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MARTY LINDQUIST
You knew going into the fight that you were going
into
an undefeated prospects hometown. Did you know anything more about
him? Did you have a fight plan going in?
Yeah, I knew he was a crafty boxer with good movement. I also
knew that he was good at fighting on the outside. My trainer (Ron
Peterson) told me to get on him right away. To stay on him until
he is down.
There is obviously a lot of controversy surrounding
the fight. Different reports from Philadelphia portray what happened
a few different ways. Can you tell us in your own words what happened
in the ring on October 14th?
He came into the ring with his entourage. They were all wearing
there gray outfits, dancing and doing their thing coming down
in a line. I was standing in the ring ready to go. So the referee
gives us our instructions and we both went back to our corners.
The bell rang, the ref stepped out of the way, and I walked out
to the middle of the ring. He came out to the middle of the ring
with his hands down in a southpaw stance. He was smiling so I
loaded up and swung from the canvas with everything I had and
he landed on his head.
The way Max explained it, he was still talking
to the referee as the bell sounded. He said you stormed across
the ring and caught him when he wasn't looking..
We met in the middle of the ring. He came out looking to box and
be tricky in a southpaw stance. His back hand was at his shoulders
and his front hand was at his belt. I just swung with everything
I had. Like I said, he was smiling. I just hit him as hard as
I possibly could. The truth of the matter is that I came there
for business and he wanted to showboat and it didn't work out.
It was like walking up to somebody in a supermarket and just cracking
them as hard as you can. The truth is that I know he is a really
good fighter and a good boxer but this is the pros. The bell rings
and when you meet in the middle of the ring you have to be ready
to fight. There is a lesson to be learned. When we got there there
was an 8x12 photo of him on every seat in the house. He is a superstar
over there and he made a big mistake. I showed up and meant business
and he was screwing around. That is the bottom line. I tell you
what, chances are he is a better boxer than I am. I am not going
to shy away from that fact but I flew half way across the country
to fight and he was screwing around.
You could have taken the win and tried to get
something else lined up but stated earlier that you were up for
a rematch right away (before the decision was changed to a no
contest). What are your reasons for fighting him again?
Number one is because we had a blast in Philadelphia. They
treated us great and are very professional down there. Mr. Sirb
who is the commissioner went completely by the book. They put
us up in a nice hotel and we had a blast. There is one thing I
want to add though. The night before the fight we were watching
Joey Abell and Dave Peterson fight at the place that Rocky was
filmed. I was standing right next to Max Alexander and he didn't
know it. I was listening to him and he was talking about his next
two fights coming up and so on. He wasn't even serious about our
fight. So I was thinking right there, "you are done buddy".
So the reason I am taking this rematch is because I have nothing
to lose. I have no problem stepping in the ring with him. We had
a blast in Philadelphia, they paid me good. I am more than happy
to fight him again. In fact I would fight him five more times!
I know you want to touch on where you are now
on a personal level. You have had some ups and downs in the past...
Since the fight, I got suspended from boxing. I tested positive
for a couple of things. I came back home and my trainer Ron Peterson
told me to pull my head out...and reevaluate things. Now I have
a good job at a mortgage company. I just got serious about life.
I haven't screwed up since. I go to at least five meetings a week.
I am putting everything I have into my recovery. Life is so good
right now that I couldn't even consider turning back. I am just
glad that I am still able to box. When they took away my ability
to box I could see that they meant business. I tell you what,
I am a lot better in the ring now then I was back then.
Now that you have gotten another chance to box,
how do you plan on taking advantage? What are your plans for boxing?
I am ready to go for it. I am 37 going on 19 really. Boxing
is all about discipline. When you step into the ring there is
a serious element of justice. You get what you deserve. It's like
going to a poker party. You can show up with a pair of sevens,
show up with four aces or a straight flush, it's up to you. If
you are screwing around you will show up with a low pair and get
knocked out. If you are serious and you live, breath, eat boxing
and live a straight life style you show up with four aces.
Anything you would like to add?
I want to say that I am very grateful to be able to go back to
Philadelphia. The people were nice and the city has a tremendous
history. I am also glad that boxing is back in Minnesota. Even
though there is a whole bunch of controversy existing between
certain boxing camps, back here it is Minnesota versus the world.
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MAX ALEXANDER
I would like to start by hearing your side
on what  happened
when you and Marty fought. What went down in your own words?
I am going to tell you the honest to god truth. If he had won
the fight, came in and stopped me cleanly then congratulations
to him but that's not what happened. Here is what happened...
I get into the ring, we received our instructions in the center
of the ring. I went back to my corner and the referee noticed
I didn't have my mouth piece in so he came over to my corner
to make sure I got my mouth piece in. So I am about to turn
and show him it was in and...Boom, I got hit. He had ran across
the ring and they had rung the bell early. The referee's hand
was on me so I am thinking his other hand is out toward Marty
too. So when I looked at the ref to show him my mouth piece
was in..boom, and that was it. I never got to put my hands up.
I never defended myself. The referee is supposed to signal for
the bell to ring, but he never did that because he was talking
to me.
I am not one to complain. But like I said, if Marty beat me
or if he ran across the ring and clocked me when we were fighting
then OK! But I am a good boxer, everybody knows that. I mean
come on, three seconds into the fight!? You are not going to
beat me like that. If he was to have worn me out for a few rounds
and knocked me out then, well that would be my own stupidity
but that is not what happened. Everybody that was there knows
what happened.
I am not going to talk bad about him as a fighter because he
did the only thing he could do to beat me which was run across
the ring and clock me when I wasn't looking. Anybody could do
that. I think I am a good boxer and I also think I have a good
chin. One punch isn't going to drop me like that if we are fighting.
But I never saw the punch coming. I never had a chance to put
my hands up and defend myself.
Have you had a chance to talk to the referee
after the
fight?
No I haven't. It happened so fast that I don't think
he had any chance to react like he should. The referee
was Frank Cappaccino and he is getting so old that I
don't think he can react to stuff like that like he should.
You know when you have a big guy coming at you like that, how
can he hold him back?
What have you taken away from the first meeting
between the two of you?
All I can say is that I am fighting Marty Lindquist
again on February 9th and everybody will see what
happens when I get a chance to fight him. I hope he
rushes out of his corner again like he did last time
so I can be ready to box him. I don't care if I have a
mouth piece in my mouth or not, I will be ready for
him. I guess I can look at this as a learning
experience in a way. Honestly I was pretty confident
going in. I mean I was fighting some pretty tough guys
but I am pretty fast so I was boxing there brains off.
I can punch also. See people don't think I can punch
when they look at my record but I can punch if I want
to. I am not going to go out there and try to knock
everybody out. There have been times when I have had
people hurt but I wanted to see if I could go the
rounds. When it comes down to a championship fight,
you can't knock everybody out. I also just had surgery
on my hand which not too many people know about. I
believe god blessed me with talent and I am just
thankful this type of thing happened to me early
enough in my career so that it will never happen
again. Don't take your eyes off of your opponent
regardless of if we are fighting or not. Don't get
distracted by anything. In a way I thank Marty for
what he did.
So do you look down on Marty as a boxer for
in your
eyes taking a shot when you were not looking?
No, not at all. Marty did what he had to do to win the
fight. He knew that he didn't have a chance in hell to
win the fight so he did what he had to do. He ran
across the ring and caught me unsuspecting as soon as
the bell rang, hoping that I wasn't looking. It just
happened that the referee was talking to me at the
same time that they rang the bell. It is crazy but
those things happen. To answer your question,no, I
have no animosity towards Marty at all. But when we
get back in that ring I am going to embarrass him and
hurt him. I will do whatever I have to do to win. This
fight is about me knowing that he thinks he got one
over me and wanting to get him back. I hope he comes
at me at the bell like that again because he will run
into something this time.
So what kind of statement are you looking to
make? How will you fight him in the rematch?
I am not going to go out there with the intentions of
knocking him out. I go into every fight looking to do
my thing and box. If the knockout comes, it comes but
I am not going to fight Marty any differently then I
would in any other fight. I am going to go out and
box. If Marty runs into something early then it will
end quickly but if not then I will take my time and
out box him. I am not going to sit here and claim that
I am the best fighter in the world. I just get in
there and do my thing. But there is no way Marty
Lindquist is going to knock me out like that
when I am ready. I am too good of a boxer to let
something like that happen. Anybody can punch. I knew
going in he could punch but I also knew that he
couldn't hit me. When we are in the center of the ring
boxing, I feel that I am up there with the best.
People don't hit me. I consider myself to be a good
defensive boxer. I've been working with guys at the top
like Antonio Tarver so I know I can compete at the
next level. I am going to have the same game plan as I
did before. People will see what happens when we fight
on February 9th.
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