Raymond Joval Interview
By Per Ake Persson
IBO middle champ Raymond "Hallelujah" Joval kindly took time out for an interview this past Wednesday. It was already clear he wouldn´t be able to take on IBF ruler Arthur Abraham on May 13 due to his neck injury. "Hallelujah" can look back on a long and good career where he participated in the 92 Olympic games before turning pro in 94.
Q: How is your injury healing up, what exactly are you suffering from and when do you expect to be ready?
A: It´s kind of a whiplash injury to my neck. I go to the gym every day, train and get treatment. I would say I have five good days followed by two bad. It was something that happend a year ago and wasn´t taken care of properly at that time. I can´t say when I can be ready. This kind of injury just have to take its time.
Q: So how about your next fight?
A: Can´t say, I was to fight Abraham on May 13 but had to pass on that opportunity. Now I hope I get another chance. I want to fight the best out there.
A: You are trained by Tracy Harris Pattersson, right?
Q: Yes, that´s right. Me and Tracy go back a long time. I fought on the undercards to some of the shows he was headlining. There´s a strong tradition in that family you know and a lot of knowledge. In Holland I used to be trained by Eric Van Den Bergh but he have some health problems and is not available anymore.
Q: You got some kind of award last year in the Netherlands?
A: Yes indeed, it was from the Queen of Netherlands for my accomplishments as a boxer and for my work with kids in Amsterdam. It was a big honor of course. I do
a lot work with youngsters and try to help to them to stay off the streets and give them something to do.
Q: You started your career in the States in 94, what happend then?
A: Well, I got visa problems and couldn´t return to the States, I then managed myself for awhile but it was very difficult to do it all on my own. Eventually I signed with Olaf Schroeder, won and lost the WBU title, later I was promoted by Matchroom and Polish
Boxing Promotion. I didn´t make a lot of money and it didn´t take me anywhere. I wanted to go for the top guys at 160 but it didn´t seem like we were getting
there so we split.
Q: I watched you beat Sam Soliman - it was close but you won - in Amsterdam in 2001 and then you lost clearly to him in 2004, what happened?
A: You might say we were on the opposite side of the road. The first time I was fighting at home in Amsterdam, I was trained by Eric, he was based in London and had to travel to fight me. For the second fight I had to travel, and nothing worked out for me.
It just wasn´t my night. He´s a very strong guy, awkward and he beat me the second time, no doubt about that.
Q: Who would you like to fight?
A: Give me # 1! Jermain Taylor, Winly Wright, Arthur Abraham, Felix Sturm, those are the guys I would like to take on.
Q: Do you think you will get the chance to fight at home again?
A: It seems difficult, there is some interest from the networks but it doesn´t seem like the money is there. It´s not like in for instance Germany. Boxing is a small business in Holland, I do a lot to promote myself inbetween fights to stay in the media. If I
didn´t I would soon be forgotten.
Q: You are 37, for how long do you plan to keep on fighting?
A: Hard to say, I´m near the end of my career but I want some big fights before I go out.
Q: How do you see the future?
A: I will stay in boxing in some kind of capacity, train fighters perhaps, go with my wife to Surinam where I come from.
source: boxingscene.com
