Donovan George: “I am the real deal!”
 INTERVIEW By Benny Henderson Jr (April 11, 2007) Doghouse Boxing (Photo © Cestus Management)
Undefeated hard-hitting 168-pound prospect Donovan George 12-0-1 (10) is once again looking to wreak havoc on another foe coming up April 13th at Cicero Stadium in Chicago, IL. His victim is the battle tested Alberto Mercedes 13-13-1 (9), and ‘Da Bomb’ sees only one way out for his opponent, down and out face first on the canvas.
Since making the jump to the professionals in the fall of 2004, George has laid some serious leather leaving a path of broke down enemies behind him paving a way to the top of the crop. The super middleweight standout is making a name for himself by putting to sleep some durable opposition that has went the distance with other highly touted prospects, but failing the grade when they face him.
The twenty-two year old Chicago native has stopped his last five opponents via knock out, and he looks to make Mercedes the unlucky number six. His hit list includes such rival as Robert Smallwood (TKO 2), Joe Varela (KO 1) and Kendall Gould (TKO 1), and the heavy-handed prospect is proving to the masses he is the real deal.
Read on to see what the undefeated one had to say on his upcoming opponent, as well as his future and hopes of a potential face off against John Duddy in the months to come, enjoy.
Benny Henderson Jr.: First off, you have defeated your past five opponents via knockout, you have stopped ten out of twelve, when you going to stop putting suckers to sleep so damn fast so the fans can actually get some more viewing time of your work? (Laughs)
Donovan George: (Laughs) Throughout my career I was not always healthy and I let a lot of them off the hook letting them go the distance, but now that I am healthy and 100% I really fell like I am going to stop anybody that comes in front of me. Mercedes is a tough durable guy, he has went the distance with a lot of guys. But I am not those guys, I plan on going out there establishing my jab showing my skills and stopping him in highlight knockout fashion.
Mike Michael: Benny, this guy we are fighting, Mercedes, went twelve rounds for a belt with Alex Bunema. That is a real tough guy man, you know what I mean.
DG: But he is not me, I am going to take this guy out definitely!
BH: What else do you know of your opponent? He’s not the scariest of opposition but he does have a few quality wins under his belt.
DG: We actually fought on the same card when he knocked out Kenny Kost, that was actually the first time Kenny has been knocked out and he has went the distance with Ward and Dirrell. When he knocked out Kost I thought it was very impressive, the guy has a lot of heart, he was losing and he came back and stopped him. His style is perfect for mine, he is going to come right at me, he will walk right into my shots. I just cannot wait to get in there, I have just a few days left until I drop the bomb on this guy.
MM: He is very tough, but we are going to drop him like a bad habit.
DG: That seems to be a common thing, they have been telling me how durable these guys are, they went the distance with this guy or some significant fighter, and I just have been breaking this guys down and talking them out. They say he is durable and this and that and I know what I have to do and what I am going to do and I am not worried about it, I am in tremendous condition, I am going to go in there and show everybody what is up.
BH: What statement do you feel you have made in these past few bouts?
DG: I think that I have shown everybody that I am the real deal, the last guy I fought was Kendall Gould who went the distance with Andre Ward, he went seven with Michael Walker, and I knocked him out under a minute in the first round, everybody who saw that and heard that were like ‘man, this kid must be real’. I am not just a pretty face, although I am gorgeous (laughs), I have everything going for me, I can fight too. I just cannot wait to go out and get some national exposure and show everybody that I am the real deal, that is what I work hard for and I am not going to stop until I become champion.
BH: When you guys are ready to make that step up top make a major splash, who is your sites?
MM: Well, it really does not matter. We are not going to talk about Joe Calzaghe and that kind of level. We will sit down with Bob Arum and Top Rank and they will put the guy in there who we should be stepping up against, it doesn’t matter who he is at that time, we will take care of business. We are on the cusp now in taking that move and making that step. I can totally assure you this, we are going to start with the USA, then the rest of the world is going to want to see Donovan George fight.
BH: Now listen, we are speaking on stepping up and certain opponents to make that step against. I was reading a recent interview my fellow scribe Coyote Duran conducted with you Mike just a month or so back, I remember reading were you said that John Duddy would be a good stepping stone for George, go into that a little bit more.
MM: I personally believe that is a perfect fight in the next fifteen to eighteen months, Duddy will have established himself even more and we will be rising up, we both could be established enough to have a big all out Irish showdown at Madison Square Garden, that fight would be a sell out and I think we would annihilate Duddy, he is tailor-made for Donovan.
BH: Now give your thoughts Don.
DG: I think that in Duddy’s last few fights he has been exposed a little bit, I was at the Campas fight and I really wasn’t impressed. He is very tough and he hits hard, he is very gamy and in great shape, I think that he would come into me and run into my punches, he gets hit an awful lot against weaker opposition like Bonsante, that guy fought him hard, Campas fought him really hard, I thought that fight was a draw. I am a bigger, stronger guy that Camps or Bonsante, and I just don’t think Duddy would be able to handle my power. I think I would break him down. We have a couple of common opponents, we both stopped William Johnson, he went the distance with Julio Jean, and I stopped Jean in five and I gave up a lot of weight for that fight. I am sure I caught their eye and I am sure they are reading the articles. We are not calling anybody out, I am going to work my way up and become a legitimate fighter, I am not some punk, I respect everybody and I respect the game of boxing. When it is time for me to step up I am going to step up and take care of business.
MM: Let me fill some in Benny, whoever feels the power that Donovan has, they are going to say oh my gosh I am in for a rough night, and that is what people like Duddy and whomever else when we step up is going to understand after the first round is over with, if it goes a complete first round.
DG: I think I am coming into my own, I am coming into my power, I cannot only give it but I can take it too if I have too. I do not doubt my chin, I am prepared, and I am real excited.
BH: If you could send out a message to your opponent what would you tell him?
DG: (Laughs) Train hard and I hope he brings it, because if he lacks in his training he is going to be exposed right away. If he wants to survive more than thirty seconds he better be training his ass off because I am coming to get him and I am going for the kill. Any chance I get I like to go for it I am not the kind of guy who likes to go the distance, I can but I want to go out and knock people out and put on a show giving the fans their money’s worth.
BH: Anything you guys want to add to or say in closing?
DG: I would like to thank you guys, you guys have been fabulous throughout my career with all the press and support. I am a huge boxing fan and I am on your website four to five times a day. I want to thank my fans and my future fans and I promise to train hard and out on a great show and represent Chicago well and bring a little bright light to the boxing world.
MM: I would like to finish that up by saying Benny, I think that Donovan George is a breath of fresh air in boxing that it really needs. I think that it is just a matter of time before this kid explodes all across the national scene and non-boxing fans will come see this kid because of the ay he is. To Alberto Mercedes, you are in brig trouble, you are not a Mercedes, we are going to turn you into a Mini. We are back in Chicago, lock the doors and run for cover, on the 13th of April threw will be nuclear explosions are going to take place.
DG: He is a Geo not a Mercedes; he’s not in my class, I just cannot wait to get out there!
I would like to thank Mike Michaels of Cestus Management for setting up this interview and for giving his time and thoughts. A thanks goes out to Donovan George as well. For more info on Team Cestus check out www.cestusmanagement.com.
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