Interview with the WBO World Heavyweight Champion, Lamon Brewster--Post Fight

By David Loew, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

Publisher and Editor-in-Chief David Loew had the opportunity to follow up with the Indiana-born WBO king after his spectacular win over Andrew Golota on May 21, 2005 at the United Center, and see what else was on the horizon for the man they call "Relentless."

Chicago Fighting Arts : Hey, Lamon, how are you doing?

Lamon "Relentless" Brewster : Great!

CFA : That was a tremendous fight. It was shorter than everyone thought it was going to be.

LB : Oh yeah! You know, we've got a motto: My [football] coach in high school, Mr. Noonan, used to always say, "Do it right, do it tight. Do it wrong, do it long."

CFA : One concern before the fight was that you might be at a disadvantage in later rounds, but that wasn't an issue.

LB : Well, I don't even think it would have been a disadvantage if it was a longer fight, because if I remember correctly, when Andrew Golota gets tired is when he gets crazy. I knew I was going to be able to fight 12 rounds hard, so I think even in the long run, I would have been successful, because God was definitely with me.

CFA : How did you feel when you entered the ring and there were many Polish fans, and you weren't as quite well known?

LB : First of all, when I entered the ring, I didn't see Polish fans; I just saw fans, period. That would be the same as thinking of them as black or Mexican fans. You're referring to race, but I just saw a lot of fans, and they had their favorite, and their favorite was Andrew Golota.

CFA : Some people think that you went into the ring as an underdog, but you left with a dramatic defense of your title. Do you think you'll get the respect that you deserve after this fight?

LB : Oh, it doesn't matter. If they give it to me, great. If they don't, it doesn't matter. You have to understand, you can win every fight in the world and be undefeated, knock everybody out in one second in the first round, and there's always going to be somebody who isn't going to be a fan of yours--somebody who still isn't going to think anything of you. The most important thing is that you can live with and be content with yourself, so all I try to do is go in there and put on a good performance and rate myself: "What would I give myself for this fight? Would it be an A, B, C, D, or would I even give myself an F?" So, that's the most important thing: How do I [rate myself]?

CFA : Did knowing that Golota starts slow affect your strategy?

LB : I didn't think that at all. Nobody ever told me that going into this fight. I mean, I heard it after the fight, but it never crossed my mind. I just knew I had a job to do. I studied his tapes, I did my homework, and I prepared for him the best I could. I was going to go in there and do everything I trained to do. That's what I did, and I was successful.

CFA : Did you know that Golota was missing part of a muscle from a car accident and that may have affected his ability to use a left jab as well as before. Had you heard that?

LB : No, I heard something about a car accident, but this is the first I've ever heard about a muscle missing. But, I think that if he was worried about it, he wouldn't have gotten into the ring. The good thing about being a man [is that] you have to make your own decisions in life as to what you will or will not do. He signed the line. Nobody made him, so if he had won, nobody would have been mentioning anything about his injuries.

CFA : I sat next to your mom at the press conference, and that's when I heard that she told you knock him out. She must be pretty proud of you.

LB : Yeah, well . . . [ Laughs ] My mother is the one who started me in boxing, and all my life, she never told me to knock anybody out. So, when she told me that . . . you know, I can't let my mother down.

CFA : Your next step is to unify the titles, but do you have any idea who you want to go after first?

LB : It doesn't really matter, as long as the money's right, to be honest. Money matters for me to be able to take care of my family, so if it makes money, it makes sense.

CFA : You're certainly going to be in a better position for that in your next fight.

LB : It's good to be recognized for doing your thing, your labor, and I just hope it will be fruitful for me in my career. I trained very long and very hard, and I dedicated everything to this fight. I'm glad it's paying off.

CFA : Chicago fans would love to see you fight again. Are they going to have a chance?

LB : Man, I sure hope so, because I'm a Midwest guy! I come to Chicago every summer, so why not? I love Chicago; everybody is so nice to me here even before, and certainly after the fight. So, I have nothing but the best for Chicago, because I did something that hasn't been done for 24 years, which is make a successful title defense here. And, like I said, being from the Midwest and having so much family and friends here, it's only right that I represent the Midwest, because I'm a Midwest boy.

I want to make all the fans and media in boxing proud, and give them something in this division worth talking about. Because, it's time, and this is my decade, and it's time for me--or anybody, for that matter--to step up and make that happen. I hope it's me, so I put my best foot forward and say that I'm going to do everything in my power to give you the best that I have to give, and hope that's enough.

CFA : It's been my pleasure talking to you. Congratulations.