Former world champion Shannon Briggs is a formidable opponent for Ukraine’s Vitali Klitchko, but remains an underdog for their upcoming Oct. 16 championship fight in Hamburg, Germany. He is the last American to hold a world heavyweight boxing title and is currently making a comeback after a three-year break from boxing. He said he returned to boxing after running into current WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko in a restaurant in Los Angeles, California. Klitschko jokingly jabbed his finger at Briggs bloated stomach who at that time weighed more than 330 pounds. “You chose the wrong guy to joke with,” Briggs told Klitschko at their pre-fight conference in Kyiv on Aug. 30. Briggs has since lost 88 pounds. He has knocked out 45 of his 57 opponents, of whom he has beaten 51. Briggs spoke exclusively to the Kyiv Post on the sidelines of his Aug. 30 Kyiv press conference with Klitschko to promote their bout.
KP: Shannon, how are you feeling having just flown in yesterday and having your luggage stolen?
SB: I feel great. This is what I live for.
KP: The fight will be in Hamburg where Klitschko started his boxing career 14 years ago This is his home turf. What do you think about this potential advantage?
SB: I love that. That to me is excitement. I’m pumped.
KP: Are you the great American hope to bring back the heavyweight title to the U.S.?
SB: Of course, I’m the great African-American hope. I’m the great black hope.
KP: What are you going to do to counter Klitschko’s unorthodox, European stance of fighting?
SB: Yeah, I’m going to work hard on that. Oddly enough, I think we fight similar. It’s kind of like we’re a mirror image of each other. Some of the things we do like holding our hands low, that kind of style, we fight in similar ways.
I think Klitschko will be prepared for me. This is going to be a great fight.
KP: Boxing experts have noticed that since returning to boxing after four years, Klitschko’s punches have gotten slower, that he’s not following through on some of his punches. Do you see any weaknesses in Klitschko’s armor?
SB: I don’t think that’s the case. I think he looked phenomenal in the Samuel Peter fight. That was one of the best exhibitions of boxing I’ve ever seen. I don’t even know what Peter did in that fight. In the [Juan Carlos] Gomez fight, Klitschko did what he had to do in spite of his experienced opponent. He stopped him. In the [Chris] Arreola fight, he looked good. He did great against his – at that time undefeated – opponent. He looked hungry and his next opponent, Kevin Johnson, just tried surviving in his fight against Klitschko. Albert Sosnowski just didn’t present a challenge.
So I think Klitschko will be prepared for me. This is going to be a great fight.
I’m going to use you if possible. Yes, you’re going to spar me whether you like it or not.
KP: You’ve lost 88 pounds since returning to boxing and recently you tested positive for an illegal substance. Do you have any concerns that tests again might reveal anything?
SB: Well, I took a new asthma drug that is illegal so far in the United States. A lot of weight lifters use it. I use it for my asthma. But I’m currently something taking something else for my asthma which should be okay. It’s over-the-counter. This drug has saved my life and it will change asthma itself.
KP: You’re known as a devastating puncher who throws well-timed punches. You’re strategy is well-known to Klitschko. You’re going to come at him early. What are you going to do to avoid fatigue in the later rounds if you’re early forays don’t pan out?
SB: I’m not worried about that. Every round is round-one for me.
KP: But everyone is saying the fight won’t go the distance. Either you knock Klitschko early or he does the same to you with a late-round stoppage. What will you do so that you don’t fall into a late-round trap?
SB: No such thing. My trainer, Herman Caicedo, with whom I’ve been with for nine years…it’s been a gradual process of him getting me into better shape, of me learning how to deal with fatigue because I’m asthmatic. People don’t understand. I’m the greatest fighter that ever lived – no disrespect to Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali and all the greats, but could you imagine me having to be born at two pounds – and now 260 pounds – asthmatic. I never got an education because I never went to school because of asthma attacks in the winter. I’ve been sick all my life, so for me to become heavyweight champion of the world with underdeveloped lungs – and I say that because my trainer Herman has gone that extra mile to prepare me so that when we get into deep waters I’ll still fight. And my promoter Greg Cohen has also gone the extra mile to find a conditioning coach for me. He’s done everything possible for this opportunity to happen.
This is an opportunity of a lifetime – to fight for the heavyweight title once again. This is a war. We know this is a war.
KP: What kind of sparring partners do you have or have chosen to mimic Klitschko’s fighting style?
SB: We’re using every sparring partner there is that is alive. I’m going to use you if possible. Yes, you’re going to spar me whether you like it or not.
KP: Um, no thank you, but good luck in October!
