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PIROG, JACOBS DISCUSS UPCOMING BOUT FOR VACANT WBO MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE
Q: Danny, have you watched a lot of tape or DVDs on Pirog, and if so can you give us your scouting report, give us your take on his style?
D. Jacobs: Well, not only do I watch tapes of Dmitry and watch the YouTube clips, but I dream about this guy. I go to sleep thinking about this guy. This guy is all I think about, and this victory is all I think about. So the analysis that I get of seeing him fight is that he's a very crafty fighter. He's not the average European fighter. He takes little bits and pieces of American fighters and he added to his arsenal, which is amazing. His hand speed is average, but his footwork is pretty good. His head movement is average, but he's a great fighter and he throws tons of punches. So I just look for a great fight. We have a game plan that we're going to execute. I can't give you my game plan, because then I'd have to kill you, but we have a game plan we're going to try to execute to a "T" come July 31.
Q: You say he has "pieces of the American style." What is that? Are you talking about head movement-?
D. Jacobs: When I say that, I mean as far as the defense he tries to emulate- you know how you've got that Floyd Mayweather with the hand on the shoulder and the right hand by his head? It's like the shoulder roll kind of stance. There's little things you could pick up that he has like he has a little Philly-shell type of defense at times. So he's really not the average European fighter.
Q: Did you see any evidence of punching power? Athletically speaking, is he on par with you?
D. Jacobs:No. I haven't seen any evidence of any punching power. I think his knockouts mostly are of accumulation of punches. I don't see any big, one-punch-knockout punches. I believe all his punches really come from just arm punches. Not to discredit him from anything because he's a good fighter, but at the same time this is what I get from watching his tapes.
Q: Danny, when you turned pro a couple years ago after you didn't make the Olympic team and you, in your mind, thought about how about my pro career is going to go, are you on schedule where you thought you would be as far as fighting for a world title, two, two-plus years, into your career? Maybe not even quite two years full yet. Or has this been a little bit quicker, a little bit slower? What's your take on the roadmap of Daniel Jacobs's career so far?
D. Jacobs: I believe the road to this WBO Championship has been above and beyond. I think we've probably moved a little faster than my imagination. When you think of somebody turning pro, you think about that long road that they have to go to get to that championship level. And with the team I have behind me, Al Haymon and Golden Boy, pushing me and getting me the right fights and moving me up the ladder accordingly, I think everything has been going great, and I'm happy and I'm grateful, and I just have to dominate and take advantage of the opportunity.
Q: We talked a little bit about this very briefly when the fight was first made, and I thought your answer was very eloquent at the time. We talked about the notion that you are fighting for a major world championship, but of course it had been stripped away from Sergio Martinez a week or two before you got the opportunity. So can you just put in perspective the fact that, yes, you and Dmitry are going to fight for a world title and it's going to be a good deal if you win it. But also the fact that there's a guy out there that is clearly regarded, by the public anyway and certainly by the press, as the legitimate champion, if you will. Can you talk about where that puts you?
D. Jacobs: The statement that I gave you was that I think that the fans will consider me a "paper champion." Personally, I don't agree with the statement, but at the same time I know boxing fans and I know how the fans will perceive me. But at the same time I think it would discredit myself and discredit my team for getting me here and getting me the opportunity and me hopefully winning the belt. All that hard work, I think it would discredit a lot of people for me to call myself a "paper champion." So I definitely will consider myself a champion. And like I said before, if I had an opportunity to take it from Sergio, that's what I would do.
Q: Dmitry, what are your general thoughts about coming to the United States to have a significant fight, since you have never fought here before?
D. Pirog: I'm very happy to be here, and even though it's my first fight in America and it's a world title fight right away, I'm still looking forward to it. I really want to get to July 31 because I've fought in Europe and I feel in America the fans are a lot more like fans should be and they understand boxing a lot better. I'm going to enjoy the fight a lot more in America. I've been looking forward to a fight in America because I think the fans will always appreciate good boxing from both of the boxers participating. I'm hoping to have a good fight, have a good time, and make sure the fans enjoy it from both myself and Danny Jacobs.
Q: Danny, you talked about how that this fight maybe came a little faster than you expected. Can you talk a little bit more about that? If you had your choice, when would it have taken place, the world title shot? Also, the same question for Dmitry. Do you feel that this is a little too quick during your career, and if you are ready for a world title fight at 16 fights?
D. Jacobs: I don't think it's too, too fast. I don't think that I'm not ready for the situation. I think that I'm very well prepared and that I will hopefully be the victor come July 31. Initially going pro, when you're amateur and you look at these guys who had been pro for so long and never had a title shot, and when they get that title shot they're about 25-0 or maybe about 27-0, somewhere around that range. But initially, if I had my choice, I would have fought for a world title maybe 17-0, but that's just from a boxer's standpoint because I fight so this is what I do. So if I can get an opportunity quicker, why not? I have the skills, I have the youth, and all we had to do was just get a little bit of the experience. And with each fight I think I'm getting a little bit more experience to take it to the next level.
D. Pirog: I don't think it's a problem at all. We both had an amateur experience, we both have the skills and we have the experience that we need for this fight. We've both had good fights. We've had oppositions. Many of the opponents I've faced previously thought they were going to defeat me and I had a record even lower, so I don't feel that it's that important. Psychologically, I'm ready for a fight like this, and that's the most important. As long as I feel confident and I want to do it, that's what makes the fight happen.
Q: Dmitry, I'm curious, this is your U.S. debut, it's a big title fight. You're probably going to be more of the underdog. Danny's well-known here. Do you feel that you need to fight any differently than you normally do in order to impress the judges or do you just have to fight your game?
D. Pirog: I'm not planning on radically changing my fighting style. I don't think it's necessary. There's a game plan for every fight, but the fighting style I'm keeping I'm happy with it. I enjoy fighting in the style in which I fight, and I think that every boxer should enjoy fighting the type of fight that he enjoys fighting. As far as in America, the fights that I've had in Europe and all over the world, many times you feel like you're coming from somewhere and you're the underdog. What I like about fighting in America, and the reason I've dreamt of fighting in America, is that the boxing scene is a lot more developed. I think what's most important is to give your best and fight well and everything should be fair, as far as the judging and the fans and everything else. So that's why I think everything's going to be okay, and I'm very confident about fighting. I don't feel like anything is going to happen that's going to disappoint me.
Q: How did you get first get into fighting and what do you love about it?
D. Pirog: The way I got into boxing is very interesting. When I was really young, I was actually a chess player. I used to play chess, but I wasn't getting enough activity, so I decided to join a sport. So I went to a local gym, it was like a sports gym that has a lot of different sports. You can play soccer, you can do different things there, and I was going initially there to play soccer, but I went into a boxing gym. I tried it and I really liked it, and it just stuck to me, and I was boxing from then on as an amateur and then I went to professional. As far as what I enjoy the most in boxing, the two things I feel are the most important is the adrenaline during a fight. I really enjoy the actual fight. The second thing that's important is that I'm fighting and I'm the only one responsible. There's nobody else in the ring except for me and my opponent. It's not a team sport, and I really enjoy that as well.
The rest is here:
http://www.boxing-talk.com/pag/article.php?aid=20177
take out the dash.
PIROG, JACOBS DISCUSS UPCOMING BOUT FOR VACANT WBO MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE
Q: Danny, have you watched a lot of tape or DVDs on Pirog, and if so can you give us your scouting report, give us your take on his style?
D. Jacobs: Well, not only do I watch tapes of Dmitry and watch the YouTube clips, but I dream about this guy. I go to sleep thinking about this guy. This guy is all I think about, and this victory is all I think about. So the analysis that I get of seeing him fight is that he's a very crafty fighter. He's not the average European fighter. He takes little bits and pieces of American fighters and he added to his arsenal, which is amazing. His hand speed is average, but his footwork is pretty good. His head movement is average, but he's a great fighter and he throws tons of punches. So I just look for a great fight. We have a game plan that we're going to execute. I can't give you my game plan, because then I'd have to kill you, but we have a game plan we're going to try to execute to a "T" come July 31.
Q: You say he has "pieces of the American style." What is that? Are you talking about head movement-?
D. Jacobs: When I say that, I mean as far as the defense he tries to emulate- you know how you've got that Floyd Mayweather with the hand on the shoulder and the right hand by his head? It's like the shoulder roll kind of stance. There's little things you could pick up that he has like he has a little Philly-shell type of defense at times. So he's really not the average European fighter.
Q: Did you see any evidence of punching power? Athletically speaking, is he on par with you?
D. Jacobs:No. I haven't seen any evidence of any punching power. I think his knockouts mostly are of accumulation of punches. I don't see any big, one-punch-knockout punches. I believe all his punches really come from just arm punches. Not to discredit him from anything because he's a good fighter, but at the same time this is what I get from watching his tapes.
Q: Danny, when you turned pro a couple years ago after you didn't make the Olympic team and you, in your mind, thought about how about my pro career is going to go, are you on schedule where you thought you would be as far as fighting for a world title, two, two-plus years, into your career? Maybe not even quite two years full yet. Or has this been a little bit quicker, a little bit slower? What's your take on the roadmap of Daniel Jacobs's career so far?
D. Jacobs: I believe the road to this WBO Championship has been above and beyond. I think we've probably moved a little faster than my imagination. When you think of somebody turning pro, you think about that long road that they have to go to get to that championship level. And with the team I have behind me, Al Haymon and Golden Boy, pushing me and getting me the right fights and moving me up the ladder accordingly, I think everything has been going great, and I'm happy and I'm grateful, and I just have to dominate and take advantage of the opportunity.
Q: We talked a little bit about this very briefly when the fight was first made, and I thought your answer was very eloquent at the time. We talked about the notion that you are fighting for a major world championship, but of course it had been stripped away from Sergio Martinez a week or two before you got the opportunity. So can you just put in perspective the fact that, yes, you and Dmitry are going to fight for a world title and it's going to be a good deal if you win it. But also the fact that there's a guy out there that is clearly regarded, by the public anyway and certainly by the press, as the legitimate champion, if you will. Can you talk about where that puts you?
D. Jacobs: The statement that I gave you was that I think that the fans will consider me a "paper champion." Personally, I don't agree with the statement, but at the same time I know boxing fans and I know how the fans will perceive me. But at the same time I think it would discredit myself and discredit my team for getting me here and getting me the opportunity and me hopefully winning the belt. All that hard work, I think it would discredit a lot of people for me to call myself a "paper champion." So I definitely will consider myself a champion. And like I said before, if I had an opportunity to take it from Sergio, that's what I would do.
Q: Dmitry, what are your general thoughts about coming to the United States to have a significant fight, since you have never fought here before?
D. Pirog: I'm very happy to be here, and even though it's my first fight in America and it's a world title fight right away, I'm still looking forward to it. I really want to get to July 31 because I've fought in Europe and I feel in America the fans are a lot more like fans should be and they understand boxing a lot better. I'm going to enjoy the fight a lot more in America. I've been looking forward to a fight in America because I think the fans will always appreciate good boxing from both of the boxers participating. I'm hoping to have a good fight, have a good time, and make sure the fans enjoy it from both myself and Danny Jacobs.
Q: Danny, you talked about how that this fight maybe came a little faster than you expected. Can you talk a little bit more about that? If you had your choice, when would it have taken place, the world title shot? Also, the same question for Dmitry. Do you feel that this is a little too quick during your career, and if you are ready for a world title fight at 16 fights?
D. Jacobs: I don't think it's too, too fast. I don't think that I'm not ready for the situation. I think that I'm very well prepared and that I will hopefully be the victor come July 31. Initially going pro, when you're amateur and you look at these guys who had been pro for so long and never had a title shot, and when they get that title shot they're about 25-0 or maybe about 27-0, somewhere around that range. But initially, if I had my choice, I would have fought for a world title maybe 17-0, but that's just from a boxer's standpoint because I fight so this is what I do. So if I can get an opportunity quicker, why not? I have the skills, I have the youth, and all we had to do was just get a little bit of the experience. And with each fight I think I'm getting a little bit more experience to take it to the next level.
D. Pirog: I don't think it's a problem at all. We both had an amateur experience, we both have the skills and we have the experience that we need for this fight. We've both had good fights. We've had oppositions. Many of the opponents I've faced previously thought they were going to defeat me and I had a record even lower, so I don't feel that it's that important. Psychologically, I'm ready for a fight like this, and that's the most important. As long as I feel confident and I want to do it, that's what makes the fight happen.
Q: Dmitry, I'm curious, this is your U.S. debut, it's a big title fight. You're probably going to be more of the underdog. Danny's well-known here. Do you feel that you need to fight any differently than you normally do in order to impress the judges or do you just have to fight your game?
D. Pirog: I'm not planning on radically changing my fighting style. I don't think it's necessary. There's a game plan for every fight, but the fighting style I'm keeping I'm happy with it. I enjoy fighting in the style in which I fight, and I think that every boxer should enjoy fighting the type of fight that he enjoys fighting. As far as in America, the fights that I've had in Europe and all over the world, many times you feel like you're coming from somewhere and you're the underdog. What I like about fighting in America, and the reason I've dreamt of fighting in America, is that the boxing scene is a lot more developed. I think what's most important is to give your best and fight well and everything should be fair, as far as the judging and the fans and everything else. So that's why I think everything's going to be okay, and I'm very confident about fighting. I don't feel like anything is going to happen that's going to disappoint me.
Q: How did you get first get into fighting and what do you love about it?
D. Pirog: The way I got into boxing is very interesting. When I was really young, I was actually a chess player. I used to play chess, but I wasn't getting enough activity, so I decided to join a sport. So I went to a local gym, it was like a sports gym that has a lot of different sports. You can play soccer, you can do different things there, and I was going initially there to play soccer, but I went into a boxing gym. I tried it and I really liked it, and it just stuck to me, and I was boxing from then on as an amateur and then I went to professional. As far as what I enjoy the most in boxing, the two things I feel are the most important is the adrenaline during a fight. I really enjoy the actual fight. The second thing that's important is that I'm fighting and I'm the only one responsible. There's nobody else in the ring except for me and my opponent. It's not a team sport, and I really enjoy that as well.
The rest is here:
http://www.boxing-talk.com/pag/article.php?aid=20177
take out the dash.
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