Boxingtalk had the opportunity to speak with a fighter that many people now consider "the uncrowned WBO light heavyweight champion of the world," Richard Hall. Richard was robbed for a second time against current title-holder Dariusz Michalczewski last Saturday night. Their first fight was controversially stopped due to cuts on Halls eyes. But many people feel that the the second fight should have been stopped due to cuts that Dariusz suffered throughout the bout. In this exclusive interview Richard and I discuss last Saturday's travesty and a whole lot more. Read the full interview to see what Hall had to say.
Gregory Leon: How are you feeling Richard?
Richard Hall: I feel fine. Did you hear that Dariusz is in the hospital? Did you see how he looked? His jaw is broken.
GL: Do you feel that you whooped him even more convincingly in the rematch?
RH: YES I DID. There is no doubt about it. I went over there for a mission, and I completed my mission, but in a foreign country these things happen. The guy just landed four punches; when I held on to him, the referee said, break. I listened and broke, but the referee just stopped the fight. I don't have nothing bad to say about Rudy Battle. In one sense, I feel Rudy Battle did me a favor, because now I don't have to have any ties to my promoter. I know if I won the title there would be a lot of problems. Right now I am hoping to be free and looking forward to winning a championship in a fair fight.
GL: How come they stopped the fight because of your eyes in the first fight, but didn't stop it for Dariusz's eyes last Saturday?
RH: Well, I have no idea. No idea at all. The fight could have been stopped because of his left eye. He was bleeding like a pig from the first round on. When we were at the airport Rudy Battle said to me, I never knew you hit so hard. He even asked me if I thought he made a poor stoppage. I said, Rudy, in one sense you did me a favor and in one sense you messed up to where I was again. I am just looking at it like he did me a favor. I cannot look at it as crime anymore. I don't want to go through what I went through for this fight anymore. I have a promoter, but instead of him watching my back, he is bashing me. That's why I don't want to have anymore business with him.
GL: When do you want to fight again?
RH: I want to fight as soon as possible. As soon as I find a good promoter who is going to be behind me one hundred percent. I don't feel there is any light heavyweight that could beat me. Man I got robbed twice against one guy. I got robbed because I was fighting him in his hometown. Even though the ref was from America, he had to do what he did, because otherwise he wouldn't have left Germany. Who is the best light heavyweight? I would say that Richard Hall is the best light heavyweight in the world. I have two cuts over my eyes, but once they heal, I want to fight. Hopefully I can get a new promoter by the end of the year, because I really want to fight before the end of the year.
GL: You have fought both Roy and Dariusz. Who do you feel is the better fighter?
RH: Roy is a more skilled fighter than Michalczewski. But if I were in my best health, I would do the same thing to Roy Jones that I did to Dariusz. When I fought Roy Jones, I had twenty-three knockouts. Why did I have twenty-three knockouts? Because I don't give a damn and when I go in there I want to kill. That's my job and I am in there to get the job done. I am not in there to play around or **** around with anyone. I am in there to destroy my opponent. That is why I am the destroyer!
GL: How come you seem to have made more noise overseas than in the States?
RH: That's a good question and I don't understand that. I don't understand how the American writers, networks and promoters do not push to get me some fights over here. Right now I am the biggest thing in Europe. I am the biggest thing in Germany. Nobody sold it out the way that I did, because they all wanted to see Richard Hall. I am the best light heavyweight in the world.
GL: What did you do differently in the rematch?
RH: I did everything different. This time I didn't go over there to play. I am a guy that likes to smile, but the when the smile goes away, the meanness turns on and comes into me. I went over there with one mission, revenge, and I take revenge very seriously. It was revenge, I told him that I wanted to kill him and I did. When I say kill him, I mean in a boxing perspective. I wanted to ruin him and that's what I did. Unfortunately I didn't get the win, but I definitely looked better than I did in the first fight. I beat him much worse in the rematch.
GL: Why are these other countries so unfair?
RH: I really couldn't answer that question, but Germany and the United States have feuded for years and years. Even though, Dariusz is Polish , his promoter is German and the fight is in Germany. I would probably get disqualified if I knocked him out. They didn't want the title to leave Germany.
GL: Going into the fight, did you feel more comfortable that Rudy Battle was the referee?
RH: I am confident and comfortable in myself, you cannot trust any referee, you have to perform. I want you to put this in there; There is no human being that could take the punishment that Dariusz took without being on drugs. That guy has to be on Steroids, he has to be. My hands are hurting right now. This guy was getting hit with shots that could kill two horses. I could have knocked out a horse with some of those punches, but this guy just buckled a little, was shook up a little and then came to get more. How can a human being stand up to that punishment? He can't and that's why he is in the hospital right now.
GL: Is there anything that you would like to say to the public in closing?
RH: I want to tell the people that I did not come back to the United States with the WBO title. That was my plan, but I got robbed in the worst possible way. I am sorry that Dariusz is still in the hospital, but there is nothing that I could do, because the referee should have stopped the fight early.
GL: Thanks so much for your time Richard
RH: Thank you Greg, anytime.
It was a pleasure to conduct this interview with Richard Hall. Boxingtalk would like to wish Richard and Darius a speedy recovery. We would also like to wish Richard Hall all of the best in his future fights. Hopefully they will take place in America, where the chances of such a travesty occurring are reduced by multiples of ten.
