Boxingtalk: We are here with Mike Criscio, manager of WBC light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson. First, let me ask you, what is the latest with your stable of boxers?

Mike Criscio: You know, just trying to get my guys the right fights. I have got Alfredo Angulo fighting on February 1, 2008 in Minnesota. Alfredo looked really good in his last outing, he stopped the guy in the first round. Kofi Jantuah also will be fighting in February, on the 15th. Then after that he should be fighting in an IBF eliminator as long as all is successful on the 15th of February. I'v also got Chad on April 12th going up against Glenn 'The Road Warrior' Johnson in a co-main event with Antonio Tarver, to hopefully set up a showdown with Chad and Antonio by the year's end.  Omar Nino Romero was suppose to fight in a eliminator bout to get back on track but the guy he was suppose to fight had no balls and pulled out of the fight, so I am currently trying to get him a fight with Edgar Sosa for the WBC light flyweight title."

JA: I have also heard that you have a 140-pound "terror" in Said...

MC: Said leharrak

JA: I hear Robert Diaz, Debbie Caplan and the rest of Team Hatton tossed him out of the gym as Said was preparring Ricky for his mega-fight with Floyd Mayweather, can you fill me in on that..?

MC: Yes, This kid is a hell of a prospect 140 lb's tall and strong. He went over to Europe to spar with Ricky and from what I understand, I was not there however, He was supposively Ricky's final sparring partner, over there doing his job in putting hands on Hatton, Said supposively roughed Ricky up real good and was sent home. He was too rough I guess. They told him he was trying too hard or something of that nature. But anyways Said is a good kid, he just wanted Ricky to be at his best that's all. So Said gave him his all and that's what happens. This kid is gonna be world champion, no questions asked, he made the Morocco Olympic Team but he did not want to travel to Morocco so he went ahead and decided to turn pro instead.

JA:Now, Alfredo Angulo is a 154 pounder a tall kid with 11 victories, 8 by knockout and no losses. He is from the same place as J.L. Castillo, right down the street from Sinaloa, home of J.C. Chavez Sr. I see you were down South in the trenches beating the bushes for talent, tell us about this kid...

MC: I love Mexico, I love the food as well. I gotta go down there and do my boxer shopping, I picked up him (Angulo), Omar Nino and Luis Maldanado so I did pretty good. I have got 3 top notch guy's, and all 3 are future World Champions. Alfredo Angulo is a really good kid he is just relentless, he is a gym rat he is rock hard, he has basically no body fat on his body this kid. I put my guy's in with tough opponents all the time I don't take tomatoe cans just to get my guy's fights I go to them and they never say no to anybody. Ever since I took over for Alfredo I have not given him an easy fight yet and I am not gonna. He wants to fight the best of the best, he wants to fight for the title tomorrow. He has already informed me he doesn't care who it is, just find a 154 lb fighter and get him in the ring are his instructions. This kid just stopped his last oponent who was 6ft 4 in tall, he just goes out there and does his thing.

JA:Alfredo is scheduled to fight Feb. 1st in Minnesota against Ricardo Cortes 22-1 with 15 KO's, who's only defeat was a DQ that was over 4 and a half years ago. Tell us about it...

MC: I think Alfredo goes in there agin and knocks this guy out within 2 or 3 rounds. That kid hasn't fought 4 solid rounds since March of 06, which is almost 2 year's. No opponesnt in that time has seen the bell completing the 4th round. Matter of fact only 1 guy seen the 4th round and only 1 guy has seen the 3rd round. He fought 5 times last year alone and his 1st of them 5 was in April where he was off for almost 7 solid months this kid. When he get's in there he just does his thing, like Chad Dawson. He remindes me of Chad because of how fast and strong he is.

JA: April 12th, 2008 'Bad' Chad Dawson vs Glenn Johnson. Give us your thoughts...

MC: I think Glenn is the man, he does step up to the plate. The rest of these pussies don't want to fight Chad. As soon as he was offered the opportunity to fight Chad he jumped. He has been saying for some time now that he wants to fight Chad. it has been me who has said, 'no' so pretty much I was just worried we wouldn't get anywhere fighting him so in order to get to Hopkins, Calzaghe, Jermain Taylor maybe at 168 you know guy's like that. All the guy's who have a name are scared to death of Chad they don't want to fight him because they know what's going to happen to them when they get in there with Chad, there gonna lose and more than likely lose on there back or ass. Bernard Hopkins knows damn straight that he can't beat Chad Dawson if Bernard had any balls he'd step up to the plate and fight him. Hopkins said, I am gonna take this division by storm (Lightheavyweight) after defeating Antonio Tarver, I'm taking every out the 175 lb fighter's ALL have to go through me. O.K. The only problem is Chad has the green belt, so if your gonna do that you gotta fight Chad Dawson. Whenever anybody say's Chad's name around Bernard he get's amnesia. He just doesn't want to fight Chad and it is sad for boxing.

JA: This last September when I was with you in Sacramento, Chad fought Mendoza.Roy Jones Jr. as well as Felix Trinidad were doing the press tour and you and Roy Jones Jr. had a talk about a possible fight with Chad right.?

MC: That's exactly right, I spoke with Roy and he said, 'When I get done with Trinidad, I'l give Chad his shot'... I was in the lobby of the hotel and I was telling Mendoza, Chad's opponent at the time, that we could place a wager of $200,000 that Chad knocks him out, than Espiano all the sudden forgot how to speak English. And as I was talking shit Roy Jones says, 'I'l take that bet' so I said O.K. well you gotta fight Chad first Roy before you can make a bet like that and Roy's response was, and I quote, 'When I get done with Tito, I'l fight Chad next' Well now all of a sudden again amnesia sets in and Roy is moving on to a possible fight with Joe Calzaghe. So he went from, 'I'l fight Chad and we will bet on it' to 'Oh I'm gonna go fight Calzaghe' so I mean Chad is out of the loop again.

JA: So You and Roy were speaking face to face talking about making the fight (Dawson-Jones Jr.)  as well as a wager of $200,000 being placed on that fight...

MC: And that bet still stands, I'l still bet $200,000 that Chad defeats Roy...

JA: So you are willing to bet Roy Jones Jr. $200,000 that he get's beat by Chad Dawson..?

MC: Yes, Jimmy. You bet your ass on that fight. I'll bet him my TOTAL PERCENTAGE AND THAN SOME that Jones loses to Chad Dawson.

JA: Wow, your willing to bet your purse and your pulling out the ATM card Mike?

MC: Fuck yes, they all talk a good game than when it comes down to it they back off. I was willing to place my TOTAL PERCENTAGE in a wager on Chad to defeat Adamek and he chose not to make a wager either. I offered Jesus Ruiz as well as Epifiano Mendoza these bet's and they passed on them. Now Roy say's one thing and does another. Nobody wants to bet, with Mendoza I went above and beyond, when he realized the $200,000 was his whole purse, he stopped speaking English. I guess I knocked the English out of him....

Let me tell you this, I want to make some real money, some of that Golden Boy money. Hopkins, we could do a pay-per-view with Chad against Hopkins. We will do whatever you want Bernard. You want 60/40 cool. Let's do it. You want 65/35 let's go, let's get it done. You know Bernard.? We just want to fight you.

JA: Do you believe Hopkins is fighting at catch weights of 170 to avoid Chad..?

MC:There you go you said it, I didn't..

JA: Wow, I said it?

MC: Yes, That is exactly what is going on, why do you think they want to fight at 170 instead of 175..? Where the fuck did this clutch weight come from? What has it been going on for 6 months or so now..? Come on....

JA: A 'catch weight' or just a 'catch an easy check' Mike..?

MC: Yes Exactly.!!! What is this bullshit 170..? That is a slap in the face to former 168 and former 175 fighters as well as champions. That is showing no respect to the discipline that fighters are suppose to have to make weight and be the best there. We would fight Hopkins for his 170 lb title if he'd like. We should just add another few weight classes, while we are at it we should work on a 180 lb division as well....

JA: How confident are you that by year's end you will have Tarver's signature on a Dawson contract..?

MC: I don't know who Antonio is fighting next but he has to get through that guy first. I hope it is somebody worth fighting not like these guys he's been fighting for the [IBO] light heavyweight championship. We have the WBC  championship, the one that matters and nobody wants to fight for it..? Honestly Chad doesn't even care about fighting Tarver, he has your number and you two talk frequently I know. When is the last time Chad called and said 'let's go on the record'..? Chad has told me he wants Calzaghe, Hopkins, or even Jermain Taylor @ 168, not Tarver. Tarver needs Dawson, Dawson doesn't need Tarver.. We have the WBC belt and Tarver chooses to fight for the [IBO] right..? He asked for 2 million to fight Chad, he was informed he would recieve the 2 million so he never signed the contract. But he say's Chad fights 'powderpuffs' right..? What was his last 2 opponents names..? And 3 fights ago against Hopkins we seen the worse Antonio Tarver ever! Up until he fought Murqui...

JA: What is the deal with you and Greg Leon talking a possible Kofi Jantuah....

MC: Yeah his guy from the contender series, uhh.... Isaih... Isaih Smith..? He is so good I forgot his name....I can't even remember some of these guys names, but you know I get amnesia sometimes too I guess..

JA: Ishe Smith is who I believe you are talking about.

MC: Yes that is the guy

JA: So Ishe Smith - Kofi Jantuah is only a phone call away Mike..? All Greg has to do is call you..?

MC: Yeah, I already spoke with Greg last week and it is makable for an ESPN card or maybe even HBO After Dark. We could make that work. In my opinion Ishe can't hold the camera for Kofi but we are ready to go. Anybody in the top five, my guys will fight you ASAP just give me a call...

JA: Closing Thoughts Mike....

MC: Keep your eyes open for my guys in 2008 and see if ANYBODY wants to fight them....

M

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