WBA Featherweight champion Chris John gave new meaning to the term jungle warfare while preparing for his March 3rd title defense against top contender Jose Rojas. John trained in a camp built in the jungles of his native Indonesia by a local boxing figure.

“Isolate ourselves so no interruptions,” said John’s Australian manager/trainer Craig Christian when asked about the decision to train in such an unusual location. “There’s a gentleman who built a beautiful camp who invited us up there. It’s a great place to train.”

“The jungle’s hot but good for training camp,” said John with a laugh.

The Saturday bout with Rojas will be held in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta. It’s a rematch of a 2004 encounter that ended in a fourth round technical draw after
a head butt. For the 27-year-old John, widely regarded as the best fighter in the world at 126 lbs, it’ll mark the sixth defense of the title he won in 2003. Christian believes the aggressive style of his charge will make the difference in the sequel.

“Chris is a pressure fighter. He puts a lot of pressure on his opponents and wears them down,” he said. “I think Rojas will wear down in the end. We just hope the heads don’t clash again.”

The Aussie insists he’s not looking past Rojas when asked what’s next for John. American fans are curious to get a glimpse of the fighter who beat Juan Manuel Marquez and Christian doesn’t rule out the possibility of “The Dragon” debuting here soon.

“Chris would love to fight in the U.S.,” he said. “There hasn’t been an Indonesian world champion that has won in the U.S. That is his dream, to win in Vegas and be the undisputed featherweight champion.”

With the likes of Manny Pacquiao, Marco Antonio Barrera, and Joan Guzman campaigning four pounds north of John at junior lightweight, that seems where
the fighter’s most lucrative options lie. But don’t expect to see John move up
in weight anytime soon.

“A lot of people are saying, why don’t you fight these blokes?” said Christian. “But we make 57 kilo (kg) very comfortable. We’re not gonna get out of our comfort zone and what’s natural to us. If they come down, we’ll fight no problem. At 57 kilo, we’ll fight any fighter in the world.”

John’s a national hero in Indonesia, and his fights draw huge television audiences according to Christian A gifted athlete, the fighter also excelled in the martial art of wushu but gave it up to focus on boxing.

Christian believes fans in the U.S. will also appreciate the fighter.

“It’s all action in Chris’s fights. The American public will love (it).”

Note: Mr. Christian would like to thank matchmaker Sampson Lewkowicz.

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