Danny Green: “Forget Tarver, we’ve got bigger and better news”


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Danny Green: “Forget Tarver, we’ve got bigger and better news”

INTERVIEW By Anthony Cocks (Nov 26, 2007) Doghouse Boxing

The on-again, off-again fight between IBO titleholder Antonio Tarver and Danny Green turned to dust a few weeks ago with the announcement that the hardheaded Australian would challenge German-based Croatian Stipe Drews for his WBA light heavyweight strap in Green’s hometown of Perth, Western Australia on December 16.

Green, who competed at 81kg (178lbs) at the Sydney Olympics, has looked rejuvenated since moving up a weight division after his highly publicized loss to bitter rival Anthony Mundine in May 2006, reeling off three consecutive

knockout victories over solid opposition in Jason Delisle, Paul Murdoch and Otis Griffin. The additonal poundage has paid dividends for Green, 24-3 (22), who had been struggling to make 168lbs for a number of years.

Drews has earned himself something of a reputation for himself in Australia, but for all the wrong reasons. The last time he traveled to the antipodes he was lucky not to be disqualified in his 2004 fight against Paul Briggs, a brawl that was marred by the Croatian’s repeated fouls. Drews, 32-1 (13), subsequently strung together five dominant wins before edging out veteran two-time WBA light heavyweight titleholder Silvio Branco. The fight against Green will mark the first title defence by the 34 year-old ‘Spiderman’.

In this interview Green discusses at length the breakdown of negotiations with Team Tarver, his preparation for Stipe Drews and the possibility of a Mundine rematch at 175lbs.

Anthony Cocks: You recently signed to fight Stipe Drews in your hometown of Perth. Originally you were scheduled to fight Antonio Tarver in the States on December 1st. How frustrating has it been with negotiations up till this point with the Tarver fight falling through?

Danny Green: Well up to this point it’s been very frustrating for nearly fourteen week because we did everything is our power to make the fight happen. I believe that Antonio Tarver never wanted the fight in the first place which is why so many changes were made to the deal before the contract even came through and we still never saw a signed contract. They changed the deal and the contract on two occasions, they chopped money off and other things like airfares that we had verbally agreed on. And when we announced the fight seven weeks prior to us announcing the Drews fight, we still hadn’t seen a contract despite negotiating for thirteen, fourteen weeks. We made that many phone calls to them, to the manager, the promoter, so many that it wasn’t funny, yet there was only one returned phone call and that was it. In the whole process of negotiating to match a fight against Antonio Tarver there was one phone call returned and it was “I’ll call you back”, yet there was no phone call returned to my manager Justin Manolikos.

It was pretty clear all along when you hear of other opponents like George Blades while I was in America training and preparing for the fight and I was told that I would be finalizing and signing the contract while in America. To go America and spent twenty or thirty thousand dollars flying in sparring partners, accommodation, airfares and everything like that, and to walk away with no contract signed, no promotional work and no closer to the deal, and also learning that Antonio Tarver was trying to sign someone else up to fight, and then get back and read on the internet that he’s tried to sign up a different fighter again, and we still don’t have a contract. A very, very forgettable experience on their behalf and embarrassing on my behalf because we announced it live on TV and then we never received a signed contract, which obviously proves that Antonio never agreed to fight me.

AC: It’s certainly an ordinary way to do business.

DG: Mate, no-one does business like that. You make an agreement, you have an agreement, and then to come back weeks later and move the goalposts and then change that agreement with the people you’ve made the agreement with, that’s just very, very unprofessional behaviour. I took matters into my own hands, grabbed the bull by the horns and looked after number one. I spoke to my manager and we went ahead and dealt with Universum, the biggest boxing outfit in the world, and they were the most professional people to deal with. Within one week we a signed contract to bring out Stipe Drews for the official WBA light heavyweight world title here in my backyard of Perth, so we got bigger and better news. It’s a win-win situation for me because I’m fighting in my backyard and I’m fighting for a legitimate world title, so it gives me the chance to be a two-belt world champion.

AC: I know you’re a very driven person, but how hard was it with all the drama with the Tarver contract to stay focused on your preparation with so many things still up in the air?

DG: 100 per cent it was hard, but that was their tactics. But if that was their tactics, it’s come back to bit them on the arse because without a signed contract the tactic has really come down to nothing because now they have to find a new opponent, but really I don’t know if my name was ever really in the mix. But the fact we never had a signed contract… I’ve spoken to people in America about it since the announcement of the Drew fight and they seemed to be upset with what we’ve done, but I’m thinking “are these people ludicrous?”. They must be deluded. The fact that we didn’t have a signed contract is just out of this world, but the fact that the deal was changed on two occasions, it just defies belief.

We are really happy and really positive with the bigger and better news that we’ve got Stipe Drews defending his world title here in my backyard. It’s a chance to become the light heavyweight champion of the world. I was the WBC interim world champion by defeating a proper world champion and now the chance after three fights at light heavyweight to step up and fight for the oldest sanctioning body in the world and a very prestigious title to have, and the fact that it’s in my backyard of Australia is even better mate. Universum, give them credit, they were a pleasure to deal with, and we’re looking forward to getting the fight on. I’ve still got plenty of very, very intense preparation to get through, so while it’s great news, there’s a big job ahead of me.

AC: Fight fans in Australia will be familiar with Stipe Drews from his 2004 fight with Paul Briggs, which was probably one of the dirtiest fights seen in recent years on Australian soil. How do you view Drews as a fighter and do you think he’ll revert back to those sort of tactics if the going gets tough?

DG: Look, Stipe Drews lost his mind on that occasion and I don’t think he’s done it since. He’s matured greatly since that fight and he’s beaten Antonio Brancalion, Kai Kurzawa for the European championship, and then he beat Silvio Branco, who he’s beaten twice, for the WBA light heavyweight title. So he’s really matured since then, he’s come on as a fighter and I think he’s in the best form of his career. But Stipe Drews can be defeated, it’s as simple as that. He’s not undefeated, he’s been beaten once, and I’m very confident of victory against Stipe Drews. It’s going to be an extremely difficult fight because of his reach and his height, and the fact that he’s a very skilful, tactical fighter. I know that the Germans will leave no stone unturned when it comes to preparing for me. They’ve seen me in action twice against (Markus) Beyer and I know these guys will have every footage possible that they can get of me to try and break me down. But at the end of the day it’s on the night that it counts, and that’s what I’m more worried about. I’m not worried about looking at Stipe Drews every single minute of the day, I’ve got to prepare and it’s really about what happens on the night.

AC: Now Drews is a 6’5” southpaw who fights off the back foot and has a nice long jab. How are you going to solve the riddle of a left hander of that size?

DG: Look, I’ve fought left handers before as amateurs and professionals. I’ve knocked ’em out as amateurs and I’ve belted them as professionals – and I’ve lost to ’em. But he’s got two hands and so have I; the fact that his lead hand is his right is pretty much the only difference. Yeah, southpaws are awkward and tricky, but mate nowadays they still throw punches and they’ve still got two hands so there’s not that great of an advantage. His height is definitely an advantage and his reach is definitely an advantage, but I’m not going to give too much away mate. It’s an exciting match up of contrasting styles. I’m looking forward to a very big challenge and I expect to be the underdog going in to the fight against the champion. I’ll have to really give it to him and flog him to prove that I deserve to be champion and that’s what I’m confident of achieving.

AC: You must be over the moon about the fight being held in Perth, particularly as it’s the first world title fight that Perth has ever hosted. What does it mean to you personally to be able to fight for such a prestigious world title in front of your home crowd?

DG: It means the world to me. It’s a massive thing for Australian sport, Australian boxing, and for boxing in Perth in particular. The sporting community in Perth has given me phenomenal support throughout my career, as has Australia as a whole, and I’m very proud to be able to bring a world title fight to Perth and hopefully I’ll be able to repay the faith and the loyalty that my phenomenal bunch of fans have shown me over the years. I’ve always maintained that it’s really more than just me winning, it’s for my fans as well. I almost get emotional talking about it because it really does leave a huge impression on me the amount of support that I have and I’m really looking forward to going out there and winning the world title for Australia and doing it in my lovely city of Perth.

AC: You obviously spent a bit of time in the States preparing for the Tarver fight. Are you planning on going back over there or are you looking at basing yourself in Australia and using local boys for sparring partners or flying in some guys from overseas?

DG: I’ve got some blokes I’ll be flying in from overseas. I need some more European, tactical style fighters. I’ve also got some local boys I’ll be using, including Paul Miller and maybe Jamie Pittman, a tall lanky kid who’s very skillful, very sharp and very fast, who’s on the rise as a professional. And Paul Miller, who has been out of action for a while with injuries. He’s not as tall, but he’s one of the most technically gifted southpaw fighters that you’ll come across. He’s just had a shocking run with injury the poor guy. I’ll be utilising those two guys for sparring as well as some overseas fighters as well, so we’ve got some very good sparring organised.

AC: Is Paul Miller looking at fighting again?

DG: I’m not sure, it’s really up to Paul. I’m very close friends with Paul and he’s a great bloke. Paul is an extremely intelligent human being so he knows what he’s doing, he knows what he wants. He’s the kind of guy that on his day he can beat any fighter out there in the world, he’s that gifted a fighter, but he’s just had a shocking run of injuries the poor guy. For people to talk about Paul Miller and say he gets injured because he’s not tough, well I’ve seen Paul Miller fight at the Olympic Games with a broken knuckle, I’ve seen him fight through extreme adversity and mentally and physically he’s one of the toughest guys I’ve met. It’s just a matter of him getting a good run of luck with injury and if Paul Miller chooses to he can work his way up to world championship level because he’s got the ability, the tenacity and the skill to beat anyone on his day mate.

AC: I’d certainly like to see him back in the ring. He’s an entertaining fighter and a very skillful one but at the end of the day the decision is his and I’m sure he’ll make the best decision for himself.

DG: He’ll make the right decision mate. Like I said he’s got his head screwed on straight and he’s a very intelligent individual.

AC: The talk is that if you come through this fight with Drews and win the WBA light heavyweight championship, then a rematch with Anthony Mundine is on the cards. Has that been discussed at much length, or is it just another possibility in the pipeline?

DG: It’s been discussed at length mate. I chased Antonio Tarver and now I’m bringing Stipe Drew, the world champion, to our shores. I’ve never ducked anybody and I was prepared to go to the Untied States and fight Antonio Tarver in his backyard after offering him in excess of millions of dollars to come to Australia, and my offer to go to America was a paltry sum compared to what I normally earn. It‘s a dream come true to have the fight with Drews in my backyard, but he’s a very, very difficult opponent and I’m aware of that. To me it’s all about making the big and exciting fights at this stage of my career and that’s what I’ve done so far. If all goes well and I’m successful against Stipe Drews, there’s no reason why we wouldn’t set up a rematch with Anthony Mundine down the track, but first and foremost I’ve got to deal with Stipe Drews. I’m not looking past Drews at all, not even a little bit.

AC: Appreciate your time. Danny. Best of luck in your preparation for the fight and best of luck on the night. I know there’ll be plenty of hometown support for you in Perth and many more people around the country cheering you on.

DG: Thanks mate. Just a quick note to all those people who have been supportive of me throughout my career, I really appreciate it and thanks very much. It really does make a difference to my profession, to my job. Knowing that the people are backing me makes me get up early in the morning and push myself that much harder. They might give me a quick ‘g’day, go Danny’ when I’m walking down the street or something like that, it really does mean a lot to me and I really appreciate it. Thanks very much guys, I really look forward to paying that back.