The
following is a press release concerning DC's own Tony "The Tiger"
Thompson as he gets ready for his July 14 WBO Heavyweight Elimination
battle with Luan "The Lion" Krasniqi in
Hamburg, Germany.
A few days after celebrating the 231st anniversary of America’s independence
from British rule, heavyweight contender Tony “The Tiger” Thompson will arrive
in Germany on Saturday to make final preparations for his highly-anticipated
July 14, 2007 showdown with fellow contender Luan Krasniqi.
The scheduled twelve-round contest -- to be held at the Color Line Arena in
Hamburg, Germany – will be a WBO heavyweight eliminator. At
stake is a mandatory shot at the title belt currently worn by Sultan Ibragimov.
July 14 cannot come soon enough for the 35-year old Thompson (29-1, 17 KOs), a
native of Washington, D.C. Previous attempts for the
rangy 6-5 southpaw to get #3-ranked Krasniqi (30-2-1,
14 KOs) into the ring with him proved futile. “It’s
been kind of frustrating,” Thompson admitted. “But now
that I’ve got the opportunity I’m going to go in and kick his ass and bring it
to his After-Party!”
In addition to a tough customer in Krasniqi, Thompson
faces the obstacle of trying to defeat him in Germany. “I
have a great team behind me,” he credited. “We have
done everything to prepare for this trip. I know a lot
of people are worried about me getting a fair decision over there. But I’m confident I’m going to win the Germans over; not
just the fans, but the judges too. But it’s hard to
get robbed if the guy’s laid out on his back.”
When asked about his opponent’s fighting style and the challenges it could
cause him, Thompson responded: “I don’t really concentrate on anybody’s style
but my own. And I’m always confident that we are
prepared to the best of our abilities. As for me, just
the regular same old thing that I do: being incredibly awkward, offensively and
defensively, to the point of frustration. And once
he’s frustrated I’m going to take him out of there.”
Thompson’s management team consisting of, among others, co-managers Nate Peake and NBA star Steve Francis, share Thompson’s
confidence. They kept Thompson in training facilities
an hour away from his home to help eliminate the distractions and focus on the
task at hand.
“This is THE elimination,” Peake stressed, revealing
the possibility that with a victory over Krasniqi,
Thompson could potentially double his pleasure in his subsequent mandatory
championship bout.
“I’m looking for Tony to dominate and show the world that he is the best
heavyweight in the world. Once Tony wins this fight
he’s the mandatory,” Peake continued. “And with Ibragamov fighting
(WBA Champion, Ruslan) Chagaev
to unify both titles, Tony will get to fight the winner for both world heavyweight
titles. They fight in October and the beauty of it is
that instead of fighting for one belt, Tony could wind up fighting for two.”
Adding his experience as a professional athlete in the management of Thompson’s
career, the man known as “Stevie Franchise” in NBA
circles, Francis has been involved with Thompson for nearly four years and sees
a win over Krasniqi and the potential for Thompson’s
goal to become heavyweight champion of the world.
“For me it’s been like a whirlwind to be able to work with Tony because
basketball and boxing are two completely different sports, but at the same
time, they’re both contact and ultra competitive sports,” Francis explained.
“To be able to help somebody that has a great opportunity to get on the next
level where a Holyfield, Tyson and Riddick Bowe were… to me there was no other choice but to be with
someone like Tony who has the talent and heart to withstand all that’s going on
inside the ring. All I can say is it is what it is. Tony’s true talents will show in this boxing match in
Germany.”
Dan Goossen, President of Goossen
Tutor Promotions, has been Thompson’s promoter for his last five fights and is
very high on Thompson’s chances to defeat Krasniqi.
"I've got tremendous confidence in Tony coming back to America with a
hard-fought victory,” Goossen asserted. “He's on a mission to establish himself right at the top
with the other heavyweight champions. A victory here
places him right there."
“All I’ll tell you about a prediction is that I am 25-0 since my only loss (a
decision loss to Eric Kirkland seven years ago in Massachusetts) and I don’t
plan on breaking that streak ever,” Thompson declared. “My
record speaks for itself and I will never quit in a fight like he (Krasniqi) has. After the only time
I lost I came back to prove all my doubters, who waited for me to fold in this
sport, wrong.
“This fight is everything. From when I started I could
only imagine being in this position. Thanks to my
co-managers Nate Peake and ‘Stevie
Franchise’ and the other guys who’ve helped me. My
trainers, Tom Browner and Barry Hunter, put me in a position to succeed and I
want to succeed for those guys who believed in me, and my family who’s been
patient enough and waited for me to bring home the bacon. And
now is the time,” Thompson concluded.
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posted by Gary Digital Williams @ 9:02 AM 11
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