Hank Lundy Claims Early Stoppage, Demands Rematch

By Ryan Burton

 

Lightweight prospect Hammerin' Hank Lundy (18-1) spoke to BoxingScene.com after suffering his first professional loss, an 11th round TKO to John Molina Jr. (21-1) on last Friday's edition of ESPN Friday Night Fights in one of the network's more entertaining fights of the year.  Lundy controlled most of the fight until he was caught by a thunderous, chopping overhand right hand to the head that sent him to the canvas in the 8th round.  Lundy showed tremendous heart and got up and was able to finish the round but the tide of the fight had changed.  Lundy talks about the loss and what he views as a premature stoppage in the 11th round in this exclusive interview.

 

BoxingScene.com:  Let start from the end of the fight and work our way back.  Give us your thoughts on the stoppage.

 

Hank Lundy:  I thought it was a premature stoppage.  I got a lot of calls and a lot of people agree it was a premature stoppage.  Also even Dan Goosen came into my locker room after the fight and stated it to me.

 

BoxingScene.com:  If the fight would have continued do you think you would have survived the round and the rest of the fight?  What do you think would have happened?

 

Hank Lundy:  Well first and foremost I was okay.  There was nothing wrong with me.  I was okay.  He was throwing a ton of punches but he only landed three.  I was okay.

 

BoxingScene.com:  It seemed like the punch you were hit with the 8th round that knocked you down had you more hurt than those punches in the 11th.  What is your take on that?

 

Hank Lundy:  Yeah but I recovered from it.  I showed you what a true champion is made of by recovering from it and also I think I won that round and I came out and won the round after that.

 

BoxingScene.com:  You were definitely ahead on the cards at the time of the stoppage and if you would have got through the 11th and 12th, even losing those rounds you seemed to have enough points built up to have won the fight.

 

Hank Lundy:  Yes. Most definitely.  That is what I am saying.

 

BoxingScene.com:  Are you going to talk to your team about trying to get a rematch?

 

Hank Lundy:  You know what?  Dan Goosen and them came into my locker room after the fight because he wanted to give me my respect.  I asked him for a rematch and everyone else asked and he said no.  He looked at me in my face and flat out said no.  If you seen the fight you know I was dominating the fight.  That was a premature stoppage.

 

BoxingScene.com:  The first four rounds you won easily.  It seemed like you took the fifth round off and that is when the fight started to change a little and Molina picked up some confidence.  Were you trying to conserve your energy in that round?

 

Hank Lundy:  I was saving my energy for the later rounds.

 

BoxingScene.com: What exactly happened when you got hit by that big right hand in the 8th round?

 

Hank Lundy:  Well that was a wild punch that I think hit me when I was trying to land an uppercut. He just caught me.

 

BoxingScene.com:  I talked to Molina earlier and he said that when he connected on that big punch that he thought the fight was over.  He gave you a lot of credit for getting up and for finishing the round.

 

Hank Lundy:  I keep saying that I had been in that situation before and I know how to handle myself.  I know how to handle adversity.

 

BoxingScene.com:  When does your team want to get you back in the ring?

 

Hank Lundy:  It looks like I should be going back in the ring in August.  I am going to go right back into the fire and I am willing to fight any and everybody out there at 135.  You know that I run from nobody.

 

BoxingScene.com:  Assuming you win your next fight how long do you think it will take you to get back to where you were before this fight?

 

Hank Lundy:  You know what?  It is not going to take me no time because once again, everybody knows, and in the back of John Molina's mind he knows that he didn't win that fight convincingly.

 

BoxingScene.com:  Do you have a message for the fans?

 

Hank Lundy:  Hammerin' Hank is sorry he let his fans down but the key thing is the people that root for Hammerin' Hank saw the real deal.  It was almost a riot in Rhode Island.  It was real crazy after that premature stoppage.  I tell you that I am coming back faster and stronger and better than ever before.  I put it like this, I am going to keep on talking my ish and I am going to keep on fighting and keep on taking the best that is out there.  I proved to everybody that I am not one dimensional.  I can fight inside and outside.