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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: ALLAN GREEN
By Benny Henderson Jr
Coming off his first victory since 2009, Allan Green 30-3 (21) is super charged and ready to get back in title contention and take on the bigger names in the 175-pound division, and in this Boxing talk exclusive, the Oklahoma native gives his candid thoughts and opinions on his career who he wants to fight next and more, enjoy.
Benny Henderson Jr.: Congratulations on your recent victory, I know it had to be a great feeling to get back in the win column.
Allan Green: It felt great, I do not want to sound like sour g****s but last year was a bad year for me, probably one of the worst years of my life. But it felt good, not just being back in the win column, but being back in my element and doing what I love to do, which is box in front of the fans.
BH: I know after the fight you were showing interest in the Lucian Bute fight, which at the time was up in the air with Bute and Glen Johnson. Now that, that fight has been signed have you and your advisor Greg Leon spoke about what and who may be next for you?
AG: We have been talking about quite a few things, again we were entertaining the thought of fighting Bute, but that fight has been signed. So, we are looking for a good fight in the 175-pound division, that is more of a natural weight for me, I don’t feel weight drained or ill coming into fights.
BH: So you are going to stay around the light heavyweight mark?
AG: Yes, that is more of a natural weight for me, when I had my surgery a few years back my body changed a bit and it was harder for me to lose the weight. For instance for the Ward fight I had to lose twenty-seven pounds in three weeks, and honestly I do not remember how I did it but I did it, I just remember I felt dead. Normally losing the weight you don’t feel so bad until the fight, but I felt terrible just walking around, my legs felt weak, the last fight that I should have fought at 168, should have been Carlos De Leon. Because honestly I really did not plan on doing the Super Six, I didn’t want to do it, but I did, I had to take the opportunity, I couldn’t pass it up. I thought possibly that I could still feel good at 168, but I didn’t.
BH: We all know that fighting in the Super Six did not go your way what so ever, but looking back on things, good or bad, you can learn from the experiences. So what did you take away from the Super Six experience that may better yourself in the future?
AG: Personally, the main thing is that I lied to myself; I kept telling myself that I could still be good at 168, and first and foremost you have to be true to one self. But you have to remember, I had five training camps for two fights, so by the time I finally did get to fight my first fight I was worn out. I trained for Bika, I trained for Ward the first time, then I trained for Ward a second time, then I trained for Kessler, and that fight didn’t go through o they were trying to get me an opponent. Then they came at me with me fighting at 175 so I put some weight on, then it came back that I wasn’t fighting at 175 but instead I was fighting Glen Johnson at super middleweight. It was crazy, the whole thing was crazy.
BH: Being brutally honest with yourself, me and the boxing world, how many fights do you see yourself needing to be prepared to go for the title?
AG: About two good fights, possibly three, but two should be good.
Butch Carroll: Who would you like to see as your opponent when it comes time for a title shot?
AG: Any of them, I mean you have Tavoris Cloud, Beibut Shumenov and Nathan Cleverly, any of those three guys because I know that Hopkins, Dawson and Pascal they are busy with their little thing right now. Cloud and I fought twice as amateurs; he is one hell of a fighter. Anyone of those guys.
BH: For the ones who have jumped off the Allan Green support train, and basically written you off as a legit contender, what would you say to those fans that have done so?
AG: Everybody is entitled to their own opinion, and everybody is entitled to how they feel. I value to what the fan feel about me to a degree, but I value a fighter’s opinion more so. Like Carl Froch said something honest about me after watching both of my fights in the Super Six tournament, he had an honest eye and I respect him for what he said, he said, “Allan Green is not a super middleweight, he is to big, he looks weak at super middleweight.” But some other guys seen me fight and they were like no he cannot do it, but honest to God’s truth if you watch the fight, especially the Ward fight, I did not fight at all because I couldn’t. People can have their opinions, I do value them but at the end of the day all I have to do is show them and prove to them that I can.
BH: What would you like to say to the 175-pound division and the entire boxing world?
AG: He is come, sit back and watch, I am not going to do a lot of talking, just sit back and watch.
To hear more thoughts and opinions including Allan Green’s predictions on the Bute-Johnson and Ward-Froch clash, listen to the interview in its entirety by clicking on the link below.
Boxing talk
By Benny Henderson Jr
Coming off his first victory since 2009, Allan Green 30-3 (21) is super charged and ready to get back in title contention and take on the bigger names in the 175-pound division, and in this Boxing talk exclusive, the Oklahoma native gives his candid thoughts and opinions on his career who he wants to fight next and more, enjoy.
Benny Henderson Jr.: Congratulations on your recent victory, I know it had to be a great feeling to get back in the win column.
Allan Green: It felt great, I do not want to sound like sour g****s but last year was a bad year for me, probably one of the worst years of my life. But it felt good, not just being back in the win column, but being back in my element and doing what I love to do, which is box in front of the fans.
BH: I know after the fight you were showing interest in the Lucian Bute fight, which at the time was up in the air with Bute and Glen Johnson. Now that, that fight has been signed have you and your advisor Greg Leon spoke about what and who may be next for you?
AG: We have been talking about quite a few things, again we were entertaining the thought of fighting Bute, but that fight has been signed. So, we are looking for a good fight in the 175-pound division, that is more of a natural weight for me, I don’t feel weight drained or ill coming into fights.
BH: So you are going to stay around the light heavyweight mark?
AG: Yes, that is more of a natural weight for me, when I had my surgery a few years back my body changed a bit and it was harder for me to lose the weight. For instance for the Ward fight I had to lose twenty-seven pounds in three weeks, and honestly I do not remember how I did it but I did it, I just remember I felt dead. Normally losing the weight you don’t feel so bad until the fight, but I felt terrible just walking around, my legs felt weak, the last fight that I should have fought at 168, should have been Carlos De Leon. Because honestly I really did not plan on doing the Super Six, I didn’t want to do it, but I did, I had to take the opportunity, I couldn’t pass it up. I thought possibly that I could still feel good at 168, but I didn’t.
BH: We all know that fighting in the Super Six did not go your way what so ever, but looking back on things, good or bad, you can learn from the experiences. So what did you take away from the Super Six experience that may better yourself in the future?
AG: Personally, the main thing is that I lied to myself; I kept telling myself that I could still be good at 168, and first and foremost you have to be true to one self. But you have to remember, I had five training camps for two fights, so by the time I finally did get to fight my first fight I was worn out. I trained for Bika, I trained for Ward the first time, then I trained for Ward a second time, then I trained for Kessler, and that fight didn’t go through o they were trying to get me an opponent. Then they came at me with me fighting at 175 so I put some weight on, then it came back that I wasn’t fighting at 175 but instead I was fighting Glen Johnson at super middleweight. It was crazy, the whole thing was crazy.
BH: Being brutally honest with yourself, me and the boxing world, how many fights do you see yourself needing to be prepared to go for the title?
AG: About two good fights, possibly three, but two should be good.
Butch Carroll: Who would you like to see as your opponent when it comes time for a title shot?
AG: Any of them, I mean you have Tavoris Cloud, Beibut Shumenov and Nathan Cleverly, any of those three guys because I know that Hopkins, Dawson and Pascal they are busy with their little thing right now. Cloud and I fought twice as amateurs; he is one hell of a fighter. Anyone of those guys.
BH: For the ones who have jumped off the Allan Green support train, and basically written you off as a legit contender, what would you say to those fans that have done so?
AG: Everybody is entitled to their own opinion, and everybody is entitled to how they feel. I value to what the fan feel about me to a degree, but I value a fighter’s opinion more so. Like Carl Froch said something honest about me after watching both of my fights in the Super Six tournament, he had an honest eye and I respect him for what he said, he said, “Allan Green is not a super middleweight, he is to big, he looks weak at super middleweight.” But some other guys seen me fight and they were like no he cannot do it, but honest to God’s truth if you watch the fight, especially the Ward fight, I did not fight at all because I couldn’t. People can have their opinions, I do value them but at the end of the day all I have to do is show them and prove to them that I can.
BH: What would you like to say to the 175-pound division and the entire boxing world?
AG: He is come, sit back and watch, I am not going to do a lot of talking, just sit back and watch.
To hear more thoughts and opinions including Allan Green’s predictions on the Bute-Johnson and Ward-Froch clash, listen to the interview in its entirety by clicking on the link below.
Boxing talk
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