Journeyman Fres Oquendo Wants Another Shot at a Title

Fres Oquendo Gets Back in the Mix 11.20.04 - After watching from ringside last Saturday night in New York City's Madison Square Garden at the Don King Productions' Battle for Supremacy, "Fast" Fres Oquendo declared himself more than ready to get back in the mix towards a heavyweight world title shot. "Next week I'm meeting with Don King down in Florida and I'll find out when and where my next fight is. It sounds like it will be in January but I'm not sure who its going to be against. For me, I'd like to fight either Byrd or Ruiz again, they both have major belts and I feel I could beat them." Speaking about his very controversial decision loss to Chris Byrd on September 20th, 2003 for the IBF World Championship, Fres said, "it really wasn't that close of a fight, I won at least eight rounds, the TV people and all the press thought I won the fight going away. Even Chris was surprised with the decision." In regard to his last fight with WBA title holder John Ruiz, which took place on April 17th 2004, he stated, "It was a very close fight and in the 11th round he did stagger me with a good punch but I felt it was stopped too quick, its a heavyweight championship bout, they could have let it continue." Presently Fres is staying in shape in his home town of Chicago at JABB Boxing Gym, however he will leave for camp in a secluded area of California next week. "Whoever I'm going to be fighting its going to be a big fight for me. I need to stay in the win column and stay in the mix. There's lot of fights out there that could be made that I can win and get another shot at the title." Concluded the Puerto Rican born Oquendo, "I wasn't supposed to beat Dokiwari in '99, wasn't supposed to beat Etienne in 2001 when he was the so-called baddest heavyweight and I destroyed him. Give me a shot at the title against any of these guys with the belts, Brewster, Klitschko, Ruiz or Byrd. I'm confident I can take the belts from any of them." How many title shots does a B level journyman deserve?

Comments (20)

Oquendo is at least a decent fighter, who has been competitive with two titleholders, and 'beat'Byrd in my opinion. Why would someone not want a fighter in the heavyweight mix who's not overrated, overhyped, and misranked?

21y ago

Neuraxis

if it's not Fres getting a title shot, it's likely to be a real bum. we know Fres is at least B level, but the other guys that want to be in his place are far worse. Is Fres not enough of a bum, is it that YOU WANT TO SEE A BIGGER MISMATCH? Oquendo has looked really competitive in his alst few fights, i think he deserves a shot. Would you rather it was Larry Donald, hey, he just beat a shot Holyfield with so much brain damage he can't defend himself anymore. Maybe Neuraxis is afraid that Oquendo will beat Vitali the way he beat Byrd, but without Don King to protect the belt, Oquendo would be the WBC champ! Or I don't like seeing only Don King fighters get title shots.

21y ago

Neuraxis

everyone is getting a title shot why not oquendo? this topic is stupid. u r complaining over oquendo when meehan fought for a belt. and anwyay what other heavyweights r out there to fight? the freak russian? whitaker? these guys r no where near ready so be happy that u r getting oquendo! or else u r gonna wind up watchin a bum in the ring anyway. Who is everyone? Golota is the only other person to get back to back title shots which he also did not deserve. Meehan fought for the WBO belt, which many people don't count as being on the same level as the IBF, WBA, and WBC belts. I would have no trouble if Oquendo fought Brewster for the WBO belt. Notice how Oquendo didn't mention Brewster or the WBO belt. He said he wanted to fight Ruiz and Byrd again.

21y ago

phallus

21y ago

SalvaDominicano

21y ago

Neuraxis

Oh god.Your obviously not willing to accept any answer other than the one you want. Thos guys were all solid heavyweights at the time of those fights and many people thought he beat Byrd.. So what you're saying is that people can't mistakenly judge how good heavyweights are coming into a fight. With that logic Kali Meehan was a world class win for Rahman. Do you think that Oquendo's next fight should be a title fight? If so, why? If not, when should he get another one?

21y ago

Neuraxis

Apparently no one really realizes how much Byrd has slipped recently.

21y ago

Kimmy

Byrd has looked very bad in his last 3 fights and could have lost all three if the judges had been a bit cruel. As for Fres, truth is he is coming off back to back losses in title fights ( and TKO loss to Ruiz ??? ). He doesn`t deserve a title match at the moment. I think he should beat a wlad Klitscko, Danny Williams or a Joe Mesi before he gets anything like a title match!

21y ago

vB_Martin

Klit is the only HW hding a belt rt now who isn't B level, so whnot give Fres another shot? He did beat Byrd, after all.

21y ago

SalvaDominicano

hes no journeyman? he beat byrd didnt he? well not in the score cards but yea he beat byrd.

21y ago

Sir_Jose

Yeah but its not that difficult to outbox Tua. Nicholson was doing the exact same thing until Tua caught him and ended the fight in the 6th round. Dokiware has lost his last 2 fights. He was UD'd by Guin and KO'd in 1 by Stacy 12-3 Frazier. Izon lost his last fight to Al Cole. Etienne has a recent draw against Gilbert Martinez who I recently saw fight against Kirk Johnson, and he is just horrible. Sullivan has a recent draw with Larry Donald who most lable as a journeyman. And as for Phil Jackson, who hasn't he been loosing to recently? He's lost 7 of his last 9 fights. He took Oquendo the distance and in his fight before Oquendo Wlad KO'd him in 2, and Jackson didn't land a single punch in the first round. And I'm not sure how you would consider his fight against Harris a good win. Oh god.Your obviously not willing to accept any answer other than the one you want. Thos guys were all solid heavyweights at the time of those fights and many people thought he beat Byrd..

21y ago

phallus

Fast Fres isn't a big puncher, he doesn;t win by KO, he wins by UD or Split D or whatever, if Don KINg doesn't fix the fucking fight. Oquendo is a B level fightter, but he should be the IBF champ ( of course, i can see him losing the belt on his first defense, so he wouldn't be the champ any more by now... But it makes sense to me that the bum Wladdy knocked out when still had a pair took the Big O to the distance

21y ago

Neuraxis

I would say Oquendo is lightyears better than Lamon Brewster. He's beaten some solid guys at heavy Donkiwari, Izon, Sullivan, Etienne, Phil Jackson, Harris. was winning every round against Tua then he goy caught and most people thought he beat Byrd. he's a solid fighter Yeah but its not that difficult to outbox Tua. Nicholson was doing the exact same thing until Tua caught him and ended the fight in the 6th round. Dokiware has lost his last 2 fights. He was UD'd by Guin and KO'd in 1 by Stacy 12-3 Frazier. Izon lost his last fight to Al Cole. Etienne has a recent draw against Gilbert Martinez who I recently saw fight against Kirk Johnson, and he is just horrible. Sullivan has a recent draw with Larry Donald who most lable as a journeyman. And as for Phil Jackson, who hasn't he been loosing to recently? He's lost 7 of his last 9 fights. He took Oquendo the distance and in his fight before Oquendo Wlad KO'd him in 2, and Jackson didn't land a single punch in the first round. And I'm not sure how you would consider his fight against Harris a good win.

21y ago

Zhen

Just give "Tuaman" a shot before Oquendo. I like to see Tua vs. Ruiz or Tua vs. Klitschko. But not Byrd, he most likely would box circles around Tua.

21y ago

Sir_Jose

21y ago

Neuraxis

Journeyman=Larry Donald, Fres is a B Level fighter, which I cons ider better than Journeyman, but he needs to win a couple before he gets a title shot All he needs with King is one win over a sub par fighter like Maurice 19-12-2 Harris even though he was losing 84-86 on every scorecard before he KO'd Harris in order to get back to back title shots yet again. And for the record Quendo isn't ranked by a single sanctioning body and Boxrec has Donald 28 and Oquendo 33.

21y ago

MetalVomit

Who has he beaten to not have journeyman status? Or would the phrase B level dud be more to your liking? Journeyman=Larry Donald, Fres is a B Level fighter, which I cons ider better than Journeyman, but he needs to win a couple before he gets a title shot

21y ago

abdiel2k3

I wouldn't call Oquendo a journeyman at all. ya hes def not a journeymen quite yet hes almost there but not yet

21y ago

Neuraxis

I wouldn't call Oquendo a journeyman at all. Who has he beaten to not have journeyman status? Or would the phrase B level dud be more to your liking?

21y ago

Sir_Jose

I wouldn't call Oquendo a journeyman at all.

21y ago