BT- Larry, what’s been good with you lately? LD- Everything has been moving at a really slow pace, it could be a lot better. I have not been inactive because I want to be, I have been inactive because my promoter does not want to fight me right about now.
BT- Larry, can you shed more light on that situation?
LD- Honestly, I don’t know what the problem is. Don knew that I won the fight against Valuev, and now all these champions out here. He has control over Lyakhovich and Valuev somewhat and he knows that I want to fight them both. For some reason he keeps putting these other guys into the position to fight them and it makes no sense at all.
BT- Talk to all of these guys Larry. Let them know what you think.
LD- As far as Lyakhovich is concerned, I asked him to give me a shot at the title and he said “It can happen” but never did.
Im asking Sergei right now, give me an opportunity. I am one of Don King’s fighters and I know this fight could happen but I don’t think that he wants to fight me. Give me a chance. Show them that you are the champion that you say that you are. You don’t have to wait around and fight guys like Shannon Briggs, I am right here right now. I am already one of Don’s fighters and willing and able to fight you right now, question is are you ready to step up and take that chance?
BT- Do you think that the Valuev fight which many think that you won is a main reason why you cannot get at least a shot at the top heavyweights?
LD- I think that is one reason but the thing is that this goes back to when I fought Holyfield. I was at the press conference in Cleveland and Don King told the media that I “Took his money” and that tells me right there that I was not supposed to beat Evander. That put a bad taste in my mouth right then. I feel that Don does not want to give me a opportunity because he knows that I am capable of beating these guys, he just needs to step up and give me my title shot.
BT- Larry would you take any fight against a top guy even if it isn’t for a title? Time isn’t on your side and in 13 years you never got even a chance at the belt except for an eliminator.
LD- All I want is a title shot, if it takes another fight to get me a chance then I will. I don’t want to take a fight that isn’t meaningful. I need to fight big fights because any other fights don’t do anything for me. I am not getting any younger, I want my title.
BT- You had a fight scheduled on the Lamon Brewster-Sergei Lyakhovich undercard but had to pull out last minute dude to an infected tooth. Since then we haven’t heard anything from you, do you think that is another reason why you haven’t had a fight with Don?
LD- It could be possibly but with a fighter of my potential and my skill there should be no reason for Don to hold back. If Don wants to get those titles back from the Russians then put me in the ring with them, that’s all I need to say.
BT- Larry, would you be ready to fight any time?
LD- Oh yeah, I am in fighting shape as I speak.I am 230 pounds right now and would jump in the ring tomorrow if the opportunity came up. These guys need to realize that I am a warrior and ready for anything.
BT- You and Monte Barrett are friends and you may even be going to his training camp to help him prepare for Valuev but is there still a little bit of animosity there since he got the shot at a guy that you feel that you were robbed against?
LD- I just wish Monte the best of luck and I think he is capable of beating the big giant but he does have to realize that he is a big guy and stay busy, stay on top of this guy and cannot let him rest.
BT- Do you want to say any last words Larry?
LD- The bottom line is this. If Don is not going to let me fight for one of those titles then he needs to give me a release, simple as that. That is the bottom line, why is he going to just keep me on the shelf when I know I have a lot left in this game and can win a title? I would fight any top heavyweight right now, Lyakhovich, Valuev, Wladimir and even guys like Samuel Peter, James Toney and even that Sanil Sam in Germany making noise that nobody wants to fight him after he pulled out against a guy I already beat in Evander, you want a fight just call my promoter and Ill give you a beating even in your own country. And if Don does not want to give me a fight then release me, I will get my belt one way or another.
