?Iceman? John Scully is a well respect boxing trainer who works with many up and coming fighters, and has in the past trained the likes of Chad Dawson, among others, to a world championship belt. Scully is also a television personality, having done analyst work for ESPN, and also starring a coach in the second season of the KNOCKOUT television show.
I recently had a chance to speak to John Scully and I got his views on many of the top stories going on in the sport. Scully discussed the upcoming Klitschko vs. Fury bout and gives his prediction on the heavyweight clash. Scully also breaks down what he saw from the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight, and if he thinks there is any reason to have a rematch. Here is what John Scully had to say.
Robert Brown: Tyson Fury will be facing Wladimir Klitschko for the heavyweight title. What do you think Fury needs to do to win this fight?
John Scully: I think his energy and his ability to keep people off balance ? he?s kind of unorthodox and I think he should use that, he should magnify that because clearly the basic style that people have ? just the basic boxing style ? it doesn?t work against Klitschko. He?s too fundamentally sound, and his technique is very good against that style.
I think that you have to give him some angles, you have to give him some movement, something he hasn?t seen before. The basic boxing style that most people have is obviously not working. This guy has been undefeated for a long time and he?s been very effective at combating that style. I just think Tyson being a different look, and an interesting look, and something that I think fans are going to be interested in this time.
Robert Brown: What is your early prediction for that fight?
John Scully: I do think it?s going to be an entertaining fight, more so than any Wladimir fight of recent times. At the end of it all, I still believe in Wladimir, I believe that he knows that and I believe that he?s still in possession of a very good jab and he knows what he needs to do.
Wladimir knows it?s not gonna be a slow paced fight that he may favor. I think he?s gonna use his size and his power and his double jabs a little bit more. He?s gonna have to get a little bit more physical than he normally has been and I think he?ll do that. I think he?ll end up coming away probably with a decision win, very competitive for the most part, but I think he?ll eventually take over and win the fight.
Robert Brown: I want to get your thoughts on Manny Pacquiao?s injury in the Floyd Mayweather fight. Do you think the fight would have played out any differently if Pacquiao was healthy?
John Scully: Not really. On the one hand, I don?t like to doubt any fighter. I don?t personally believe that Manny Pacquiao?s injury was as severe as we are being led to believe. Whether he had an issue or not, I don?t know. To have a rotator injury like that ? a tear ? there is no way that you?re going to throw hard punches.
If you remember early in that fight, I believe the fourth round, there was a sequence that Manny really let fly, with a group of hard punches. I?ve had a rotator injury before and believe me when I tell you, there?s no way he?s throwing those hard shots with a rotator injury, it?s not even possible. I don?t think the fight would have been different. If he did have an injury, I don?t think it was as severe as they led it to believe, I don?t believe that.
Robert Brown: So you would not be interested in a rematch at all?
John Scully: I?ll be honest, I wasn?t interested in the first fight. I knew it was gonna go that way and I went on record before the fight saying it was gonna go that way. I didn?t even think it was that difficult of a choice.
I honestly lost interest around 2012, so when it happened, I actually went to Las Vegas for it because I had a lot of friends out there and we were hanging out and we just turned it into a vacation, a boxing themed vacation. But I wasn?t surprised at the fight at all, and I certainly wouldn?t be interested in seeing it again.
Robert Brown: I want to talk to you about the fight between Steve Cunningham and Antonio Tarver. What are your thoughts on this heavyweight match?
John Scully: I?ll tell you, I really like Steve a lot because he?s such a gritty guy. He?s got a heart the size of Philadelphia, he doesn?t give up. He fights the big monsters, the big strong guys and he goes toe to toe with them, and he always digs down and fights back. I really like that.
Antonio is tricky and he?s a deceptive guy. He can hurt you when he wants to if he can get the right shot in. I think stylistically it?s a very interesting fight, it?s an intriguing fight because of who these guys are ? big names in the sport. I can?t pick against Klitschko just yet, so I wouldn?t necessarily think that the winner would be the next champion or anything like that.
As far as a heavyweight fight with a lot of intrigue because of Tarver being a former light heavyweight and moving up to heavyweight and still looking relatively fresh, I think it?s a very good fight. It?s just as good as any other heavyweight fight out there today.
