We recently caught up with European Cruiserweight Champion Marco Huck 23-1(18) who makes his second defence on 24 January against unbeaten Geoffrey Battelo in Sachsen, Germany. Huck 24, has already challenged for a world title back at the end of 2007 when he was stopped in the twelfth against then IBF champion Steve Cunningham. Since that debacle Huck has returned and gone 4-0(4).
Hello Marco, welcome to 15rounds.com
Hello Anson!
Anson Wainwright – You will face Geoffrey Batello on 24 January in Germany. What do you know about him?
Marco Huck – Oh, I know him very well, indeed. In 2008 he had a contract with my team as a sparring partner and worked in our gym for a few month. I had sparring with him for myself, a lot of rounds. So I know his strength but my trainer and me know how we can beat him as well.
Anson Wainwright – How has training gone? Where have you trained and what is a typical day of training? Who do you have for sparring?
Marco Huck – I had a very hard time for the last weeks. At first we trained in the Max Schmeling Gym near the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, the home base of my Team Sauerland. The last week we had a training camp in the sport school of Kienbaum, out in the forests near Berlin. So I could concentrate on the preparation to 100 per cent. A typical day of training starts in the morning at 9 o’clock with stretching, running and shadow boxing. After breakfast relaxing. In the afternoon I had sparring mostly for eight or ten rounds. Then Sauna and massage. My sparring partners were Carlos Takam from France, Arthur Cook from Canada and Chauncy Welliver from New Zealand. Very strong guys.
Anson Wainwright – You broke your jaw I believe in a fight in 2008 in a fight with Frantisek Kasanic you still stopped him in 9. What can you tell us about this? How did you manage to fight on threw the pain?
Marco Huck – I would like to answer you with the words of my coach Ulli Wegner. He says: You can loose, you can go down, you can feel the pain – but you can never give up! That’s the philosophy of our team and of me as well. When I was in the fight I didn’t feel the pain because I was focused on the victory. Later the doctor told me about the broken jaw. But now everything is ok again, that’s no problem.
Anson Wainwright – You were only out of the ring for 4 months how did you make it back so quick?
Marco Huck – Yes, the relaxing after the broke of the jaw was very good. It wasn’t a great thing, only a little broke, not serious. We have good doctors in our team and so I could start to train early after the injury. Maybe it’s a good example for my slogan: Hard, harder, Huck.
Anson Wainwright – If all goes according to plan against Batello what are you looking to do next?
Marco Huck – There is only one goal I have: I want to become World Champion as soon as possible. I had my chance end of 2007 versus Steve Cunningham and I lost this fight. But it was an important experience for me and I learned a lot. I made many mistakes during the preparation for the Cunningham bout. But now I’m older and I have more knowledge about boxing and about live. I think I’m ready for the title.
Anson Wainwright – Who is your toughest opponent to date?
Marco Huck – I think it was Steve Cunningham. A very tough guy and a strong fighter. Very intelligent boxer.
Anson Wainwright – You were born in Yugoslavia, it’s not really known for it’s Boxing so how did you get into Boxing?
Marco Huck – Yes, I was born in Sandzak, that’s a part of former Yugoslavia. But I came to Germany when I was a child. And there in the city of Bielefeld which is my home town I started with Kickboxing. I was World Champion in Free Fight with 18 and after this victory I was looking for a new challenge. I started boxing as an amateur. Then Ulli Wegner our head coach discovered me.
Anson Wainwright – What do you make of the current Cruiserweight champions WBC Fragomeni, IBF Adamek & WBA Guillermo Jones?
Marco Huck – Of course I know them, especially Adamek. That are tough guys. But I would beat them all.
Anson Wainwright – Who do you think will win the upcoming fight for the Vacant WBO title Maccarinelli & Banks?
Marco Huck – I think Maccarinelli will win.
Anson Wainwright – Finally do you have any message for your fans?
Marco Huck – I hope that my fans will support me in the future as well as in the past and I promise: I never will disappoint my fans. And if everything goes well I will be World Champion in the end of this year.
Thanks Kapt’n good luck with your EBU title defence.
Marco Huck – Thank you Anson and best regards to the users of 15rounds.com!
Anson Wainwright
15rounds.com
