by Dmitro SYNYAK

We offer your attention an interview with Max Bursak, IBF Youth middleweight champion:

- Max, have you already started training for your next fight to be held on September 27th in Kyiv?
- Sure I have. In order to win I have to obtain feeling that I have done everything for my victory. That’s why now I train very intensively. Now we together with my trainer Sergiy Gordiyenko zero in on my stamina. At 8:00 a.m. I go for a jog every morning for 1 hour, at 6:00 p.m. I jog for 2 hours. In makes in total about 30 km. Besides at my workouts I train in non-stop mode – I pass from one exercise to another without any break. And, of course, I spar constantly: with Zaur Baysangurov, with Max Velichko, with my brother Igor. I try to avoid flu and other diseases; I stay away from big crowds not to get infected. All these things are very important because you can reach your best shape and then within few days of disease lose all that you’ve got during several months of hard training.

- What kind of rival you’d like to get?
- A good fighter with high position in rankings and preferably undefeated. I am fond of defeating undefeated fighters. I always ask my match-maker to find one of the kind.

- The fight in September will be the 17th in your boxing career. And which of your previous bouts were the most exciting, to your mind?
- It’s rather hard to distinguish because I always trained hard for every bout and in each fight I put my heart 100%. Probably, the most exciting fight was one in which I fought Mikhail Khucishvili from Georgia. He was a hard nut to crack, besides, in that bout I won my first serious title – IBF Youth middleweight champion. But all in all I’m sure that my most serious bouts are before me. I am longing for fights with Kelly Pavlik, Arthur Abraham and Felix Sturm. I am sure that after 3-4 good fights I’ll be able to defeat anyone from them.

- Some time ago you have your hand hurt. How is it now?
- That’s right. When I was an amateur I had my hand hurt rather badly. That’s why in my first professional bouts I boxed rather carefully not taking much risk. I did not aim at early stoppages. But now everything is OK with my hand.

- There was quite a curious moment in your career when at the weigh-in you exceeded the upper limit just by… 25 g. Do you have any problems with weight now?
- Oh, I shall never forget that day! I can say that I was saved by my golden chain. Its weight was 30 g and when I took it off I passed weigh-in successfully. Before my weight was no problem for me. But recently I put on some weight and started paying more attention to this issue. When I am at rest my weight increases to 76-77 kg. But before fights, during sparrings I have no problems in losing weight and I precisely match my limit – 72.6 kg.

- Do you have any plans to go up to heavier weight division?
- Not for the time being. When I become the undisputed middleweight champion, maybe I'll go up to super middleweight. But at the moment I have nothing to do there, especially taking into consideration that my younger brother Igor boxes in this division.

- Do you believe in any omens? Do you pay attention to any signs on the day of the fight?
- If you start believing in omens you’ll become dependent upon them. That is why I have nothing of the kind in boxing. The success depends upon hard training, fighting spirit but not upon black cat crossing your way. I do not pay attention to such things and always remain sure in my victory.

- Tell us how you became a boxer?
- Our father brought my brother and me to boxing gym. I was 10 at that time, my brother was 9. We were very lively kids that’s why our parents decided that we should go in for some sports. Our father went in for boxing and gained some success. As an amateur I had more than 200 fights with not more than 5 losses. In 2004 I wanted so much to go to Olympic Games in Athens but I was not allowed to go… Immediately after that my brother and I became professional boxers.

- You have a little daughter. Do you wish that she like Laila Ali, for example, followed her father and became a boxer?
- By no means! I feel so pity for her (laughs). By the way, I have a son too – it’s another pair of shoes: if he wants to become a boxer I will surely support him. This sport is not simple and to be a professional boxer is much harder, more dangerous than to be an amateur. And responsibility is much higher.

- Do you have any hobbies?
- Yes, I am fond of fishing, especially I like to fish with spinning rod. About one month and a half I caught a carp about 18-20 kg.

- We wish you good luck at the upcoming tournament!
- Thanks a lot!

Pictured from left: Max Bursak spars with Zaur Baysangurov