BBN catch up with Brown Sugar by Kev Parker May 3rd 2006

Esham Pickering has been forced to pull out of his IBF title fight through injury. Kev Parker caught up with 'Brown Sugar' today for a chat. How old were you when you started boxing and what was your amateur career like? I started boxing a bit late, I was 15 and was only in the gym about three weeks and Dick (R.H.P. a.b.c coach) asked me to have my medical, Carl Greaves was down there, it was quite busy at that time, a lot of travellers. I jumped straight in, I was only training twice a week at Dicks and had my first fight in November at the Grove on our own show, I had only been boxing two months when I had my first fight. My amateur record was 49 and I lost 12, I lost my first two to the same guy, although beat him twice later and lost my last two. The Senior ABA's was my last loss on our own show and that's what made me turn pro. When did you realise you wanted to be full time pro boxer? I went down to Brendan Ingles and was going to stay amateur. I felt I wasn't learning anything else at RHP and it was a bit of a cocky set up. Training only twice a week and people smoking around the ring etc, I was Dicks first and only national champion, I had boxed for young England, it was open since about 1972 and I just thought maybe I needed to step up. Naseem Hamed was there and within four months I had boxed pro. I've been with Brendan ten years in September. I've done all types of jobs but boxing's been the passion, the reason I moved to Sheffield, the reason I moved away from home and one day it's going to pay off for me hopefully. Who do you admire and take inspiration from in boxing? I like to look at different fighters for different reasons. I'm a big fan of Sugar Ray Leonard and Sugar Ray Robinson but then I look at Roberto Duran, Mike Tyson, Jake LaMotta, Alexis Arguello tough people like that, different styles of fighters. Nobody I really centre on but Ray Robinson, I studied him a bit, watched tapes of him. It's such an individual sport it's an amazing game there's nobody I can pin point that inspires me, it's different styles and different fighters. How do you feel your career has progressed so far and are you where you had hoped to be or have you achieved more than you initially thought ? As a naive twenty year old, I mean I was in the gym with Naz a world champion, Ryan Rhodes, Johnny Nelson and watching them all coming through. I had big goals but I also had little goals to be British, Commonwealth and European champion and I've achieved those little goals. I feel as I've never hit my potential and if I can do that I'm good enough to win a world title. My big goal is to be a world champion and box in America and it nearly happened but for one reason or another, hopefully the right reason, I'm not going there this time. How much longer do you want to be in the game for and have you ever thought about training, promoting or managing fighters yourself once your fighting days are over? If you had asked me that five years ago I'd have definitely said training, managing, but I'm very clued up on the game, I'm not looking that far ahead. At the moment I'm thinking about what's happening in my career. It's a difficult job training and managing fighters but I think yeah I will stay in the game. You've had many obstacles to overcome in and out of the ring over the years, do you feel these things have benefited you as a fighter? The best asset you can have as a fighter is experience, in all my fights I've had different experience's, I've been robbed, had a controversial decision, I've been knocked out, I've lost on points with inexperience. I think experience is the biggest factor in a fight, I've learnt a lot and I think that will keep me in good stead for the future and I'm hoping to be around for the next six or seven years. You've just had to pull out of a challenge to the IBF 126 champ Valdemir Pereira, tell us what happened with your injury. Last Wednesday I was sparring with a guy called Carl Johansson, he's a good spar, we spar quite regular and he's a good fighter. He's got a good team around him, I've no doubt he's going to become British, Commonwealth and European champion at super feather weight. I always have to be on my toes with him, on the ball and afterwards my rib felt a bit sore. That night it got inflamed and in the morning I could hardly move so I went to the doctors. He said it could be cracked or badly bruised and at the beginning of this week it was still bad and he said I advise you not to fight, I had to pull out and I didn't want to do that. I had watched tapes of Pereira and knew I had got the potential to beat him, hopefully I'll get the opportunity again. How had your preparation been going before you sustained the injury? Fine, it wasn't as good as it could of gone but things happen for a reason, so I'm not too down hearted about it, other chances are going to come and I've got other things to conquer. Are you still hoping to get a shot at Pereira or will you concentrate more at the super bantamweight division? Super bantam is my division but if a opportunity comes at featherweight and it's the right one, I've become a bit of a businessman now, ideally though it would be super bantamweight. What options do you think are available to you at Super Bantam? I've been offered a fight, all being well, on Junior Witter's bill in Nottingham or where ever it is, it's definitely in England. Whether it's a title fight or a tune up I'm looking to keep active, the ideal fight would be Michael Hunter by the end of the year. Onto Michael Hunter, what did you think about his last fight, do you think he's improving and what would you do different in the rematch? He's getting experience, the guy in front of him was nothing, he was blown out in two rounds, he was knackered in two rounds. I'm not taking anything away from Hunter, he's got a terrific will to win and a big heart. I wasn't 30% of myself, making no excuses. A lot of people were saying he was stronger than me, he wasn't. In the first two rounds when I knocked him down I was taking it to him and his punches were bouncing off me which means I'm the stronger fighter, so I would fight him and box him. Are there any other fighters you particularly want to meet? Bernard Dunne, I think that would be a good big fight, I speak to his promoter quite a lot and also Israel Vasquez. I know I'm world class at my best and I want to produce my best and if I can do that I can give anyone a fight. Vasquez is fighting Wayne McCollough next. That's right Wayne keeps getting these opportunities and I think he'll end up getting hurt, he's too tough for his own good. Larios stopped McCollough and Vasquez knocked Larios out, I just think McCullough is a bit long in the tooth now and it's a bit of a silly move to make, he should retire gracefully now, he's got his respect Your no stranger to either challenging or defending a title in your opponents back yard, has this been a conscious effort by you and your management team or has it just happened that way? It work's out with promotions, a lot of my fights I have really been the underdog. I was for Gigliotti, Martinez although I had home advantage, Brian Carr, Jon Jo Irwin. I went to Spain and got robbed, I was a slight favourite I think for Hunter but in his backyard. You've got to be prepared to do anything, my last two European defences was in a hostile crowd away from home but a rings a ring. You've come through what's often described as the traditional route, winning British, Commonwealth and European titles. Do you feel this has given you the solid credentials and experience to be a genuine world class contender rather than going through say the alphabet title path like a lot of British fighters do. I'm glad I've done it that way, it's something no one can ever take away from me. I'm really happy to have won the European title and I'd love to win a British title outright. I want to reach my full potential and take it to another level. I feel I was 30% against Michael Hunter and that fight was a close fight and people were saying I was world class. What would a 100% Esham Pickering be, I'm world class at 30% and dropping the European champion Michael Hunter who's blowing away his opponents at the moment, I think it proves I'm world class, if I'm world class at 30% I'm world class at 100%. So you're going to focus on the European rather than the IBO, WBU, WBF. Like I say I'm turning into a bit of a business man and I would prefer genuine titles but there might be times where I might have to go a different route. But I think Hunter's going to come pretty soon because I think I'm mandatory for his British and European titles, unless he gives up his British then maybe I'll box Marc Callaghan or someone like that and that would be a good fight for July. Is there anything you'd like to say in closing? I'd just like to say, nobody has seen me at my best and I just want to prove myself. I'm not bothered about what anybody else thinks, I want to prove to myself that I can produce my best and at my best I know I'm world class and I know I can win a world title. Thanks very much. No probs.

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