By Alexey Sukachev,  May, 6, 2006

Confidence, determination and annoying long sparring sessions with other boxers are the things, which absence can be fatal for the warrior inside the ring. There were many champions, who had lost their crowns due to improper preparations for seems-so-easy defenses against whatever opponents. Roman Karmazin is, however, quite a different story. More than one month prior his upcoming showdown with former undisputed welterweight champion of the world Cory Spinks, now-defending IBF junior middleweight titlist from Russia is fully concentrated on the July 8th fight. Nevertheless he has found a couple of free minutes to share his feelings and thoughts about the nearest future with Fightnews team.

Good day, Roman! How are you doing right now? How is your preparation going on?

Nice to speak with you once again, friend. I’m doing rather well preparing my body and mind for the future bout with Cory Spinks. I’m really focused on this, so the training sessions are hard and intensive. However, currently there are more running, physical exercises and other open-air works than something else. As for the sparring part of my preparation, I train my combat skills three times a week with different opponents, though it’s to be said that the sparring sessions will be harder day after day.    

Who are you sparring partners?

Well, currently there are pretty unknown guys in my camp – just a few names, even hardcore boxing fans can hardly know about. They are all lefties, thus I will be able to adapt to this awkward southpaw style, my future opponent fights with. My team is talking about greater names right now. Therefore I’m sure I’ll be prepared for the Spinks fight properly.

Are the sparring matches hard and intensive enough?

Not now. And, to tell the truth, I don’t think it’s really good to train that way. I mean, that’s just training, more like a study than a war. There are guys who think they must crush, kill and destroy their opponents in sparring sessions. I insist on this being false. You must prepare yourself, upgrade your combat skills and, at the same time, give a boxing lesson to your partner. There is no need in slugfest during preparation, in my point of view.

How many rounds do your sparring sessions last?

Six right now. That’s enough for me on this stage of preparation. Perhaps, I’ll lift this number up to eight, but it’ll be the maximum. I don’t need to spar more cause I’ll gain the rest of my preflight conditions by simply working with the bags in gym.

By the way where are you training now?

In Freddie Roach’s Wild Card gym, that is situated just near Hollywood. This gym isn’t so large but very comfortable for all our doings. There are lots of stars, training there. One day I saw Klitchko brothers there. However, Wild Card is too small for them, so they decided to leave it for good (smiles).

You have just said you are working in Roach’s gym. It’s also worth saying that Freddie was in your corner during your last bout with Kassim Ouma. Will he take the same place on July the 8th?

I don’t know that exactly. Freddie is possibly the best coach out there, in America. But he’s too expensive and I must count every cent nowadays. So this question is still under the stiff consideration.

When will you fly over the States to Saint Louis?

I think this Tuesday, maybe Wednesday, I’ll be there.

Let’s talk about your rival. What can you say about Cory and how can you rate him?

First of all it’s to be said he’s an excellent fighter with the tremendous boxing skills. He’s very slick and liquid, extremely skillful guy with an outstanding speed of both movements and workrate. I think, he’s more like Russian school stylist with his still-amateur type of boxing than somewhat else. Truly, he has adapted greatly for a professional boxing, though remaining amateur innermost. On the other hand, he lacks firepower in his hands. He’s just not that guy who can blow you out of this ring.

You seem to be a little bit wondered about this, aren’t you?

Not, of course. I have seen him plenty of times so I know what I’ll deal with in Spinks fight. However, it’s strange to see such type of fighter here, in America. For me it’s clear that the majority of American fighters are used to take a hard punch or to throw a wild hook over their opponent’s head. Well, Cory is quite different. I’m sure that he has taken a great education from his famous father Leon and his uncle Michael. Both were very good amateurs, having won Olympics gold medals in Montreal 1976. It’s no doubt that he has taken the best of them and adapted it to his style.

What will Spinks’ game plan more look like?

Definitely, he is going to outbox me. He will be very surprised, when this suddenly fails to be done the way it should.

Have he been so strong and terrific fighter, many fans think he is, he should have been undisputed world champion to date. But he is still to regain his crowns. So what weaknesses can you point out in his style and himself also?

First of all, his chin is very iffy on my mind. I do think it’s glass-made and I’ll be the man to show its real nature one more time following Zab Judah. Nevertheless, I’ll loose this fight if I put everything on KO victory. Therefore I’m preparing myself for a full distance and hard night on 8th of July. I’m going to prove that I’m a better boxer than he is. Well, KO… If it comes that’s ok, otherwise I will be ready to dominate him over twelve rounds of action.

You are the natural middleweight, fighting in 154 lbs. throughout the whole career, while Spinks is stepping forward from the welterweight division. How will it affect you and Spinks in future showdown?

As history says, big skillful boxer is always capable to beat small skillful boxer thanks to his sizes. Therefore I’m sure it’ll be me to dictate the pace of the fight in St.Louis. He began his career in junior welterweight division and now he’s playing around middleweights. That’ll be a hard test and a big disadvantage to overcome. I am the real middleweight, while he is a blown one. But he forgets that the strength and KO power doesn’t grow with the weight. And it will play its role. He’s making a mistake by moving up in weight.

You had mentioned before Ouma fight that Ugandan was tailor-made for you and that you would beat him ten times in ten fights. Can you say the same one about Cory?

You are right. I had said such thing about Ouma and even now I’m more than sure in how one-sided will be our return fight if ever. As of Spinks it’s far from that point. It’s gonna be a tough test for me and I’m preparing for maybe the most difficult bout in my entire career as a pro. Honestly, I haven’t even got the plan on how I’ll be able to deal with the Next Generation. Think, it will be cleared during the very first rounds of the following encounter. Kassim (Ouma) was an open book for me. I read his every movement, every punch and definitely he was a lot easier for me than Spinks will be.

You will fight at Cory’s backyard, in St. Louis. Don’t you think you’ll need a KO win in order to prevent controversy in judges’ decision?

I’m concerned about this. You know, it’s very hard to fight when you are tended by somebody else to lose your fight. But I hope it will not affect my boxing. If a fighter goes toe-to-toe with the only plan to knock his rival out, he will possibly drop the fight. Thus I’m going to walk the walk. I’ll not go to annihilate Cory but instead of this I shall try to outbox and punish him intelligently.         

Speaking of controversies in judges’ scoring, it’s worth saying you were in Dmitry Kirillov’s corner during his recent challenge for IBF super flyweight title versus Nicaraguan Luis Alberto Perez. Was your closest boxing friend robbed as many observers saw it or not?

He was hundred percent robbed in that fight. He has shown his best boxing in career and it was so disappointing that he had been given no chance to capture the belt. No doubt, Perez has been beaten merciless and it’s still to be answered, why the judges were so shameless they have fooled Dima such a humiliating way. I hope Dima will be able to recover from that disappointing loss. He’s a strong guy with a big heart. There are talks now that he will challenge Masibulele Makepula from SA for #1 in IBF rankings. I’m sure he will win this eliminator and take the title in the nearest future.

There were numerous rumors last months about you matching up with likes Daniel Santos, Rikardo Mayorga, Alejandro Garcia, Ike Quartey, Vernon Forrest, Rodney Jones et cetera. Why have all of these bouts failed?

I don’t know what to say. I know the reason for all of this, but I don’t want to talk about that now. Let’s remain all the bad things in the Past.

I just want to make it clear – I’m not so popular fighter here as, for example, Santos or Garcia. I’m neither Mexican, nor American, not even Puerto-Rican. That’s how the things go. It’s not bad, just the way it works in America. There’s a pressure I feel from outside that tended me to lose my crown. But that’s not the thing I can allow myself to do. I will defend my belt and fight for my reputation as hard as it possible. Garcia, Santos and others they declared the war vocally but their camps did nothing to arrange those showdowns. Thanks to Mr. King for bringing me Cory Spinks. I know I may be treated as an underdog prior the fight, but I see myself putting a loud upset there by defeating Cory. I must do it and I will do it.

How can you rate the other champions in 154 lbs?

All champions are in those places they have deserved to be placed in. But It’s no doubt that Oscar (De La Hoya) is the best guy around. Nevertheless, I have a plan how Oscar can be defeated. It’s funny to talk about such plans when mentioning an All-Time Great, but it’s clear for me I have enough resources to beat Golden Boy. Of course that’s just a plan and I don’t know currently is it right or wrong. Then here’s WBA titleholder Jose Antonio Rivera. He’s as tailor-made for me as Kassim was. I can punish him easily. As of Dzindziruk that will be much more complicated fight. Sergey represents soviet school of boxing, which is always very difficult to deal with. Unfortunately, he’s fighting over the seas in Germany so American fans probably have never seen this remarkable Ukrainian boxer.

Rumors are held that your current manager Steven Bash decided to arrange his own promotional business and that you’ll help him in his works. Is it true?

Yes it is. Moreover, I’ll help him in getting Russian prospects to America in order to arrange their future bouts and entire careers here, in USA. That’s an interesting and hard work. Russian boxing school is well-known all over the world. But only in amateurs. Our goal is to achieve the same results in professional boxing.

Can you name a few of prospects?

Sorry, I’ll better keep them in secret for now. Just not to make any harm for them. As soon as it will be possible, we shall open our cards.

Back to Spinks bout what is your prediction?

Well, better I’ll keep it in my head. I’ll bring as much with me into the ring as it possible. Then we shall see what it will be. We’re not playing chess – boxing is a rough thing to be treated with. If I stop him then ok, if not – I shall try to get the decision.

Closing the talk, what can you say to your fans in Russia and in America?

I want to thank everybody for their great support. Also I want to ask Russian fans to be a little bit more loyal for Russian boxers, especially when they are fighting abroad. It’s very bad to lose a fight and it’s even worse to hear curses and abusive talks following the losses. Please support our representatives as hot as it possible and they will respond with the victories and titles. And prepare for the total domination of Russian fighters in the nearest future. Very soon half of all alphabet titles will be ours. Good luck for all of you!