Choi Tseveenpurev says he’ll prove that age is nothing but a number and show the divide in class between him and John Simpson as they clash for the WBO International featherweight title live on Sky Sports in Betfair’s ‘Fighting Pride of Scotland’ at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow on Saturday (May 11).
‘The Mongolian Warrior’ is 41 years of age but shows no sign of tiring in his pursuit of major honours in the game, and took Daud Yordan all the way in his challenge for the Indonesian’s IBO belt in November.
Always an entertaining watch and a hard-hitter that has wowed fight fans all over the world; Choi has declared that Simpson will not be in the same league as him on Saturday .
“John Simpson is a little boy to me,” said Choi. “John is a little kid, I will handle him no problem. I am winning this fight. If it goes early it goes early but it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t, I am winning this fight on Saturday .
“I give you blood, sweat and tears every time until the last breathe. I will fight until the last breathe – can John Simpson say the same thing? No, John Simpson cannot say the same thing. I have seen the fights where John Simpson has lost and has he given it his all? No. Trust me; Simpson is going to get hurt badly in this fight.”
Choi has held the WBU and WBF World titles in the past and his IBO shot came off the back of a fine win in the Betfair Prizefighter Featherweights at York Hall in Bethnal Green, where he saw off Lee Glover, George Jupp and Rhys Roberts to lift the trophy at the second attempt. Choi claimed the WBC International Silver title ahead of his clash with Yordan and was unfortunate not to fair better in Singapore – but he’s determined to take his chance on Saturday.
“There were a lot of behind the scenes things that weren’t right around that fight but you just have to take it,” said Choi. “I believe if I had a little bit more time to prepare it would have been totally different but now I have this opportunity and Matchroom have given me enough time to prepare and I have trained real hard for on Saturday . Something you have to look at is the fact that I end people’s careers; they are never the same after they have fought me. People talk about my age, and this and that but their careers are never the same. Yordan, who was a World champion, got knocked out by a bomb in his next fight after me, the reason being that he took momentous shots from me. I know that I hurt him real bead but I just couldn’t finish him. If I had longer time to train I would have finished him.
“Right now I have to be realistic. This just shows how much of a coward that most guys in professional boxing are, that they wait until they think I am an old man before they fight me. They didn’t want anything to do with me when I was knocking out everybody. I have to thank Ciaran Baynes and Spencer Fearon for bringing me back. Spencer has a good relationship with Eddie Hearn and Eddie is the man at the moment with the Sky dates. Eddie has stuck to his word because he said he would work with other promoters and he is doing that. Whatever opportunities come along I will look at but first things first I have to take care of Simpson and I am not looking past John. He is a very good fighter and he comes to fight; I hope that he doesn’t run. I just hope that he doesn’t run and that he comes to fight because if he comes to fight not only will I destroy him but the fans will get what they want to see as well.”
Simpson and Choi provide the chief support on a huge night of boxing in Glasgow as Ricky Burns defends his WBO lightweight title against José González and they are joined by top Scottish talent including unbeaten trio David Brophy, Jon Slowey and Stephen Simmons, who takes on Michael Sweeney in a ten round Celtic cruiserweight clash.
