 The Worldwide Boxing Magazine Site |
Got your free t-shirt yet? |
| articles from the magazine ... |
|
September 1998
Each month we bring you a selection of articles from the current and past issues of BOXING MONTHLY. To buy the magazine, see our subscription or back issues pages, or use our world distribution map to find a news-stand copy. Why not use our Interactive Forum to express your own boxing comments and opinions!
|
 |
ANOTHER DULL DAY AT THE OFFICE
Lewis has his own mudane mandatory, but he shouldn't underestimate Croat Zelijko Mavrovic. |
|
MAVROVIC: unfancied but with an awkward style that might cause
problems for an undermotivated Lewis
- Get Big Pic As a full-blooded Romany gypsy, it is perhaps fitting that John Darkie Smith, Zeljko
Mavrovic's British trainer, established his reputation on the road. After copping a sine die ban from the amateur code for allegedly manhandling an overly
officious blazer, the colourful and controversial 56-year-old ex-pro from Brownhills,
Staffordshire, served his pro trainer's schooling under George Francis at the Wellington
gym in Highgate before a brief stint at Matchroom. But while involvement with an impressive chain of home champions, including Dennis
Andries, earned him enormous trade respect in Britain, he is most feted for his work with
the Tiozzo brothers, Christophe and Fabrice, in France and latterly with Mavrovic at his
base in Cologne, Germany. As the Croatian's trainer for all 27 pro starts, Smith has long been vociferous in his
conviction that his Mohawk can tomahawk Lennox Lewis. "When I was at Matchroom I trained Herbie Hide, so I'm aware how good he is, but,
honestly, he's not in the same league as Zeljko," insists the gravel-voiced trainer. "Technically he does everything outstandingly well, the complete fighter. He's got
enormous athletic ability, he's the most intelligent fighter I've known and he's very clean
living. But the most important attribute is his one dimensional focus in securing his
goals." Though publicly inactive since last October, Smith insists his ward has been far from
redundant, swapping his luxurious state-of-the-art training facility in Cologne for a more
spartan set-up in his homeland. "In Croatia it's very rugged, which Zeljko prefers," says Smith. "We were made mandatory
challenger in Spain last November and given a deadline of July, so Zeljko's very angry that
Lewis chose to box Shannon Briggs and cause a delay. "But while Lennox will be in camp for about two months, Zeljko's been getting ready for
eight! We've been doing a range of things at different stages to bring him to where we want
him. There's been spurts of weight training and we've been working with javelins and
shot-puts in the Adriatic. "Every fighter from the former Yugoslavia is anxious to help Zeljko and he's already done
plenty of good, fast sparring for conditioning. We'll be finishing off with Anthony T-Bone
Green and John McClain in the States." Despite the impressive statistics, Mavrovic will enter a hefty underdog due largely to
the modest opposition he has mastered. While Smith concedes the best victim on Mavrovic's
card is obscure 17st Russian Oleg Sawenko (KO3, November 1994) he rightly points out that
his man held the European title for three-and-a-half years and can hardly be held culpable
for the lack of meaningful challenges. He says: "All the leading contenders like Scott Welch, Brian Neilsen, Henry Akinwande
and Herbie Hide [twice] have pulled out of meeting him so their people must know something
to reject a big payday. "Zeljko makes all his fights very easy. If the opposition are tough enough he uses
fights as a good sparring session for seven or eight rounds, then finishes it when I tell
him. But when he has to go to town, he can. "Julius Francis was his ex-sparring partner and friend so Zeljko just played 'cos he
didn't wish to hurt him. But against Clifton Mitchell I told him: Don't play around 'cos
this fella can whack a bit, so Zeljko took him out in two rounds. No-one's seen what he's
capable of. He's got a 100% more to give." And Smith feels the champion's camp have dropped a major clanger with their choice of
venue, particularly after Frank Maloney - that revered Peckham style icon - made
disparaging public comments about Mavrovic's maverick haircut. "Zeljko has his hair styled that way 'cos he's a great fan of the Mohawk Indians, says
Smith, clearly angling for an edge with the live crowd. So it's a great twist of fate that
they're holding this fight at the Mohegan Sun Casino, run by Mohawks on a Mohawk
reservation. There'll be about 5,000 native Indians there, so if Maloney has a problem with
Zeljko's hairstyle, I suggest he tells them!" But Smith has been in this trade far too long to short change a fighter of Lewis's
proven pedigree and readily acknowledges the champion is easily Mavrovic's biggest and most
gifted opponent to date. "Any bad things I've said about Lennox at press conferences were simply to build the
fight 'cos I've the greatest respect for him. He's a real nice guy and a great champion," he
says. "But I'm sure if he could find a way to walk round [avoid fighting] Mavrovic he'd do so.
Yes, he's very, very powerful but he has three or four flaws we intend taking advantage of.
Lewis hasn't the greatest chin, Oliver McCall done him, and so would've Shannon Briggs if
he'd known how to finish. "Nowadays it seems when Lennox gets hit on the chops he doesn't know whether he wants to
be a fighter or lying on some beach in the Caribbean. Also, he does a runner whenever he's
attacked and his best asset is his ability to hold like a crab." So how does he forecast the outcome? "I think Lennox will come out trying to finish up early 'cos he'll think he has the power
and bulk. But he may come unstuck 'cos Zeljko isn't Andrew Golota, he won't stand like a
rabbit in a car's headlights. Where Lennox throws, he'll move and throw straight back. "You can only go with the tools you've got and whatever Emanuel Steward says about
Lennox, I know my fighter is every bit as good." |
|
Also available to read from issue:
|
|
On sale on the last Thursday of every month Ensure you never miss a copy . . . buy your subscription or back issues here. |