Presents an Interview with Boxer Pawel Wolak
Hi Pawel, on behalf of RingNews24.com and our readers, thank you for taking the time to talk to us. As well as our own, we have included questions provided by fans on the RingNews Forum.
We hope our readers enjoy the interview
Ringnews24.com: At what age did you move to America, and do you have any plans to fight in your birthplace of Poland any time in the future?
Pawel Wolak: My family moved here to NJ when I was 9. There are no plans for me to fight in Poland but I am always asked that especially when it was announced that Adamek would be fighting Vitali there. I would love to fight there but no plans yet.
Ringnews24.com: You graduated with a Business degree, and then turned to boxing. What made you turn your back on the office jobs and step through the ropes?
Pawel Wolak: Actually, it was the other way around. I started as a wrestler than found the love of boxing before college. But I knew boxing would only take me so far and that I had to have a plan afterwards, so I got my business degree. Not many of us cash in from this sport, so I will take it as far as I can and hope for the big paydays but I needed to have a fall back plan for when this phase of my life stops.
Ringnews24.com: Do you have plans to go back to the office when you retire from the sport, or do you hope to continue in boxing in some respect?
Pawel Wolak: I have never worked in an office. Its always been manual hard labor. Like now, I am doing construction from 4pm-12am. I cant see myself in a desk job but you never know I guess. I had an interview at ESPN studios before the fight with Delvin. I could see myself working there though. Man what an operation they got going on over there, incredible.
Ringnews24.com: Do you have any plans to avenge your loss to Ishe Smith or do you feel you’re moving onto bigger and better things?
Pawel Wolak: Nope, no plans on it as that would be a monumental step backwards in my career. Not too concerned about avenging my loss. I heard he was calling me out on why I don’t want to avenge my loss. Pretty funny that he is concerned about me avenging a loss when he hasnt avenged any of his 5. But its all good. I hope he can find a promoter or a fight he wants sometime soon.
Ringnews24.com: You’ve already beaten one former world champion in Foreman. Do you feel you’re already set to face one of the current champions or would you like a couple of fights to build into it?
Pawel Wolak: I am trying to get Feline Bundrage to fight me for his title on PPV Dec 3 on the Cotto card. But he and Don King are asking too much, so I may need to find another route to get his belt. But I believe I am ready for the challenge.
.
Ringnews24.com: Which current champion would be your preference for a world title shot, if you could choose, and what about your style makes you feel you can beat them? Do you have any plans on fighting Chavez Jr and do you feel you could knockout him out ?
Pawel Wolak: The guys I would like in the near term are Bundrage, Chavez Jr or Canelo. The only prediction I ever make about my own fights is that they will be entertaining, which is my goal. Anything can happen when you get in that ring, so outside of guaranteeing entertainment for the fans, it is hard to say what would happen. But I would like to see Chavez Jr or Canelo be forced to earn their titles against legit challenges. That hasn’t happened yet and to me it discredits the value of a world title if you arent forced to fight legitmiate competition.
Ringnews24.com: After your planned fight with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. fell through at the last minute, do you have any plans to fight him at some point? And what are your thoughts of him as a fighter?
Pawel Wolak: He has turned us down 4-5 times and the time it was made he ran and convienently caught the overnight flu. My team is just convinced he wont fight me. I would expose him and I guess he knows it. It is a shame as that would be a hell of a fight but like I said nobody wants to make him fight against a legit fighter where he could lose a title he doesn’t deserve to have.
Ringnews24.com: Your last fight was against Delvin Rodriguez , how do you feel the fight went and looking back is there anything you would do different?
Pawel Wolak: Looking back and watching the tape, I think I won 7-3 though I could see 6-4. It was a tough fight and Delvin deserves all the credit he has received as he fought with a lot of heart. It was interesting because the appearance of my eye I knew was going to have judges overlook the actual merits of the fight so I knew it was probably closer than it should have been had my eye not looked that way. Here was a guy who was throwing everything he had at a one eyed fighter and nothing he did could stop my assault and he was still down the scorecards. He couldn’t hurt me and couldn’t keep me away. That was motivating for me because at such a disadvantage he couldn’t do anything to stop me and he was always on the defensive. If I ever fought a guy with one eye, I guarantee I would finish him.
Ringnews24.com: Pawel, you got caught a few times against Rodriguez by the upper-cut when you came in. As a classic pressure fighter how will you counter this threat in future?
Pawel Wolak: This is pretty standard and there is no way to really eliminate it as it will happen because of my style. Every fighter against me thinks their uppercuts and jabs alone will beat me. I am always prepared for it but I just have to be better with my head movement and not being so square in my approach.
Ringnews24.com: Rodriguez has said he wants a rematch after losing to a MD, will a rematch happen and what would you do different in the rematch?
Pawel Wolak: I actually would like one too but I don’t think an immediate rematch makes sense for me. It is all risk and no reward for me. If he was ranked higher than me or had a title or something maybe, but at this point there is no benefit for me. If a network came to me with a sizable offer, than I would have to consider it. But that hasn’t happened. But regardless of it being Delvin or Feline bundrage being next or whoever, my training will be different. Everyone knows the way I fight and I am not going to change that. But my training will change for sure.
Ringnews24.com: Everyone was talking about the fight you had with Rodriguez, how would you consider it on the level of a great fights over the years ?
Pawel Wolak: Great fight. I have heard the Gatti-Ward comparisons a lot. Funny thing is that this is how I always fight but ESPN allowed more people to see that which was the whole reason I took the fight in the first place for basically no money. I wanted that exposure. I would like to think any fight I have has that potential to be a FOTY which is why I love fighting the style I fight with.
{SQUARE} {SQUARE1} {SQUARE2}
{loadposition SQUARE3}
