Q & A with

The eagerly awaited clash between Matthew Macklin & was disappointingly cancelled when Barker was forced to pull out with a hip injury a couple of weeks ago. It was seen by many in the trade as a 50-50 battle that as well as being for the European title would also before British bragging rights. Thankfully some nifty work by Frank Warren has seen Barker be replaced by Shalva Jomardashvili 27-2-1(19) who will now meet Macklin for the now vacant European Title. Macklin 28, enjoyed a big 2009 when he demolished both Wayne Elcock & . Both wins firmly established him in the top 10 of the world rankings at 5 in both the WBC & WBA 6 with the IBF & 10 with the WBO. After being beset by cancellations finally the force of nature that has been “Mack the Knife” gets back to what he does best. Here’s what he had to say.

Hello Matthew, welcome to 15rounds.com

Anson Wainwright – Firstly you have a big fight coming up on the bumper 18 September show against Shalva Jomardashvili. What are your thoughts on him and that fight?

Matthew Macklin – I’ve not seen a lot of him. I’ve just heard he’s very tough, very strong and keeps coming basically. He gave (20-0(7) Current Commonwealth champion) a very tough fight. It was very close, some people thought he was unlucky not to get the decision (Murray won a six round decision 58-56) I didn’t see the fight myself so I don’t know a great deal. But I’m in great shape, I trained hard for the Barker fight. He (Barker) was more of a mover, this guy is more come forward type. I’ve boxed all over the world as an amateur in multi tournaments and boxed different styles, I had four fights in four days. I’m pretty experienced & seasoned now, you just have to be professional. The main thing is obviously not to be deflated after the Barker fight (was cancelled), it was then back on for a European title that was a boast. I’ve gotten over the disappointment of the Barker fight, I can’t dwell on it now it’s in the past. I have to focus on this guy because I don’t want it to be a banana skin.

Anson Wainwright – Obviously this fight is a late replacement for Darren Barker, what are your thoughts on what happened with that fight?

Matthew Macklin – People were saying the fight wasn’t going to happen but from my point of view it was 100% going to happen. With regards the injury I couldn’t answer, as far as I know he signed the contract, said he wanted the fight and I was going he was good to his word. But he pulled out and you think mmm it’s a bit coincidental. But at the same tune I’ve had injury’s in the past and had to withdraw from fights, so I don’t want to accuse him of anything without really knowing the facts. At the end of the day he’s pulled out and has his reasons whatever they are.

Anson Wainwright – It’s almost as if you scared everyone off with two very impressive performance when you demolished Wayne Elcock & Amin Asikainen last year. Is that how you feel and what has happened regarding other fights because you last fight was just before Christmas? Pirog/Barker/Mora etc

Matthew Macklin – Not even just that when I was European champion Dmitry Pirog was my mandatory challenger. He actually withdrew from the fight to sit on his WBO ranking. In fairness to him it ended up being a smart move because he’d of fought me and gotten beaten and where would he of been then. He was number 2 with the WBO (Gennady) Golovkin moved in for the WBA title that elevated him to fight Jacobs for the vacant belt, fair play to him what a performance. That was one fight, (Khoren) Gevor was mandatory when he withdrew. I was going to make a voluntary defence injured my nose but ended up vacating and parting with Hatton Promotions. There was a deal on the table with Golden Boy to fight then Sergio Mora. Winky Wright agreed then changed his mind, Mora just flat refused the fight. So it was getting to the stage where some fighters gather hype and momentum and everybody wants to fight them because there not as good as the hype. I’m one of the fighters all the other fighters know I can really fight and they don’t want to fight me. When I was European champion 2 mandatory’s withdrew. Whenever I’ve fought for a title Elcock, , Asikainen I’ve always been mandatory. When I was champion the mandatory’s did want to fight me. Winky Wright & Mora whatever there reasons I’m not saying they didn’t think they could beat me who know what there reasons were but they pulled out of the fight or they refused to fight me. Now we have Barker saying he can’t wait for the fight blah blah blah the proof is in the pudding. Low and behold people said he was gonna pull out and what happens he pulls out. It’s frustrating, I put myself out there. I believe I’ll do any Middleweight in the world. In all honesty I think there’s 4/5 of us there’s me, , Dmitry Pirog, Sergio Martinez & Sturm. On any given day we could probably all beat each other. But I’m certainly in the mix. I can beat all of those and I will beat them when it comes down to it. I’ll want it more than them & I will be in better shape. I just want the opportunity to prove I can be the best Middleweight in the world. I’m prepared to put myself out there and have been putting myself out there, it’s other people refusing to step up to the plate and fight me is preventing me proving myself.

Anson Wainwright – You didn’t mention Kelly Pavlik or ?

Matthew Macklin – I didn’t mention them because I believe even though Sylvester is a world champion I don’t believe he’s as good as Pirog, Martinez, myself or Sturm. Sturm beat him. To be honest I don’t believe he beat Gevor. Gevor was unlucky against Sylvester not to get the decision. I’d say its between Golovkin, myself & Martinez the best 3 Middleweights in the world. If we could do the old box offs if you add Pirog. Pavlik had the big profile, he beat the man who beat the man but for whatever reason he’s not quite firing on all cylinders or maybe he’s had better days.

Anson Wainwright – Looking back at those fights with Elcock & Asikainen from your point of view what clicked into place for you on those nights?

Matthew Macklin – Yeah well if you go through my record the best people I’ve fought I’ve blew away. When I fought Alexey Chirkov he was 17-1(11) it was on the Hatton-Maussa card. I didn’t have a promotional agreement with Dennis Hobson so that was thrown in as a 50-50 fight, a good undercard fight. I wasn’t the house fighter because they had no interest in me. That was supposed on paper to be 50-50. He’d only lost once over 8 rounds to on points. I knocked Chirkov out in a round, I was up for a really hard fight same with Asikainen and I knocked him out in a round. I knew I’d do Elcock to be honest. I thought I’d knock him out in 5 or 6 rounds (Macklin ended up stopping Elcock in 3) It was a big local derby, a good local fight. Sometimes you fight a guy and hit him with a few good shots in the first and they go into a shell, they go into survival mode and you beat them on points, it’s almost like you go through the motions. I’m one of those fighters the better the opposition the better I fight. I’m like that in sparring that’s why I take better guys. If I spar guys a level below me I drop to there level. That’s why I don’t want easy fights. Ask Golden Boy, Richard Schaefer will tell you I wanted these fights with Winky Wright & Mora. I’ll fight anyone, you ask my manager Brian Peters a couple of years ago I wanted to fight & . I never shied away from any fights. I could of fought in June against Giovanni Lorenzo but I wanted the Barker fight. Barker pulls out, I believe in myself and that I’d beat any Middleweight in the world.

Anson Wainwright – Word was that you were going to America to train at the Wild Card under Freddie Roach’s tutelage, what happened?

Matthew Macklin – I have trained there. Freddie maybe coming for the fight I’m waiting to here back from my manager Brian Peters. I did four and a half weeks at the Wild Card for this fight. I sparred over 70 rounds over there between “Kid Chocolate” Peter Quillen 21-0 Middleweight, Michael Medina he’s lost a couple in twenty odd, he lost a split decision to John Duddy on the Pacquiao undercard. I also sparred with the 28-0 Ukrainian (Stanyslav Kashtanov) who’s mandatory for Brian Magee (Current European champion) and another kid called Rashad Holloway who’s 11-1-2 Welterweight. So I was over there, great sparring. I was doing pads with Freddie every other day. It’s a case of Freddie’s a great trainer, we work well together when he’s training me. But he does train Manny Pacquiao and fights can clash. It’s also important Joe Gallagher’s still part of the team. I’m happy and comfortable with Joe but I’m always going to be going to Freddie for fights.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us about your team who is your manager, trainer & promoter? Also what gym and where will you base yourself for the Barker fight?

Matthew Macklin – Manager is Brain Peters, my trainer is Freddie Roach but Joe Gallagher is very much involved. I did 4/5 weeks with Joe. I was over there 4 1/2 weeks and Joe came over for 2 weeks with me. A lot of fighters go there to work with Freddie. Senchenko was working with Freddie but also had his trainer from the Ukraine who’s a fundamental part of his training.

Before I went to America I got myself nice and fit with Joe Gallagher in and Joe came over (To America) with me and when I came back I was working with Joe as well. In between a 10 week training camp I just tick over.

Anson Wainwright – Your big friends with Ricky Hatton, can you tell us about how you first became friends? How close are you these days?

Matthew Macklin – Well like you said we were good friends we sparred a lot together. I was in his corner when he fought Mayweather and lots of fights. He worked my corner with Billy Graham on a few of mine and we were good buddy’s. I signed a 3 fight promotional deal, I only had the one. It didn’t quite work out I think for me or them and we agreed to part ways.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us about your early years growing up in and how it took you into ?

Matthew Macklin – I played a lot of sports when I was younger. I played Football (Soccer), Rugby, Gaelic Football, . I was into all sports but I also started Boxing at the age of 10. I think I started watching a few of the fights Larry Holmes against Tyson the Benn-Eubank kind of fights and just wanted to Box.

Anson Wainwright – When your not training for a fight what do you do with your time? What are your hobbies?

Matthew Macklin – I just enjoy not having to diet, get up and go running. I could do with getting a few more Hobbies, I have Boxing on the brain! I like Hurling & Gaelic Football in Ireland there sports I follow through the summer. This year believe it or not I haven’t fought since last December I was out in America for 7 weeks in February & March when I came back every week there was something new happening, this fight, that fight, this deal, that deal. I was over for the Khan fight, the Cotto fight. Literally every week there was something going on so it was hard to switch off from it because I was constantly thinking this fight or that fight might happen. So I was ticking over and on the phone talking to my manager all the time.

Anson Wainwright – At the start of your career you were a Light Middleweight, you struggled massively. What can you tell us about that? How comfortable are you at Middleweight? What is your walk around weight?

Matthew Macklin – I walk around about 185-190 which is around 13.3/13.4 when I go up there it’s when I’ve had a long break and you’ve over indulged in the fridge. Otherwise i walk around somewhere between 12/13 stone otherwise. I’m strong a Middleweight i feel strong and comfortable, at Light Middleweight it was just a bridge to far. I made the weight but couldn’t perform at it. I think even in the amateur’s I was at Light Middleweight I was winning gold medals all over. When the World Junior’s came about I brought myself down to Welterweight. Won my first fight, lost my second and although it was a bad decision I didn’t perform particularly well. When I won the Senior ABA’s I moved to Light Middleweight and went to a tournament in Greece I lost in the final to the number one in the world and he only beat me by a couple of points. Before the Moore fight the 8 rounder’s the signs were there I was doing 4 pounds in the sauna to make 11.3/11.4 so common sense would tell you move up 3 pounds not down 3. But sometimes your so in the zone that you just ignore it “I’ll be ok, I’ll do 10 weeks” But you live and learn.

Anson Wainwright – Who was your favourite fighter growing up?

Matthew Macklin – Sugar Ray Leonard, though completely different in styles Roberto Duran. I remember watching the DVD “The Fabulous Four” and loved all four fighters. All very different but Leonard was probably my favourite. I’ve come to like Mayweather. Obviously Manny Pacquiao is very exciting. Umm Marquez he’s coming to the end of the road but he’s been a very underrated fighter, he’s a great technian. David Haye’s very exciting to watch. I watch them all really. Anson Wainwright – Finally do you have a message for the fans ahead of your fight?

Matthew Macklin – Just shame the Barker fight didn’t happen but I’m in great shape and we’ve had great sparring. This guy comes to forward and comes to fight. He’s not going to take a backward step and neither will I. I’m going to make sure it’s exciting. A win first and foremost. Because of my nature and style I don’t think I’m ever going to be in a really bad fight. I’m pretty aggressive, I throw punches and this guy doesn’t take a step backwards so it should be exciting. I hope everyone enjoys it and continues to watch my progress because I’m ranked in the top five by I think the WBC, WBA & IBF and with The Ring. It’s not a case of if, it’s a case of when. I’m going to take it with both hands. Other fighters might have the hype but I’m the real deal. I don’t only think I can win a title but dominate for 3 or 4 years to come.

Thanks for taking the time to speak to us Matthew.

Anson Wainwright 15rounds.com