One thing everyone in boxing agrees on is their love for a natural puncher. There’s
no greater act in our sport than one man landing a devastating punch that renders his
opponent unconscious. However, pure
punchers are few and far between; you only need to watch Adonis “Superman”
Stevenson, 17-1 (14), fight
once to realise he is capable of such highlight reel KOs. Most
recently, he reminded us of
that with a brutal knockout over once-beaten Jesus Gonzales, demolishing his
foe with one monstrous overhand left midway through the opening stanza. The win
was so dramatic and violent that it's an early candidate for “Knockout of
the Year” (See Video Embedded on this Page). The 34-year-old, now residing
in Canada by way of Haiti, isn't one to rest on his laurels waiting on a title fight. He’s
been proactive in seeking out other opportunities and meets Argentinean Noe
Gonzalez Alcoba on this week’s edition of ESPN2’s “Friday Night Fights” from
the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec. Interestingly, both guys are rated number
two in various
sanctioning bodies’ top 10 lists but knowing that it may be awhile before they
get a title fight, they elected to put their rankings on the line, looking to
strengthen their places among the hierarchy at super
middleweight by facing one
another.
Anson Wainwright – First, congratulations on a stunning
recent, first round knockout over Jesus Gonzales. Please tell us about that
knockout and what it meant to you.
Adonis Stevenson - Thank you. It meant a lot because it
made me number two in the IBF.
AW - You're not wasting
anytime; you fight this weekend against Noe Gonzalez. What are your thoughts on
that fight?
AS - I’m very
focused on my April 20th opponent, Noe Gonzalez, and afterwards,
I’ll be looking for the [Lucian] Bute-[Carl] Froch winner. Gonzalez is a tough
guy, a power-puncher like me. I’ll box to win and if the knockout comes, that
will be good. Gonzalez is fast and I know he’ll be prepared for this fight.
AW - Without
getting ahead of ourselves, a fight with Lucian Bute would be huge in Canada…
AS - A fight between me and Bute will be very big in
Montreal but, first, he has a tough fight against Froch. I’ll be keeping an eye
on that fight because I’m ranked number two by the IBF and I hope to fight the
winner.
AW - As well as the Gonzales KO, you have a few other impressive
KOs. You’re obviously heavy-handed but can you tell us about your other skills?
AS - Since I’ve been training with Emanuel Steward, I’ve
improved my footwork, speed and technique. I’m not just a power-puncher.
We’re working hard on my movement and defence.
AW - Who are the key members of your team and where do
you regularly train?
AS - Emanuel is my manager and head trainer; Yvon
Michel’s [President of Groupe Yvon Michel] my promoter and I work out of Kronk
Gym in Detroit.
AW - What was it like growing up in Haiti? How did you
come to move to Canada? When did you move to Canada?
AS - I moved from Haiti when I was four. Moving to Canada
was my family’s choice because it’s a good place to live.
AW - You were a pretty good amateur. What tournaments did
you win? Who did you fight and what was your final amateur record?
AS - I believe my amateur record was 50-5. I had a good
fight with Edwin Rodriguez. I won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games.
AW - You’ve lost once when you were stopped by Darnell
Boone in 2010. Can you tell us about that loss and how you have been able to
come back stronger?
AS - I learned a lot from that loss. I had bad people
around me. I didn’t train very well for that fight and took it on short notice.
It was a controversial stoppage. I
was okay but the ref stopped it. In a way, it turned out alright because other
fighters thought that I
lost so they took fights against me. I learned that anything can happen in
boxing, so I train very hard now for every fight. I also learned that I needed
good people around me and in my corner.
AW - What do you think of the super middleweight
division including the current champions, Andre Ward of the WBC/WBA, WBA “regular”
champion Karoly Balzsay, the IBF’s Lucian Bute and the WBO’s Robert Stieglitz?
AS - It’s a good, tough division. I’m
willing to fight any of those guys. Let’s see what happens. Bute is my first
pick to fight. Ward is a good champion. Stieglitz is protected and he only
fights in Germany.
AW – Please tell us about your life away
from the ring and your family life including what you like to do away from boxing.
AS - I don’t do too much outside of
boxing. I enjoy spending time with my girlfriend and our two kids.
AW - A few years ago,
Haiti was badly hit by an earthquake. Can you tell us how it affected you? Did
you have relatives there?
AS - I still have some family and friends who live there
but I was only four when I left there and don’t really remember much about
living in Haiti. Most of my family lives in Canada, New York City and Miami.
AW - Like Jean Pascal, you are from Haiti but
have boxed your entire career in Canada. What is the relationship between you like?
AS - I know Jean Pascal really well. We have the same
promoter. He’s a good fighter.
AW – Finally, do you have a message for
the super middleweight division?
AS - I’m coming. This is my year; I’m going to become
world champion. I’m here to stay!
