By Jose E. Santiago Last week Cedric “The Boz†Boswell took one step closer in his quest to obtaining a world heavyweight title. In a ten round one sided unanimous decision Boswell picked apart former heavyweight champ Oliver McCall in Hollywood, Fla. Fightnews caught up with Boswell to discuss what the immediate future holds for the current NABA and WBC Latino champion. First of all, congratulations on your win against Oliver McCall. What was your take on the fight? Before I give you my take, I’d like to address the hilarious comments McCall is making after I beat him. He’s basically saying that he didn’t have enough notice and wasn’t ready to fight me. The irony about the comments is that he was actively working out and sparring. I know this for a fact. Also, when he accepted the fight, his pre-fight comments were all positive and described how he was indeed ready. With regard to the fight, it was easy. I figured him out early and simply dominated him. It was an opportunity to show how much more advanced my footwork and boxing is compared to any heavyweight out there. I have the power of a heavyweight and the speed of a middleweight. After dominating McCall, what’s on your foreseeable future? I get asked that same question after every fight, and I hate answering it because I sound like every other heavyweight out there trying to cash in. It would be easy for me to say all the stuff that now sounds cliché like, I want the Klitschkos, America needs a heavyweight champion, I’m the best heavyweight there is. Although I do feel that all of these responses are appropriate for me, simply put my time is now. There are so many heavyweights that think they can handle the Klitschko’s but unlike those other fighters I’m the one that has been in camp with them, studying them, I’m the one has been campaigning for seventeen years and I’m the one best suited to take them down. I’ve studied them, I’ve studied what they do and what Emmanuel Steward has taught them and makes sure they execute. I know their tricks and how to exploit them. My time is now, if the boxing fans want to see a real threat to the Klitschko’s dominance look no further. I can dominate these guys. I know it, Emmanuel Steward knows it, and they know it. So if they know that you can beat them as you say, will they really give you a shot? That’s the problem with the politics of boxing. I’m a threat to every heavyweight with a name and they know it so they would rather take their chances with an old heavyweight or with a heavyweight that doesn’t pose a threat. That’s why you see all of these old fighters fighting each other and the poor TV networks trying to make it seem like it’s a real fight. I understand the business and that fights need to make financial sense for all involved, but we’re at a point in boxing that we need stir things up. Seventeen years of dominating and winning stands for something and people can’t avoid me forever. I’m winning; I hold titles and my skills never go unseen. The boxing fans need to demand the fight; they are ultimately the deciding factor on whether or not a fight makes sense financially. If the Klitschkos or any other big name fighter chooses not to fight me he’s a coward…simply put. There’s a lot of money being made but you can’t fool the fans. You just can’t. At 41 do you still feel as viable as you did when you were younger? [Laughs] Once again a question that would generate more clichés. I’m 41 yes, but in my case compared to fighters past their prime I’m still in it. I haven’t been beat up by anyone and I’m always in great shape. I’ve lead a clean life with no addictions or bad habits. What I displayed against McCall proves that my age is just a number. I understand that it will be a question that people with ask and it’s fair, but I’m a well conditioned athlete that respects his body and takes care of it, I have to. Although I’ve been a victim of the politics of boxing, I’ve never lost perspective of the fact that this day would come. I always knew that I would eventually hold multiple titles and that my shot to be considered for a world title would eventually surface. My time is now. If you get a shot at the world title, would you want it to happen in the USA? I’ll fight either of them wherever they want to fight. It would be great to have the fight on our side of the pond, but I have to respect that they are the champions. I can care less where the fight is, I’ll let the powers that be decide that. My responsibility is to make sure that I’m ready to bring the world title back with me. Your focus has been on the Klitschos, but will you take a fight with anyone else? Absolutely! Listen, if someone wants to see me further prove my abilities throw me in there with any of the other fighters people feel are more deserving than me. I’ll prove it yet again that I’m on my way to being the next heavyweight world champion and that nothing can stop me. I hate sounding like all the other fighters that say the same thing, but I’m not just trying to sell myself. I’m the best and I can’t wait for the world to know it and accept it. Because of my limited exposure to the casual fans, I may not be the first name casual fans recognize, but if you ask the hardcore fight fans and all the fighters that have seen me in a gym across the globe the reaction is the same. Damn, that Cedric Boswell is a beast. What makes you different from all the other fighters trying to get to the top? I’m not trying to cash in with a huge fight and then disappear. I’m beyond that. This isn’t a situation where I’m just hoping that I can make a lot of money win or lose. My pride and competitiveness won’t allow me to take that approach. I want to win and show how hard work and real dedication means something these days. I was brought up being taught that hard work and that believing in yourself will pay off and I just can’t let that go. I’ve worked hard, I’ve been dedicated to my craft for a long time, so once again I’ll tell you that my time is now. I’m not hiding or going on any vacations, and I’m easy to find.
You don't get it Irish. He's been watching them. He's been studying them. He knows how to dominate them now. He did research for 15 years on the Klitchkos. He now knows what to do. When Wlad throws a jab he has to block it with his gloves! And when wlad throws his right he just has to not get hit by it. Then simply punch him in the jaw hard enough so he stays down for 10 seconds. It's so simple! But not everybody can do it because not everybody studied them for 15 years to figure this out.
I am positive that he would do about as good as Peter, Briggs, Sosnowski, Rahman... he is kinda useful, good punch, some boxing skills. Kinda honest worker like Tony Thompson. He has no chance but he would deserve a shot as much as anybody else, the Klitschkos have fought lately.
Judging fromthe interview, seems like one of the more cerebral heavyweights out there. He may be delusional about his ability, but assuming those were his actual words, I'd be very surprised if he were brain-damaged.
I like Boswell's style from an aesthetic stand point but guys who lose to Jameal McCline don't beat the Klits. I wouldn't be adverse to watching Boswell vs any of the 2nd tier guys though & you gotta admire bat shit crazy confidence like that ::
Vitali actually chickened out of a fight with Boswell in 2003.........:nono: He preferred to fight that big faggot Lewis on 10 days notice instead. Thats the power of The Boz- men would rather fight Lewis. hno:
Did you hear that one about Ray Mercer? Yeah apparently if he had been allowed to train with weights he would have kicked Wlads arse.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/m0Ldjjciv5c" allowfullscreen="" width="640" frameborder="0" height="390"></iframe> "there were a lot of things going on in my camp........I wanted to lose weight......I wasn't lifting any weights.....I got in there and he hit me with a jab and I knew then I made a mistake by not lifting any weights......I would have knocked him out"
