GL:  Tell us about it brother, what's the latest and greatest with Dmitriy Salita?  How's your hand healing up? "My hand is feeling better, it was an old injury.  It's healing with each day.  I hope it will be back in use, with physical therapy, in a couple of days." 

GL:  It's been reported that you could be returning on the November 3rd Calzaghe-Kessler event against Gavin Rees. 

DS:  Yes, I recently called out Gavin Rees.  I let everyone in the media know that I want to fight him.  I'm ranked #3 in the WBA, and I think that this is the fight that I've been looking for.  Gavin Rees is the WBA champion, and I'm going to the press conference on Tuesday, for Calzaghe-Kessler, and I really want this fight to happen.  Frank Warren wants it to happen, Lou DiBella wants it to happen.  I'm hoping that it will get signed some time soon, and I will make history, and become a world champion.  I'll achieve my childhood American dream to become a world champion. 

GL:  Coming into your first world title fight following a hand injury.  Is that going to affect your confidence and swagger any, prevent you from being as aggressive as you might need to be in this kind of a fight?

DS:  Being a world champion is something that I've thought about every day of my life, since I was thirteen years old.  Every single day, every run that I did, every training I did, every event that I did was for this moment.  All those thoughts will be outside of my brain and I'll be completely focused bringing the WBA belt home.  It's something that I've worked very hard for, I believe it's my destiny.  It's a great opportunity and I will take full advantage of it. 

GL:  What are your thoughts on Gavin Rees as a fighter?

DS:  Gavin Rees is a good fighter, he's got good hands.  Everyone thinks he's a good fighter, but I truely believe I'm the best and I will become world champion.  Going into the ???, I know that there will be 75,000 screaming fans.  He's trained by Calzaghe's father, so I know that 95% of the people in the place are going to be rooting for him.  That's a different situation for me, I'm used to the people rooting for me.  I will be focused, my mind will be ready, and it's going to be a great event.  I'm hoping that this fight is going to be televised on HBO, so my fans can see it.  I started boxing, and brought a lot of people to the sport that don't normally watch boxing events.  I'm going to make my fans proud, and my critics eat their words, I want to become world champion. 

GL:  Where do you rank Rees amongst the current 140 pound champions?

DS:  He is the midst, he beat M'Baye who was considered a very good champion, it was an upset.  It's difficult to say until you fight someone, but I rank myself right on top of the division.  I see that I need a good fight to make myself elevate to that level.  I think that every fight is a fight that's going to improve me, and make me a lot better.  As I said, after my last fight that I was two fights away from Ricky Hatton.  I'm counting from this fight. 

GL:  I guess we'll have to wait until Tuesday for the official annnouncement.  Until then give me some closing thoughts for the fans.

DS:  I have worked very hard, I'm going to train very hard for this fight.  I'm going to be 100% ready, and I will make history, and become a world champion. I'm going to  bring the title back home to Brooklyn, NY.  That's how we do, baby.

M

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