One-On-One With Sebastien Demers
By Jeff Emond Jeffrey
On Friday August 5th, 2011, in Oakland, California, former Middleweight contender Sebastien ‘’Double Trouble’’ Demers will face 2004 bronze medalist, super middleweight contender and super-six participant, Andre Direll. Approaching this heated showdown, Demers talks to us about his career and this summer’s big opportunity.
The Boxing Examiner: Good afternoon Sebastien, how are you?
Sebastien Demers: I am very good and I am looking forward to August.
TBE: Let’s go back to the beginning for a moment Sebastien, how did you start in boxing?
SD: I was very young, I tried almost every sport, hockey, basketball, soccer, you name it. I’ve always been an aggressive competitor, so boxing fitted well with my personality. I used to bring boxing gloves to school. My friends and I fought in the schoolyard every time we could. That’s how I became interested in boxing.
TBE : You had an impressive amateur career with 91 victories and 46 losses. Along the way you won four golden gloves championships. What’s your greatest achievement in the amateur ranks?
SD: I‘m proud of many things in my amateur days. I have been part of many internationals competitions in Colombia, Venezuela, Ireland and Italy for example. I was on the Canadian national team for three years and I also won a bronze medal at the Francophonie games in Venezuela. One of my achievements was to have more than one hundred amateur fights. More so, 99 of them came inside three years, which I’m very proud of. I started boxing late at seventeen years old so I had to make up for the lost time and since then boxing became everything in my life.
TBE: You possess a tremendous left jab. Did it come naturally or did you work on it?
SD: No, it was not natural. When I started boxing I had no jab at all and I only wanted to brawl. In the beginning of my amateur career I was six feet tall and 139 pounds. With my former trainer, Marc Seyer, we worked for hours on the jab to make my height and reach an edge for me in the ring. At first, I didn’t like fighting with the jab, even with my long reach. I liked to exchange shots with my opponents. With time I realize it paid more to win without being hit all the time. I won many fights using only my jabs and movements which is good if I wanted to have a long career and stay healthy. By fighting often I could not allow myself to fight wars all the time.
TBE: You also fought former WBA Light Middleweight champion, Joachim Alcine in the Golden Gloves finals of 1998, a very close and exciting fight. Did you try to get your revenge in the professional ranks?
SD: Yes, it was part of my plan at one time. Many offers were made to Alcine but he never accepted to fight me. I don’t know the reasons but he did not want to face me again.
TBE: You had great success in your career by defeating tough fighters such as Mamadou Thiam, Walid Smichet and former 3 time WBA Middleweight champion William Joppy. What are your thoughts on those wins?
SD: First of all when I fought Thiam he had only five defeats and one of those was against Felix Trinidad in a world title match. He also had 42 victories and 39 of those were by knockouts. I faced him very early in my career with only fourteen pro fights so it was a huge fight and step up for me. Many experts didn’t expect me to win and my plan was to prove them wrong. But I wasn’t kidding myself, he could have knocked me out and he possessed the power to do it. I have to admit I was scared at first, he was big and ready. But I manage to relax and let my hands go and it work out well. I was cautious and focused. I landed many precise right hands in the fight and with a good right hook I sent Thiam down in the second round. I never gave him time to recover and by the end of round six he had enough. I’m very happy about the result.
The fight with Smichet was my first after losing to Arthur Abraham in Germany. I was not entirely prepare for such a strong opponent. Smichet likes to brawl and keep the fight up close and personnal and i wasn’t one hundred percent ready for that. But by using my jabs and distance, i was able to come back in the fight and win it by unimous decision. This was a tought struggle.
Facing William Joppy was probably the most important victory in my career so far. Joppy fought the best in his career and many high profiles fights. By being a 3 time Middleweight champion Joppy wanted another shot at a major title in the division by facing me. He wanted to use me as a stepping stone to get there but I had a different idea in mind. At this stage of my career I was ready to face such strong opposition. By working very hard in the gym for this fight my confidence grew and the fight went my way. It was not an easy win because Joppy came hard at me. He cut me early in the bout over my right eye so I went back to a more defensive strategy. At one point in the fight, Joppy had everything in control so I started to attack as soon as my cut no longer bothered me. A good defence is a strong offence. This was a very important win for me.
TBE: Some boxing observers often criticize you of having a weak chin. What would you say to them?
SD: I don’t think my chin is a problem at all. I withstood attacks from strong punchers like Elio Ortiz, Mamadou Thiam, Walid Smichet and William Joppy to name a few. Sometimes in boxing you do get hit and its part of the game. I met many strong fighters and most of the time I won those fights. What would I say to criticism about my chin? Have you ever been hit hard in your life?
TBE: Which fighter inspired you the most to define your boxing style?
SD: My idol is Bernard Hopkins, he is a living legend. My fighting spirit came from watching him fight when I was younger and he still does it with style. I also like Oscar DeLaHoya, especially with his triple jabs. I try to inspire myself from many fighters not only one. I learned a lot by watching them move in the ring.
TBE: How do you describe your fight against Arthur Abraham in Germany?
SD: It was a great opportunity for me much like fighting Andre Dirrell this summer. I had the chance to win the IBF middleweight title back in 2007 from Abraham. I took the chance because I had nothing to lose. Being in a championship fight is unbelievable. I learned that fighting in another weight class is quite different you really have to be ready for it. Abraham was much bigger than me. In the first two rounds I held my own I even opened up a cut over his left eye. I realize I could box with the best in the world. Now I have more experience and I will be ready for my next fight.
TBE: You lost a very controversial split decision to Dionisio Miranda in 2008. Even Teddy Atlas from ESPN gave you the fight. How do you feel about this decision?
SD: It was a weird fight. I thought I did everything I could to win it. But you can never be sure in a boxing match. So I put more pressure on Miranda at the end of this bout and he caught me and I went down. I got up but I think the knockdown cost me the fight. I didn’t understand the verdict but its over and done with now I am moving forward in my career.
TBE: In your last two fights you’ve lost by knockouts to Brian Vera and Renan St-Juste. Many were concern about your health. How do you feel about those fights?
SD: Well, I lost to Vera by knockout. I don’t like saying it because I lost the fight by being hit by an elbow. I went down from that shot and it made my nose bleed pretty badly. I got up and Vera played his cards well as he finished me with combinations. I was hoping the judges and the referee would see the elbow hitting my nose and disqualify Vera but none of them saw what happened. There was nothing I could do about it beside accept it.
The fight with St-Juste was a long time awaited one by boxing fans in Quebec. That’s why I took it. At first, I was supposed to face Nicholson Poulard for his rematch. Poulard is a hard right handed fighter and I spent two months training for him working with Enrique Ornelas as my main sparring partner. Just two weeks before the fight they told me I would face Renan St-Juste, a strong left handed fighter. This was en entirely different kind of a fight and I wasn’t prepared to face a southpaw on two weeks notice. Still, I took the fight and paid the price for it. Everyone could see I wasn’t at my best last December. I take that as a very important lesson in boxing never take a fight on short notice.
TBE: On August 5th, 2011, you will face Andre Direll in California, he is a former super-six contestant. What are your thoughts on your next fight?
SD: I think it’s another great opportunity for me. Many fighters will wait a whole career for such a chance and will not get it. Along with Arthur Abraham, Andre Dirrell will be the second super-six participant I will do battle with in the ring and I’m the first Canadian to achieve that. With this opportunity I will go back to my winning ways. More so, I will have the chance to show the Americans my skills and my will to compete against one of their best fighters. A lot of people don’t believe in my chances south of the border. I’m on a mission to prove them wrong.
TBE: Andre Dirrell is a very skilled southpaw known for switching stance during a fight. What will be the game plan to secure a victory over him?
SD: I will use my jabs constantly and many straight rights hands to destabilize him and keep him that way. The plan is to prevent him of building any momentum during the fight. I will force him to fight backward which he doesn’t like very much. Plus, I don’t think he will respect me and he will surely try to end it quick to make an impression. That will be his mistake because I’m prepare for such a tactic.
Andre Dirrell hasn’t fought since March of last year that is why I must be first to attack and sustain an offensive strategy. I also changed my whole training team to be ready for Dirrell. Marc Seyer use to train me but now Howard and Otis Grant will be in my corner for this one. I’m working with them to have a better defence and to be ready for a strong southpaw. I’m also learning how to improve my attacks by putting better combinations together and how and when top explode on my opponent. I have very good southpaw sparring partners to help me get ready, Jo Jo Dan and Adonis Stevenson. I also sparred with UFC pound for pound best, George St-Pierre who possesses very good boxing skills and can switch easily from the right to the left stance. They will get me ready for my biggest fight in my career.
TBE: Any closing thoughts?
SD: I feel confident and I will be ready. Boxing fans will see a very good performance on my part. I have everything to gain in this fight and I hope to impress boxing fans all over North America. Most of all, I’m looking to impress Dirrell, because I’m sure he underestimates me but he will have a lot to handle in August.
TBE: Thank you very much for your time Sebastien
SD: Thank you and you haven’t seen the last of me.
Tags:Andre Dirrell, Sebastien Demers
Filed Under: Interviews
