Exclusive Alex Arthur interview by Ben Carey Mar 21st 2005

2005 is set to be a pivotal year in the career of Alex Arthur. The Edinburgh native is busy preparing for his tantalising all Scottish showdown with Glasgow's Craig Docherty for the British and Commonwealth super-featherweight titles before a bumper crowd at the Meadowbank Arena in his hometown on April 8. Victory for Arthur would guarantee him a crack at Boris Sinitsin's European crown in the summer, where another chalk in the win column would edge the former amateur standout a step closer towards a world title tilt. Sounding supremely confident ahead of this East versus West clash with former friend now turned temporary enemy Docherty, Arthur took time out to discuss his recent progress with BBN. BC: You seem to have matured as a fighter in the last 12 months. Is your forthcoming fight with Craig Docherty your chance to prove this? AA: I think I proved this in my last fight (against Nazareno Gaston Ruiz in December) and against Eric Odumase. Obviously against Michael Kizza I never got a chance to prove anything to anybody, other than I carry a big punch in either hand. But apart from that, I think I've already showed people my capabilities with my defensive work and I'm now thinking in the ring without just going for the knockout all the time. But this fight will give me the chance to showcase what I feel I'm capable of doing. BC: What kind of fight are you anticipating from Docherty? Do you expect him to pressure you or to try and box? He seemed caught between two styles against Boris Sinitsin? AA: Yeah, he wasn't sure what to do with himself and that's because Sinitsin had an awkward style. I think this fight is going to be exciting from the start. I think Craig knows that I'm a bigger puncher than him but he's got a great chin. Craig can hold a shot very well so he'll probably try and use his skills believe it or not. But he's not as quick as me and I don't think he's as smart inside the ring either. I know he's got a few weaknesses that I don't really want to mention. I know him so well from growing up together on the national team, we've sparred before in the past. I understand that he's really improved since then but so have I. It should be really interesting. BC: In his previous major domestic fight Docherty got it all wrong against Michael Gomez, attempted to trade and was taken out in two rounds. Do you think he will approach this fight with a lot more caution? AA: Well, I think he's much smarter now than he was then. Gomez never put him down, the referee stopped the fight probably because he saw some blood there – Craig cuts really easily. I believe that I'm not just a hard puncher, I'm a cutting puncher as well. I think the chances of Craig getting cut if the fight goes past four rounds are pretty high, but he's proved that he can fight through a cut and is pretty similar to Ricky Hatton in that sense. BC: Should you win, you will have various options at your disposal. Would you still be interested in a rematch with Michael Gomez despite his recent setback? AA: He's really got nothing to offer now. There's nothing there. Ever since we fought each other I've got stronger and smarter and he's deteriorated and got older. I believe our fight took something away from him. I believe he produced the last great performance that he had left in his body. I must say this now: he was very, very lucky that I was so unprepared and in bad shape. Had I been even a fraction more prepared than what I was…. well, I almost knocked him out in the condition that I was in. I believe that if I had prepared a little bit better than I had, I would have probably have knocked him out. BC: Since the Gomez loss you've undergone something of a style makeover, paying more attention to your defence and being more economical with your punches. Did you feel that these chances were essential in order for you to further your career? AA: I think so. I think these changes were essential in preparing me for the future, not just for this one particular fight. In the past I was guilty of looking too far ahead but now I look at the fight I've got and I treat it as if it's my last bout. I work exceptionally hard now and we've got a brilliant nutritionist working with us which we never had before. We've also got a sports scientist who works with us day in, day out. I've also got a brilliant boxing coach up here in Scotland called Owen Smith who not a lot of people know. He actually had almost 400 amateur bouts, and I think he had about 14 pro bouts. He was trained and managed by Ken Buchanan, who was a hero of mine. So, he managed to learn all the tricks of the trade. No one knows who Owen is but he's very, very good. BC: Are you still working with Jim McDonnell? AA: I'm definitely going to be still working with Jim McDonnell. For the Odumase fight I worked with him for a month. I was down in London for a month and my son was born while I was away which showed dedication. I was just feeling things out really. I also went for a spell in America where I trained with Freddie Roach and I got some really world-class sparring that brought me on – it was something I wasn't getting. But unfortunately Jim McDonnell went away with Danny Williams to America for six weeks prior to the Klitschko fight, so I wasn't able to work with Jim for my next fight against Gaston Ruiz. So, that was a bit unfortunate but I think I'm going to be working with Jimmy this week alongside Owen. BC: Have you made any changes to your diet? AA: I still eat three larger meals a day. In amongst those three meals I have three carbohydrate protein snacks that I use for refuelling. I'm also consuming about six litres of liquid a day as well which I've never done before. Previously I was under the impression that liquids put weight on your body. But my nutritionist, Jacqueline Bowman, is one of the head Olympic nutritionists and she's done a lot of work with the rowing team. She has been absolutely brilliant ever since the Gomez fight. BC: You're a tall super-featherweight (Arthur stands 5'9). How difficult is it for you to get down to 9st 4lbs? AA: It's not easy. I must admit that as time goes by I probably will become a lightweight. I'm actually taller than light-welterweights and welterweights and I've always got at least half a head on all my opponents. It is difficult but making weight is also an art and I've now got it to a fine art mixed with science and I can do it consuming 2,500 calories a day. That's plenty, you don't really need much more than that and I'm making the weight safely now. BC: I know you're not looking beyond Craig Docherty, but if you do win you're in pole position to challenge Boris Sinitsin for the European title. Do you think you might succeed where Craig failed? AA: Yes, I think I would be successful against Sinitsin. Having seen that fight, Craig had him reeling with a single shot, the guy was hurt but Craig couldn't capitalise on it. I believe that's because Craig doesn't have a great deal of power, and when I say power I mean speed mixed with strength. Craig can't seem to generate that. Everything he does is fairly methodical, so when he did hurt Sinitsin I was fairly surprised that he did it with a single shot. I'm a much bigger puncher than Craig Docherty and I'm much quicker. I can change my levels fairly quickly as well so I believe I would definitely succeed where he failed. BC: The next year could be a big one for you. There's talk of you competing in world class. Do you genuinely feel that you're ready to mix in this company? AA: I think I am. I think I proved that on my last fight. I had a minor chest infection when I took on the Argentine and he was eight places higher than me in the WBC ratings, as well as being a South American champion. I did 12 rounds with him without any problem and I think I proved to myself there that I was in world class. I think when I hurt Ruiz in the second round he didn't want to know. I've got an advantage over most super-featherweights because I've mixed in world class during the amateurs. I've fought Olympic champions, World champions, European champions as well as competing in major championships across the globe. I believe that I'll be ready for world class. BC: Who did you spare with while you were over in America? AA: I sparred with Diego Corrales and I handled myself fine. I also sparred with Israel Vasquez, the IBF super-bantamweight champion, Nate Campbell, an Olympic light-welterweight rep from America and Yoni Vagas – all the top guys out there. They're all world class fighters and I would say I more than held my own.

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