Interview with Harry Joe Yorgey

Interview with Harry Joe Yorgey

Interview by Ken Hissner, Doghouse Boxing (Sept 7, 2009) Photo © Keith McMenamin / phillykeith.com

The EX Center in Hartford, Connecticut will host to top of the line bouts on November 7th over the HBO Network. This is a Gary Shaw Productions promotion. The main event will feature Chad Dawson, 28-0 (17) of New Haven, meeting Glen Johnson, 49-12-2 (33), of Miami, for Dawson’s IBO light heavyweight title and the interim WBC title. Both fighters have held world titles and this is a rematch of their April 12th, 2008 fight.

Just announced will be a dynamite co-main event featuring Alfredo “Perro” Angulo, 16-1 (13), of Coachella, CA, against “Lightning” Harry Joe Yorgey, of Bridgeport, PA, in a 10 round light middleweight match. Both fighters are rated in all four organizations. Angula is ranked #4 in the WBO while Yorgey is #9. Those are their highest rankings.

Angulo has impressed the fight fans as he enters the ring with his dog collar around his neck and dog in tow. He had his 15 fight win streak snapped by former IBF welterweight champion Kermit Cintron in May. He came back stopping Philly’s Gabe Rosado in August.

Yorgey grabbed the attention of boxing fans snapping Ronald Hearns 21 fight win streak with a 9th round knockout in March. While Angulo only knows one way and that is fast forward, Yorgey is a boxer-puncher, and a man with a plan to upset Angulo. His latest move is changing trainers and moving into the Youngstown camp of Jack Loew, trainer of the current WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik.

I was able to talk with Yorgey, an outstanding local athlete, and ask some questions. A week ago I attended a press conference Kurt Wolfheimer (publicity relations) held prior to announcing Yorgey’s new trainer.

KH: Harry, its good talking to you as always. I’m a big fan and have seen you overcome obstacles before as you did in your last two televised bouts. The big news here is you decided to go with Jack Loew as your new trainer. You said at the press conference you had visited Youngstown and it reminded you of your hometown of Bridgeport. How did the meeting go there?

HY: Everything went fine there. I have a place to stay and sparring partners are being arranged. Kelly Pavlik may be working out. (DeAndrey Abron #175 may be available)

KH: You will be fighting in New Haven on the card of Chad Dawson, whose manager happens to be the same as Angulo’s in Mike Criscio. Did you know this and if yes does it affect you at all?

HY: No, because I have the best promoter in Artie (Pelullo) who looks out for me.

KH: By November you will have only one fight under your belt in 15 months. I know you have always kept busy prior to changing managers and running into legal problems. How have you handled the inactivity?

HY: I stay in shape in the gym and have turned down some smaller fights in order to get this kind of fight on HBO.

KH: Angulo has only gone more than 6 rounds twice in his career and he lost one of those fights to Cintron. Do you think the longer the fight goes the better your chances of victory will be?

HY: It’s something I don’t think about, but if you noticed in the Hearns fight I got stronger as the fight went on.

KH: I know in the Hearns fights you showed great poise, when knocked down early in the fight. You seemed to come back with the confidence that you knew you took his best shot and you would get to him sooner or later. Is that part of your natural instincts you bring into the ring?

HY: Everyone gets hurt in this business. If you can’t take it you shouldn’t be in it.

KH: Angulo is known to bring in his pit bull. Do you have any thoughts on that?

HY: My friends have suggested I bring in a Chihuahua.

KH: When will you be leaving for camp and will it be in Youngstown?

HY: Yes. I leave on Sunday before Labor Day and will start training Tuesday.

KH: I want to wish you the best and I know there are thousands of fans in the area that will be rooting for you plus the many new fans you have added in your last two fights. Is there anything you would like to say to your fans in closing?

HY: I hope a lot of my fans come to the fight but if they can’t they can watch it like they have my last two fights

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Ken at: kenhissner@yahoo.com