By Nate Campbell – IBF / WBO / WBA Lightweight Champion: “I can’t begin to tell you how disappointed I am in Joan Guzman. So much went into this fight. My preparation, my time away from my family. So much. And for him to pull this stunt shows a complete lack of respect for the sport, the fans, the network, and myself. I wanted my pound of flesh. I wanted his “0”. I found out he had pulled out of the fight while on my way to the dressing room. I found out later that this nonsense had been going back and forth all day. He was gonna fight, he wasnt gonna fight, he was gonna fight, etc. Terry had kept me pretty insulated from most of it though, so I didnt know until on my way to the dressing room what was up. I really feel bad for the fans who came out, and for DKP, Showtime, and the Beau Rivage, who put so much effort into making this fight happen. Alot of money and effort went down the drain due to the unprofessional conduct of this idiot.
One other thing that makes me laugh too is that throughout this entire promotion, Guzman and his people made allegations against me regarding steroid use, yet it is Guzman who bulked up so much mass that he couldnt even make 135.. And to get sympathy, they are claiming that he was throwing up blood. This is not a symptom of dehydration to make weight. Throwing up blood is a symptom of using too much diuretics. He didn’t even try to lose any weight after weighing 138.5 on his first try. He went back to his room and watched tv. And all this “rushed to the hospital” nonsense is just bullshit spin from his people. They only took him to the hospital after the weigh-in because getting an IV is a quicker way to re-hydrate than naturally taking in fluids. But thats besides the point. This wasnt a case of someone getting the flu, or an injury during fight week. Those things legitimately happen sometimes. They knew at least 3 or 4 days ago that the weight was gonna be a problem. But instead of letting people know, and making another deal or something for the fight to move forward, they pulled this crap at the last second. I’ve also heard a few stories saying that it was the doctor that pulled the plug on the fight. I don’t believe that is true. Terry asked the commissioner what his ruling was, and if it was medical related, or what. The commissioner told him “I advised the fighter of the consequences of not participating in the fight, and the fighter elected not to participate”. I even told them I didn’t care what he weighed. He could have came in at 160 for all I care. I just wanted that ass and that “0”. I’m very disappointed.
As for what’s next, I really don’t know. Obviously Terry will meet with our attorneys and DKP this week to see what our options are. I truly hope the commission suspends this clown for at least a year. This wasn’t a sudden injury, or sickness or something. They knew damn well they had a weight issue. And if his own weight mis-management caused him to be weak, or sick or whatever, then that’s on him. I dont feel sorry for him one bit. Maybe if his fat ass didnt blow up to 170+ in between fights, this wouldnt happen. At least I was assured by the WBO that since I made weight, and was ready and willing to fight even though he wasn’t, that I have fulfilled my mandatory obligation, and can move on in another direction. We do have an IBF mandatory to do with the Funeka kid that knocked out Raheem, so maybe Don can work to get that done right away. We’ll just have to see what Don has in mind.
Again, I really feel bad for the fans, Showtime, the Beau Rivage, DKP, my team and my family who were all looking forward to this fight. I did everything I could to make it happen. I can’t put a gun to his head though and make him climb the stairs and fight me. Hopefully Don and Terry will work something out so I can be back in the ring before Christmas. I just want to fight. And thanks to all the great fans who came out, and met me in the casino. I enjoyed meeting each and every one of you.