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Luis Collazo (30-4, 15 KOs) makes his eagerly anticipated return to the ring on Wednesday, April 13, against journeyman Franklin Gonzalez (13-8, 9 KOs) at the Coney Island’s Oceana Restaurant in Brooklyn, New York.
The last time fans saw Collazo, the crafty southpaw pushed WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto to the limit in an HBO televised “Fight of the Year” candidate to kick off 2009.
Unfortunately, it would be the last fans would see of the former WBA welterweight champ for over two years. Ignoring the clamor of fans and the media for a rematch, Team Berto decided to pursue other options, leaving Collazo waiting in the shadows for a big opportunity.
That big fight never materialized. Instead of a rematch with Berto, the native of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, settled for a stay busy fight in South Carolina against a non-descript opponent and was ultimately offered a fight against Selcuk Aydin in Turkey for the right to face Berto. Collazo opted to forego the mandatory, citing issues making the welterweight limit.
However, that was only half of the story for Collazo, as he was also increasingly dismayed by his promoter’s inability to provide him a big bout. “Me and Don [King] weren’t seeing eye to eye as far as my career,” laments Collazo. “I wasn’t being offered the fights I thought I deserved, and by the time he did offer me a fight at welterweight, I wasn’t able to make the weight anymore”.
After several tough bouts against the likes of Ricky Hatton, “Sugar” Shane Mosley and Berto, Collazo took time away from the sport to reflect on his career and attend to other important matters.
“I spent a whole lot of time with my family. I have a young daughter and two step sons, and I wasn’t able to spend a lot of time with them with going away to training camps all the time. I also worked with young amateur and pro fighters, helping get them ready for competition. I’ve also been working with local youth – helping keep them out of trouble. The two years off were also good because it gave my body a chance to heal”.
Fast forward two years, and Luis Collazo is a new man. Free of his promotional obligations to Don King Productions, Collazo has rediscovered his dedication for the sport and is eager to create opportunities in a new weight class.
“Now that I’m a free agent I’m looking to fight a few times at 154lbs to see where I am at and then see what opportunities there are as far as fights and promoters,” states Collazo. “If I’m offered something really interesting at 147, I’ll try to make the weight but for now I’m going to try out 154.”
Together with longtime manager-trainer Nirmal Lorick, Collazo will share a bill with fellow New Yorker Dmitriy Salita in the first of several steps before rising up the rankings once again.
“[Gonzalez] is a tough kid, but I don’t know much about him,” admits Collazo of his Dominican opponent. “He fought Dmitriy a few months ago and I expect him to give me a couple of quality rounds.”
What Collazo would really like to do in the next few fights is land a showdown with one of the junior middleweight champions. The 29-year-old did not hesitate when asked which of the current titlists (Canelo Alvarez, Cornelius Bundrage, Miguel Cotto, and Sergei Dzinziruk) he would like to challenge.
“There are good fighters at 154, but I always wanted to fight Cotto,” admits Collazo. “That would be an all Puerto Rican showdown and I think the two of us would easily sell out Madison Square Garden. That’s the fight I would really want.”
Although that match-up may be a few fights away, Collazo admits that given the right opportunity, he would even entertain a return to his old weight class.
“I don’t want to take anything away from Paul Spadafora, he is a good fighter but he was at his best as a lightweight,” declared the former champion when asked about challenging Floyd Mayweather. “I’m a real welterweight and I can test Floyd if he fought me, but I’m not really sure that’s what Floyd wants”.
If Mayweather is looking for a southpaw to test himself against before engaging in the bout we all would like to see against Manny Pacquiao, Luis Collazo could provide him with more than a stiff test at welterweight.
Not only have they both been out of the ring for several months, but in Collazo, Floyd would face a southpaw who has spent the majority of his career at welterweight and shares common opponents in Hatton and Mosley.
Although bouts against the likes of Cotto and Mayweather would be a dream come true in the rebirth of this fighter’s career, he and his longtime trainer-manager Nirmal Lorick are content to pick up his career where he left off, and it all begins for a second time in a local venue on an independent card.
Cant wait only one more day til Luis returns hopefully he can get a world title shot by the year end or start of 2012.WAR COLLAZO
The last time fans saw Collazo, the crafty southpaw pushed WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto to the limit in an HBO televised “Fight of the Year” candidate to kick off 2009.
Unfortunately, it would be the last fans would see of the former WBA welterweight champ for over two years. Ignoring the clamor of fans and the media for a rematch, Team Berto decided to pursue other options, leaving Collazo waiting in the shadows for a big opportunity.
That big fight never materialized. Instead of a rematch with Berto, the native of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, settled for a stay busy fight in South Carolina against a non-descript opponent and was ultimately offered a fight against Selcuk Aydin in Turkey for the right to face Berto. Collazo opted to forego the mandatory, citing issues making the welterweight limit.
However, that was only half of the story for Collazo, as he was also increasingly dismayed by his promoter’s inability to provide him a big bout. “Me and Don [King] weren’t seeing eye to eye as far as my career,” laments Collazo. “I wasn’t being offered the fights I thought I deserved, and by the time he did offer me a fight at welterweight, I wasn’t able to make the weight anymore”.
After several tough bouts against the likes of Ricky Hatton, “Sugar” Shane Mosley and Berto, Collazo took time away from the sport to reflect on his career and attend to other important matters.
“I spent a whole lot of time with my family. I have a young daughter and two step sons, and I wasn’t able to spend a lot of time with them with going away to training camps all the time. I also worked with young amateur and pro fighters, helping get them ready for competition. I’ve also been working with local youth – helping keep them out of trouble. The two years off were also good because it gave my body a chance to heal”.
Fast forward two years, and Luis Collazo is a new man. Free of his promotional obligations to Don King Productions, Collazo has rediscovered his dedication for the sport and is eager to create opportunities in a new weight class.
“Now that I’m a free agent I’m looking to fight a few times at 154lbs to see where I am at and then see what opportunities there are as far as fights and promoters,” states Collazo. “If I’m offered something really interesting at 147, I’ll try to make the weight but for now I’m going to try out 154.”
Together with longtime manager-trainer Nirmal Lorick, Collazo will share a bill with fellow New Yorker Dmitriy Salita in the first of several steps before rising up the rankings once again.
“[Gonzalez] is a tough kid, but I don’t know much about him,” admits Collazo of his Dominican opponent. “He fought Dmitriy a few months ago and I expect him to give me a couple of quality rounds.”
What Collazo would really like to do in the next few fights is land a showdown with one of the junior middleweight champions. The 29-year-old did not hesitate when asked which of the current titlists (Canelo Alvarez, Cornelius Bundrage, Miguel Cotto, and Sergei Dzinziruk) he would like to challenge.
“There are good fighters at 154, but I always wanted to fight Cotto,” admits Collazo. “That would be an all Puerto Rican showdown and I think the two of us would easily sell out Madison Square Garden. That’s the fight I would really want.”
Although that match-up may be a few fights away, Collazo admits that given the right opportunity, he would even entertain a return to his old weight class.
“I don’t want to take anything away from Paul Spadafora, he is a good fighter but he was at his best as a lightweight,” declared the former champion when asked about challenging Floyd Mayweather. “I’m a real welterweight and I can test Floyd if he fought me, but I’m not really sure that’s what Floyd wants”.
If Mayweather is looking for a southpaw to test himself against before engaging in the bout we all would like to see against Manny Pacquiao, Luis Collazo could provide him with more than a stiff test at welterweight.
Not only have they both been out of the ring for several months, but in Collazo, Floyd would face a southpaw who has spent the majority of his career at welterweight and shares common opponents in Hatton and Mosley.
Although bouts against the likes of Cotto and Mayweather would be a dream come true in the rebirth of this fighter’s career, he and his longtime trainer-manager Nirmal Lorick are content to pick up his career where he left off, and it all begins for a second time in a local venue on an independent card.
Cant wait only one more day til Luis returns hopefully he can get a world title shot by the year end or start of 2012.WAR COLLAZO
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