Team Fenech’s Nedal “Skinny” Hussein receives his long awaited world title shot next weekend when he challenges WBC junior featherweight champion Oscar Larios on the Erik Morales-Marco Antonio Barrera III card at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, USA on November 27. Hussein 36-1 (22) arrived in Los Angeles last weekend and is not feeling any extra excitement so far and is confident of victory.
“Not yet,” Hussein told SecondsOut. “When I get to Las Vegas it will feel real. I don’t get too excited about anything. I don’t want to use all my energy until the fight.”
26 year-old Hussein traveled from his home base in Sydney, Australia with trainer Jeff Fenech, older brother and flyweight contender Hussein Hussein and fellow Team Fenech team-mates Danny Green and Vic Darchinyan. There is no doubt that 28 year-old Larios 53-3-1 (35) from Guadalajara, Mexico will be a very difficult champion to take the world title from.
“It’s a hard fight,” said Hussein. “You don’t hold the world title for a couple of years if you can’t fight. He has been around and it will be a good test. I’ll be stepping it up in this fight. I will be up for the fight and I will beat him.”
“Larios is a technique boxer and throws a large volume of punches,” said older brother and co-trainer Billy Hussein. “A lot of his wins have come against tough guys who take a lot of punches. Skinny is going to fire back and attack him.”
Often seen as lazy against inferior opposition, Hussein’s best performances have been against a better class of opposition as illustrated in his disputed loss to current featherweight star Manny Pacquiao in October 2000.
“Skinny has been boxing well and his weight is the best it has ever been,” said Billy Hussein. “We planned that he would have five fights this year leading to the world title shot. It has all come right. He has been the most active he has ever been and in the gym all year. You will see the best of Skinny Hussein in this fight.”
Before leaving for the USA, Hussein sparred many quality rounds with junior welterweight contender Lovemore Ndou and former opponent Jackson Asiku.
“We can’t thank both of them enough for the sparring they gave us,” said Billy Hussein.
“The work is in the gym,” said Nedal Hussein. “It is all the work you do leading up to the fight that matters. All I do now is my training and make sure I make the weight.”
Billy Hussein says that Kostya Tszyu’s sensational return to the ring two weeks ago and the professional way he managed his weight made an impact on Nedal Hussein. “It lifted him,” he said. “Watching Kostya win that way has inspired him even more.”
Hussein and his team arrive in Las Vegas on Saturday and will attend Winky Wright vs. Shane Mosley II. One week later Hussein will enter the MGM Grand Garden Arena for his first world title fight, which will be filled to capacity with Mexican fans on hand to cheer countrymen Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera and Larios.
“It can’t be any worse than when I fought Manny Pacquiao in the Philippines,” Hussein said, of the crowd that will be up against him. “The pressure is on him. Larios is the one who is supposed to win this fight. I don’t have to go to Mexico or a small ring out of the way. When I get in the MGM Grand ring my instincts will take over and I will win.”
There will be some very positive feelings in the Australian’s corner during the fight as the WBC junior featherweight title at stake was also won by Hussein’s trainer Jeff Fenech in May 1987.
“I’m more mature,” Hussein said of the difference in him over the last two years. “I know what I want from boxing and I know what I have to put in to get it. I don’t have to be fancy or worry about looking pretty, as long as I win.”
