is a day of fighting for free. Sometimes I’m really kind of have a smile on my face when I hear challengers complaining about certain things that they’re not getting paid enough or the rules are not good enough or the gloves are not good enough or whatever. There’s a lot of complaints. I remember I was fighting; I was ready to fight in any gloves for any price. I mean, basically, for free. That was the memories.

I am really excited to be back in the States. I’ve been fighting – champion of the world means to fight in different countries, in different cities, which I have accomplished in the past years. I’ve been fighting in Berlin, Switzerland. I’ve been fighting in Moscow, Russia. I’ve been fighting in many German cities. It’s always exciting to be back in the States and to be back at The Garden.

I’ve been collecting my belts and whatever I have in my hands, all those belts, it’s a lot of work, a lot of fights, and it’s definitely exciting to be back at The Garden, the mecca of entertainment, especially right now. Boxing is so imminent I could feel it, that the interest is much bigger and higher than it used to be, for example, seven years ago. Maybe it has to do with a combination of just one week apart from a mega fight with Pacquiao and Mayweather and I think it’s like certainly warming up and definitely putting boxing on the map and making the sport more exciting. I’m really, really happy about it, actually, because boxing has been always a classic sport, that people were following and watching for many years. So, I’m happy to be back in the States.

Q. My question is in terms of your boxing strategy now, it seems like you’ve employed a lot of the jabbing in your fight game. How much of that do you attribute to Emanuel Steward’s tutelage and what will we be seeing? What type of strategy will we be seeing against Bryant Jennings?

A. Well, we can talk about a lot of details and you know, you cannot really explain a strategy in a couple of words. It’s long weeks of preparation and there’s definitely some tools. I understand that we’re all limited in our capabilities. Bryant Jennings can fight as Bryant Jennings. He cannot fight like Mike Tyson or Muhammad Ali or somebody else.

Boxers from Philadelphia, that they have certainly some style. It’s just an example. Like, I think we’ve all seen maybe not live but Sugar Ray Robinson fight. I certainly see Muhammad Ali was looking at those fights and was copying certain movements and I’ve seen that Sugar Ray Leonard by Sugar Ray Robinson’s fights, and using the height and using the technique and the way they moved.

Obviously, there is certain reflection of the region where the fighter is coming from, of the trainers that he was working with and the idols that he was looking up to. I think that I’m going to expect a Philly fighter. You know, a fighter from Philadelphia that is similar to Frazier and Witherspoon and many other fighters from this region, from Philadelphia, and I think that it’s going to be challenging.

I was thinking about a fight with Jake LaMotta and Sugar Ray Robinson in a certain way because of the size difference and the way they fought, and Jake LaMotta was a really, really tough competitive fighter. A certain way I can compare this type of fight when they guys fought, LaMotta with Robinson, so in a certain way because of the size difference and technique and the way they represent themselves in the ring. There are similarities in a certain way. There is nothing that you can copy, but I could see some of it.

So I’m prepared for Bryant Jennings. I’m not going to underestimate him by no means. I’m not going to overestimate him by no means because as I said, we’re all limited, including myself. So we just can fight in the way we can fight and I think that it’s going to be an exciting fight.

Why? Because Bryant Jennings is pretty much at home. He’s going to have a lot of support in the arena and he’s highly motivated, he’s very energetic, he’s a little hyper type of fighter, and he’s moves a lot, he’s very athletic, but hopefully he’s not going to move around too much, he’s going to come to fight the same way as Pulev did. He didn’t move around much. He just came in and was throwing punches and being aggressive. So I’m hoping and expecting that Bryant Jennings is going to give me a fight where he’s going to be aggressive.

That’s why in this small ring, the smallest in boxing there’s not much space to move around and it’s a small ring with two fighters that are going to cover a lot of space of that ring because of the weight and the size, it’s heavyweights and were going to bring a lot of excitement on this fight night.

Q. What made you decide to come back to the States and fight in the States after so many years of not fighting here.

A. Well, it’s not just my own decision; it’s the demand. The demand was so strong—thankful the demand was so strong from public. We can see it in ticket sales; Madison Square Garden arena wants to see a Klitschko fight, and that was supported by the fans because of ticket sales. I’m sure we’re going to be sold out the day of the fight. Also, from television, in this case HBO, the demand is so big that it made me, forced me to come here and fight in the States.

On the other hand, I’m really happy about it because the demand in Europe was so strong. For the past years I’ve been fighting at soccer stadiums filled out with over 60,000 people and it’s a question of demand, as well. And I’m really, really happy about it, that boxing kicks in eventually and is unbelievably popular right now in the States. You really can see it and hear it on the radio and a lot of different channels with all the fight nights and it’s a great time. I think it’s the right time, right place and the right opponent to make it.

Q. Also, the mecca of boxing, right, MSG.

A. That’s what I said. Right place, the mecca of entertainment.

Q. Hello. Thanks, champ, for doing this. A question on your training. How well has it gone and what will you be doing over the next week or so as you get closer to the fight?

A. My training is going very well. I’m happy about my sparring partners. I have around eight, nine guys during the camp and all of them were giving me great sparring sessions and sparring rounds. At some point I was sitting in the gym and I was doing my stuff and I was thinking and I was talking to somebody and I was asking, “How old are these guys?” You know, my sparring partners were 23-, 25-, 27-, 29-years-old. It’s amazing and interesting that considering my age, I used to be the youngest in the gym all the time, and now it seems my sparring partners are much younger than I.

I see myself kind of – I see a reflection of myself so I can work with them very well because they’re always coming in fresh and leaving the ring, leaving the space with other sparring partners who come in and continue.

Also, I was looking at my coach. We just mentioned Emanuel Steward in the previous question and usually, the coach is much older than the fighter because he tells him what to do. My coach is seven, eight years younger than I. I feel in this preparation kind of interesting, especially turning 39. I definitely would think about the former opponent that I fought twice, Tony Thompson. He’s still kicking graceful and fighting so well and winning the fights, especially beating recently Solis, a former Olympic champion. He’s been successful with young fighters like David Price. It’s amazing. This guy is 44, 45, I think, and he keeps doing it so well.

So I definitely think that age is just a number. Actually, it’s a big advantage instead of disadvantage because with the age you’re getting better. With the right lifestyle there’s nothing that any preparation can go wrong. I’m really happy about the preparation and I’m happy that I’m an athlete and I can get in peak of my performance thanks to the experience. And I look forward to the event next week, next week Saturday.

Bernie Bahrmasel: Wladimir, we’re going to turn it over to Bryant right now, but we appreciate your time and we appreciate the media being on the call to speak with you today.

Wladimir Klitschko: Thank you very much, guys.

Bernie Bahrmasel: Up next and ready to go is number one ranked and undefeated challenger fighting out of the great town of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, home of numerous world champions, including legendary heavyweights Joe Frazier and Tim Witherspoon and returning to Madison Square Garden, site of his two most recent and biggest victories over Artur Szpilka and Mike Perez, both telecast on HBO, with a record of 19-0-1-0 with 10 knockouts, Bryant “By-By” Jennings. Bryant, are you there?

Bryant Jennings: Yes, I’m here. All good.

Bernie Bahrmasel: Can you tell us a little bit about how camp is going so far?

Bryant Jennings: Camp is going good. It’s real comfortable and you don’t have to work as hard when you live a good life and stuff like that. We have everything right on point.

Q. Hello, Bryant. Congratulations on your opportunity. You charted this out and you planned and you’ve executed each step just to get to this opportunity. Now that it’s here how do you feel about it, what does it represent to you and how can this really effectively just change your entire life?

A. Well, it’s a great experience. It’s a great point in my life. It’s part of history. You don’t find it every day, when we get to a point in any type of profession to get to the top of it. I’m very blessed and I’m very aware of my blessings, I’m very aware of my purpose here and I’m just thankful because just five or six years ago I had no idea that I would be anywhere near anything like this.

Q. Bryant, would you talk a little bit about the challenges that Klitschko presents and also the fact that he’s got so much experience in the ring? I mean, you have quite a bit of experience now, too, but he’s one of the most experienced fighters pretty much ever in the heavyweight division.

A. Yes. Well, you know, the challenges that he brings, first of all, being a boxer, period, comes with a lot of challenges, especially being a heavyweight. We’re challenged because one punch from a heavyweight has the power to pretty much put just about any man down, so I’m aware of that. Plus, I’m aware of the specimen in Wladimir. He’s a very dedicated individual. He’s always been. He appears to live the clean life and he’s a 100% athlete.

So you know, there’s a lot of things that I’ll be taking on come April 25, but there are some things that I bring to the table as well, which is that, you know, the same attributes and stuff like that. But, you know, him being experienced. Experience plays a part but it’s not a big part because we’ve seen situations where the inexperienced guy comes out on top whether it’s in sports, whether it’s in politics, whether it’s in anything. I don’t pretty much play that experience game because everybody who I face has more experience than me. I first put on the gloves six years ago and here I am playing for the heavyweight championship of the world.

So I’m doing it and I’ll be what I think is the fourth Philly-born heavyweight to ever fight for a title and the second Philly-born heavyweight to ever win it once I become champion April 25.

Q. Now, tell me about your training away from home and how that’s going and how it’s maybe different from your last camp away from home, which you had said before posed a few issues with you when you got into the ring.

A. Yes. Well, you know, being away is kind of like a better peace of mind. When you’re home, and where I come from it’s not nice, and it’s like everybody pretty much crowds you, you get overwhelmed with friends and everybody wants to stop in and people just trying to – they don’t know. There’s no harm, but they’re actually I won’t say irritating at all, I won’t say it, but it’s just interfering in a sense because I’m trying to focus.

So therefore, I train away from home. Houston is the place that I chose because my manager, James Prince, he lives in Houston. The resources in Houston are great. The weather is good. Also, my strength and conditioning coach is based in Houston as well, so therefore I get to go away. The sacrifices that I take to go away are being away from my son and my family and stuff like that for months at a time. I mean, it’s all a sacrifice, but I have to go away and if I don’t then I’ll be bombarded and I’ll be bothered and all that.

Q. Okay. Follow-up question. You talked a little before about the difference in experience and how you’re not really looking at that as a major factor. You’re also going in the ring as a considerable underdog. Talk a little bit about what it’s like to do that. What’s the mindset going in as an underdog and is it an advantage, is it a disadvantage? How do you feel about it?

A. Well, I’ve been pretty much the underdog in just about all of my fights. Whether they like it or not, most people focus on the inexperience part and most people focus on the size part, but everybody has a different story once they enter the ring, once they enter the ring with me, and as you can see, I always like to ask the question of certain people that say what makes me different or what makes me look inexperienced? Do I look more inexperienced than others or what is it actually that you can actually point out? Then my size is just my size. I’m 225. Usually, like, that’s almost like the lowest that I can pretty much get. A lot of these guys are just; they’re maybe like big cruiser weights or big light heavyweights and things like that.

Inexperience and all of that is something that I pay no attention to. The underdog is something that I’m used to being. I understand that I’m a great underdog in this fight. That’s because people only look at the size and they look at the inexperience, but they don’t look at the possibility. All you have to do is respect the possibility that this fight could go either way.

Q. When you win on April 25th you’re going to win a lot of heavyweight championship belts. Have you thought about how you’re going to carry all those belts out of the ring? Do you have a big enough entourage to do it?

A. Well, you know, I have a team. I don’t have an entourage; I have a team. Everybody in my team actually has a purpose, and their purpose is definitely love and acceptance and I very much appreciate it. I don’t really get into the entourage thing, but you know there’s going to be extra people, there’s going to be a lot of people that are going to be there to want to hold the belt.

I think I’m strong enough to hold them all. I don’t want nobody holding my belts for me. That’s how it’s going to go; it’s going to be a wonderful night.

Q. I just wanted to ask if you could give me a scouting report on Klitschko based on the studying that you and Fred have done. Without divulging your game plan too much, are there certain things that you perceive as weaknesses that he’s got, holds that you’re going to try to exploit? Or is it a case of him doing everything well and there’s just certain things he does less well than other things, you know?

A. Well, we know he holds very well. He holds. That’s one of the things that he does do. He doesn’t fight back pretty well and he does a lot of things great, though. That’s pretty much what it is. His weakness will be getting to his chin, but he does that great job, protecting that, but I understand that it’s going to be a tough task and it’s going to be that’s something that I – that’s what I signed up for. I’m with that. I’m all for it.

Q. My question is basically I kind of fielded a question to Klitschko regarding the jab. We know how important the jab is in the fight game. You seem to employ the jab quite often and sometimes double jab and try to keep guys on the outside. Mike Tyson was really good at moving laterally and kind of being able to get to his guy, which made him such a great heavyweight. Do you see that as something that you’re going to have to really try to kind of ward off to get on the inside to fight Klitschko?

A. There are a few ways to get inside. Yes, he has a great jab. I have a, I want to say an exceptional jab compared to his as well. He is one of the best athletes I’ve seen for that. There are definitely plenty of ways to actually get inside of a jab. Like you say, lateral movement, head movement and relentless effort will definitely penetrate and make a change.

Q. Do you feel that you’re going to be able to make those adjustments as necessary in the ring? Again, without giving up strategy, how do you feel you’re going to be able to counter the jab? Because I feel like in most of his fights, you know, everything starts in boxing; everything starts and ends with the jab. So my point was is how do you feel you’re going to be able to deter that jab to come inside if you have to?

A. Well, only being a week away from the fight I have 100% confidence in everything that I do. I had a great training camp. The way that we actually prepare and practice to get inside or to actually be able to maneuver around the jab, I feel those are effective and I have 100% faith that what we practiced is effective. All I’m going to have to is be patient and be smart.

Q. I got you. Training camp was eight weeks?

A. A little longer than that.

Bernie Bahrmasel: Bryant, thanks so much for joining us. This is going to wrap up the call. We appreciate your time. We look forward to seeing you in New York City next week.
Bryant Jennings: All right. See you all.

Bernie Bahrmasel: Thanks very much to the media for joining us and terrific questions. We’ll be distributing the full fight week schedule for Klitschko vs. Jennings this week. Again, Saturday, April 25 live on HBO and live at Madison Square Garden. Thank you again.

KLITSCHKO vs. JENNINGS is presented by K2 Promotions and the Klitschko Management Group in association with Gary Shaw Productions and will be televised Live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT in the United States and RTL in Germany.

ALI vs. SANTANA is presented by K2 Promotions in association with Gary Shaw Productions and Golden Boy Promotions.

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