Shannon Briggs Uncut Part One: “Just give me my chance and I’ll knock Klitschko’s or Peter’s ass out!”
 Interview by Benny Henderson Jr - AKA "Big Dog" (April 2, 2008) Doghouse Boxing
It has been nine months since former WBO heavyweight title holder Shannon Briggs 48-5-1 (42) has seen ring action, and “The Cannon” is raring and ready to get back in the mix of things and shoot down a few foes.
Briggs was on a roll winning twelve consecutive bouts, all via knockout, with his last win a last second last round stoppage over Sergei Liakhovich that earned Shannon the WBO title.
Briggs’ last go around was a twelve round loss via decision ro Sultan Ibragimov, a fight that Shannon calls injustice due to the fact that he was coming off a serious illness but was forced to defend his title or be striped.
Briggs stepped in the Doghouse and as so many times before gave a very colorful as well as entertaining interview. “The Cannon” went off on everybody and did not leave anything unsaid nor leave anybody out. Check out what Briggs had to say in this uncut exclusive, and be sure to check out part two which will be coming soon, enjoy.
Benny Henderson Jr.: Hey brother, what has been going down in the world of Shannon Briggs?
Shannon Briggs: I am still doing what I have been doing, I am looking to get my third heavyweight championship of the world. I feel more motivated and recharged than ever. I went into the Ibragimov fight with pneumonia and asthma and I lost the twelve round decision. The way things have unfolded it is funny because he wound up fighting Klitschko to unify the belts, which when I had the belt Klitschko wouldn’t fight me, and when he was supposed to he backed out and fought Brock instead. Then he wanted to fight Sultan when I did not have the belt, I think that was Manny’s doing and Klitschko and Shelly
knowing that I might knock out their great white dope. So with all that being said I am just looking to coming back and doing what I do, fighting my way back if I have to say that. But I feel like I am the top, but with all that being said I am looking forward to getting a shot at him, knocking Klitschko’s ass out, if not Samuel Peter, or any of the Russian champions, that is where I stand man, I am doing what I do feeding my family and knocking people out.
BH: It has been nine months since you retired from the ring, but you already answered one of my questions on returning to the ring.
SB: Hey man, you recording this Benny?
BH: Yeah.
SB: Great, I am glad because I talk fast and get excited because this gets my blood boiling. After the Ibragimov fight I did talk retirement, because I was very frustrated and very disappointed with the boxing politics man. Like I said that fight with Ibragimov was not supposed to happen when it did. I fought that guy with pneumonia, I had a host of doctors telling me that I should not fight the fight, including their doctors, but they threatened to strip me and ban me from boxing. The new I was under the weather and had pneumonia, it was no secret. I want the point to be made; they stole the title from me; for a better choice of words to make it sound better for them they bought the title from me, they paid for the title because they knew I was sick. I went to their doctors, in fact Benny their doctor said that I needed more time to recuperate. My doctors said to take off two to four months, their doctor said it could be up to six months to a year. With that being said, nobody gave me the luxury of being the interim champion, or being what they call Vitali, the super Venus champ or some sh*t like that.
Here is a man who has been off four years and can come back and fight for the title, they never gave me the same treatment as they did Maskaev when he said his back hurt, his finger hurt or his toe hurt. When he had fifteen months before he defended his title. Nobody gave me the luxury that they gave Chagaev when he said he had a stomach disease. I want to talk about the truth and in justice that they did to take the title away from me, forget what being see, they do not know the politics behind this bullsh*t. They stole the title from me! Klitschko would not fight me when I had the title, but what did he do, he ran and fought Sultan, because he knew I am bigger and stronger and I can knock his ass out with one punch!
People say that Wladimir is a great champion; he has been ducking me for years! I wanted to unify the titles, I went and got a belt and called out Klitschko, he said no!
BH: I remember when I interviewed Manny Steward and brought your name up, he told me you would be the most dangerous guy for Klitschko.
SB: Some fans are delusional because they say he is a great champion. He is not, he is a coward, he is a coward protected by HBO. He is very boring, the only reason why he is where he is because he brings money to the foreign television to the system. He is nothing! (Laughs)
BH: How would you respond to the naysayers out there that say that Shannon Briggs should just give it up?
SB: Give me a reason why. I have been heavyweight champion of the world twice, where is David Tua, where is Jeremy Williams, where is Larry Donald, where are all the guys that I turned pro with in 1992, where are all the guys that they say are so much better than me? Look at my record, I am the first heavyweight champion with asthma, I have more first round knockouts than any other heavyweight champion in history. So say what you want to say, I think I can speak well enough to hold a conversation, I am still here. I’ll fight anybody; Sam Peter will not fight me! I have been trying to fight Peter for five years, he will not fight me. These guys are protected, nobody is protecting Shannon Briggs. Nobody needs to! I’ll fight anybody!
Let me say one more thing Benny, I had thirteen wins in a row before I lost to Ibragimov, I was sick when I fought him, I have that on record. The naysayers can say what they want, they are just jealous people, and they are haters. Why should I quit! The best do not quit! They told me to quit a long time ago, George Foreman, God bless him, he picked me and I beat him. They say Foreman was robbed, so they put me in with Lewis, he beat me, it was a great fight. I came back! I am not going anywhere, and right now they are making a film about me, the first heavyweight champ with asthma. Let me tell you something Benny, I was told not to fight, I would never make it, but guess what, I was heavyweight champion of the world. If I listened to the naysayers where would I be?
BH: Hey Shannon, do me a favor brother.
SB: What’s that brother?
BH: Take a breath.
SB: (Laughs)
Tune in back to Doghouse Boxing for Part: Two.
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