Tweet
 |
Confidence, determination and annoyingly long sparring sessions are a necessity for the warrior inside the ring. Many champions have lost their crowns due to improper preparations for seemingly easy defenses against nondescript opponents.
That will never happen to IBF Junior Middleweight Champion Roman Karmazin.
More than a month prior to his showdown with former undisputed welterweight champion Cory Spinks, the defending titlist from Russia is fully focused on the July 8 fight. Nevertheless, he took a couple free minutes to speak to *********.
How are your preparations going?
I’m doing well preparing for Cory Spinks. I’m really focused on this, so the training sessions are hard and intense. However, currently I’m doing more running, physical exercises and other open-air work than something else. As for the sparring part of my preparation, I train three times a week with different opponents.
Who are your sparring partners?
There are pretty unknown guys in my camp – just a few names even hardcore boxing fans hardly know. They are all lefties, to help me adapt to Spinks’ awkward southpaw style. My team is talking about bringing in some better-known sparring partners now.
Are the sparring matches hard and intense?
Not now. And, to tell the truth, I don’t think it’s really good to train that way. I mean, that’s just training, more like a study than a war. There are guys who think they must crush, kill and destroy their opponents in sparring sessions. I disagree. Sparring is to improve your skills and, at the same time, give a boxing lesson to your partner. There is no need for a slugfest during preparation, in my point of view.
How many rounds do your sparring sessions last?
Six right now. That’s enough for me at this stage of preparation. Perhaps, I’ll lift this number up to eight, but that will be the maximum. I don’t need to spar more because I’ll gain the rest of my conditioning by simply working with the bags in gym.
By the way where are you training now?
In Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym, near Hollywood. This gym isn’t so large but it’s very comfortable. There are lots of stars, training there. One day I saw the Klitschko brothers there. However, Wild Card is too small for them, so they decided to leave (smiles).
Will Freddie Roach be working your corner again on July 8?
I don’t know. Freddie is possibly the best American coach out there. But he’s too expensive and I must count every cent nowadays. So it’s still under consideration.
When will you fly to St. Louis?
I think this Tuesday, maybe Wednesday, I’ll be there.
Let’s talk about your rival. What can you say about Cory and how can you rate him?
First of all, he’s an excellent fighter with tremendous boxing skills. He’s very slick and liquid, extremely skillful guy with an outstanding speed, movement and work rate. I think, he’s more like a Russian-school stylist with his still-amateur type of boxing. Truly, he has adapted greatly for a professional boxing, though remaining amateur innermost. On the other hand, he lacks firepower in his hands. He’s not a guy who can blow you out of the ring.
You seem to be a little bit worried?
No. I have seen him plenty of times, so I know what I’ll be dealing with in the Spinks fight. However, it’s strange to see such type of fighter here, in America. For me it’s clear that the majority of American fighters are used to taking hard punches and throwing wild hooks over their opponent’s head. Well, Cory is quite different. I’m sure that he has taken a great education from his famous father Leon and his uncle Michael. Both were very good amateurs, having won Olympic Gold Medals in Montreal 1976. It’s no doubt that he has taken the best of them and adapted it to his style.
Comment