Bad blood still flowing ahead of ring rematch
Roger Izonritei did most of the talking but Alex Leapai is hell-bent on having the last word after the heavyweight rivals traded heated words yesterday on the eve of their showdown tomorrow night at Rumours.
Bad blood has been brewing between Izonritei and the former world heavyweight title challenger since their last bout finished in a technical draw following a head cut to Izonritei.
Izonritei accused Leapai of deliberately opening him up with an illegal elbow, a claim Leapai vehemently dismisses in their continuing war of words.
Yesterday they came faceto-face for the first time since their controversial December bout when they addressed a packed press conference ahead of their rematch on the TGW & Smithy Bring The Big Fights 20 card.
Izonritei was fired up over claims by Leapai he had “quit” the fight and is eager to make him eat those words.
“He accused me of quitting. I don’t know where that comes from,” Izonritei said.
“I’ve tried to make sense of it for eight months now.
“I haven’t come here looking for apologies.
“I’ve just come here to fight. My job is to fight.
“I don’t come here to fight with malice. I come here to fight because I love boxing.”
Leapai’s trainer Noel Thornberry tried to take some heat out of Izonritei’s lingering anger in defending his fighter’s reputation as a clean boxer.
“It (the cut) was in the middle of the third round,” Thornberry said.
“It was a solid fight and anything could have happened.
“It wasn’t an intentional elbow, it was just an overhand punch.
“The word quit shouldn’t have been used but you (Izonritei) did decline to continue in that fight on the night.”
Leapai welcomed his chance to settle the score against Izonritei as he looks to climb back up the world rankings.
“It’s been hard for me to get fights, but (for us) to go again shows the courage of Roger Izonritei,” Leapai said.
“He is a fighter and this is what we do.
“But believe me, come Saturday, don’t blink because it’s going to be a war.
“Someone is going to get carried out on a stretcher.
“This is what I’m all about. I’m here to bring the pain.”
Toowoomba’s Steve Spark and Sydney-based Irishman Gearoid Clancy also crossed paths yesterday for the first time ahead of their Saturday
night battle for the vacant Australian super lightweight championship.
The pair traded a mixture of pleasantries and barbs as they declared their hunger to claim the potential career-changing belt.
“I’m here for one reason,” Gearoid said.
“I’m not here to win friends; I’m not here to get fans.
“I’m here to win an Australian title. That’s all I’m coming here for.”
‘‘ BUT BELIEVE ME, COME SATURDAY, DON’T BLINK BECAUSE IT’S GOING TO BE A WAR.
ALEX LEAPAI