[Previous entry: "Cooney honored at Gallagher's (NYC) Mar 16, F.I.S.T will benefit"] [Main Index] [Next entry: "Munoz to defend vs. Ishihara"]
03/03/2004 Archived Entry: "Ex-Football Player Carl "Iron Fist" Davis Tackles the Heavyweight Divison"
Ex-Football Player Carl "Iron Fist" Davis Tackles the Heavyweight Divison
By Juan C. Ayllon
Chicago, IL - On Friday, May 5th at the Ramada-O’Hare, fearsome looking, former pro football player, Carl “Iron Fist” Davis (3-0 with two kayos), will look to win his fourth professional bout against slugger, Lamar “T” Stephens (1-0,1KO).
Standing at 6’5” and 230 pounds, Davis is an imposing natural athlete. Hitz Boxing publicist Trace Zimmerman said, “He looks like a killer when he’s not talking, but when he jumps in the air after a victory, he’s like a kid!” A big kid, indeed. He played in both the Canadian Football League and the Arena Football League before he set his sights on boxing.
Not just another large body from the gridiron, after just six amateur bouts, Davis entered and won the prestigious Chicago Golden Gloves Championships at super heavyweight, winning all his bouts in this tournament by knockout. This made a grand total of 11 amateur bouts in all for Carl Davis.
Recently, Davis took time out to discuss his new career with the CBZ.
Juan Ayllon: Tell us briefly about your professional football career.
Carl Davis: I played with the CFL [Canadian Football League] and the AFL—the Arena Football League—with the New York City Hawks.
JA: How would you say that your experience with football helps in boxing?
CD: Oh, wow! I would have to say being able to handle the weight of big fighters over 250 lbs. They say that if you’re a heavyweight, you’re a heavyweight. I admired guys like Joe Frazier, Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. But back then, Foreman was two and a quarter!
Now, you’re seeing fighters coming in at 6’-3”, 6’-5”. They’re taller, bigger, heavier, [and] stronger. A lot of fighters come in where weight makes a difference. They’re coming in at 250-plus and the average weight is now 245. But, “back in the day,” fighters were 215 to 225 [pounds]. With football, you have an advantage: you have [the experience of dealing with] big bodies weighing on you.
JA: How many total amateur bouts do you have and how do you feel that this affects you as a professional?
CD: The thing is that it just depends on the individual. You can never take away experience. Whether it’s boxing or football, it’s always the basics that win. The main thing is that you have the basics down.
Coming in with 11 [amateur] bouts, that’s very minimal. However, I’m going to continue to get better. The main thing is to continue to get better, to mature and learn your craft.
JA: What would you say your strengths are?
CD: Speed, power, reflexes—good reflexes—my reflexes are very good. Power: it’s weird because I believe I have good knockout power. I can deliver a shot and knock a guy out.
They say to be a good heavyweight, you need a good jab, a good chin and nice punching power.
Now, you take Chris Byrd, he’s a good heavyweight, but isn’t known as a dangerous guy with punching power, but he has beautiful defense he’s slick and he can counter beautifully.
Holyfield doesn’t have great knockout power; he’s not a Tyson who’ll knock you out with one shot. But, he has that power to stun you. He’s got a great chin. He’s a good, clean-up fighter, and a great counter puncher.
JA: So, where do you see yourself fitting in stylistically in the continuum between Byrd, Holyfield and Tyson?
CD: I would say mostly that I’m growing. I believe I have kayo power, I’m a great counter puncher.
As far as Mike Tyson, we’re very different. If you want to compare me to Mike Tyson, I would say my uppercut [is similar to his].
Those guys came a long way and will always be known as great fighters.
As an up and coming fighter, [my strengths are] my reflexes are good, my punching power and an ability to take a punch and keep moving. I have a lot of good assets to grow and become a great fighter.
JA: Has your chin ever been really tested?
CD: No one likes to get hit. The times I did take a shot in the ring and in sparring, I have been able to keep going and shake it off. Now, some people are never satisfied. They say you don’t have a proven chin until this guy hits you. Some people say that about Roy Jones!
JA: You just got back up to Illinois from sparring with Angelo Dundee’s new, promising heavyweight in Florida. Tell us about it.
CD: I went down to Florida and there’s this gym at South Florida Boxing Gym. They are really cool people down there! The coaches there let me spar with different guys. I sparred with Attila Levin, who’s 29-1 and number 10 in the WBO. He’s a really good fighter. It was a great experience! It also felt really good to train in a place where Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones, and Ali all trained there.
JA: What do you know about your opponent this Friday?
CD: I don’t know too much about him. He’s out of Chicago. His last fight, he kayoed his opponent with the left hook. He’s bigger than me—about 245. He’s a tall, lean guy.
Stuff like that excites me because I’m a very competitive person and like to test myself. I’ll spar with anyone who’s good. I like to see where you stand.
JA: Elaborate on this.
CD: A lot of fighters are striving for a title. I’m striving for a title. But, I say, let me train with a guy that lets me know where I’m at who’s around 30-0, 25-0. If I had an opportunity to spar with Roy Jones, I would be tremendously happy! If I spar with a guy who’s number five, number one in the world and hang with him [with my limited experience] then that says something about me.
I would like to see myself in two years at the top 10, top five or—better than that—in position to fight for a title belt.
JA: Any predictions about your fight on Friday?
CD: I never make predictions. That’s not me. I tell myself, I’m going to box this guy, do my thing and go home. And, I want to go home with that “W”, the win. I’ll fight the fight that Carl wants, I’ll fight the fight and there is no one who is going to stop me!
Carl Davis will be one of several featured fighters in the Hitz Boxing production, “Budweiser Championship Boxing” at the Ramada Plaza Hotel O’Hare. Headlining this action packed night of professional prizefighting is 1996 Ukrainian Olympian and Soviet Champ Vitaliy “The Doctor” Kopytko (22-5,9KOs). Featherweight Jimmy “Superfly” Sandoval (2-0,2KOs), younger brother of former lightweight champ Jesus Chavez—who gave Eric Morales a terrific fight last Saturday, will continue his quest towards world honors of his own.
Also in attendance will be WBO lightweight World Champion Acelino “Popo” Freitas to support his protege Junior Welterweight Luciano Silva (2-0,2KOs). The show will also feature the much anticipated return of Welterweight Germaine “Silky Smooth” Sanders (22-3,16KOs) and hard hitting Super Middleweight Oscar Bravo (18-2,15KOs).
Hitz Boxing will also be giving away two ringside seats to the Cory Spinks-Zab Judah welterweight showdown on April 10th, 2004.
