Interview with Mariusz “The Viking” Wach

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Mariusz Wach just won a victorious 4 out of 12 round victory against Kevin Mcbride on July 29, 2011 at Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, Connecticut and is now the WBC International heavyweight champ. During his professional boxing career he has boxed in Poland, United States and Germany. On April 29, 2005, he entered the ring for his first professional fight at the age of 25 and won by way of TKO against Deniss Melnkis in Poland. His winning streak didn’t end there. His record is currently 25-0-0 and half of his wins were by way of knockouts. 13 to be exact.
Since Wach does not speak English, only Polish, the following questions and answers were interpreted by Kasia Niedzwiecka, his interpreter.

Pattee: Good Morning Champ and congrats! I was present at your last fight against Mcbride and congrats on your victory. What can you tell me about your last fight against Kevin Mcbride?

Wach: This last fight was very important to my boxing career. I knew that going into this fight, so I was training harder that I ever trained before. Juan and my new team helped me get in the best shape that I’ve been. With my new team I knew how crucial it was to get the KO within 6 or 7 rounds. Fortunately, I was able to do it in 4, which showed all the hard work that I’ve been putting in.
Even though I got the KO in 4, it wasn’t easy. I respect Kevin. He fought a good fight and he made it difficult for me.

Pattee: Do you have any idea the amount of fans that came to the arena to cheer for you on the 29th of July? It was truly amazing.

Wach: Yes, my fans are truly amazing. I think that I have loyal fans, not only in the Polish community but also outside of that. I could feel the energy from the crowd of a few thousand. Their cheering inspired me to stay strong and finish the rest of the fight.

Pattee: You’ve had a total of 15 fights in your native country of Poland, 7 fights in the U.S. and 3 in Germany. Can you tell me the differences you have experienced fighting in these 3 countries?

Wach: Before I came to this country, I never had training team behind me. That by far is one of the biggest differences fighting here in the U.S. You don’t understand how important the training team is until you have one. Their presence makes a huge difference in the way I fight. I’m also grateful because here in the U.S. there are more opportunities for fighters whereas in Europe they have to struggle a little bit more.

Pattee: At 6’7 ½ you must typically weigh I would say well over 225 pounds. You are a giant and you must tower over your opponents. Has anyone ever NOT wanted to fight you because of the height difference?

Wach: I usually weigh in around 240 or 250, but boxing isn’t just about size. I try to be versatile and fight with the stronger points of a big man and a smaller man. In boxing, anyone can overcome another’s weakness with their own strong points.

Pattee: Is your training the same in the United States as it was in Poland?

Wach: No, it’s not. It’s completely different. Here in the U.S. I train so much harder than when I was in Poland. Here at Global Boxing, I have a strength and conditioning coach, a highly-experienced boxing trainer and a nutritionist. I have all the tools I need to succeed.

Pattee: What is a typical day of training like for you and who is training you?

Wach: Juan DeLeon is my trainer. We wake up very early in the morning and we go to the local track to work on running and conditioning. Then after some rest and a break I go to the Global Boxing Gym and I have my boxing training there. Then I have another break and my strength training follows.

Pattee: Is anyone barking at your door looking to challenge you for a fight?

Wach: Yes, I have couple of challenges but that’s something I leave to my promoters, Mariusz Kolodziej and Jimmy Burchfield. We recently got a proposal from the Klitschko brothers. Whether or not that ends up happening, it’s not up to me. I focus on my training and I leave the business to my promoters.

Pattee: Who’s next on your list to fight?

Wach: Like I said, I focus on my training so I can be prepared to fight whenever the opportunity comes.

Pattee: I’ve seen a couple of different ring names for you. What do you go by these days and why so many different names?

Wach: I used to be referred to as the “Polish Giant”. Other than the fact that I am tall and Polish, I don’t think that that name was a strong ring name. I decided that “The Viking” has a better sound to it and it signifies the strength that I have.

Pattee: What was it like to participate in the 2004 Summer Olympics?

Wach: It was an honor to represent my country in the 2004 Summer Olympics as an alternate. I’m proud of that.

Pattee: Do you prefer to live in the United States or Poland?

Wach: Poland is my home and nothing beats the feeling of being surrounded by the people you love and everything you have always been familiar with. Even though there are a lot more opportunities for me as a boxer here in U.S.

Pattee: You are 31 years old and have a bright future in boxing ahead of you, where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Wach: In 5 years I’m going to be the heavyweight champion of the world!

Pattee: What would you like to tell your fans out there?

Wach: I would like to thank my fans for all their support and loyalty. You guys truly inspire me to be better and to always fight the good fight. I appreciate all the support that you have shown and continue to show me.

You can follow Wach’s progress in boxing, where he’s boxing etc etc at http://www.globalboxing.com/ or on facebook at “Mariusz Wach”.
Thank you so much champ for taking the time to answer my questions and thank you Kasia Niedzwiecka for doing a great job interpreting them.
For questions, suggestions or comments please find me on facebook under “Pattee Mak”.



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