By Derek Gionta: Giovanni Lorenzo, 29-2-(21), has been in quite a few fights. His extensive amateur boxing career catapulted the tough Dominican into the 2000 Olympics. Now a professional boxing career that begun in Atlantic City back in 2002, with dreams of becoming a world champion will now see the day this dream can come to fruition.
On September 4th in Cologne, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany at the Lanxess-Arena, Lorenzo will battle Felix Sturm, 33-2-1-(14), for the WBA middleweight title. Many in the sport never experience this opportunity. Lorenzo however, will experience this opportunity for the second time since September of 2009. This time, according to Lorenzo, things will be different.
Before Lorenzo took to the sport of boxing, it was one fight in particular that he felt inspired him to become a fighter.
“I started boxing at 12. I had a street fight and a police officer who was involved said to me, “So you think you are good with your hands? Why don’t you try it in the boxing ring,” I followed him there and started fighting,” said Lorenzo.
“I was inspired to fight to survive in the streets of San Cristobal, Dominican Republic, specifically La Barrio La Jerringa, which is the poorest of the poor even by Dominican standards.”
If that wasn’t enough inspiration for the Dominican-born fighter, watching his favorite fighters growing up, Theo Cruz, a former Dominican world champion and the great Muhammad Ali, motivated Lorenzo even more.
As an amateur boxer making his way towards the Olympic scene, it was imperative to watch fighters of their caliber and learn from the best.
Lorenzo, at 6’ tall, and his upcoming opponent, Sturm, at 5’11”, both fought in the 2000 Olympics but have never fought one another as they competed in separate weight classes. The two have never been in the ring with one another in the gym either.
Following the 2000 Olympics in Sydney Australia, Lorenzo met his current managers who have guided him his entire career. “I got word from a friend of mine that these two white American guys were in the Dominican Republic looking for me and they wanted to talk to me about boxing. They arranged to meet me in the Detroit Tigers training facility near my house the next day,” said Lorenzo.
Those two white American guys were Rich Ryan and Kurt Emhoff.
“They had flown from New York in the hope of meeting me and signing me to a contract,” Lorenzo stated.
“It was funny, here were these two guys, they didn’t speak a word of Spanish, but they were here to see me. I was really impressed. I have been with those guys ever since, which was 10 years ago,” said Lorenzo, now living and fighting out of New York, NY.
Most of Lorenzo’s career up to this point has been in the eastern region of the United States. Lorenzo has fought in his native Dominican Republic a few times.
He took an undefeated record to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida in June of 2008 to face a tough veteran in Raul Marquez in an IBF middleweight title eliminator bout. A close fight on the scorecards went to Raul Marquez as all three judges saw the bout as a 114-113 decision. If not for a point deduction from Lorenzo for head butting Marquez in the 10th round, the bout would have ended as a draw.
Eight months later, Lorenzo received a second chance in another IBF eliminator bout against Dionisio Miranda (pictured) and made good on this second chance by quickly disposing of Miranda by a second round knockout.
Next up was his much awaited IBF middleweight title opportunity against Sebastian Sylvester in Germany.
A fight that Lorenzo clearly thought he won ended as a split decision victory for the current IBF champ, Sebastian Sylvester. Scores read 116-111 for Lorenzo, 116-112 and 115-113 for Sylvester, the hometown fighter.
How did Lorenzo feel about the verdict?
“Everybody saw that I beat Sylvester. I learned from that experience that I will not leave the decision up to the judges,” said Lorenzo. “Everyone who saw that fight can clearly see I was robbed. I outpunched Sylvester, landed the harder and cleaner shots, and all he did all night was catch punches,” added Lorenzo.
Since the crushing defeat, Lorenzo has won his last two fights by an early knockout. Most recently he scored a third round knockout of Daryl Salmon at the Commerce Casino in Commerce, California this past June. Most importantly, that was his first fight under his new promoter, TKO Promotions.
Now, under Las Vegas based TKO Promotions, Lorenzo hopes to bring the newly established promoter their first world champion.
“I told Chet Koerner (President of TKO Promotions) that I was going to be his first world champion. I feel love and respect at TKO by their staff which is something I didn’t feel before. At TKO I am number one and they appreciate me,” stated Lorenzo.
Now, with just a few days until the big fight, Lorenzo reflected on his training camp and team, starting with his trainer Pastor Ralph Farrait, and preparation for this eagerly anticipated second chance at a world title.
“I have had a great camp. Ralph and I have been training in Yonkers, NY as well as the World Boxing Gym in the Bronx,” stated Lorenzo. “I have been working with Seth Siedman for the past three months on a new physical conditioning program that has really helped with my endurance. I’ve sparred 80 rounds for this fight and about half of them with Ishe Smith, who really gave me a good, hard, honest effort. Thank you Ishe!” said Lorenzo.
Sturm, 31, has victories over the likes of Javier Castillejo (he lost their first meeting), and Sebastian Sylvester. He also has a close decision loss on his record to Oscar De La Hoya. His lone draw against Randy Griffin was avenged shortly thereafter.
Lorenzo added, “Sturm and I have one thing in common: we both beat Sebastian Sylvester. The only difference is that I didn’t get the decision win I deserved.”
Since Felix Sturm’s recent split with Universum Box-Promotion, which was on good terms, he has also assumed the role of promoter for this fight. His promotional company, Sturm Box-Promotion, is running the show which may spark the Dominican challenger even more to go for the knockout and keep the fight out of the judges’ hands.
Lorenzo knows this will be no easy task. “Felix is a great boxer and he is in great condition. But you can’t condition a chin, he has a glass jaw, said Lorenzo.
“I have to go for the knockout. The last time I fought in Germany against Sylvester the judges robbed me. This time I have changed my whole strategy,” said Lorenzo.
“This is the biggest fight of my life. In order to knockout Sturm you have to be in tremendous shape. I am in the best shape of my life and can’t wait for this fight, said Lorenzo.” “I wish it was today.”
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