Their game plan: The element of surprise

BoxingTalk:  Dominic, How is training going for your fight with Audley Harrison?

Dominic Guinn:  It’s going well.  It’s just another day at the gym, we’re always working hard out here.

BoxingTalk:  You have faced bigger men before in Duncan Dokiwari and Michael Grant.  In both of those fights you were successful.  Do you feel Harrison’s size will play a small factor in this fight too?

Dominic Guinn:  Yes, and the one thing I can say about Audley is that he’s big.

BoxingTalk:  What will your strategy be when you face Harrison?

Dominic Guinn:  Just showing up and fighting.  I know I have to come out victorious.

BoxingTalk:  Entering into this fight, both of you and Harrison are coming off losses.  How will you use Harrison’s recent loss to your advantage?

Dominic Guinn: I actually will be thinking of him with the gold medal, and not his previous fights.

BoxingTalk:  What, if anything, do you feel is Harrison’s best weapon to beat you?

Dominic Guinn:  Being big.  I also know that he will come in and move while he throws punches.

BoxingTalk:  Will you need to be more active and more aggressive then you have been in previous fights?

Dominic Guinn:  Yes, but him being as big as he is I’m automatically going to have to throw more punches.

BoxingTalk:  What do you possess in your arsenal that ensures your victory against Harrison?

Dominic Guinn:  My strength, heart, and the ability to win.

BoxingTalk:  Do you believe that a win against Harrison will put you back into contention for a major title?

Dominic Guinn:  Yes, I think so.

BoxingTalk:  What will you prove by defeating Harrison?

Dominic Guinn:  He had an off night against Williams, and I’m going to show that I’m the best in the world.

BoxingTalk:  You obviously saw the fight between Lamon Brewster and Serguei Lyakhovich.  What are your thoughts on their fight?

Dominic Guinn:  I thought it was great for boxing, and we really needed it.  I was happy that they both came out and fought.  It was good for the heavyweight division, and it was a great fight.

BoxingTalk:  Joe, how is Dominic looking for his fight on April 14th?

Joe Goossen:  Great. We started sparring right off the bat.  That was one of my main things I wanted to accomplish because figuring out southpaws is completely different, and it becomes more complex when the guy we are fighting is 6’6”.  We have a huge challenge.  He has been beaten once, but I’ve seen Harrison on better nights and he’s been able to defend himself a lot more efficiently than he did against Williams.  Harrison is going to be a tough combo to crack, but we started early in sparring to crack that code.  Our main sparring guy is a clone of Harrison.  We’ve logged a lot of sparring and worked hard on the floor to perfect our game plan.  I can say this honestly and with a clear conscience:  We didn’t cut any corners. We trained.6 days a week and sparred more rounds than I normally would for a heavyweight.  I know Dominic going to be in great shape to go rounds if need be, and I’m confident that he’s ready.  We didn’t cheat ourselves.  I’m going into that ring knowing that we did the best that we can do against Harrison.

BoxingTalk:  What’s the game plan?

Joe Goossen:  The element of surprise.

BoxingTalk:  When I spoke with Dominic, he said that his best weapon against Harrison is his strength, his heart, and his willingness to win.  Do you agree?

Joe Goossen:  No doubt about it.  You don’t work as hard as Dominic did during training and have him not be successful.

BoxingTalk:  Did Dominic work harder for Harrison than he did for his fight against James Toney?

Joe Goossen:  It was different.  Dominic is more in tuned with what we need to do.  His back is up against the wall and he needs to perform.

BoxingTalk:  Dominic has had little problem with big guys in the past.  Will you be working off the same game plan as with Dokiwari and Grant?

Joe Goossen:  Dokiwari and Grant were more willing to stand there and fight, so fighting Harrison will be a different kind of fight with those guys.  Throw in the fact that Harrison is a southpaw, he moves really well, and he’s got a huge reach.  Dokiwari and Grant were more willing to engage in a slugout, Harrison is more inclined to use more sophisticated moves.

 

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