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The Return of the Predator!
By Jesse Kelley

East Saint Paul Minnesota's Matt "The Predator" Vanda (34-1,21 ko's) returns to action Wednesday night at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, NY. Vanda will face 24 year old Martinus Clay (11-12-1) of Wilson, NC. The card will be shown live online at www.jumptv.com. Vanda is coming off the biggest win of his career, a split decision victory over tough veteran Yory Boy Campas. However, that win took place just shy of a year ago and Vanda says he contemplated retirement from boxing in that time. After taking some time away from the sport, Vanda says he has found the "itch" to get back in the ring and resume his career. MinnesotaBoxing.com caught up with Vanda via telephone interview moments before today's weigh-ins in New York. Here is what he had to say..

Your last fight was a year ago against Yory Boy Campas. Why such the long layoff following the biggest win of your career?

Well I wanted to take a little time off to party(laughing)! No, honestly I'm not too sure why I took that long of a layoff. I had some personal stuff to take care of. I had a fight in New York scheduled a while ago but it wasn't for the right money so I went home. Actually I was kind of thinking about not boxing anymore. I just wanted to take care of stuff at home but then I got the itch again and now I'm back!

As far as your promotional situation goes, are you still with Team Freedom?

There really isn't a Team Freedom any more it's Roberto Duran Promotions now I think. It's pretty much the same people but I don't have a contract with them. I am just working for the same people for this fight.

You have proven to be a huge draw in Minnesota. How did a fight come up for you in New York?

They have actually wanted me to fight out here for a while now. Like I said, I already turned a fight down here a while ago. I was just kind of fed up with all the sh-t going on so I said screw it, I'm going home. And that's what I did, I hung out at home. I got sick of hanging out, I started to get a little fat and said f-ck it I have to get back into the gym. I got back into the gym and started beating people up and feeling good. So I figured I would come out to New York and start beating people up.

You mentioned getting back into the gym. Have you been training here in Minnesota or back in Florida?

I've actually been training in Saint Petersburg, Florida. I have a new coach named Roger Bloodworth. He's trained a bunch of different world champions. Fernando Vargas, Evander Holyfield, David Tua, man just a bunch of good fighters. See in this sport, I think it is kind of good to jump around to different trainers and get different looks from different people.

You had told me before that you were having alot of problems securing an opponent for tomorrow night. Can you talk about what exactly has been happening and who you are fighting?

Well I guess I am fighting some guy named Martinus Clay. I don't really know a damn thing about him either. He's not here at the weigh in right now so I don't know what the deal is. He's supposedly getting an MRI or something. So I have to sit and wait for him to get here. I'm getting irritated as hell because I haven't eaten all day and they are making me wait.

Ok Matt, real quick before you get going I would like to talk about a potential mega fight here in Minnesota. I hear they just passed a bill for a boxing commission in the state of Minnesota. Is a showdown with Anthony Bonsante in Minnesota something you are looking at?

You know what, they already tried to offer that fight to me for like ten grand and you know what? I'm not taking that fight for any less then what he is getting. That guy is a piece of sh-t. I want you to put that in your column. I hear he was talking about me but whatever. I don't like the dude and I never have. I don't want to sell my self short and there is no way he is making more then me if we ever fight. He wants to go cry on tv about being the number one daddy. Well go for it. I'm the number one fighter.

Anything you would like to say in closing?

Yeah, I want to apologize for being a little rude like that but like I said, I am just really fed up and irritated with the whole situation here at the weigh-ins.