“The Old, Big Truck is back!”
Boxingtalk.com recently spoke to former WBC Cruiserweight champ Wayne “Big Truck” Braithwaite 21-1(17) right before he took off to Cleveland, Ohio, where he’ll take on former two time world title challenger Guillermo “El Felino” Jones 32-3-2(25) in the Main Event of this weekend’s Showtime telecast with the #1 spot in the WBA & WBC, and #2 spot in the IBF up for grabs. In this a very meaningful bout that can certainly lead Braithwaite to his biggest wish of all, a rematch with the only man to ever beat him in unified (WBC & WBA) champion Jean Marc Mormeck 31-2(21), The man they call “Big Truck” promises you’ll see “The Old Big Truck” come Saturday night. But he’d prefer not talk about what he’s going to do, but rather you tune in and see for yourself.
RC: Wayne, what’s been going on?
WB: Everything is cool; I have bee training hard on focusing on Saturday night.
RC: How did you feel when you first found out you would be making the Showtime telecast September 3rd in Cleveland Ohio at the Gund Arena, as the main event?
WB: I was happy about that and very excited. I am very happy about it, you just don’t know how excited I am that they are giving me an opportunity to come back, and be back on television, back in the spotlight again. I am very happy and extremely grateful for that.
RC: The last time you fought was back in April of this year on Showtime when you suffered your first professional loss to the hands of the now unified champ Jean Marc Mormeck. How important is it to you that you come back in a televised bout and look impressive?
WB: Well it is very important to me because the last time people saw me on television they saw me on the loosing end. I am accustomed to being on the winning end so it is very important for me to show the people that I am still a winner.
RC: I’m sure coming off a loss you have been working pretty hard in the gym, but has learning the news that you will be featured in the main event motivated you any more?
WB: Yes it motivates me more. It is just making me work harder, because I want to put on a good show, a much better one that you saw me put on in Boston. So I have been putting my best foot forward in preparation, and I promise I will give it my all in this one. This is a real big fight for me.
RC: What type of performance can we expect from Wayne Braithwaite on September 3rd?
WB: I have been working on a few things, but right now I am not going to say what to expect, just watch the night of the fight and you will see. I am not doing a lot of talking because the last time I did a lot of talking I lost and I am not a trash talker to begin with. So I am going to go back to being silent and letting my fist do the talking. Just tune into the fight and you’ll see.
RC: Can you at least tell us if you feel this fight is going to go the distance?
WB: I am not saying anything, just like I said, just tune in and see. I will be prepared; you will see me in good shape. I can guarantee you are going to see a different person.
RC: What can you tell us about your opponent Guillermo Jones?
WB: I know he is a very good fighter; I am not taking anything away from him. Right now Guillermo Jones is in my way. He is in my way of me going back up to the top, so I have to move him out of my way.
RC: Have you watched tapes of him?
WB Yeah I watched a couple tapes and I saw a couple of mistakes he made, and come Saturday night I am going to take it to him.
RC: Jones just stopped Kelvin Davis in four, rounds, where do you feel a win over him would place you in the cruiserweight division?
WB: Everybody had me….before I lost to Mormeck as the man in the cruiserweight division, and even after I lost to Mormeck I still believe in my heart that I am still the man to beat.
RC: From what I understand, you are no longer working with your long time trainer Colin Morgan, instead now you have a new trainer, what can you tell us about him and how have things been working out between the two of you?
WB: Yes I have a new trainer, right now I have Lennox Blackmoore in my corner, one of Guyana’s best former fighters and he is a very good trainer. He was the trainer of Vivian Harris. I think we both have what it takes to get back to the top. I have learned a lot from him.
RC: How did the two of you working together come about?
WB: We always talked and saw one another at them gym (Gleason’s). I was thinking about going away to train but then I said to myself I am going to stay home and work with my fellow countryman who happens to be a very good trainer.
RC: Is there anything else you’d like to add in closing before I let you go?
WB: Yeah, I want to say thanks to Don King for giving me the opportunity to be back on television and giving me the opportunity to do what I do best, which is fight. I would like to especially thank Showtime for bringing me back on the station. I’d like to thank all of my fans, all of the people who supported me through my loss, and everybody who told me “keep my head up”. All the letters, and every little thing that the people would say when they seen me. Both the bad and the good, because without people criticizing you, you wont know if you are doing right or not. So I would like to thanks to all of the people who criticized me. Special thanks goes out to everybody who has done anything for me, that is people who did good, people who did bad, just everybody. I also want to tell everyone to just watch on September 3rd, and you will see me, I promise you, you will see a different person. You will definitely see a different person than you seen on April 2nd. I promise you, you will see the old Big Truck.
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