By Keith Terceira
After reeling off a dozen or so consecutive wins against journeymen in the heavyweight division former world champion Shannon Briggs will step into the ring with current IBF heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko in September. Faced with that prospect, as well as, taking on training the middleweight title holder Jermain Taylor and returning contender Kermit Cintron, we caught up with Emanuel Steward while working at his Kronk Gym in Detroit to get some thoughts on past and future events for his fighters.
We touch upon Steward’s opinion as to the cause of the communication glitch between himself and Taylor during the Wright fight as well as what is the facts behind the rumor of Cintron versus Mayweather Jr..
BoxingScene.com: Emanuel, do you really think Shannon Briggs is the best fight out there for Wladimir?
Steward: It’s a tough fight.
BoxingScene.com: Really, Emanuel , a tough fight?
Steward: I don't care what people say , it’s a tough fight! For the first three or four rounds it’s a dangerous fight for Wladimir. There is a lot of risk with those little gloves and those big hands of Briggs.
BoxingScene.com: Manny, I was at both the Dickie Ryan fight as well as Briggs’ bout with Brian Scott and those fighters never pressured Shannon. Neither were close to the caliber of even a B class fighter, how dangerous can Briggs be for Wladimir?
Steward: He is going to be dangerous for us, trust me. For three to four rounds he is going to be a dangerous test for Wlad. Shannon is one of two heavyweights I had a headache with fighting. I know you may think it’s mad and it looks like I'm going against both of them back to back. The other one is Chris Byrd. I always thought Chris was the most difficult guy to fight. When we got by him I felt very good. I told Lederman, the next one, not that he is the greatest, he may not like to train, maybe he doesn't even like boxing but for three or four rounds, the most dangerous heavyweight in the world is Shannon Briggs. Physically, he is a big man, good reflexes, he can punch, and he knows that he is not prepared to go all night. So Shannon is going to come in and let all his stuff go quick. So that makes him a tough fight.
BoxingScene.com: Why is Briggs more dangerous than Samuel Peter?
Steward: He don't just slap punches, I never worried about Sam Peter, because Peter is going to club you , hit you on the back of your head and all that stuff. Right hands , left hooks, jabs, Peter isn't going to do all that. So I don’ have the fear that I do of Briggs. I saw what he did to Lennox and when I was in the corner with Botha, Briggs beat the crap out of Botha until he ran out of gas.He even had Botha down. Early in the fight, I don't care who it’s against Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Sonny Liston, he is a dangerous guy to deal with.
For whatever reason Briggs has always had this thing about the Klitschko’s, so I think he will fight better. Like a lot of guys I think it’s a jealousy that the Klitschko’s are or were taking over the division.
BoxingScene.com: Personally, I think Briggs may be tough for six rounds?
Steward: In a heavyweight fight, that can be enough. With his punching power that can be enough.
BoxingScene.com: Emanuel, let’s talk a bit about Jermain’s training and the Winky fight.
Steward: Jermain is not back to the gym yet, but I am very proud of him. Winky Wright is probably one of the best technical fighters in history, I don't mean today, I mean of all times. To fight a guy like Wright, at this time in Winky’s career, I'm extremely proud of Jermain.
BoxingScene.com: Tell us about how your plan went to get inside Winky’s defense!
Steward: It’s hard to really penetrate that defense. The best I could do with the time I had was to get Jermain the best shape I could get him in, and in doing that be able to withstand the speed of him, because you can't match him technically. I knew we were going to have a grueling fight and had to match his science with power. That was the only way we had a chance, when I first got involved with Taylor we were a three to one underdog.
Going into the fight we were even. What I was proud of Jermain about was that he was able to punch so hard with so much power that even though Winky kept his hands up, his face was so busted up, cause there was so much power that he made Winky’s own gloves beat himself up. That’s a lot of power.
The next morning the people that saw Winky were saying that his face was like lumps everywhere, and he was having trouble seeing. You look at the fact that he kept his hands up and this man punched so hard, through the gloves, on the gloves, everywhere.
BoxingScene.com: What are your thoughts about the decision?
Steward: When it comes to decisions you have judges who go for a lot of clean punches, and others that want power. That’s why I never complain about decisions because you never know what they are looking for.
BoxingScene.com: How long before you and Jermain get a better rhythm in the corner? We noticed that communication was off with the two of you.
Steward: That comes in time, not that Jermain did anything different with Pat Burns, it’s just a very tough fight for anybody. Remember Winky came out with an intensity that I have not seen in a middleweight fight since Hagler - Hearns. He didn't come out with his hands up in a passive manner, he came out on the aggressive side. One thing I noticed was once we started throwing punches he would stop punching completely. The fear of being hit, and I think no matter what he may say today, he felt the power of Jermain Taylor. That power moved his whole body around at times. Maybe that force put a little fear in him until the last round and I don't think in the 12th he wanted to take a chance of getting knocked out with one punch. He can say what he wants but Winky felt the power of that man. He didn't listen and follow orders but in the heat of that big a fight, he has never been in that many big super fights with a guy that was on him like that. Not really giving him any chance to think. It’s a lot of pressure.
I think the more he fights, he will be more comfortable and more relaxed. I knew I wasn't going to change all the habits that had been there for the five years he has been a pro, those problems had been there a long time. So all I could do is what I do best, get him in good shape, have him to punch with full power, explode with ten to fifteen punches and not just one or two an then clinch. Try to help him be explosive with lots of power, to be able to do it the whole twelve rounds and not fall apart like he did in the Bernard fights, even though they were not really hard fights, he was still collapsing in the last round or so, That was my goal, because as long as you are punching Winky won't punch, that was my strategy.
BoxingScene.com: One last question Emanuel, will Cintron be fighting Mayweather?
Steward: It may be, I am still trying to see where the rumor started , he was to fight for Mayweather’s title but I don't think Floyd wants to fight him. But It could happen. I don't have all the details. Cintron is a tremendous puncher though. I was surprised to find out how athletic he was. A great kid and quiet but deadly. He is a great basketball player, football and champion wrestler in school. He has a great future…
BoxingScene.com: Thank you Emanuel, we will keep in touch as these fights draw nearer and your guys sign for new ones..
Steward: Thanks, Keith
