Ola Afolabi Interview: Speaks About Lukasz Janik in IBO Cruiser Title Fight Saturday at MSG and More
Ola Afolabi Interview: Speaks About Lukasz Janik in IBO Cruiser Title Fight Saturday at MSG and More By Ken Hissner, Doghouse Boxing (Oct 30, 2013) TweetFollow @DoghouseBoxing
Former interim WBO cruiserweight champion Ola “Kryptonite” Afolabi, 19-3-4 (9), now out of L.A., CA., spoke to DHB this week about his upcoming vacant IBO cruiserweight title fight with Poland’s Lukasz Janik, 26-1 (14), Saturday at MSG, NY, on a blockbuster card.
Tom Loeffler (K2 Promotions) and Kathy Duva (Main Events) will headline with P4P the most feared fighter in boxing Gennady “Triple G” Golovkin, defending his WBA and IBO middleweight world titles against Curtis Stevens with Afolabi and Janik in the co-feature.
Unbeaten southpaw heavyweights Magomed “Mago” Abdusalam, 18-0 (18) of RUS and fighting out of FL, and Cuban Mike “The Rebel” Perez, 19-0 (12), out of Cork, IRE, fight for USNBC title. Unbeaten 19 year-old Dusty Hernandez Harrison, 17-0 (10), takes on Josh “Pitbull” Torres, 12-2-1 (5), of Albiquerque, NM, for the vacant WBC Youth World welterweight title.
Afolabi was 13-1-3 when he stopped the former WBO cruiser champion Enzo Maccarinelli in 2009 for the interim WBO title to earn his first title fight with Huck. He defeated EBU-EU champion Lubos Suda, of CZ, for the WBO Inter-Continental title in 2011. In 2012 he re-won the interim WBO title stopping former interim WBA champion Valery Brudov of RUS earning him a second Huck fight 2 month later.
Then Afolabi had to wait 13 months for the re-match and third fight with Huck while Huck defended his title 6 months after their draw decision while Afolabi was inactive.
Through Tom Loeffler this writer talked to Afolabi about his past and upcoming title fight.
KEN HISSNER: How does it feel as the No. 1 IBO contender getting another title fight?
OLA AFOLABI: I feel like I’ve earned the title fight but am lucky to get this thanks to K2. I hope this title leads to another.
KEN HISSNER: Speaking of Huck how do you think you did in those 3 fights with him?
OLA AFOLABI: I thought I beat him the first time (LD 2009), the second could have gone either way, D12 (2012) and I did lose the third one (LMD 2013).
KEN HISSNER: Do you know much about your upcoming opponent Lukasz Janik?
OLA AFOLABI: I saw 3 of his fights. He has a stand up style but comes at you. He rarely leaves Poland. (First US appearance)
KEN HISSNER: Have you gotten much sparring in for this fight since its only your second fight in 18 months?
OLA AFOLABI: It is hard finding cruiserweights to spar with so my trainer Jerry Rosenberg usually ends up getting heavyweights for me at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card gym.
KEN HISSNER: Is there a lot of pressure with the fight coming up?
Ola Afolabi and Tom Loeffler
OLA AFOLABI: I just let Tom (Loeffler) and the team take care of things.
KEN HISSNER: I know you were born in London, UK, and now live in L.A. We have over 500 Calvary Chapel churches in CA. Do you attend church?
OLA AFOLABI: My father is a pastor in Nigeria. I have attended Chuck Smith’s church. (Founder of CC who recently passed away)
KEN HISSNER: I interviewed your stable mate Triple G who is in the main event Saturday and attended his fight in MSG. His Philly sparring partners for that one were from Philly and said though a middleweight he hits like a heavyweight.
OLA AFOLABI: I have sparred with him and he is a heavy hitter.
KEN HISSNER: I want to thank you for taking the time to answer some questions for your title fight Saturday.
