Minnesota middleweights Andy "Kaos" Kolle (15-1) and "The Predator" Matt Vanda (37-4) will meet on Saturday night at the Myth Nightclub in Maplewood, MN. More then just local bragging rights will be at stake for both men.
For Vanda, another loss to a Minnesota rival would certainly set him back. Vanda recently lost two hard fought decisions to Anthony Bonsante and Kenny Kost.
Kolle will be trying to duplicate the success Bonsante and Kost had against Vanda. A win over Vanda would be a major statement for the 25 year old southpaw.
MinnesotaBoxing.com talked with Kolle via telephone interview on Wednesday night to talk about his experience with Antonio Margarito, his last outing and the showdown with Vanda. Here is what Kolle had to say..

You recently went to Florida to work with Antonio Margarito for his last big fight. That is a chance few Minnesotans get. Talk about that experience and some of the things that stood out most to you.
It was a great experience. To be able to go down there and put myself in the ring with a champion and see how I measure up was great. I felt like I hung right in there with him. I worked out with him, running and all that. Then when the sparring came I think I did as good if not then the other sparring partners. It was a big confidence booster for me. You have to be in such good shape to be able to deal with the pressure that Margarito puts on. I didn't realize that I had to be in that good of shape when I got there. I figured he would be starting from Scratch too but he is a true professional and was already in shape. Not to say I was out of shape going into that camp but I wasn't in that intense of shape. That was really the big difference that I noticed, the intensity that they train at with the resources that they have. We ran up the same mountain everyday. It was four miles straight up the mountain. It was very intense. He told me most of the other sparring partners never hang with him all the way up so it was cool to be able to make it to the top with him.

The biggest payoff for something like that is the experience. What did you take away that will benefit you most when preparing for fights in the future.
I learned where my game was at and where it needs to be to compete at that top level. I learned that you need to push yourself to that limit time. Not just physically but every day they are studying their opponents. The best thing about the experience is to know that I can go in there and hang with a fighter of that caliber.

Most recently you fought Bradley Thompson in Duluth which was risky considering you had the Vanda fight looming. Talk about why you took the fight with Thompson.
It wasn't that I took the fight with the Vanda fight looming. I had already signed for the fight. I had already had my name and picture on the posters so I felt it was my responsibility to fulfill that commitment. One of the big things about that fight is that I was going to stay safe. That is a big thing we worked on this summer, ways to box smart.

You knocked Bradley down 6 or 7 times in all. Talk about the fight and what was going through your head when he he just kept getting up for more.
I just couldn't believe he kept getting up. I was pump for that fight though. The fans got what they wanted. And I gained a lot of respect for Brad Thompson in that fight. I was almost disgusted with his corner for not throwing in the towel. It was obvious he wasn't going to quit. He is a true fighter, has a true fighters heart so he wasn't going to give up but you know damn well he didn't want to keep fighting.

You mentioned using this fight to box more and stay safer by not going in looking to always bang. Is that something you feel you have added for future fights now?
Yeah, that was a good fight to box and move in because of the circumstances. We worked all summer on using the jab and more footwork. That is something I really haven't done a lot as a pro. I looked to bang them out in the past. Having the opportunity where I could try to put all that stuff to work gave me confidence for this fight coming up.

Matt Vanda has been a key figure in Minnesota boxing for a lot of years now. Talk about your thoughts on a fight with Vanda
I am stoked. Matt has always been a big name in this state. Like I said in that video, I remember when the Brunette's would send out those flyers talking about Matt. I just remember seeing those flyers and saying "I want to fight him".
Getting the chance to finally get in there with someone with his experience and popularity is a big deal to me.We offered to fight Matt at 154 so there would be no excuses but he wanted to fight at 160. I am not going to let this opportunity pass.

There was trouble in the beginning securing this fight. You were originally scheduled to face Troy Lowry but he was turned down as an opponent. Can you talk about all the troubles leading up to this fight?
Well we wanted to fight Vanda last year. I don't know what happened but the fight was turned down. Actually they offered us April 6th but we had already scheduled a fight with myself as the main event on April 14. Like I said, I am a man of my word so I had to keep that fight. It had nothing to do with Matt or anything like that. It probably worked out better this way because now we have had time to build it more.
As far as Troy Lowry, I cannot understand why that fight would be turned down. It is really no concern of mine anymore because now we have moved on to Vanda. To us, Troy was someone that would lead to Vanda. Basically we cut out the middle man there so I will take it. The ultimate goal was to get a shot at Vanda.

Did any of that have an effect on you?
Maybe it would normally but we had that fight October 13th so I was training hard for that just like any other fight. I knew I could go back to the gym Monday and start training for Vanda. I knew I had five weeks to do it so it didn't throw me off.

Recently Vanda has lost two exciting fights to other local fighters Anthony Bonsante and Kenny Kost. What are your thoughts on how those fights played out?
I've watched both fights. I remember the decision in the Kost fight and I know I didn't agree with it being a majority decision. I thought he won a lot easier then that. I just saw that Kenny and Bonsante were both stronger then him. Skill wise they were all about equal but they were able to push him around the ring and when they hit him it had a lot more effect. That is what I got out of those fights.

It's safe to say that you will use your size advantage like they did then…
Of course I will use that to my advantage. That is my style of fighting but we have a few game plans worked out depending on what happens. Maybe use one or maybe all three. We just don't know until we get there. I feel like I will be stronger and a bigger force in the ring. I do think that will play into my hands.

You are fighting Matt in front of his home crowd in Saint Paul so he will no doubt have support. Talk about what kind of buzz is going on back in your hometown and also in Duluth were you frequently fight. Do you expect a lot of your fans to make the trip?
I have a lot of fans in the cities area too. I have developed a good fan following in Duluth and Fargo/Fergus Falls area. I have a lot of people making the trip. I don't feel that he will have the advantage of the crowd. He might have a slight edge but I have some loud rowdy fans too so it should level it out. Vanda's popularity has started to drop off a bit since he has lost a few fights. He always has that attitude, always has to be an ass. When you are winning that is fine but when you start losing it gives people a reason to drop you.

You have been boxing and going to college at the same time. Talk about where you are at with school...
Yeah I am still in the process of finishing up school. I am so close but I made the decision to really concentrate on my boxing. I can finish off school in one semester. My boxing career is rolling right now and I want to keep it going. I am still taking a few classes though. I want to make sure I do both because a boxers career doesn't last too long.

Anything you would like to add?
I want to invite everybody out to The Myth on the 17th. It should be a great fight. We have two fighters that like to mix it up. So be there! You won't want to miss it.

Don't forget to visit www.soboxing.com for Interviews with more of the fighters on the card and video documentaries that follow both Vanda and Kolle in preparation for their battle. You can also find ticket info and more!