Sergei Liakhovich: “I want a rematch with Briggs!”
 Interview by Benny Henderson Jr - A.K.A "Big Dog" (Nov 30, 2006)
Coming into the WBO heavyweight championship match-up between the former champion Sergei Liakhovich and the then challenger Shannon Briggs hardly anybody expected it go as it did, especially Liakhovich. Liakhovich was coming off a fight of the year candidate against Lamon Brewster and Briggs had stopped his last eleven opponents by knock out, but after what was a less than entertaining fight with thirty seconds to go Liakhovich found himself not only down once, but out of the ropes down for the count and then belt less.
The fight was stopped with one second left in the bout and since then there has been some what ifs and an accusation or two with what should been done, we know the story about the protest, we seen the outcome of the fight, now hear it from the man who lived it, the one who has that what if in mind when he looks back on the bout, and regardless of what was or what could have been Sergie knows what he wants, and that is a rematch with the new WBO champion Shannon Briggs, and in this interview Sergie speaks on the fight, the protest and the projected future, enjoy.
Benny Henderson Jr.
It has been a few weeks since your fight against Briggs, now that you have had time to let all of this settle
what is your take on the fight and the outcome?
Sergie Liakhovich
You know I actually didn’t fight my fight, it hard to say right now it is just a crazy situation. I just didn’t fight my fight and everybody saw it, but I fought with what I had.
BH
You know you are saying that you did not fight your fight, and to be honest there was no aggression in that fight, everybody noticed that this was not the same Liakhovich that beat Brewster, to be blunt what was the problem, what was stopping you from fighting your fight?
SL
I don’t want to look like I am looking for any excuses but this is true, I fought this fight with broken ribs and very bad tendentious on my shoulders, physically it wasn’t there.
BH
It was reported after the fight that you had went into this fight injured, but if you were injured before such a big fight why not postpone the fight and fight at another time when you were healthy?
SL
You have to understand this, sometimes a mad do what he needs to do, especially a fighter. I don’t take anything from this Shannon Briggs but, like I told before he is actually a very simple boxer and nothing special, and maybe you know like I don’t want to be snotty but this is what I saw on the tape I don’t see anything special in this guy.
BH
So what is going on now with your career?
SL
First off I want to see what is going on with the fight between Ibragimov and Briggs, after this we will see, I want to make a rematch if Shannon wins, if he will lose then I want to fight the champion.
BH
Your camp had a protest on how the fight end, just a day or so ago the WBO rejected the protest. So what now for you guys, will there be an appeal?
SL
Actually my lawyer will send today or tomorrow an appeal and we will see what’s going on.
BH
What exactly was the protest?
SL
Actually the time had stopped. People probably don’t understand, he knocked me down the first time, he got me, he caught me on the temple and right on the chin and I was down but I get up. But after the referee said fight everybody go what the hell you were bad hurt or something like this just watch the fight he catch me with the right hand and I took it perfectly, after this, this is what happen, I tried to bend my knee and I was on the ropes and when I was bending my knee I went out of bounds, not from the punch I just fell down through the ropes on the table, it was not from the punch. When I feel down I tried to get up but after I hear all this from people hey man stay down don’t worry about it I don’t understand what was going on or what happened actually, I tried to get up but my legs are stuck between the table and the ring. I was disappointed and people were holding me on my shoulder saying don’t worry it is cool just be cool, seriously I do not understand what was going on. I didn’t know if the referee stop the fight, I don’t understand, when I feel down people started screaming stay down don’t move I seriously didn’t understand what was going on, so after all of this people say don’t worry everything is cool the doctor came and she asked me if I was ok and I answer perfectly I am fine, they asked me question and I gave them an answer everything was fine. I get up on the ring and everything was fine with me, it was confusion all around and I totally don’t understand what was going on at the time. Not form the punch but from the people screaming everything, I was like what the hell was this about?
BH
So you are saying that you weren’t hurt at all but just stuck between the table and the ring?
SL
Yeah. He did get me and knocked me down the first time, he did hit me and knocked me down the first time but I did get up just watch the film, and after I did get up he catch me with his right hand and I took it and everything was fine. He punch me in the stomach and I tried to bend my knee and I went through the ropes, but not from the punch.
BH
There was just thirty seconds to go in the fight with you ahead on all the score cards, it appeared that instead of trying to just finish the fight and win by decision by boxing you decided to try to trade with Shannon, what is your take on this?
SL
It was some crazy stuff but I was wanting to finish like a champion.
BH
Looking back do you think to your self, damn I should just of boxed Shannon and stayed away from him?
SL
No, it is hard to explain Benny but you need to at some point I don’t know what I what at that point, at that moment I thought I needed to show more than just my boxing ability.
BH
Dumb question, but who hits harder between Shannon Briggs and Lamon Brewster?
SL
Absolutely Lamon Brewster.
BH
What would you say to the critics who are counting you out now?
SL
To the critics, guys you need to listen to boxers who have been in the ring, some guys who never been in the ring and try to say things, but some critics I respect when they start talking about what they saw in the fight, but when some starts talking and excuse my language but they start talking bullshit it is not professional it is just crazy stuff.
BH
Is there anything you want to say to Shannon or to the division or add to this and say in closing?
SL
I heard Shannon say he is perfectly fine with this rematch, I hope he is talking the truth; if he will win this fight I want a rematch with him.
I would like to thank Sergei Liakhovich for conducting this interview with Doghouse Boxing.
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