Dmitry Bivol International Media Conference Call Transcript
Vadim Kornilov – Manager of Dmitry Bivol: It’s a pleasure to get in touch with everybody one last time before the fight. I just flew in and met with the team and it’s a pleasure to talk to everybody and we’re looking forward to a great event. This will be the first world title defense for Dmitry. It is a pleasure working with Main Events, HBO, Matchroom Boxing and everybody. Thank you very much.
Gennadii Mashyanov – Trainer of Dmitry Bivol:As always there has been a full-on training camp for us. Dmitry is ready for this fight just like any other fight before. The opponent is a serious opponent, an experienced opponent. It does not matter whether he’s lower or higher in the ratings. This fight is as important as any other fight and we’re ready for the for the fight this Saturday.
Dmitry Bivol – WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion: Hello. I’m happy that I will fight in three days. I hope I will be winner. I had a great camp. I have a great two camps. First camp we had on mountain in Kyrgyzstan. The second in Los Angeles. I’m ready to fight and I can’t wait for that moment.
Question: The light-heavyweight division seemingly is kind of wide open. Andre Ward retired. Sergey Kovalev, his fight is coming up but he has lost two fights in a row. Adonis Stevenson is a champion but he’s 40 years old now. Do you see yourself as the next star and the next man to beat in this weight class? And if so, why?
DB: Yes. Definitely, we think that. Now being a WBA World Champion I think this definitely stands for me being part of the game in the light heavyweight division. There’s a lot going on as you said but my goal right now is to perform well on TV and give everybody the show that they wanna see. I see a lot of opportunities that I can undertake in the division in the near future.
Question:You’re fighting Broadhurst who is a totally unknown name to at least the American fans. You’re not that well known but you were on the pay per view card with Ward and Kovalev, you were on ShoBox, so maybe some people are familiar with you but a lot of people are going to be seeing you for the very first time against an opponent that they don’t know either, what do you want them to see from you?When they turn off the TV, what are they thinking about the Dmitry Bivol?
DB: My goal for people that are gonna see for the first time is that they see and enjoy the beauty of boxing. I will show them boxing at its highest level and make people believe.Once they see the fight, I want people to believe the fact that this guy, can be a future star.
Question: Dmitry, you had the interim title for a little bit and you now have the WBA full title but you weren’t able to win it against a reigning champion, in other words, Andre retired. Badou Jack, you were his mandatory challenger but he decided to vacate the title. Are you at all disappointed that you were not able to get your belt the way most fighters like to do which is by beating another champion or the champion to get it?
DB: I was ready to fight against Badou Jack and against Nathan Cleverly and now I am still ready to fight against Badou Jack and Cleverly. And what about Ward? I respect him because he’s a great master. I would like to fight with him. I’m ready to fight him.
Question:Vadim, can you give your perspective on where you believe that your fighter fits in this weight class?
VK: He’s a champion now. You did mention an important factor right now about being moved up to champion andbeing basically upgraded from the interim championship but just to clarify Dmitry could’ve fought whoever we had to fight. The only reason we actually wanted to fight for the vacant title was we’re ready to fight Barrera. This date, as far as I understand, was not close enough for Barrera to prepare for, and it was just not something that we could do. We were not aware that Badou Jack was not going to take the fight. We kind of thought he might not, but then that wasn’t a fact. I think Dmitry is definitely a world champion. He’s one of the top guys in the division. This fight is gonna take him a step closer to proving that. And we’re hoping that we can unify next year against any of the guys that you mentioned or any other guys that are in the division.
Question:I was just hoping you could talk about the possibility, if you win on Saturday and Barrera wins his fight later this month, about the possibility of fighting him next?Do you think that will happen? And how eager are you for that to happen?
DB: Now I think about only in November 4. Ask me about that after fight. But I know WBA said the winner of fight on November 4 will be make a mandatory defense. Yes, I’m ready. I will ready if I will be winner. That is what I hope.
VK:Of course, we are interested in the Barrera fight and you know as I just mentioned just a second earlier if Barrera is gonna be the mandatory for Bivol after this fight and after Barrera’s fight. If that’s gonna happen, then that’s definitely something we’re definitely interested in doing that next.
Question: How about the other champions I guess will be determinedafter Kovalev fights Shabranskyy and then of course Stevenson has the other title. Do you think, Vadim, that it will be difficult to get people to fight Dmitry just because he’s a dangerous guy and at this moment it is kind of like a lower reward-high risk type of fight?
VK: After Dmitry performed on ShoBox against [Sammy] Clarkson and on HBO pay per view against [Cedric] Agnew, people saw what he did to those opponents, it’s already difficult to get Dmitry an opponent. It’s already difficult to get people to fight him, it’s been that way. We don’t wanna run ahead of ourselves. We’ve got a big event on November 4th, a big fight and a serious opponent. Dmitry has to take care of business first, but I think that if Dmitry keeps on fighting the way he’s been fighting and performing in that manner, I think that people are gonna get more and more excited and I think that the fights that need to happen will happen.It will not be easy, but I think we’ll be able to make it happen with the team that we have right now.
Question: Dmitry what do you think of Broadhurst? Most of us are not all that familiar with him.What do you think of his skills and what kind of fight does he expect it to be on Saturday?
DB: I saw his fights.He moves good.He can move back. He can pressure. He can good to body punch. I think he will be moved back and I hope it will be good fight. Thank you.
Question: Dmitry, wereyou surprised that Badou Jack vacated the WBA title instead of facing you?
VK:Of course, I was surprised. I thought there was gonna be a way to make the fight happen because a fighter goes for a world title, all of his career and once you get the title that’s the big achievement.Why would you wanna give that up? I couldn’t understand why. Why get the title to give it up before the first defense?
Question: Dmitry do you ever foresee fighting Badou Jack in the near future?
DB: I can’t see it but I hope I will fight with him.
Question:Dmitry, with Andre Ward retiring, who doyou consider the best light heavyweight in the world?
DB: I don’t see that somebody’s taken that position. I think that position is vacant right now and- and there’s gonna be one to be determined.
Bivol vs. Broadhurst is a 12-round bout for the WBA Light Heavyweight Title at Casino de Monte Carlo in Salle Medecin, Monte Carlo and televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark® on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 5:45 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT), coupled with a primetime evening replay at 9:45 p.m. (ET/PT).
Header photo by Amanda Westcott/Showtime
