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DaVarryl 'Touch of Sleep' Williamson
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The stage is set and the deal has been made and it appears that the NABF and WBO Latin American heavyweight champion DaVarryl 'Touch of Sleep' Williamson, 20-2 (17), will finally get a fight. In the recent months the 36-year-old Colorado based fighter has had fights fall through that were already signed on the dotted line. It wasn’t because he didn’t want them, but from fighters retiring weeks before a fight, fight cards falling through, and bouts simply not materializing that put Williamson’s career on the backburner. But being patient brought along a bigger fight with a much bigger name than Williamson has ever faced. On October 2nd on a Showtime televised card from the Mandalay Bay, Williamson will face former WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, 42-3 (39). Williamson is more than excited to finally get a fight with such a high profile opponent, but can he do what only three fighters out of forty-five have been able to do and beat the hulking Ukrainian? Williamson certainly thinks so, and he is more than ready to step up to the challenge and prove to the world that he is a serious contender. With Klitschko coming off an upset loss to current WBO champ Lamon Brewster, Williamson believes that he can capitalize on that loss, but at the same time he understands that the fighter that lost to Brewster will not be the one facing him in the ring. Both fighters are hungry and in desperate need of a win to stay in contention and Williamson knows only too well this could be his last shot at glory. Williamson stopped by the Doghouse to talk about his upcoming bout against Klitschko and what he thinks it will take to win. Here is how it went.
Benny Henderson Jr.: How has your training been going?
DaVarryl Williamson: My training is going fantastic, Benny. We have been preparing for a number of fights throughout the summer and had some highs and lows. I was supposed to fight back on June 8th against Ray Mercer and that fight didn’t go through and I was going to fight in mid July and that fight card didn’t happen, so I was offered a fight in early August and that never materialized. I was going to fight Vaughn Bean or Jeremy Williams in September and somehow out of the woodworks Warriors Boxing offered my Wladimir Klitschko in October, so I gladly accepted it. I couldn’t be happier because it seemed like this was worth the wait. Patience is a virtue because I have been extremely patient trying to figure out my next move. It has been high and low but at the end of the day we have a contract with Wladimir Klitschko on October 2nd on Showtime. So I couldn’t be happier about my preparation for this fight and I am very excited for the possibilities.
BH: With Wladimir’s recent loss to Lamon Brewster, do you feel you can capitalize on that loss somehow?
DW: Yes I hope so. But I don’t feel that I will be fighting the same person. I think it will be a crossroad fight between the both of us. One, he has three losses and I am 36-years-old and have two losses. So this is a fight that will put one of us back into the mix and in serious contention for the heavyweight championship of the world. He was a former WBO heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist. He has to come through or I have to come through this fight right here or our careers are back to club shows or whatever. I have to bring my A-Game to this fight and I want to capitalize off of his mistakes. My coach and I watch the fights that he won not the ones he lost. He is going to be ready and I am going to be prepared for that. I am just so excited for this opportunity.
BH: Could you give us a bit of your fight plan?
DW: I am a small guy so I am going to try to stay away from his punch. I can’t give you a description of what he is going to do so we are preparing for two to three different fight styles. We will make adjustments to his adjustments and go from there. But, I am going to try to hit him more than he hits me until he is no longer there.
BH: Do you believe this will be your toughest test?
DW: Without a shadow of a doubt, this is defiantly the toughest test. Will it appear that way? One never knows until the fight actually goes through. This is my toughest fight and I am preparing, as it is my toughest fight of my entire career.
BH: Did you take anything away from the Mesi loss that might help you in the future?
DW: I think so. That wasn’t DaVarryl Williamson against Joe Mesi, I don’t know who that guy was. I hope that guy never comes back. We all learn from certain mistakes that we have done. I think I have learned a lot from that fight and atmosphere. Look at me now, what a difference time can make.
BH: What do you feel your best quality as a fighter is?
DW: I think I am able to out-think a lot of these guys. I like to think that I have a body of a 26-year-old and a mind of a 46-year-old. Use the harmonious balance to outwit and trick these guys in certain styles. We all lift around the same amount of weights and run around the same amount of miles and spar so it is the mental edge that separates us when it is show time.
BH: What inspired you to box?
DW: It is similar to failing in so many other things that I found my knack in boxing. Well I guess I shouldn’t use the word failing, but non-successful. [Laughing]
BH: Wladimir has kayoed 39 of his 45 opponents. He has beaten IBF heavyweight champion Chris Byrd, IBF contender Jameel McCline, and probably one of the top ten chins in boxing history with Ray Mercer. What do you feel you have to offer in this bout against Wladimir that these other fighters didn’t offer?
DW: I think what separates me from Chris Byrd is that I have exciting punching power. What separates me from Jameel McCline is that I have mindset to take risks and take chances. With Ray Mercer we both have good jabs but I am not as stationary, I am a moving target. I think this is a wonderful opportunity for the both of us. I can’t worry about what other people say I just have to go in there and do what I do best and that is box and move and hit the target till it is no longer there. We have to execute and find a way to win this fight.
BH: Let’s say you defeat Wladimir Klitschko, is there anybody you want in particular after him?
DW: Benny there is no way in the world I can even have the energy to look past Wladimir Klitschko. That is all I have in front of me and all I have behind me or on the side of me. He is with me in the gym, even in the morning when I brush my teeth I am practicing moving my head from side to side because I am seeing Klitschko. So I can’t tell you what I will do after this because I don’t know. All I have to do is win. Whatever happens or is offered to me after the win I will accept. But I can’t think about any else right now besides Wladimir.
BH: What are your thoughts on Wladimir as a fighter?
DW: I believe he is a great fighter. I think out of Wladimir and Vitali, Wlad is the more talented of the two. Vitali seems to have the heart and desire but maybe he has minimal skills. Wladimir is defiantly the person you need to watch. I will be expecting the best of Wladimir because his reputation is on the line. We both have to dig deep for this fight. This guy is going to give me everything he has and I got to find a way to beat him. In spite of his recent losses, this guy can flat out do it, and if I think anything less than that then I have already been defeated.
BH: Is there anything you would like to add to this interview?
DW: I always want the fans to know that DaVarryl certainly appreciates them for taking the time out of their busy schedule for me. I want to say thank you and God Bless them all. Thanks for believing in me.
I would like to thank Kevin Mullowney for his time on getting this interview and I would like to give DaVarryl Williamson a big thank you for his thoughts. For more information on DaVarryl visit his website: www.tosboxing.com.
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© Copyright / All Rights reserved: Doghouse Boxing 1998-2004
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Interview by Benny Henderson Jr. (September 9, 2004) 
