Courtesy of www.boxing.de: Hello Denis, Firstly congratulations to your 31th birthday and also on winning the WBO Super Middleweight title in your last fight when you beat Fulgencio Zuniga back in September. Looking back how do you feel about winning the title now? Do you feel proud to succeed Joe Calzaghe?
Denis Inkin: Thanks for the congratulations. The fight was like I was promising. I did good and outboxed Zuniga. It’s something special and I am proud to be in a line with Calzaghe, but I want to fill his footsteps!
Your fighting Karoly Balszay this weekend. What do you think about him as a fighter?
D.I.: He’s one of the best super middleweights in the world, with a strong and hard left hand. But I am better!
What can fight fans expect from your fight with Balszay?
D.I.: The fans will see a technical and quick fight on a high level. But details or tactics
you’ll see in the ring!
How has training gone so far? Where have you done your training and what sort of things do you do in your training schedule?
D.I.: Everything is in best shape – I did my normal work and training schedule, also part time in Russia, with Magomed Schaburow, my coach. Nothing special I can mention in interview before the fight!
Has winning the world title changed anything for you Denis? Are you more recognised in your homeland?
D.I.: Yes, now I notice in my head – I realised my great target, I am the world champion. There was a great uproar in Russia, a lot of interviews and journalists around my house in Novosibirsk, my hometown. And I got a lot of presents and special tributes by the major of Novosibirsk.
What do you like to do away from Boxing?
D.I.: I like to play and to watch football, futsal (indoor-football), but in front there is my family with my 5 years old daughter.
How did you get into Boxing?
D.I.: Quite simple – my father was a boxer.
Who are your boxing hero’s and people you look up to?
D.I.: I have Kostya Tszya and Muhammad Ali as my hero’s. Great fighters in and outside the ring!
Who has been your toughest opponent so far?
D.I.: All my opponents in my last and especially in the title fights were strong and tough.
We know you were in the Russian army, what can you tell us about this?
D.I.: It’s long ago, but it was really a good time. I got my last shape and “polish” in amateur boxing and I was the military world champion 1997.
What can you tell us about your amateur career and what titles you won? What was your amateur record?
D.I.: I won 200 of 215 amateur fights and several Russian championships in all ages classes, not only in my military time.
Thanks for your time Denis, best wishes for your fight with Balzsay
Hello Karoly,
We believe you were due to fight Inkin back in September for the vacant WBO title. But you were injured. What was the injury? How is it now?
Karoly Balzsay – The cut under my left eye, I got in the sparring, is completely in order now. So, I am fit for the fight!
What did you make of Inkin’s fight with Fulgencio Zuniga? What do you think of Inkin?
K.B.: These moments during Inkin’s fight were very hard for me. My thoughts are “shit, what a lost chance!” I was really sad. But now, the chance came back because of may ranking
position and I am focused on this fight! Inkin is a hard, technical fighter with a good punch – this will be a great challenge!
Where have you been preparing for you title fight & what sort of things do you do in training?
K.B.: I worked out my normal training programme with my coach Fritz Sdunek. Nothing special!
Your compatriot Zsolt Erdei is on the same card defending his title, do you look up to Erdei?
K.B.: Zsolt is a good and close friend – he is still my boxing hero because of his glorious speed and his discipline.Who are you Boxing hero’s?
K.B.: My other boxing ideal is Joe Calzaghe because of his great boxing heart.
What do you like to do away from Boxing?
K.B.: At first there is my family, my little daughter Hanna. She’s now 18 month old and our sunshine. I like sailing very much – the work with the wind and the water. Motor Cross I did before my professional boxing – now it’s too dangerous!
You had a very good amateur career in which you went to the 2000 & 2004 Olympics. What did you win and what was your final record?
K.B.: So, at the Olympics my performances were not so successful – quarterfinals, but the final amateur record was ok: 260 fights – 231 wins!
What fighters that are now professional did you face as an amateur and how did you do against them?
K.B.: None at all!
How did you get into Boxing?
K.B.: My father was and is still a boxing coach. Now he’s the national coach of the Hungarian amateur boxing team. So, there was “no chance” to step into an other sport – it’s a joke! I liked boxing from the very beginning!
Finally do you have a message for anyone out there?
K.B.: Everybody can look forward to an exciting fight on January 10th in Magdeburg, Germany – I will take my chance!
Thanks for your time Karoly and good luck on Saturday.
Fever KOs Thomas Ulrich
Former European light heavyweight champion Thomas Ulrich has been forced to pull out of Saturday’s comeback fight against Armin Dollinger due to a cold and fever. The “Universum Champions Night” event in Magdeburg will go on as schedule.
The first “Universum Champions Night” of 2009 opens with an explosive world title doubleheader on Saturday . In the main event, unbeaten long time WBO light heavyweight champion Zsolt “Firebird” Erdei (29-0, 17 KOs) will defend his title for the first time at the Bördelandhalle in Magdeburg, Germany against Yuri Barashian (25-4, 17 KOs).
With former European champion Yuri Barashian, who lost the fight for the vacant WBA title in June 2008 against Hugo Hernan Garay and previously had beaten Universum fighter Thomas Ulrich in February 2008 for the European crown by knockout in round 8, the reigning Universum world champion Erdei will have a tough battle in his 11th title defense of his WBO light heavyweight belt.
In the second world title fight of the night, newly crowned WBO super middleweight champion Denis Inkin (34-0, 24 KOs) make his first defense against #1 rated stablemate Karoly Balzsay (19-0, 14 KOs).
Tickets for this „Universum Champions Night“ in Magdeburg are still available at:
Ticket Shop Magdeburg: +49 391-533 480
Karstadt Magdeburg: +49 391-59 59 103
and on Saturday at the Bördelandhalle in Magdeburg from 4:30 pm