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Photo © Lisa Scott
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October 2nd will be clash of the cruiserweights in Madison Square Garden. Knockout artist and WBC champ Wayne 'Big Truck' Braithwaite will step in the ring with the ring savvy WBA champ Jean-Marc Mormeck. A chance to get the shot at becoming the undisputed cruiserweight champion is at stake here for both fighters. Braithwaite, who has knocked out 15 of his last 17 opponents, will be more than ready to make it 16 fallen fighters that have stepped in his path. A fighter that can hit you with either a left or right and make it hurt can be a dangerous threat to any opponent, and that is just what the 'Big Truck' is. A dangerous southpaw that has every intention to put as much bodily harm on his opponent as humanly possible. This fight will be on the undercard of the Mayorga-Trinidad bout on pay-per-view, but it has the potential to become the show stopping crowd pleaser of the night. Either way Braithwaite and Mormeck have their future in their own hands. Both men believe they will become undisputed champ, and both are in each other’s way to that title shot. So tune in on October 2nd to see if the lightning fast Jean-Marc Mormeck can outgun the power-punching Wayne Braithwaite, or if the 'Big Truck' will roll over Mormeck like he has done to so many before with that massive arsenal he carries. Wayne 'Big Truck' Braithwaite stopped by the Doghouse to discuss his thoughts on his upcoming championship bout against Mormeck.
Benny Henderson Jr.: How is your training going?
Wayne Braithwaite: My training is going fine right now.
BH: What will be your fight plan against Mormeck?
WB: I have no fight plan right now, but after I see a couple of fight tapes of him I will have it.
BH: Jean-Marc Mormeck stated that he is a better fighter than you because you haven’t fought the same guys as he. What are your thoughts on his statement?
WB: Yes that is true, we did not fight the same guys. I didn’t fight a 40-yeard old Virgil Hill as he did. Nobody can tell me that I am not a good fighter check my record. From 1998 to 2003 I knocked out all of my opponents. I am going to do the same thing to him; I am going to knock him out too.
BH: Mormeck said that his main fight plan would be to put more pressure on you and keep you from moving. And also that he wouldn’t let you use your straight left and keep you off balance.
WB: [Cuts me off] Let him try that, he will make it easy for me; I will make him a punching bag. I have a big hand to so I am not going to miss his big head.
BH: What has been your toughest bout to date?
WB: My toughest bout to date was win I won the title in Italy.
BH: What inspired you to want to box?
WB: My friend back home used to take me to the gym and stuff. And I always liked boxing as a kid growing up.
BH: Who were your boxing heroes when you were growing up?
WB: I never had a hero in boxing.
BH: What do you feel your best quality as a fighter is?
WB: My best quality is that I can fight both ways. I have skill, I am a boxer-puncher. I think Mormeck will have a lot of problems with me. He is not going to have someone who will just stand in front of him. I’m going to give him a lot of movement so Mormeck is not going to be having a walk in the park.
BH: Let’s say if you defeat Jean-Marc Mormeck…
WB: [Breaks into my question] I will defeat Mormeck.
BH: Ok, let’s say when you do beat Mormeck, you will go to face Kelvin Davis. What are your thoughts on Davis as a fighter?
WB: I respect him as a person, but as a fighter I have no respect for him. We are fighting for the same thing, we are after the same goal and that is to be undisputed champion. So as a person I have respect for him but not as a fighter.
BH: When you become the undisputed cruiserweight champion, do you plan on staying in the cruiserweight division or would you consider stepping up in the Heavyweight division?
WB: I might take one fight as heavyweight and see how I feel and stay as a heavyweight or I might just stay as king of the cruiserweights.
BH: Your fight with Vincenzo Cantatore, how hard was it for you to stay focused in the fight when the crowd and what also seemed like the ref was all on his side?
WB: It was hard because the odds were against me. But I am strong-minded so I was prepared for whatever came up in the fight.
BH: How do you prepare yourself mentally for a fight, before you walk into the ring what is your train of thought?
WB: Right before I go into the ring I just remain calm I don’t get to tense. As long as my mind is relaxed I am all ok. As long as I am me I will be ok.
BH: Why do they call you the 'Big Truck'?
WB: My first pro fight. After I knocked out my opponent he said that it felt like a big truck hit him.
BH: Are there any fighters out there that you would like to face after Mormeck and Davis that you would like to step in the ring with?
WB: There are a lot of fighters that I would like to step in the ring with. I was calling out a few fighters but I never got any returns from them. I was trying to fight Roy Jones Jr. but his manager wouldn’t take the fight. We tried to get Vassily Jirov but he moved up to heavyweight so there is nobody to beat up on but the cruiserweights.
BH: What would you like to say to the fans?
WB: Come October 2nd they will see the 'Big Truck' become the WBC and WBA cruiserweight champion, and just keep supporting me and I’ll train hard and give them what they want.
BH: Is there anything you would like to say to Mormeck?
WB: Tell Mormeck to come prepared and I am going to make his big head a punching bag. I am here not to lose, I don’t know how to lose; he does. I guarantee that I will still be undefeated after this fight.
BH: Do you have anything to add to this Joel Rivera [Braithwaite's PR Agent]?
JR: Anyways you cut it boxing fans come to watch people get knocked out and there is not another fight that delivers that like Wayne. 15 of his last 17 fights ended in knockouts, so he is a pure puncher and one of the purest punchers in boxing and he is something to watch. Usually you don’t get to watch the great ones, when Holyfield and Jones Jr. won the cruiserweight division they weren’t really getting the attention that they do now. So Wayne is just something to watch and in the future he could be one of the greatest heavyweights champs out there and the people have the opportunity to watch him come up.
BH: What do you think his best quality is?
JR: Physically it is his ability to punch, he is a pure puncher and he has knockout ability in both hands. And not too many boxers have that ability to knock you out with either hand.
BH: Well we thank you both for your time.
JR: Thank you, and hopefully we can talk to you again when he knocks this guy out and has the WBA and the WBC cruiserweight championship belts.
BH: Oh no doubt we can do it, but when he becomes the undisputed cruiserweight champion ya’ll don’t forget about Doghouse.
JR: Oh don’t worry about that, we won’t forget the ones who support us on the way up.
BH: Thanks again, later.
JR: Later.
I would like to thank Joel Rivera and Wayne Braithwaite both for their time. It has been a pleasure and I hope to talk to them in the future.
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© Copyright / All Rights reserved: Doghouse Boxing 1998-2004
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Interview by Benny Henderson Jr. (Aug 15, 2004) 
