by Geoffrey Ciani (Interviewed by Jenna J & Geoffrey Ciani) – As always, this week’s 121st edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio (brought to you by CWH Promotions) featured the show’s newest Correspondent, heavyweight contender Chauncy Welliver (46-5-5, 16 KOS) who is scheduled to face Galen Brown (35-15-1, 22 KOs) this Saturday in Topeka, Kansas. Welliver, who is currently ranked #10 by the WBC and #9 by the WBO, discussed his upcoming fight and his future plans in the sport. Here is what he had to say:
JENNA J: Chauncy you actually have a fight this upcoming weekend. Can you tell the fans a little bit about it?
CHAUNCY WELLIVER: Yeah, I have a fight in Topeka, Kansas. It’s against a fighter named Galen Brown. He’s 35-15. You know he’s a lefty. The beauty is I have a left-handed guy that I’m sparring up here named Vin Thompson. He’s a 7-0 good up and coming fighter. I feel great. You know this is just another stay busy fight. I’m supposed to fight in a couple of weeks so we were looking for something real fast at this time. I’m hearing that it’s only a ten round fight which is a little disappointing. I like the longer rounds, but I’m actually planning on ending it with an early round knockout but I’m definitely ready for all ten rounds. This is a step up in activity but we’re definitely going to step up the opposition within the next one or two fights. We have something very big on the horizon. So yeah like I said this is just to keep busy and I can’t wait for bigger stuff to come.
JENNA: Now you mentioned bigger things to come. That’s the thing you mentioned it briefly, stepping it up. The one thing the fans criticize you about is that you have fought lighter opposition. After this fight when do you see yourself facing a ranked contender?
WELLIVER: We were just offered a deal in China. I went to China a couple of months ago. I believe we talked about it on the show. The deal is just now starting to come through. They’re building an arena over there and I’ll actually be opening the arena. So that’s actually kind of cool. I’ll be in the first event they ever have there because for some reason I’m a big deal in China. (laughs) The one place! Geeze! It’s got to be China where I never fought or anything. Mike Tyson’s the ambassador to boxing there. He’s over there. These guys are talking big things. They’re talking actually Klitschko fights and eventually having Pacquiao, or a Mayweather, or maybe Mayweather-Pacquiao. China is very big on the world stage right now. They want to be the best at everything whether it’s NASCAR, boxing, or MMA. They want to be the biggest at whatever it is. They’re starting to get into boxing and I actually like it because I’m the first fighter this company has hired. This company is backed by the government. Like I said, for a company to build their own 12,000 seat arena is pretty special. It makes me feel real good to be able to open it. As far as who I’m fighting, there have been a couple of guys being talked to. I don’t want to throw out any names for their confidentiality, but I can definitely say a couple of the guys are in the top 15 in the alphabet soup rankings.
JENNA: Okay, well I’m going to turn it over to Geoff.
GEOFFREY CIANI: Chauncy I’ve wanted to ask you, I know there has been a lot of talk on boxing message boards of the possibility of you someday having a fight with David Tua. I’m first wondering is that a fight you would be interested in and is that something that was ever on the table for you?
WELLIVER: You know it’s never been on the table. Me and Dave have sparred many times. I’ve known Dave since I was 18 years old. Dave was one of the first guys I ever went to a camp and sparred with. I felt great sparring Dave. You know Dave after his fight with Shane Cameron was on top of the world, and he’s still near the top of the world even though he’s gone a little bit downhill since then. People that say, “Well Chauncy hasn’t fought anybody”. Well I think David Tua is a somebody and I think this shows that I’m trying to fight with somebody, because yes this absolutely is a fight that I want because I think it proves to the boxing world my ability against a guy who’s a monstrous puncher. He definitely is a contender in the game even still. I think Dave is definitely still a contender and I think it pushes me up, maybe not to a title fight but a hell of a lot closer to it. Yeah I think the New Zealand public wants it because everybody says, “Chauncey has got a chin and Dave has got a punch”. I don’t plan on getting hit a whole lot, but I think Dave’s style suits me well and that’s a fight that I definitely would want.
CIANI: Well do you think the demand for such a fight in New Zealand might tempt David to get into the ring with you maybe some time this year?
WELLIVER: You know Dave is a friend. I want to make that loud and clear but at the same time I have to bag him a little bit since we’re on the subject. Me and Dave had some sparring sessions that didn’t go so well on his behalf. I was a kid. You know I’ve learned a lot since then. I think Dave just doesn’t want to fight me. I mean Dave has trouble with my style. He doesn’t like guys that move and hey! Dave likes it when he hits guys and they fall down, and Dave hit me many times and I didn’t fall down. I think Dave wants somebody that he knows he’s going to crush. Hey, all the power to him. People are going to jump all over this and say he fought Chris Byrd and guys like that. Dave knocked a lot of great fighters out, but now I think Dave kind of knows he’s on the downside. I think he’s going sit and wait for a mandatory spot, but something very good happened in the last WBO ratings. Dave was pushed down one spot to #3 in the WBO ratings. So when Adamek fights Klitschko, now David Tua won’t be #1 so they won’t go to purse bid. So now David Tua needs to fight somebody to get that #1 position and hopefully he’ll fight me for that.
JENNA: Alright now Chauncy you are ranked in two of the ranking organizations. How far away realistically do you think you are from a title shot based on where you’re ranked?
WELLIVER: You know I would like to say it’s right around the corner, but in this game in this division who knows. I have a great manager in Roland Jankelson. He’s moved two heavyweights to the heavyweight title, so I have all the confidence in him that he’ll get me a fight as soon as. I think with the WBA making a super champion and Povetkin about to be a champion, and I think that’s probably my best shot because the Klitschkos are pretty tied up. They have the Haye and Adamek fights, and after that Wlad is going to have to fight the winner of this little IBF tournament, and then there is talk of Vitali fighting Alexander Dimitrenko after he fights Adamek. You know obviously they have to win their fights first, but I don’t see me on their radar. I’m definitely on their list because of the rankings, but I don’t think I’m on their radar. So I could see a Povetkin fight definitely happening within the next year should he win the WBA regular title.
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