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Giovanni lorenzo wants winky wright at yankee stadium
March 25, 2010
Part 1
BT: How was it being a part of the ESPN Deportes show in the Domincan Republic?
Giovanni Lorenzo: It was great, Luis DeCubas and Leon Margules treated me really nice. I can’t thank them enough for offering me the main event spot on a card with so many great fighters. ESPN is a great organization and I really appreciate them showcasing me in front of the millions of people within their reach. Fighting in the D.R. in front of my family and friends was a great honor, I didn’t expect to win by KO so early in the fight [it was a second-round knockout], but Wilmer Gonzalez came to fight. I give him a lot of credit for that, he was tougher opponent than I expected he would be. Chico Rivas said he would not be easy and he was right. I was very impressed with Kenny Galarza. I think he is going to be a star in the sport of boxing.
BT: Being the main event how was that?
Lorenzo: It was an honor, but all the credit goes to Luis DeCubas and Leon Margules who made it happen and Main Events for letting me fight and understanding how much it means for me to fight in front of my family and home town fans.
BT: I noticed there was no Pastor Ralph Farrait [your longtime trainer] in your corner for your fight two weeks ago? Was this a temporary thing?
Lorenzo: Pastor Ralph and I had a falling out due to differences in preparation strategies for the [IBF title fight vs. Sebastian] Sylvester fight in September [Lorenzo lost via decision]. He wants me to spar 120+ rounds for each fight I think that number should be around 20-30. I am not sure which direction it will go at this point, but he is a great trainer and a great individual. I have no hard feelings toward him and I believe he has no hard feelings towards me, it just one of those things. I felt 120+ rounds of sparring in unrealistic at this point in my career so a change was necessary, now we are talking with other trainers including Jack Lowe, Kelly Pavlik’s trainer. Hopefully, I can meet with him and work with him in the near future to see if we can come to a longer working relationship, I like Jack because he trains Kelly and Kelly and I have similar styles so I think he would be a great fit for me.
BT: Now that you've had that championship experience and having gone to Germany to fight for a title, what did you take from that? What will you do different and what came as a surprise if anything to you about Sylvester and fighting in Germany ?
Lorenzo: In boxing experience means a lot, so I have gained a lot from the Sylvester fight. I was a little over confident and I was sure I was going to knock him out and was surprised that I didn’t. Sylvester was better than I expected. He was also more durable than I expected. I was disappointed that I didn’t fight a more aggressive kind of fight and pressure him more because when I did I thought I won every round.
BT: Have you seen a video of the Sylvester fight? Do you feel that the decision was the right one?
Lorenzo: I watched the fight with the audio off and I believe to this day that I won that fight and a rematch is in order. Fortunately for me so do a lot of boxing writers. Look, I lost a split decision in Sylvester’s home town, in [the former] East Germany so what does that tell you?. That alone leaves some unfinished business with him too, Sylvester is a much improved fighter and a lot better than people give him credit for, people are starting to realize he is better than everyone thought and now the same people are saying, hey Giovanni was right there with him and he is very good also. That is why I believe I have stayed high in the rankings. Sylvester was better than I expected, but I was disappointed that I didn’t pressure him more because when I did won every round.
BT: Sylvester fought a very defensive fight, almost a copy cat style of his stablemate, Arthur Abraham. Do you regret not being more active and forcing him to fight more?
Lorenzo: Yes He is very technical and defense is always first with those two, they are both great fighters and that is why they are both champions of the world, it’s no accident. Sylvester is very strong and he does everything really well, He is very technically sound, but when we see each other again it will be a different story.
BT: How soon will you get another title shot?
Lorenzo: Well, I will have to win a title eliminator first. Right now I am IBF #4 and in the second position behind Anthony Mundine (#3) so that should get me a title elimination fight with Mundine or someone else under me since Mundine is currently WBA #1 to fight Felix Sturm and may opt out. If so, that would mean I would be fighting another IBF top 10 fighter who is available for an elimination fight. Having said that I would be willing to risk my high ranking against another marquee fighter if I could get on HBO or Showtime, to put me on with someone like Kid Chocolate, Danny Jacobs or Winky Wright if the money is right. (Kid Chocolate I would fight for 10 cents). Pat English, my promoter’s attorney, has already informed the IBF that we are available and would accept a title elimination fight if and when one was offered. According to IBF rules that cannot happen until the Monday after Sylvester fights Roman Karmazan (his current mandatory) which from I’ve been told is June 5th.
BT: Do you feel that Main Events has you as a priority?
Lorenzo: I have been with Main Events since I started my professional career in 2001, I hope they have me as a priority, but in this business things change very quickly. I can’t speak for them, but I can say that I enjoy working with them, I believe they are honest and I know they spent a lot of money getting me to where I am to today. I would like to finish my career with them, loyalty is very important to me. Right now my contract with them has expired and we are in the process of negotiating a new contract. Some of the language and terms they have offered are troubling to me and we have not accepted their offer. All I can say at this point is I am hopeful that we can come to terms, we will see what the future holds.
BT: When would you like to get back in the ring?
Lorenzo: My manager Richie Ryan said I am fighting on a card in PA on May 22nd, if something bigger doesn’t come along sooner. I love to fight at Yankee Stadium on June 5th.
BT: Kid Chocolate, Peter Quillen said a while back that you don’t deserve a title shot. Who have you fought? What are your thoughts on him? Or to any of your Critics?
Lorenzo: Kid Chocolate is a girl dressed in men’s clothing. He has no balls. He was life and death with Dioniso Miranda? I knocked him out in two rounds! This guy is a *****!, who has this ***** ever fought? I’ll tell it to him to his face. His nickname should be “Too Sweet” not “Kid Chocolate” That’s an insult to the real “Kid Chocolate”. Listen up HBO! You want a cheap fight to put on your BAD show? I will fight “Too Sweet” for 10 cents, if HBO will put it on and I know they would, the problem is they don’t allow girls to fight men in this country. It is my understanding that Main Events approached his promoter with HBO interested and they were told “Too Sweet” turned us down knowing all along if he beat me he would be in line for a title shot because he would take my current IBF ranking, he refused the fight, I know he doesn’t believe he can be a champion? I mean why would a guy with no resume turn down a fight that could lead to a title shot? I was ringside in February when he fought a bum at the Prudential Arena and he couldn’t close the show and the guy was an opponent. I mean let get serious, he wouldn’t last 3 rounds with me, I would knock him out cold. I have never hit a girl before but with “Too Sweet” I would make an exception.
BT: What are your thoughts on Danny Jacobs?
Lorenzo: Now Danny Jacobs is a completely different story, he is the real deal. It would be a very difficult fight so I would need to prepare myself very well for that fight, but “Too Sweet” he’s a woman but maybe I should take that back because I know Anne Wolfe would whoop his ass too.
Part 1
BT: How was it being a part of the ESPN Deportes show in the Domincan Republic?
Giovanni Lorenzo: It was great, Luis DeCubas and Leon Margules treated me really nice. I can’t thank them enough for offering me the main event spot on a card with so many great fighters. ESPN is a great organization and I really appreciate them showcasing me in front of the millions of people within their reach. Fighting in the D.R. in front of my family and friends was a great honor, I didn’t expect to win by KO so early in the fight [it was a second-round knockout], but Wilmer Gonzalez came to fight. I give him a lot of credit for that, he was tougher opponent than I expected he would be. Chico Rivas said he would not be easy and he was right. I was very impressed with Kenny Galarza. I think he is going to be a star in the sport of boxing.
BT: Being the main event how was that?
Lorenzo: It was an honor, but all the credit goes to Luis DeCubas and Leon Margules who made it happen and Main Events for letting me fight and understanding how much it means for me to fight in front of my family and home town fans.
BT: I noticed there was no Pastor Ralph Farrait [your longtime trainer] in your corner for your fight two weeks ago? Was this a temporary thing?
Lorenzo: Pastor Ralph and I had a falling out due to differences in preparation strategies for the [IBF title fight vs. Sebastian] Sylvester fight in September [Lorenzo lost via decision]. He wants me to spar 120+ rounds for each fight I think that number should be around 20-30. I am not sure which direction it will go at this point, but he is a great trainer and a great individual. I have no hard feelings toward him and I believe he has no hard feelings towards me, it just one of those things. I felt 120+ rounds of sparring in unrealistic at this point in my career so a change was necessary, now we are talking with other trainers including Jack Lowe, Kelly Pavlik’s trainer. Hopefully, I can meet with him and work with him in the near future to see if we can come to a longer working relationship, I like Jack because he trains Kelly and Kelly and I have similar styles so I think he would be a great fit for me.
BT: Now that you've had that championship experience and having gone to Germany to fight for a title, what did you take from that? What will you do different and what came as a surprise if anything to you about Sylvester and fighting in Germany ?
Lorenzo: In boxing experience means a lot, so I have gained a lot from the Sylvester fight. I was a little over confident and I was sure I was going to knock him out and was surprised that I didn’t. Sylvester was better than I expected. He was also more durable than I expected. I was disappointed that I didn’t fight a more aggressive kind of fight and pressure him more because when I did I thought I won every round.
BT: Have you seen a video of the Sylvester fight? Do you feel that the decision was the right one?
Lorenzo: I watched the fight with the audio off and I believe to this day that I won that fight and a rematch is in order. Fortunately for me so do a lot of boxing writers. Look, I lost a split decision in Sylvester’s home town, in [the former] East Germany so what does that tell you?. That alone leaves some unfinished business with him too, Sylvester is a much improved fighter and a lot better than people give him credit for, people are starting to realize he is better than everyone thought and now the same people are saying, hey Giovanni was right there with him and he is very good also. That is why I believe I have stayed high in the rankings. Sylvester was better than I expected, but I was disappointed that I didn’t pressure him more because when I did won every round.
BT: Sylvester fought a very defensive fight, almost a copy cat style of his stablemate, Arthur Abraham. Do you regret not being more active and forcing him to fight more?
Lorenzo: Yes He is very technical and defense is always first with those two, they are both great fighters and that is why they are both champions of the world, it’s no accident. Sylvester is very strong and he does everything really well, He is very technically sound, but when we see each other again it will be a different story.
BT: How soon will you get another title shot?
Lorenzo: Well, I will have to win a title eliminator first. Right now I am IBF #4 and in the second position behind Anthony Mundine (#3) so that should get me a title elimination fight with Mundine or someone else under me since Mundine is currently WBA #1 to fight Felix Sturm and may opt out. If so, that would mean I would be fighting another IBF top 10 fighter who is available for an elimination fight. Having said that I would be willing to risk my high ranking against another marquee fighter if I could get on HBO or Showtime, to put me on with someone like Kid Chocolate, Danny Jacobs or Winky Wright if the money is right. (Kid Chocolate I would fight for 10 cents). Pat English, my promoter’s attorney, has already informed the IBF that we are available and would accept a title elimination fight if and when one was offered. According to IBF rules that cannot happen until the Monday after Sylvester fights Roman Karmazan (his current mandatory) which from I’ve been told is June 5th.
BT: Do you feel that Main Events has you as a priority?
Lorenzo: I have been with Main Events since I started my professional career in 2001, I hope they have me as a priority, but in this business things change very quickly. I can’t speak for them, but I can say that I enjoy working with them, I believe they are honest and I know they spent a lot of money getting me to where I am to today. I would like to finish my career with them, loyalty is very important to me. Right now my contract with them has expired and we are in the process of negotiating a new contract. Some of the language and terms they have offered are troubling to me and we have not accepted their offer. All I can say at this point is I am hopeful that we can come to terms, we will see what the future holds.
BT: When would you like to get back in the ring?
Lorenzo: My manager Richie Ryan said I am fighting on a card in PA on May 22nd, if something bigger doesn’t come along sooner. I love to fight at Yankee Stadium on June 5th.
BT: Kid Chocolate, Peter Quillen said a while back that you don’t deserve a title shot. Who have you fought? What are your thoughts on him? Or to any of your Critics?
Lorenzo: Kid Chocolate is a girl dressed in men’s clothing. He has no balls. He was life and death with Dioniso Miranda? I knocked him out in two rounds! This guy is a *****!, who has this ***** ever fought? I’ll tell it to him to his face. His nickname should be “Too Sweet” not “Kid Chocolate” That’s an insult to the real “Kid Chocolate”. Listen up HBO! You want a cheap fight to put on your BAD show? I will fight “Too Sweet” for 10 cents, if HBO will put it on and I know they would, the problem is they don’t allow girls to fight men in this country. It is my understanding that Main Events approached his promoter with HBO interested and they were told “Too Sweet” turned us down knowing all along if he beat me he would be in line for a title shot because he would take my current IBF ranking, he refused the fight, I know he doesn’t believe he can be a champion? I mean why would a guy with no resume turn down a fight that could lead to a title shot? I was ringside in February when he fought a bum at the Prudential Arena and he couldn’t close the show and the guy was an opponent. I mean let get serious, he wouldn’t last 3 rounds with me, I would knock him out cold. I have never hit a girl before but with “Too Sweet” I would make an exception.
BT: What are your thoughts on Danny Jacobs?
Lorenzo: Now Danny Jacobs is a completely different story, he is the real deal. It would be a very difficult fight so I would need to prepare myself very well for that fight, but “Too Sweet” he’s a woman but maybe I should take that back because I know Anne Wolfe would whoop his ass too.
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