JA: How do you feel about a fight with Joe Calzaghe Scott?
SP: Well it would be a great opportunity. All I want to do is fight for some decent money. If I beat Joe Calzaghe, I’m pretty much on top of the world. I would be in a great position to make big money.
JA: How would that make you feel?
SP: That would make me feel pretty good. If I beat him (starts a happy laugh). But you know anything can happen in boxing. I happen to know a little bit about Joe Calzaghe. I have seen him fight a few times. He kind of reminds me a little bit of my self.
JA: If you did happen to win that fight, do you feel as all this would be a breeze in the past?
SP: Of course! It would have made it all worth it.
JA: Is there anything that you would like to say to the boxing fans around the world and to your fans wondering what you have been doing with yourself.
SP: I would like to say, thanks for all the support and for standing by my side. If it wasn’t for the fans there would be no Sandman. Stay tuned because the SANDMAN will be back in the ring very soon!
JA: Last time we talked Mr. Burchfield, you offered GYM promotion 25,000 dollars for the Otis Grant fight. Then you told me that the Omar Sheika fight fell apart. Next thing you know, Omar is now fighting Marcus Beyer for the WBC Championship. Can I have your take on the situation?
JB: Yes. First we knew all along what Marcus Beyer was doing with Omar Sheika. Omar Sheika is going over there to fight for the title for a 37,000 dollar purse. We're positively not going to go over there to fight for that kind of purse. Scotty beat Omar Sheika twice, so why should Marcus Beyer want to fight Omar Sheika? It’s in the pudding on why. But basically that is the reason why we would never go there and fight for 37,000 dollars. Besides that, they have a major tax issue that is taken out of the fighter’s purse. This kid would come home with 15,000 dollars if you’re lucky. The whole situation makes it more of the reason to get the title back in the United States.
JA: Mr. Burchfield, the last time we spoke you said that Scotty would be fighting in August. Has that plan changed?
JB: Yes, I think that will change. We had to wait for Danny Green to fight the other night. He had a K.O win. But Scott is in a DAMN good position right now. There is no warrior out there that can fight like Scott, punch like Scott. He’s not going to quit on the stool. He’s going to give it everything he’s got. This is what he deserves, he deserves this opportunity. Right now there is so many different options that we are going to look at right now. But to answer your question. We will not be fighting in August. It will probably be a little later but I don’t think that It will be much later.
JA: Do you think that It will be before the end of the year.
JB: Positively.
JB: Jimmy, I said this the last time we spoke. That Scott Pemberton is a Warrior, he’s a blue collar fighter and he gives it his all. Now why wouldn’t HBO or Showtime want him on their networks? But when a champion comes from another country they have the advantage of their networks. There are a lot of great fighters out there. But there are not too many fighters out there like a Scott Pemberton. Now you can be beating on Scott for 3, 5 or even 10 rounds and he can still come off and knock you out. So the thing is that the networks have to open there eyes up and see what Scott can offer. I really recommended to Scott that he stays in the gym. Right now that he stays in great physical shape. And when we gear into our date he’s going to get a world rated trainer, he is going to have a world rated camp, where going to World rate sparring partners.
