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Catching up with the Dirrell brothers: Part 2 - Anthony Dirrell

By Allan Cerf

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H1_Anthony_Dirrell_Max_Boxing-1.jpg

Two things immediately strike you when talking to Anthony and Andre Dirrell, the fighting pride of Flint, Michigan. Well, three things. First off how pleasant and friendly the brothers are. Second, despite some crazy ups and downs that have sent lesser fighters into despair, self-pity or early retirement, the Dirrell’s remain calm and upbeat. Third – they are extremely determined that they will both become champions.

 

The right-handed Anthony Dirrell is the more powerful sibling, with a substantially higher knockout percentage.  But as hard as he hits, fate has hit back – hard. In the early stages of a very successful pro career, chest pain turned out to be non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. During chemotherapy, his car was mistaken for that of an armed robber and he unjustly spent a night in jail. After beating cancer, Anthony was badly injured in 2012 on a motorcycle test drive and out of boxing for almost 18 months.

 

Anthony swears that on the night of his defeat to Badou Jack, he was simply not himself and is beyond positive that not only would he defeat Jack in a rematch, but that like Andre, a future world-title is a done deal - provided he gets the big shots.

 

AllanCerf: Why have 2 of the most talented- slickest, quickest, most mobile boxers in the sport had so few shots against big names?

 

Anthony: You know I can’t say, because I can’t say what’s on someone else’s plate. I know we’re deserving of it. We’re underrated with everyone that rates us or what not. Sometimes it’s hit or miss it could be anything, but if I had to say something--I’d say yes, people don’t want to fight us because we’re good and they know we’re good.

 

AC: I’ve watched Andre’s fight against Froch a few times – watched it again, recently. It’s hard for me to find enough rounds to give to Carl. Do YOU think he did enough to deserve the decision?

 

Anthony: I think he did. I think he whipped Froch 9 of the 12 rounds. It was his first championship fight and he did what he was supposed to do. He hurt Froch a couple of times. I think he won that fight without a doubt.

 

AC: Is it the ‘politricks’ of boxing that’s keeping you and Andre from big fights?

 

Anthony: I think there’s politics in everything, not just boxing. People want to see certain fights and people want the easier fights. I think that’s a big problem in boxing. I think the best should fight the best, but we should get paid to fight the best. We should get paid! Yes, I think there are ’politricks’ in boxing.

 

AC: Do you think it’s going to get any better?

 

Anthony: You know what? it’s been like this for a long time now. Back in the day, the best used to fight the best, you can’t deny that. Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler or Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns! Now it’s not like that. Do I think it’s going to get better? NO. It’s going to get worse before it gets better.

 

AC: Anthony, what happened to your game-plan for the Badou Jack fight? Jack’s team say they feared your jab and their own game plan focused on shutting the jab down. What would do differently in a re-match?

 

Anthony: No they did not shut down my jab. I don’t think they shut down anything because I was literally flat in that fight! Anyone that knows how I fight...I don’t fight like I fought Badou Jack. I was flat. I couldn’t throw what I wanted to throw. If there was a rematch of course I think I’d come out victorious. On my worst night. I still think I won the fight...because I don’t think he did enough to win. They say you have to beat a champion convincingly and I don’t think he did. I think it’s water under the bridge and I really don’t even like talking about it. If there’s a rematch I’ll definitely come out with the win.

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H1_Anthony_Dirrell_Max_Boxing-2.jpg

AC: Both of you guys use a lot of side-to-side movement, particularly Andre. Andre vs. Froch looked an elite Olympic athlete or NFL wide receiver with his incredible athleticism. However, Froch felt that movement was beyond “hit and not get hit.” Your response?

 

Anthony: You mean running? No! You know what? That’s boxing. It’s called boxing for a reason. You box, you don’t brawl. If you want to brawl and go in and make it a war, but this is boxing. This is boxing, not brawling. Muhammad Ali did it...you could have thought of Floyd. Floyd picks you apart; that’s what my brother does. That’s why they get so frustrated-after the bell or on the break to try and better themselves in the later rounds.

 

AC: The match-making in boxing as everyone knows, is designed to keep championship records with no ‘O’s.’ Has this gone TOO FAR so that fighters are protected and we fans are just not seeing good fights?

 

Anthony: It all depends...a person can have a layover, a tune-up fight. And then fight another big fight. I think that’s perfectly fair. Errol Spence is fighting Lamont Peterson. I think that’s a great fight. It’s fights like that that and Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia. People want to see great fights.

 

AC: If a fight is close and elbows and heat-butts are used again and again and they turn around a close fight even change a fight so that a fighter that is winning starts to lose, should fighter doing the fouling be DQed? Get points taken for EVERY single foul?

 

Anthony: It can ruin a great fight or as you say, make up a great fight…some of the fouls are unintentional, some are not. You can do a foul that looks unintentional, but it’s not. Like my last fight…the guy elbowed me; HE TRIED TO DO IT! He grazed me but it didn’t hurt me, but then he head-butted me. He head-butted me numerous times…but that’s a southpaw and an orthodox fighter. You’ve got to protect yourself, I think.

 

AC: Andre Ward said he did not go low against Kovalev. What do you think about something like that when somebody’ deliberately goes lows and it turns a fight around? (Pls. note: The opinion expressed here is the authors only, not maxboxing.com) Should a champion fighter be DQed?

 

Anthony: You know I can’t say he (Andre Ward) intentionally went low. Because Kovalev was hurt, everybody seen that. Andre Ward went for a body shot - he kind of went low. I can’t say it was intentional. I don’t think Andre Ward would intentionally hit somebody if he’s got them hurt already.

 

AC: Michael Jordan said the 37-year-old version of him had a vertical which was 5 inches or so worse than that 29-year-old version. But he said the older version of himself would beat the younger Jordan one-on-one. You aren’t thirty seven but boxing is different than basketball. Do you think you’ve lost half a step or are you still at your physical prime? If you’ve lost half a step, do you have so much experience you could still become undisputed champ if you only got the shots?

 

Anthony: When you get older you get wiser…that’s the thing, you’re definitely smarter, you’re definitely not gonna go in there and go reckless. You get smarter because you have to. Believe me, when I started, I had lots of testosterone. I was going out there to get it. I didn’t care about getting hit, I was about delivering it. I can’t say I’ve lost a step. I mean I just got better I think. I feel like I could still be undisputed champion - it’s in the shot. I’m thirty-three years old. Some of the key fighters who went above and beyond…you know the Floyd Mayweather’s, George Foreman, Bernard Hopkins--they really went to be great after 35.

 

AC: Well Anthony, it’s been a great pleasure.

 

Anthony: Thank you, you too.

 

 

 

 

 

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