EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: LAMON BREWSTER

Boxingtalk.com caught up with former WBO heavyweight champion "Relentless" Lamon Brewster to see what he's been up to since losing his title to Sergei Liakhovich in one of 2006's most exciting fights. Brewster seemed upbeat and is looking forward to wrapping some gold around his waist in the near future. Read on to see what one of the best heavyweights in the world had to say.

JA: Good news that the eye surgery was a success. How long will it take for your eye to be completely healed?

Lamon Brewster: In about 2 months I can start to do physical activity. My eye is real delicate right now and I have to take it easy.

JA: There were a lot of punches thrown early in the fight, was that sign of you wanting to get him out of the fight early?

Lamon Brewster: I would not necessarily say that. I couldn▓t throw my left because I couldn▓t see him, if you watch the tape that is the reason that I missed with a lot of lefts because I couldn▓t see him and the reason why I wasn▓t going forward was because I wasn▓t sure if I would be running into something. It was a very interesting fight to say the least for me, their wasn▓t anything that he had done that I felt threatened by, it was just that I didn▓t want to put myself in anymore harms way and take any more unnecessary punches that I was already taking.

JA: What round did your eye start affecting you in?

Lamon Brewster: The opening bell. The first few jabs of the opening round are what started my eye to go.

JA: So was it before the fight that the damage to your eye accord?

Lamon Brewster: The eye injury happened in the fight, the serious damage happened in the later rounds of the fight. My eye was yellow and filled with blood and that is all that I could see in my left eye and I tried to show that it wasn▓t bothering me but it was.

JA: You had him hurt in the 7th round, did you try to get him out of there knowing that your eye was damaged like it was?

Lamon Brewster: I did the best that I could but I was limited the whole fight. That was the reason why I couldn▓t go forward or do anything that I wanted to do, I was a handicapped fighter. I am a warrior and I wasn▓t going to give up or quit the fight, I was going to do the best that I could and leave it in God▓s hands. God has the master plan for my life. I wish Lyakhovic nothing but the best and I will be back to get my title. I have a mandatory title agreement that we signed before the fight that he has to fight me; we will be using that option that we signed.

JA: Did he do anything in the fight that surprised you?

Lamon Brewster: No. I was caught off guard by my eye that was the biggest thing for me is that I couldn▓t see in the fight. I never miss with my left hook and everyone knows that I love to use my left hook.

JA: At the end of the fight did you think that you won the fight or did you have a feeling that you were going to lose the fight?

Lamon Brewster: I had a feeling that he was going to win the fight, you always have to think positive and think that the fight might go your way. I have this feeling that if I don▓t knock a guy out that the fight is going to go to the other fighter.

JA: How was training with Buddy McGirt?

Lamon Brewster: It was great and I loved it.

JA: I did an interview with Buddy and he told me that you didn▓t know how good you were and that the heavyweight division.

Lamon Brewster: I was planning on showing it that night because that was the most confident that I felt going to the ring but God had other plans for me that night.

JA: When would you like to get back in the ring and fight?

Lamon Brewster: I have to leave that up to the doctors, if it was up to me I would be in the ring next month. Realistically, I have to consider what the doctors have to say and I have to do what is best for my health.

JA: Your cousin Chris [Byrd] is fighting Wladimir Klitschko on April 22nd.

Lamon Brewster: He called me before my fight to pray for me and I will be praying for Chris for his next fight. I truly believe that Chris is going to shock a lot of people and he is going to go and do what he has to do, it▓s not what Chris wants to do but it▓s what Chris has to do to win. I think that is the key for Chris and he will show everyone who the best is in the world. I know that Chris can punch every second of every round but there are something▓s that he has to do to win, he knows what some of those things are or he wouldn▓t even be going over there to Germany.

JA: He seems that he is mad and wants to go over to Germany and knockout Wladimir, do you sense that?

Lamon Brewster: I hope he is angry and I hope that he is upset; I can▓t say for sure that he is but I truly believe that he can beat Klitschko. I am not taking anything away from Klitschko because believe me I think that Klitschko is a great fighter. I do believe that Chris can beat him because Chris is a puncher; he is slick, crafty and is a true warrior.

JA: The whole plan was to have a unified heavyweight champion, what do you think your loss does to that plan?

Lamon Brewster: I don▓t think that it hurt anything because I think that everyone knows that I will be back. The fight that I had I feel that I lost because I was handicapped; I feel that I felt I fought a good fight and I was fighting with one eye. Once I get healthy there is going to be no question of me gaining the attention of the people. This is boxing and anything can happen, you can▓t write a person of because of a loss and once again I will show the people that I am the true heavyweight champion of the world but it will take time.

JA: Is their anything that you would like to say in closing?

Lamon Brewster: I would like just to say that God has the ultimate plan for every man but when things get down you cant get discouraged because God has the ultimate plan for us and knows what▓s best for us. I am not speaking of myself I am speaking in general because people turn their back on God because he doesn▓t give them the things that they want but some of the things that they might want may not be what you really need. I know people that ask for things and in my heart they really don▓t need it but if they had it I believe that it will ruin them or ruin there walk with God. I wouldn▓t say that God would ever deny anyone of anything because I don▓t know the true will of God but God doesn▓t put things in our life▓s that will turn us away from him. I would like to apologize to my fans that I let them down but I will be back and you can▓t count me out.