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ICON Interviews: Viv Richards talks SP-ICON, Lester Jangles, Donny Donowitz and more


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Hey guys; it’s me Chael Mir hosting another edition of ICON Interviews! I’m extremely sorry for the wait but it’s definitely worth your while. Today we have the no.2 ranked Middleweight in the world; who is no.8 in the pound for pound list and he will be fighting at Steel Penn – ICON on May 21st against our very own middleweight Champion Lester Jangles in something of a super fight.

 

CM: Hey Viv what’s up? How is training going? Are you looking forward to the fight?

VR: Sup Chael? How’s the family?
Training has gone down great! I’m getting a little bit old so it’s hard to keep up the pace of the young ones. But I still kick their ass on a daily basis. They know I’m still the boss!
I’m looking for it like crazy! There’s been a while since my last fight and I’m going nuts. I want to pound someone so hard! I miss the taste of blood.

 

CM: What is your opinion of Steel Penn – ICON as an organisation and what is your opinion of Lester Jangles as an opponent?

 

VR: One of my former partners used to fight there. Pullo, remember him? He used to be SPI’s HW champion. It was a long time ago though. I don’t think you worked there by the time. Anyway, although he is no longer with us, I gave him a call the other day asking stuff about the org and he only told great things about it. This will be a great experience.
Lester will be a tough dude to crack. I know he was handpicked to fight me and I can’t let down the fans. I’m the favourite and I know the pressure is all on me. I hope I can do a great fight and come out victorious from this battle!

 

CM: I have heard of Pullo but unfortunately you are correct. I was not around whilst he was there. We are looking to bring other top talent to the org. What would you tell other top guys such as say… Donny Donowitz about SP-ICON?

Richards: Are you eyeing Donny? That would be a hell of an acquisition! But the guy is old. With so many merges going on, SPI has the potential to get a regular spot in the top 10. You should focus on guys who can make a name in the org and rise with them. So, if you are a guy looking to make a name for yourself, SPI is a great place to be!

 

CM: There have been talks; but I can’t go into detail about anything until we’ve got something concrete in place. Recruiting and developing young talent is something we like to do; however we are now at the stage where we want to recruit more marquee names such as yourself to the company. Alliances are now a big part of MMA, how does it feel to be representing a massive alliance like LOD as one of their greatest fighters? And how is old Mentor doing these days?

Richards: Too many people, can’t know everyone. Every now and then I face some other alliance member. I know a lot of them look up to me and I try to be an example to them. There is a lot of potential out there.
Regarding Mentor, never met him. I’ve seen him a couple of times in the gym talking to my manager but never stopped to talk to him. He is the one pulling us together and as it seems, he hasn’t slowed even a bit. Things are going great at LOD right now and that’s all up to the big boss.

 

CM: That’s good to know; it is one hell of an alliance, credit to Mentor to keep it going so long. With MMA, age is always a big question when it comes to top fighters, how much more damage can you take etc. You are a unique case because at 36 years old; not exactly young for a fighter, you haven’t had a whole lot of fights, so in fight years you may still be quite young. What’s your take on this? How much longer do you see yourself fighting for? What is left to accomplish in the career of Viv Richards?

Richards: I dropped my career for some time after my previous manager decided to leave. It was quite a bummer. But then Whymer invited me to join him. I took the challenge and have no regrets! I’m glad I could move on and I think I’m proving I’m capable.
Yet, unfortunately I’m not a kid anymore. Age brings wisdom but a lot of pain too. Sometimes it’s tough to get out of bed and spar with the rookies in the morning. It’s hard to keep up the pace. I have a big stack of painkillers at home and I need it quite frequently.
I won’t lie, retirement is not that far. I think I can push to 40 but it will depend on how much my body can take until then. The next generation is coming. My buddy Wein just won Syn’s MW tournament and become their champion. He will be carry on the torch for us one day.
There is a lot of buzz going around from the fans and the media wondering about a match between me and Todd. We have been swapping places as the best MW out there for a while. Is this fight will ever happen? Who knows?

CM: Let’s finish on a good one then so last question; you vs Lester Jangles. What’s the outcome? What method? What round? Let’s have a prediction from you.

Richards: (laughs) My friend, no spoilers here. My gameplan is between me and my manager. All can I say is that I see another win coming at my way. Lester is a great fighter and I’ll bet he will make it hard for me but at the end, the referee will be raising my hand!

 

CM: Ok Viv that concludes our time in this interview; thank you for your time and good luck on May 21st. Thank you to everybody who tuned in to this awesome edition. I’ve been Chael Mir interviewing the great Viv Richards. Make sure you tune in to his fight on May 21st at 6pm in HILO only at Steel Penn – ICON.

 

 

 

 

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Great work ChaelMir

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