Interview with Calvin Brock
 By Media Report (February 16, 2006) 
Photo © HoganPhotos.com
CALVIN BROCK
Conference Call Transcript
Wednesday, February 15, 2006, California Pennsylvania

Calvin Brock: I am Training in California, Pennsylvania and this is the best training camp I have ever had and I have never looked this good before. I am in great shape and looking forward to the fight on February 25 and putting on a very impressive show and making my record 28-0 in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay.

Which of the fights, between McCline and Bostice, would you say was the tougher fight?

Calvin Brock: Jameel McCline. It was the biggest show, he was stronger and I had to be on my toes, he was a bigger puncher. I had to work harder and throw more punches. I had to move a lot more and it was just a tougher boxing match.

How do you look at the Lawrence fight?

Calvin Brock: He did beat Jameel McCline and he did beat my first and he beat the guy that I lost to in the Olympics – he gave him his first loss. He is not an opponent that I can take for granted. It is a boxing match that I had to look good at. It is a big show on PPV. If I want to become heavyweight champion this year I have to beat Zuri Lawrence. Zuri Lawrence will come in and try to make an upset and he won’t. I will go into the ring and look good against him and win impressively. I will show the world that I am deserving of a title shot and I am the one that is going to be King of the heavyweight division.

What do you see right now in the heavyweight division?

Calvin Brock: Right now I see a coup of impressive boxing matches coming up in the heavyweight division, with James Toney and Hasim Rahman and Chris Byrd and Klitschko. I am just looking to take the titles away one at a time from whoever is holding a title. Someone is going to lose that title this year. I don’t know which one, but somebody is. I am just looking forward to my chance.

These couple of impressive boxing matches coming up will draw attention to the division with fans around the world and I will take one of those belts away from the of the titleholders. They are there to be taken but at the same time I have to get on television. I have to win next Saturday and maybe again to expose myself to the boxing fans. Then there will be a bigger fight for when I go in and take the title.

I think I am going to get a title shot regardless. As long as I stay focused, the title shot is going to happen, I can’t see anyone else more deserving of a title shot than me. Who else are they going to go to?

Do you have a short list?

Carl Moretti: You know who the champions are and you know who is fighting. There’s a short list, there’s a big list. You can call it anything you want, but I think the plan right now…he’s got the right attitude. This title shot will not come about immediately. It is not like there is a clock ticking on Cal here and he’s got the right attitude. He’s fresh, he’s young, he’s a new face and people are starting to get to know him with each fight. So when that shot does come he will be better exposed and out there and it will be worth that much more.
Everybody talks about Peter and Klitschko last September – if there was ever a fight that had so much hype leading up to it that proved nothing at the end of it – it was that fight. Our goal is that when he gets that shot he is going to shine and there will be no question. After that fight ,you are not going to be looking for the next guy, because he’s going to be the guy.

Calvin Brock: Exactly.

Lat September, how close was the Klitschko fight to actually happening?

Carl Moretti: We agreed on a number and we knew the time frame. The only thing the Klitschko people forgot to do was get the sanctioning from the WBC. Other than that, we wanted to take the shot then after seeing what Klitschko did in retiring, it probably would have been the right fight for Cal at that time. It didn’t happen and you live and learn and you go from there. I don’t know if it is blessing in disguise or not. We would have been ready to fight that night for sure, but some things you can’t control and that was one of the things. We move on and we find ourselves in ’06 and have a plan and we’ll take advantage of it.

Has it been disappointing after the McCline fight that there has been no follow-up?

Calvin Brock: It is a little bit frustrating. I haven’t been back on TV since the McCline fight. I thought for sure that after I beat McCline that bigger things would have been in the making, other than my wedding. But this is a new year and I am back on television. So I am glad that the new year is here and we have a new plan and good things are going to come this year.

Does looking at a Boxing After Dark date in the summertime something that motivates you?

Calvin Brock: It is motivating because it would be my first time on HBO. This is on HBO PPV, which I really don’t consider HBO because when they show the replay they will not be showing me. So it will be my first time on HBO and everybody has to make their first appearance on HBO and they are going t make that appearance as a main event I am going to win and look impressive and hopefully after that, there will be something bigger.

What have you been working on to prepare for this fight?

Calvin Brock: I am working on everything - the jab, the fundamentals. I am working on making myself harder to hit and working on explosiveness and getting more power on my shots.

How do you rate your condition?

Calvin Brock: I’ve got a chin. In the late rounds…I get stronger as the rounds progress. I just went 12 hard rounds in my last boxing match with David Bostice. Right now I am in better shape than I was for that fight with David Bostice. I am coming in lighter for this fight am training hard and coming in lighter. I would go the distance – 15 rounds if I need to. No problem. I won’t be 218 – I think that is a little too light. We don’t want to get that light. I will come in at the mid 20’s, somewhere between 222 and 225. I am my best at 225.

Is there anyone of the belt holders in particular that matches up well with you?

Calvin Brock: I will take them all. All of them will match up well with me because I can adjust. If anyone has seen me box, there is no style that gives me problems because I am versatile in my style. I can adjust and win a boxing match against anybody – no matter what their style is and no matter what their dimensions are. There will be no problem against anybody in the world. All of the title holders. When they step in the ring, there title is leaving them.

Who do you see in the upcoming heavyweight fights?

Calvin Brock: I would really like to be there to see them box. I really can’t comment on that, I really can’t call it.

Will you be willing to fight Sam Peter even though he is a friend?

Calvin Brock: I don’t know. If it came down to the right economics and we could come to an agreement we could. But right now I am looking at Zuri Lawrence and then getting a title shot and becoming the heavyweight champion of the world.

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