Former WBA bantamweight champion Wladimir Sidorenko (21-2-2, 7 KOs) will fight former IBO super flyweight champion Mbwana Matumla (19-4, 11 KOs) for vacant WBC International super flyweight title on August 28th at Maidan Nezalezhnosti, Kiev, Ukraine. Sidorenko was the featured guest on the Internet-TV ?RingSide Show? hosted by Fightnews.com writer Alexey ?Oscar? Potapov and Vyacheslav Ponochovny, commentator for Ukrainian telechannel ?Inter.? Sidorenko spoke about returning to the ring, working with Freddie Roach, and also about a possible megafight against WBC/WBA super flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan in November in Mexico.
Wladimir, after your last fight against Anselmo Moreno in May 2009, you broke off from Universum Box Promotions. Since then a lot of time has passed without much news. Tell us what you?ve been doing all this time.
Last year in October, I went to the USA for the first time in search of promoters. Previously I had carried on negotiations over the telephone. I met Don King, Bob Arum, then I met Artie Pellulo and Gary Shaw, promoters of my friend WBO light middleweight champion Sergiy Dzinziruk. After these negotiations I took time for reflection and in the beginning of 2010 had already moved to America for constant training. At first I wanted to sign with Sergiy?s promoters, but I wasn?t interested the conditions which had been offered me. But in America I got to know some Russian managers and they acquainted me with trainer Freddie Roach, whom I?ve started to work with. But we all know that Freddie is a very busy trainer. He works with boxers like Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan. When he left for three weeks to prepare a boxer for a fight, I spent time training in the camp of Joe Goossen, the brother of promoter Dan Goossen. He promised me a fight on the undercard of the Ward-Green fight and I began preparations, however that fell through. After that I started negotiations with the Ukrainian promoter Vadim Bukhkalov.
Universum Box Promotion accepted your decision to leave?
Yes. I left without problems. If I was still the world champion, I assure you it would have been more difficult?I knew I would be leaving the company for a long time.
In April there was a split in K2 East Promotions with Vitali Klitschko and Vadim Bukhkalov deciding to go different ways. Why have you made a decision to fight in the Ukraine and truthfully, didn?t you want to work with Vitali?
Yes, an offer from K2 Ukraine came. Last year Sergiy Dzinziruk and I met Vitali Klitschko, but it wasn?t possible to come to an agreement because most of all we were interested in coming to America. Therefore Vitali was more of a consultant and his company did help get me a visa for the USA. As to Vadim Bukhkalov, he had been making offers for a long time. Finally I called Vadim and told him that I was ready to discuss working with him. After three weeks of studying the contract with my lawyers, I signed a three-year contract. It?s good because not only can I box in front of my fans in the Ukraine, he doesn?t forbid me to sign with American promoters. If I sign a contract with Don King or Gary Shaw, it won?t affect the existing contract with Bukhkalov.
It?s known that you?ve started to work with Freddie Roach, arguably the best trainer in professional boxing now. What are your impressions of working with him? What have you learned?
Freddie is a very good trainer. He is the best! After the first training sessions, I understood that he?s a trainer who can give to me a lot. We understood each other very easily and have a good understanding of each other in the ring, as well. He boxed in my weight category. One thing bad for me is that he works with many fighters. As soon as I?m finished, at once he works with other boxers. This is nothing surprising since he?s the best trainer in the world. Now, if we come to an agreement, then I?ll sign a trainer?s contract and pay 10% from my purse. And when preparations for my fights begin, he?ll able to pick sparring partners. I?ll be in the USA where I can work with him for two weeks, then I?ll arrive in Kiev one week prior to fight.
Will Roach be with you in Kiev on August 28th?
I hope that he can visit Ukraine, because now in Los Angeles he trains three Ukrainian boxers, WBA welterweight champion Vyacheslav Senchenko, EBU (European) featherweight champion Oleh Yefimovych and Stanislav Kashtanov. They have a date for August 30th in Donetsk, Ukraine where all three will fight.
There was talk about a megafight between you and WBC/WBA super flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan. Are you ready to fight?
It?s Darchinyan?s promoters that offered me the fight. Vic will next fight in November in Mexico and an offer has arrived for me to face him in the ring. I?m ready! But it?s necessary to ask Darchinyan whether he wants to fight me. I?ve agreed to go against him in the ring and I want this fight, but there?s one problem for me ? Gary Shaw, Darchinyan?s promoter has stated the requirement to sign with him and then the fight will take place. This offer is being considered my team, but I won?t sign the contract now. First I?ll fight in Kiev and only after that will I carry on negotiations about a fight against Darchinyan. I easily defeated former IBF bantamweight champion Joseph Agbeko, who beat Darchinyan last year. A Sidrenko-Darchinyan fight would be interesting to millions of boxing fans. Vic, if you aren?t afraid of me, let?s find out who among us is the best in the world!
You know anything about the show in Kiev on August 28th?
I am assured that it?ll be a spectacular show. My fight will be the main event. I hope that on fight night many fight fans will come considering that show will take place on the biggest square of Kiev, the Maidan Nezalezhnosti. My opponent Mbwana Matumla is a strong boxer, a former IBO super flyweight champion and I need to be well prepared. I?ll come down to super flyweight for the fight against Vic Darchinyan.
* * * The Internet-TV ?RingSide Show? is hosted by Fightnews.com writer Alexey ?Oscar? Potapov. Stay tuned for the full video interview with Wladimir Sidorenko. Ukrainian and Russian boxing fans can click here.
