By Ryan Songalia
As Mike Oliver prepares for his Shobox debut against Staten Island standout Gary Stark, head trainer John Scully openly professes his confidence in his fighter's chances for the ShoBox televised clash that takes place later tonight.
Mike "Machine Gun" Oliver, 17-0 (7 KO) will be making the first defense of the USBA Super Bantamweight belt he earned in his last effort against Adam Carrera. Gary Stark Jr., 18-0, (8 KO) is the reigning, but not defending, New York Junior Featherweight champion, a belt he picked up last year with his dominant victory over rugged Filipino Vernie Torres.
To most in the boxing world, this is an even money fight between two evenly matched prospects on the way up. John Scully begs to differ.
"Stark is very intense but Mike is too," analyzed the former super middleweight and light heavyweight contender. "Stark hasn't had to face a guy as fast as Mike and that will change him, not us. I like Gary a lot but on paper and by what I see I don't see the fight as even as many seem to think it is."
"Mike has been boxing with myself, Sammy Vega, [Israel] 'Pito' Cordona, Christian Lau and Joey Perez," Scully said of Oliver's pre-fight training. "I am happy because Mike does 10 and 12 rounds now so easily and with high intensity and, really, that was not always the case."
Stark Jr. went on the record to state that he felt he had observed weaknesses in Oliver during his bout with Adam Carrera. Stark noted what he perceived to be Oliver's inability to handle the pace and pressure of the tough Carrera.
"I think Gary is very, very much out of his mind to say this," stated "The Iceman". "Mike won 11 of the 12 rounds, a very clear win over a fighter much more accomplished as both an amateur and as a pro than starks is now. Carrera was the NABF champion as a pro and a world champion as an amateur and Mike dominated him from start to finish. I think Gary would love for this to be true, but watching from ringside and being in the ring is not the same thing."
Scully also disagreed with Stark's assessment that he was the fighter who had faced the tougher opposition en route to his own perfect record. "Nobody on his record compares to Adam Carrera. The best guy he fought was [Luis] Bolono, but [Shobox Commentator] Steve Farhood is on record saying he thinks Stark got a gift that night. Bolano got stopped, literally, four times in a row up to that point when Gary decisioned him and. The guy was a normal 115 pounder up until his previous fight. That guy never goes the distance with Mike Oliver."
The show, which will be aired live on Showtime Friday night at 11PM EST from Miami, Oklahoma, is promoted by Lou Dibella. Gary Stark Jr. fights under the Dibella Entertainment banner, a fact that doesn't unsettle Scully.
"I am assuming and hoping that the promoters influence won't come into play whatsoever and it shouldn't. But if we ever got robbed because of it then you can be assured that I will make it known to everyone on this Earth that funny business went on. I have been told though that the three judges chosen are very good judges so that shouldn't be a problem."
When questioned about how they matched up skill by skill, attribute to attribute, Scully replied, "There is not one area of professional boxing that Stark is better in than Mike-Mike is."
"Mike fights guys that usually weigh 125 to 130 pounds while he is 123. He even fought a guy that weighed 139. Stark fights guys that weigh in the high teens and the low 20's. His only knockouts have come against guys with losing records. Mike is definitely the puncher in the fight."
"Mike has been 12 rounds before and is a whirlwind for all 12. They say Gary fights hard and wants to win but he hasn't had to do so yet against anyone but smaller, one-dimensional fighters."
"Being totally honest, I just don't see any way that Starks will win, assuming of course that Mike is at his best. We'll see tomorrow night I guess. I expect to win, though."
Any questions or comments? Send them to me at mc_rson@yahoo.com
