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Boxinginsider.com: How's training going with Andrew Golota (for the November 13th Madison Square Garden fight against John Ruiz for the WBA Heavyweight title)?
Sam Colonna: "It's going good. He's real focused. He's doing everything that he's asked to do. And we're gonna start sparring on Monday."
Boxinginsider.com: That's funny, we've heard rumors that Andrew's been sparring with Oquendo and even put him down a few times...
Sam Colonna: "Nooo, that's just a rumor. We haven't even started sparring yet. We're supposed to spar with Oquendo. Oquendo's gonna have camp - I don't know where he's going but is brother don't want him in Chicago."
Boxinginsider.com: After Andrew's stunning performance against Chris Byrd in April, how has that affected him since? Have fans and people treated him differently?
Sam Colonna: "Yeah, I think he got a lot of respect for that. He's not fouling no more, there's hope for him, you know? Before (Byrd), people were like Oh this crazy guys' gonna get disqualified again. Now they're looking at him as the favorite now. If he just keeps his head straight, that's how they see it now, he should beat Ruiz. Probably this fight is harder than the last one - that's how I'm looking at it. It's a different fight. He's a bigger man, more rugged guy. Chris Byrd is flashier, smaller. This guy - he always finds a way to win, look at his past."
Boxinginsider.com: Do you believe Andrew's performance changed his own psyche at all? As a fighter?
Sam Colonna: "You know, I think he believes in himself now too. That performance - he knows he can go the distance. The confidence - it's a booster for your confidence. To go out there and perform like that, you gotta feel good."
Boxinginsider.com: What's his weight right now?
Sam Colonna: "I weighed him out the other day at 242, 243."
Boxinginsider.com: A lot of people look at Ruiz's style and say Boxing is terrible if a holder/clincher like that is a heavyweight champion. Do you think heavyweight boxing would be better off with or without John Ruiz as champion?
Sam Colonna: "I'd like to see Golota in there [smiles]. Instead of Ruiz. I think Golota brings more to the table. When Golota fights, he fills places. When John Ruiz fights, people are just like, Here's this Ruiz again, you know? He doesn't bring as much to the table as Golota does."
Boxinginsider.com: At this stage of his career, at age 36, do you think Andrew Golota can summon up one more tremdendous effort?
Sam Colonna: "Well, I think so. Because here's a guy that is pretty clever in the ring. And he hasn't got beat up like some fighters, they go 12 rounds time after time like a Ruiz. Just take a lot of beatings going through those fights. And I think Andrew - I don't want to say he's in the prime of his life - he's not because he's up in age - but for a heavyweight, they go longer than those little guys. And I think Golota is looking better than ever. I think his attitude has changed and that's the difference between the Golota of today and the Golota of yesterday."
Boxinginsider.com: How would you illustrate that his attitude is different now?
Sam Colonna: "The guy doesn't miss a day of training. Monday was a holiday - Labor Day. We went in the morning to train. Last Saturday he couldn't train because he had something to do. So we trained Sunday morning. He's got to get his six days in. He's got to get his run in. He changed my life too. I get up at 3:30 in the morning to go to work. And he wants me there at the gym at 9:30. Then he's got to weight lift at 2. And he runs at 5. He doesn't want to put 'em all together. He separates them. So he's really dedicated today, you know?"
Boxinginsider.com: Can you illustrate how important it is for Andrew to win the WBA Heavyweight title?
Sam Colonna: "Well, everybody wants to go down, when you retire, as a champion. And this is an opportunity to become that. You got John Ruiz, who no one likes, and they're like John Ruiz is fighting, it's not that they don't like him, he's just kind of a boring fighter. There's nothing flashy about him. And people would like to see a new face in there. And everybody knows Andrew can fight. If he wouldn't have made them mistakes in the past with Riddick Bowe, what happened with Tyson, and those other fights he just threw out the window...so, Golota, he's a flashy guy. People support him. Even with what he's gone through, people still are supporting him. When he fights, there's always a packed house."
By Scoop Malinowski
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