Interview with Zach Walters!
By Jesse Kelley

Jungle Boy Zach Walters is set to do battle with Wolfman Marty Lindquist in this Saturday's main event at the Minnesota Sports Cafe in Fridley, Mn. This should prove to be an interesting match up considering the punching power each fighter can bring. Up for grabs is the Minnesota state lightheavyweight belt. Zack Walters took the time to speak to MinnesotaBoxing.com and here is what he had to say....

MNBoxing: I want to start by talking about the one loss on your record. Back in April you lost a UD to Robert Linton in his hometown. Ive talked to people that were at the fight and lets just say it sounded like you got setup. Can you talk about that fight?

Zach Walters: The fight was close and if anything should have been a draw. What happened out there was terrible and unfair. There had been a dispute over the weight of the fight and we wouldn't take the fight unless Linton was at the right weight. We gave him two chances to make weight and both times he came in over the limit. The second time way over cause he didn't even try to lose the weight. Back and forth all day long till sharky and i settled on takin the fight as a No Contest. That would be a fun challenge with no risk on either of our record. Well it came down to the last minute and they wanted to make the fight official again. By this time I just said "screw it lets box". I knew i had prepared myself well physically so I felt confident. When the fight was over I thought Idid enough to win, but nope..... UD to linton. When i think back to being in the fight i just wasn't all there mentally after all the micky-mouse crap during the day. I should have won the fight. Istill feel that even though i was out of it mentally i still did enough to win. On the tape you can see it for your self. It's a robbery. I use that fight to push me in my training, so if i fight around some shady judges & officials i can just KO the dude and save them the work of scoring the fight. It will be an easy night for everyone that way. So i'm over it now and use it for a positive. What happened that fight was terrible. I know the fight was close and Linton is a good figther, but i know i won it. I use that fight as a source of motivation to never let it happen again. I think if i KO everyone i fight then there is no chance for the judges to rob me of the decision.

MNBoxing: Can you talk a little about your training to prepare for this fight?

Zack Walters: My preparation for this fight, where do I start! This summer has been like one big training camp for me.I have been training 3 times a day for the last three months. My typical day would be like this, wake up, go to UMD to do the strength and conditioning aspect of my daily work out which would include weight lifting, plyometrics, sprinting, and various agility excercises. This took about 2 hours. From there i'd get some lunch and head off to boxing where my workouts consisted of intense heartrate workouts that pushed me to the extreem, while the main focus of the workout was channeled around boxing techniques and punching power. This was 2 hours as well. later in the
evening and early night i'd go for a run. Not the same run everyday, but changing it up to keep my body from adjusting to one mode of running. I'd go on short runs, long, mix in sprints, run boxing rounds (3 min. on while throwing punches 1 min rest ) That was just the beginning and gave me a good base to work with. In specific preparation for this fight with Marty i studied his record, searched around to see what kind of fighter he was. I established a game plan that was specific to beating Marty. I can't disclose this with you, you'll just have to check it out! I went to a sparring camp out in Mass. to fight some tougher dudes. To my surprise i was just as good as them and better than a few as well. It was a real confidence booster. Sharky and i have been working on tweeking my style and getting rid of my little blemishes. What ever fight tape they have of me it ain't what i'm like now so if thats the case i'm glad they got tape on me, they have been preparing for the wrong dude! I am nothing like my former boxing self. It's like i had an awakenning and it's all comming together for me now.

MB: You are fighting Marty Lindquist for the Minnesota State Lightheavyweight title. What have you learned about him and what do you think will be the key to beating him?

ZW:Marty is a Knockout kinda fighter. He looks to be overly aggressive in his rounds and likes to hit the body. Most of his KO's are early ones so i question his ability to go the full distance of 8 rounds. Maybe he can go 8 rounds in the gym, but i don't know about him finishing 8 rounds with me. I have not got any film on him and have never seen the guy. I guess he is about 6 foot or so and looks big in his picture on the flyer. I have studied what i know about him and feel very confident that i have a good game plan to beat him. I can't let you know the specifics right now, but it's a killer plan ! I Know its Marty's back yard i'll be fighting him in, but it isn't the first time i've done it and for sure won't be the last time i'll have to fight on someones home turf. It doesn't bug me that much, actually it boosts my adrenalin when I think about beating a guy in front of all his people. I did it twice in WA. I think the crowd will be about even in capacity with the scale tipped a bit to his advantage. As for the officiating of the fight and the judges, I feel I will get a fair shot. It's his home town , but my home state and i'm gonna prove it!

MB: I know your not looking past Marty Lindquist, but what are you plans in the near future for you career?

ZW: Well, the near future i will be whooping on Marty!(laughing) No, what i am looking to do is get myself television exposure in the next year. I feel my talent is at the right level and i am a marketable fighter with a good story. I just need the exposure. So following this fight i am looking to fight in Hinkley at the Grand Casino on Oct. 1st. That is if all goes as planned in my fight with Marty. After that i am not sure what's happenning as far as a scheduled match. I want to continue traveling and facing tougher competion. I love to travel. I want minnesota to be my home state and contribute to bringing respect back to minnesota fighters. We got alot of talent here in MN, but i don't think we get credit from the larger boxing community.

MB: Anything at all you would like to say to your MN fans out there and anybody else who will be reading this?

ZW: To the fans i'd like to say thanks for the suport and believing in me. To everyone else, get ready to see some great things out of Jungle Boy this next year. I've got a feeling something Big is gonna happen. I've never been better at boxing than i am now and I continue to get better. I like to look at myself as a student of boxing. I literally study it. Because of that i will keep getting better and keep fighting tougher opposition. I honestly believe God has a plan for my boxing career.