AW - He’s only been a pro fighter for three years but has moved quickly. What do you think of Helenius?
SL - Helenius is a good fighter. He proved that he deserves to be in the top ten by defeating [Lamon] Brewster and [Samuel] Peter.
AW - Your last fight was on May of 2010. Why have you not fought in so long?
SL - A lot goes on behind the scenes in boxing and this is the reason why I had to change promoters. I will now be fighting regularly.
AW - Tell us about your training for this fight. Where have you gone to train? Who have you used for sparring? How long is your camp?
SL - I [trained] in Arizona in my hometown (Scottsdale). For sparring, I [used] a couple of guys from the US and couple of European fighters.
AW - Back in 2006, you beat Lamon Brewster for the WBO heavyweight title. What can you tell us about that fight looking back and what it meant to you to win a world title?
SL - It was a great feeling not only because I became a champion but also because of what it took for me to get there. It was one of the best fights of that decade.
AW - You lost the title six months later to Shannon Briggs when he stopped you with a second to go in the fight, while you were ahead on the scorecards. How do you look back on the fight? It must have been tough for you.
SL - You can’t change what happened in the past; you can only learn from it. I just want to focus on the future and I am very grateful for this opportunity.
AW - One of your other notable fights was against Nicolay Valuev. That must have been very difficult because of his size. What are your thoughts on that fight?
SL - I went into the fight with an injured right shoulder. I could not throw my right at all during the fight. If you watch that fight, you can see that I fought him with one hand.
AW - Can you tell us about the path your life has taken from your early years growing up in Belarus to going pro and moving to and living in Arizona?
SL - From a very young age, I wanted to become a professional boxer and I knew that the US is the best place to learn. When I was a child, I would cut out pictures and articles about Mike Tyson. I loved watching old-school, US fighters. This is what I always wanted to do.
AW - I would imagine life is much different for you now than it was back in Belarus. Can you tell us about the difference and how you like living in America?
SL - Life in Belarus made me stronger and prepared me for this tough business of boxing.
AW - Who do you think will win when Vitali Klitschko fights Tomasz Adamek?
SL - I think Vitali Klitschko will win
AW - What goals do you still have in boxing?
SL - I want to become World Champion again and to earn the respect of people for how I did it. Someday, I would like to be in the Boxing Hall of Fame for my son to show his children and grandchildren.
AW – Finally, do you have a message for Robert Helenius and the heavyweight division?
SL - I would like to thank my team and everyone who believed in me and supported me over the years.
