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Final Words With Joachim Alcine
By Jeff Emond Jeffrey
Tomorrow night in Montreal, Former WBA light middleweight
champion will do battle with knockout artist David Lemieux.
In search of redemption, Alcine is well aware that this
fight might be his last chance to shine and eventually
reclaim a world title. The fighter known as “Ti Joa’’ can’t
afford to lose this fight.
Jeff Emond Jeffrey: Good afternoon Joachim! Only one day
before the fight, how are you?
Joachim Alcine: I’m doing very good and I’m great shape.
JEJ: It seems the hostility went up this week between
you and your former promoter Yvon Michel. What can you tell
us about it?
JA: It’s quite simple. My former team GYM weren’t
there for me when I needed them. They don’t wanna take
responsibility for anything that went wrong with my career,
especially with the Daniel Santos fight in July 2008.
JEJ: You lost your title to Santos in July 2008. What
really happened in that fight?
JA: I had trouble with my right eye. I couldn’t see
right. So I told my former trainer Howard Grant and my
promoter that I wanted to reschedule my title defense
because I wasn’t 100% fit. They forced me to get in the ring
by telling me I would be stripped of the title if I didn’t
go fight Santos in summer 2008 and later he learned the WBA
would not have taken my title away. But I didn’t know then.
They also told me a lot of people were counting on me and
the card would not be successful since I was their first
champion at that time. I would have beat Santos if my former
team would have given a proper time to recover. So I’m
really angry about it.
JEJ: Do you feel like they are using you as a
stepping stone for Lemieux ?
JA: Yes I do. Don’t get me wrong, I have no bad
feelings against David. He is a great person and a very
talented fighter. But I have to get revenge and the only way
to do it is to beat Lemieux tomorrow. A lot of boxing
experts in Montreal also said I wouldn’t last long against
my opponent, so I’m there to prove them wrong along the way.
JEJ: In the past, you didn’t looked tapes of your
opponents? Did you do your homework for this fight?
JA: I sure did. I’m really serious about this fight.
I studied the Lemieux-Rubio bout carefully. I saw good
things about David in this fight, but I also saw important
flaws in his way to attack. I’m gonna use his flaws against
him tomorrow and get the win.
JEJ: Thank you for your time Joachim.
JA: No problem. I hope many boxing fans will witness
this event.
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