UNDEFEATED but also largely untested Romanian Bogdan Dinu will fight unbeaten New Yorker Jarrell Miller for the vacant WBA “regular” title on November 17. And though the 32 year old is little-known and, in the opinion of many, a veritable no-hoper against Miller, Dinu insists he is ready to “cause a big shock” and defeat Miller.
Having been in camp for a fight with Tom Little (to have taken place on the Hughie Fury-Kubrat Pulev card), Dinu says he is in great shape and that he is now able to fully focus on the big fight with “Big Baby.” Currently 18-0(14) as a pro, the man from Bucharest also enjoyed a good amateur career.
Here, in broken English, the confident-sounding co-challenger speaks with Boxing News:
Q: You have this big, big fight with Jarrell Miller, which has come right out of the blue for you?
Bogdan Dinu: “Yes, it has come at the perfect time for me though. It’s a great fight for me, it’s a big fight and I am ready. I have seen a lot of this guy, on TV, all of his fights pretty much. He is a big guy, too big, really. I’ve easily seen enough of him to know what to do [to beat him]. I’m very up for this fight. I am super-positive. I know I have what it takes to beat him. I have the guns for the job and I will show this.”
Q: How would you describe your fighting style?
B.D: “I am a boxer, very technical. I have a good jab, I use lots of movement and I enjoy boxing an opponent, making him miss, making him make mistakes and then countering. In this fight I will counter, counter, counter! I will keep him [Miller] at the end of my jab and I will use lots of movement. I think he may tire later in the fight, he carries too much weight. So far [in his fights] he has kept coming and coming, but I will keep him thinking all the way through. I am very excited for this, my first fight in America, and I will definitely be the next WBA heavyweight champion of the world. I am ready to cause a big shock.”
Q: What was your amateur record?
B.D: “I had around 150 fights, winning 135 of them. I was a very active amateur fighter. I was world champion at the Junior Olympics in 2003, I won a silver in the European championships. I was never knocked down, in fact I have never, ever been knocked down, amateur or professional – and I aim to keep it that way (laughs). I have a very good defence and also a good chin. As I said, I use lots of movement, especially for a big guy, which I am myself at 6’5” and 240 pounds in the ring.”
Q: What do you say to those critics who say you are an unknown and that Miller will easily defeat you?
B.D: “I am looking to make a shock, a big statement. Of course I can KO him. Any heavyweight can end any fight with one punch. He is too heavy and too slow for me. I will be a step ahead of him all the way. After I win this, I will be ready to go on and challenge the other big guys of the division, the other champions. I will show I am ready for this. I am so happy for this fight, it has come at the perfect time for me. I was in camp already and I still have a good two weeks to spar some more and finalise the game-plan and make it perfect. Of what type of a fight it will be depends, what will he do? I will use movement and speed and I will turn him, counter him. I have been training hard and I am ready. The people will see soon enough I am a good fighter.”
Q: Talking of sparring, who have you worked with so far in your career?
B.D: “Lots of guys. I sparred with Anthony Joshua in two camps, for the [Wladimir] Klitschko fight and for the Alexander Povetkin fight. That was great for me, it made me stronger and showed me I can handle the top guys of the division. I’ve also sparred Povetkin, David Price…. lots of good fighters. So far as a pro, I have fought some good guys, like Eric Bahoeli of Canada, a very good fighter, and Marcelo Nascimento of Brazil. I have also learnt so much in the great sparring I have had. This fight is definitely my big chance. It’s my turn to become the next heavyweight champion.”
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