Watching Jean-Marc Mormeck get blown out by Wladimir Klitschko last weekend, the frustration was overwhelming for long-time heavyweight contender “Fast” Fres Oquendo (33-7, 22 KOs).
The Chicago-based fighter had soundly beaten Mormeck (everywhere but the scorecards) in Mormeck’s adopted home of France in 2010. And that “victory” by Mormeck, coupled with another questionable win over former champ Timur Ibragimov, seemed to be the two fights that propelled Mormeck into the embarrassing Klitschko fight.
“I get robbed and he gets a title fight,” said the angry Oquendo of Mormeck. “I beat him easily, but because we fought in his backyard I would have had to knock him out to win by split decision. I could have told you that would happen to him against Klitschko. He’s not a real heavyweight. I played with him. And if you saw his fight with Ibragimov, he lost that one too (also held in France).”
It was hardly the first time controversy has hampered Oquendo’s career. A legitimate case could be made that he hasn’t lost a fight since 2006. In addition to the Mormeck fiasco, in recent years, Oquendo has dropped other stinky decisions to James Toney (2008) and Oliver McCall (2010), while winning his other seven contests. Add in that in 2003, Oquendo lost a hideously unfair decision to then-champion Chris Byrd in a challenge for Byrd’s IBF title.
“I keep trying to do the right things, taking any fight they’ve got for me that is halfway fair and reasonable and I keep getting the short end of the stick,” he continued. “So from now on, I’m going to be calling guys out and making things happen on my own, rather than waiting for boxing to do the right thing. I want any of these new guys. I’ll take Seth Mitchell. Chris Arreola. Any of them. Bring them on. I’m the best American heavyweight in boxing and I am going to prove it.”
“At 38, Fres is still a very good fighter with plenty left,” says his promoter, Bobby Hitz of Hitz Boxing. “He’s only really lost two fights in the last decade and he’s fought a who’s who of heavyweights in the world. He’s an established guy and he deserves one last shot at the title. Who else are they going to give the next shot to? Tony Thompson or Eddie Chambers again?”
Hitz also says Vitali Klitschko and Oquendo sparred together while Klitschko was preparing for Tomas Adamek and Oquendo very much got the better of the oldest brother.
“Fres has always been a nice guy who believed his time would come, but now he’s seeing he’s got to make things happen, so what he’s going to do is KO one guy after another until they can no longer ignore him. Tell all the American heavyweights they’ve got a fight waiting for them. Pick up the phone and we’re ready. We’re calling out every last one of you.”
