Dan Goossen Speaks About His Two Cards on ESPN This Week

By Darren Nichols

10/04/2006

Dan Goossen Speaks About His Two Cards on ESPN This Week

Harrison and Guinn would be crazy not to lay everything on the line to become the winner of the fight."

BoxingTalk:  Dan, I recently spoke with both Dominic Guinn and his trainer Joe Goossen about their upcoming bout, and they said that things are going great.  Promotional wise, how is the fight coming along?

Dan Goossen:  Great.  We will be sold out.  It’s one of those fights that you don’t expect of see it on the ESPN level.  It’s got a lot of attention.

BoxingTalk:  How is the undercard shaping up for the card?

Dan Goossen:  You will need to talk to Tom Brown about that.
Tom Brown:  We have Andre Berto in an 8 round bout.  Undefeated heavyweight Chris Arreola will take on John Clark.  We have another undefeated heavyweight Teke Oruh taking on Jason Gavern, and undefeated heavyweight Travis Walker will go up against Andrew Greeley.

BoxingTalk: What was the reasoning for putting Dominic up against such a big opponent as Audley Harrison?

Dan Goossen:  My job is to get the opportunities for my fighter, and that’s what we got.  When you have a fight of this significance, there is a lot at stake here.  Our ability to do that is a plus for the fans, the network, and the winner.

BoxingTalk:  Where do you feel a victory over Harrison would put Dominic in the heavyweight division?

Dan Goossen:  The winner of this fight catapults him back into the thick of things.  Audley Harrison went up against Danny Williams who knocked out Mike Tyson, and  he has to come out and fight to overcome the Williams loss, and I expect him to come out like there is no tomorrow.  With Dominic Guinn, it’s the same story.  We know Dominic had a close fight with Serguei Lyakhovich who just beat Lamon Brewster.  He lost to James Toney in a great fight.  He’s comfortable with the fact that he went the distance with Toney and Lyakhovich.  Either guy would be crazy not to lay everything on the line to become the winner of the fight.

BoxingTalk:  In a recent report, Juan Diaz‘s manager Willie Savannah is claiming that with all of Diaz’ rematch with your fighter Lakva Sim continually being postponed, that the fight cards were never actually planned.  What is your response?

Dan Goossen:  Everyone knows that March 3rd did happen, and in the last minute it went from the Universal Amphitheater to the Pechanga.  We have promoted thousands of shows throughout the years and it’s not customary for us to have fights not happen.  Sometimes when people are upset they say things that they may not mean, they know what are conversations were, and we’ll wait to fight the winner of Diaz and Jose Miguel Cotto.

BoxingTalk:  After the big Friday Night Fights card on ESPN on April 14th, what else can we expect soon from Goossen-Tutor Promotions?

Dan Goossen:  We’ve got a fight on Wednesday April 12th with Paul Williams.  We believe he is the future of the hot junior welterweight division, and we’re going to be looking to move forward with him in a title shot on ShoBox on June 30th providing he’s successful on the 12th.  Paul is one of those freaks of nature being 6”2’ in a 140-pound body.  It conjures up thoughts of Tommy Hearns with his thin build and amazing punching power.  Coming up in May we have Javier Mora who has a win over Kirk Johnson fighting.  We also have plans for Wayne McCullough, Sam Soliman, Julio Gonzalez, and Vernon Forrets.

 

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