Sylvester vs Lorenzo: Giovanni Heads To Germany
Giovanni Lorenzo, 27-1-0, 19 KO’s and his camp spoke of his upcoming September 19th fight which will take place at the Jahn Sport Forum in Neubrandenburg, Germany, against Sebastian Sylvester 31-3-0, 15 KO’s. They are fighting for the vacant IBF Middleweight title on Sylvester’s home turf.
At Giovanni’s last training session in Yonkers, NY, here’s what his camp had to say.
Giovanni Lorenzo:
“I will tell you that I feel great, I feel ready, but that doesn’t mean anything. My performance in the ring will speak for itself.”
“How do I feel about fighting in Germany? Good. It just makes me hungrier. The only thing he has over me is the hometown crowd and that actually works for me. I am from the Dominican Republic so it seems all my fights are on the road, I am used to it. In Germany, Sylvester is fighting for his fans, but I am fighting for my life. You will see the difference.”
“Pastor Ralph told me I am not going to get paid for overtime. I need to be more aggressive than Sylvester in this fight. I think Sylvester is going to be surprised when he actually sees me. He’s going to be blown away by my physical appearance and strength.”
“The Marquez fight did not change how I train. I don’t think he beat me, I think the ref did. In my head I am undefeated.”
Manager, Rich Ryan:
“Giovanni is anxious to get in the ring. We have been preparing for this fight for many weeks. His form is perfect, his degree of mistakes has been minimal, and he’s had no injuries. He is ready mentally and physically.”
“Giovanni’s size and strength are our assets. We probably only have a few more fights at 160, after that we are going up to 168, but for now it’s going to work in our favor.”
“We are very comfortable going to Germany to fight Sylvester. Sylvester will have more pressure to perform; there will be more demands on him because he is fighting in his hometown. For Giovanni there will be no distractions. He’ll have more focus.”
Trainer, Pastor Ralph Farrait:
“Giovanni keeps me on the edge at all times. He keeps me thinking, he challenges me. He likes me as a person but not when I am his trainer, and I like that. I can do my work without cutting corners. I can demand more from him, he doesn’t like it, but he gives it to me!”
“I think this is going to be a tough fight. It’ll come down to who can take more of the other’s shots. The guy who can take the most will win. I think it will be my guy that wins.”
“We have been asked, ‘Do we think we can win a decision in Germany?’ We absolutely think we can. We have faith in the IBF judges; we believe they will do the right thing. We are confident that if the fight goes 12 rounds we can still win a decision in Germany.”