Masternak after beating Mormeck: I am ready for a world title fight

He was under pressure. A defeat could have meant that he would have to forget about big-time boxing for many months, and perhaps even years. Twenty-seven-year-old Mateusz Masternak outpointed former cruiserweight king Jean-Marc Mormeck in Issy-les-Moulineaux near Paris. In Polish professional boxing, it was the most valuable victory of 2014.

- How much stress did your approach to the fight with Jean-Marc Mormeck cause you?
Mateusz Masternak: I tried not to think about it, but there is no doubt that a defeat would have changed my sporting life.

- Would it have meant the termination of your contract with the German Sauerland Promotion stable?
MM: There was a strong possibility that it would. Before the fight, however, I did not discuss the matter with my promoters.

- How difficult was the fight?
MM: Despite being 42, Mormeck was still very dangerous. He tried to push me onto the ropes throughout the fight. The ring was small, so I had no room to work freely with my legs.

- Was the ring set up to suit Mormeck?
MM: It was not just the ring. Everything was arranged for him. That does not surprise me, and I do not hold it against anyone, because that is what away fights look like. The timekeeper and one of the judges, who scored the fight a draw, made mistakes. There can also be reservations about the referee’s work, although generally he handled the fight correctly. Mormeck hit me with his elbow several times, but that is boxing. Everyone wants to win at any cost.

- From a tactical standpoint, did you solve the fight flawlessly?
MM: I knew I had to hit Mormeck with straight punches and uppercuts. I landed the latter cleanly several times. In the second round, or at the end of the first, I hit him on the forehead with an uppercut and injured my left hand. It is bruised and swollen, and it is possible that a bone is fractured. The most important thing was that I could still throw punches. I gritted my teeth because I knew how important this fight was. I had to clearly establish my superiority in every round. If I fought for a draw, Mormeck would get the points. When a minute remained in the round, my cornermen reminded me that I had to get back to work.

- Were you surprised that Mormeck did not hit the canvas?
MM: He felt the strain of the fight and was retreating several times. Toward the end, I thought I would catch him, but his experience helped him. He kept his head low and moved his body, so few of my punches landed cleanly on his jaw. I most often hit his forehead or other parts of his head.

- Would Mormeck be capable of beating one of the current cruiserweight champions?
MM: To be honest, I consider him a better boxer than Youri Kalenga, whom I lost to in June (Kalenga defeated Masternak — ed.). In that fight, I respected him too much. I believed too strongly that he punched very hard and that any of his shots could end the fight. That was my biggest mistake.

- If you had fought Kalenga the way you did on Friday, would you have won the WBA interim world title then?
MM: I think so. At the press conference, I told the French that I would gladly return to Paris for a rematch with Kalenga. I would deal with him, but I am approaching the subject cautiously. I know that he is now seeking a fight with Denis Lebedev, the full WBA champion.

- And are you ready to fight for a world title?
MM: I know that with good preparation and the right tactics, I can compete with any boxer in our division. Five years ago, there were experts who saw me as a future champion, and later they backed away from those statements. Many claimed that I was finished and declining. Deep down, however, I felt that it was not true.

- How long will we have to wait for your next fight?
MM: I need a month’s rest. I had five fights in 2014, including two very tough ones. If the injury is not serious, a reasonable time for my return would be around the turn of March and April. I would like the opponent to be at least as good as Mormeck.

- Perhaps the right time for a fight with Krzysztof Włodarczyk will finally arrive?
MM: This fight has lost some of its value. Not long ago, Krzysztof was the WBC world champion and I was the European champion. We have both lost those titles. The publicity would still be significant, though. If someone wanted to make the fight happen, I would see no reason to reject such an offer.

Interview by: Przemysław Osiak, przegladsportowy.pl