Tonight well-spoken and articulate South African IBO super middleweight champion Thomas “Tommy Gun” Oosthuizen (18-0-1, 13 KOs) will meet dangerous ShoBox veteran Marcus “Too Much” Johnson (21-1, 15 KOs), of Houston, Texas, in the 10-round super middleweight co-featured bout on ShoBox: The New Generation live on Showtime tonight, Friday, April 27, at 11 p.m. ET/PT from the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Okla.
This will be the second United States fight for Oosthuizen, who won a unanimous decision over Aaron Pryor Jr., in his stateside debut on Sept. 3, 2011, in Biloxi, Miss. Right here, you can find a quick interview Q&A with the rising prospect and contender.
Fans will see a familiar face or two in Oosthuizen’s corner, led by manager/trainer Harold Volbrecht, the former No. 1 ranked welterweight contender and former South African welterweight champion and Brian Mitchell, the former WBA and IBF 130-pound world champion and 2009 inductee into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
“I feel like I have the most experienced corner of anyone in boxing,” said the 24-year-old Oosthuizen, the son of former two-division South African titlist Charles Oosthuizen. “The most important thing Brian has taught me is that boxing can open all kinds of doors for me; the world is your oyster.”
Oosthuizen, who is ranked No. 7 in the IBF and No. 10 by the WBC, is looking to make a great impression on his new promoter, Lou DiBella. “I’m only just now starting to fight for him so I just have to show him every fight that I’m worth his while and continue to build my relationship with him.”
QUESTION: You’ve had just one fight in the United States, do you plan to fight more here in the future?
Oosthuizen: “Yes, that’s the goal. (I want to fight at) MGM Grand in Las Vegas and (in) the main events at the big arenas. If you want something bad enough, nobody can take it away from you. So at the end of the day I just have to keep on winning fights and get more attention in the States and worldwide.”
QUESTION: What boxers would you say do you most resemble or emulate in style?
Oosthuizen: “I would say I’m a mix between a Bob Foster (former light heavyweight world champion) and Tommy Hearns. Bob Foster could fight very well on the inside and Tommy Hearns was great from the outside. And I’m always training hard so I would say a mix between those two.”
QUESTION: What do you expect to see from Marcus Johnson?
Oosthuizen: “I think he’s going to come out fast and he’s going to try and set the pace. But I don’t think that will bother me because I’m always fit and train really hard. Dangerous fighters don’t scare me or set me back. You just adapt. He’ll realize I’m the stronger and more dominant guy. I’m going to overwhelm him with my hand speed. I’m more accurate with my punches. I know how to adjust and adapt to any style.”
QUESTION: You’re only prediction is that Johnson would lose. Cocky or confident?
Oosthuizen: “Yeah, I said that and I meant it. I am in it to win it. That’s boxing. I didn’t come here thinking God brought me all this way to America and this far in my career to lose. I’m here and I’m ready for the big-time. It’s not cockiness at all. It’s all confidence. I train harder than most all the other fighters and all my sparring partners are bigger guys than me. I just push myself to be on another level and that’s where it’s all confidence. If you don’t believe in yourself, who’s going to believe in you?”
QUESTION: Is it important to just pick up the “W’ or to also look good doing it?
Oosthuizen: “No, I won’t be satisfied with a ‘W’. I’m here to make an impression. I have to look good. Every fight is an important fight to my career and I have to show the people that I’ve got that something special.”
QUESTION: Who would you most like to fight in the future?
Oosthuizen: “There are a few guys that I would really like to fight; all the guys that were in the Super Six and (Lucian) Bute. All of them: Mikkel Kessler, Andre Ward and Carl Froch. To be the best you have to beat the best. It’s easy to say but it’s going to be a tough challenge.”
