Baltimore MD, (June 27, 2006)
Right in the middle of inner city Baltimore
lies the graffiti like painted and spacious Mack Lewis
boxing gym opened with much fanfare in 2002 and named after
the owner who once trained former middleweight champion
Vincent Pettaway and Reggie Gross. Adorning its walls are
posters of long forgotten fights of local legends.
Occassionally Baltimore’s best products like former
heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman and others have found
their way into its confines to train.
The
reputation of the gym added to my determination to go there
and interview the newly crowned and almost unknown USBA
cruiserweight champion Emmanuel Nwodo, a new name making
waves in the DC metro area and currently ranked number 10 by
the International Boxing Federation (IBF). That in itself
was something but he is now scheduled for a clear the decks
showdown in the DC/MD metro area against hewn from granite
Darnell Wilson the recent conqueror of former champion
Kelvin Davis in an ESPN covered fight at the
St. George
Theater, in Staten Island, New York USA.
Inside
the gym I found Nwodo training team composed of the
bespectacled Wilson Mcklinney the head coach and Kenny
Blackson already going over the game plan for the final
preparation of the champion before his trip to New York for
this fight. the biggest and most highly publicized fight of
their careers so far judging by the weight class of the
champion. Both trainers have a combination of twelve year
experience mostly training the teeming ranks of rugged
inner-city kids from the streets of burstling Baltimore.
There was some light chatter and whispers about certain
sparring partners complaining of the punishment they were
receiving from Nwodo. And Wilson had everybody roaring with
laugher when he proclaimed " He's (Nwodo) gonna beat the
breaks off of him (Wilson)", pointing out to me about Nwodo
sensational kayo of Imamu Mayfield.
With knockout
dreams on his mind the champion stormed into the gym and
went straight into the dressing room and appeared a few
seconds later. There was further laughter in the air when he
was conversationally informed about his sparring partners
complaints about the punishment he had been dishing out. A
brief training outline was delivered by the team and
suddenly Nwodo's intense workout began starting with almost
12 rounds of skipping rope and shadow boxing. This was
followed by a few rounds of working the pads with Blackson.
So loud were the sounds of jabs and straight rights
connecting to Blackson's padded hands that I feared for his
wrists, he later admitted to me that he used to have all
kinds of pains when he initially started receiving the blows
from Nwodo, but he had now somehow gotten used to it, but it
still hurt. The champion eventually scaled down this light
workout according to Mcclinney for some neck strengthening
exercises. and he was done and ready to talk to me, his eyes
electric with thoughts of Darnell Wilson.
Nwodo has an
interesting background for most fighters of Nigerian
heritage being that he had no Olympic experience, but he was
educated in India and had his first of several professional
fights in Kenya, including once fighting for the African
Boxing Union Heavyweight title only to suffer the ignomy of
having the fight stopped in the 5th round after
suffering cuts and being awarded a loss by the extremely
hostile referee and partisan judges as he would point out to
you with a slight trace of professional bitterness. Since
coming to the United states he has gone unbeaten in ten
fights, including adding former cruiserweight champion Imamu
Mayfield to his collection of victims. Here are a few
excerpts from our quick conversation -
How long
have you been training for this fight
Honestly, not
just because of this fight but I have been training
consistently for over a year, it is great that Darnell is
fighting me now. I am ready
Interesting how did this fight get made
He really had
no choice. You know several fighters have been ducking me.
But now that I have the USBA title, they have no choice.
Wilson had to fight me due to his lucky win over Kelvin
Davis made him the number one challenger for my belt. (he
smiles sinisterly as he fingers the belt)
How is
your training camp coming, how do you typically prepare for
a fight
I train for
all my fights like it is my very last fight, it does not
matter who I am fighting, and I am right now in the best
shape of my life.
What was
training like overseas
I really did
not have great facilities in Africa and India but I when I
was in England I trained at the Henry Cooper and at the
Lennox Lewis gym in London and sparred with my good friend
Howard Eastman, I had a wonderful time training in the UK.
How do you
like fighting in the States
When I
finally got here I had not fought for over two years, and I
guess I was being picked on because I was supposed to have
ring rust having not fought that long. But that is the worst
mistake the made cause it gave me time to rest and take it
out on my opponents, the more time you give me the stronger
I get. You know since coming to the US, I have improved
tremendously, I have won all my 10 fights by knockout, the
only fight I had that went the distance I broke my hand.
What’s
your game plan to beat Darnell Wilson
As you can
see I have been training very hard. This is my first US TV
fight, and I am gonna put on a show. People know Darnell,
the know about his heavy hands, but they don’ know what I
can do, people haven’t seen my fights to know about me but
the should ask around.
I am the bigger man here. The world of boxing will find out
about Emmanuel Nwodo on Friday. I am the King of the
Cruiserweights, I cannot predict when I will knock him out,
but whatever he does and however the win comes will be fine
with me
Are you
ready to go the distance
“I am ready
for 15 rounds” (he retorts in righteous indignation)
Who do you
want to fight if you get through Wilson
I have been
getting promises that after winning this fight I will get a
title shot, since I am rated by all the organization. The
IBF called me for a title shot just three days after by win
for the USBA belt, but I had an injury and had to pass, but
hopefully I will get another shot. I don’t care who the
person is, be it Mormeck, Enzo Maccarilli, Steve Cunningham,
I will fight anyone who give me a title shot
How has
the USBA taken care of your preparation for this fight
My promoter
is taking care of my expenses, me, myself and my team all
chip in
What was
your biggest purse
So far my fight against
Richel Hersisia
in Denmark was my biggest purse (checks watch)
What would
you like to tell your fans
Nobody should
miss this fight, this is one gonna be one of the greatest
fights in the cruiserweight division cause you have two
punchers ready to collide and ready to go. The should come
to this fight and never blink, because it could be over in a
minute. I will give the fans what the want, nobody is gonna
ask for their money back on Friday. The world will know
Emmanuel Nwodo
Good Luck
champion
The fight is scheduled
for
10PM ET/7PM PT on
6/29/07 on ESPN
MICHAEL
AMAKOR is the editor@fightkings.com
