Q&A with "Dangerous" Dorin Spivey

Story & photos by Chris Perry

In what is sure to be a thrilling brawl, "Dangerous" Dorin Spivey will battle Victor Vasquez in the featured bout of "Super Brawl I" promoted by Diane Fischer's Dee Lee Promotions, LLC in association with the Tropicana Casino and Resort on Feb. 4 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The vacant NABA Lightweight Championship will be on the line when Spivey (40-6-0, 29 KOs) and Vasquez (14-5-1, 7 KOs) collide in the Tropicana Showroom.

Staying busy, this will be Spivey's third fight in six months. The former NABA lightweight title holder, 38, won two unanimous decision victories in 2011. Fightnews spoke with Spivey on January 25 at the Bushido Mixed Martial Arts Academy in his hometown Portsmouth, Virginia after a training session.

You earned a hard-fought six round unanimous decision in your last bout on December 2nd against Angel Rios. Asses your overall performance in that fight.

I fought heavier, at 140 pounds, in that fight. My opponent weighed around 160 pounds the night of the fight. A big, strong, heavy-handed guy. His record wasn't great but he's been in there with a lot of good fighters and went the distance with good fighters. I outboxed him. I thought I won every round. It was one of my best performances as far a boxing skills and technique. I felt great in the fight and everything went really well.

This fight coming up is a whole different deal. I'm much stronger. I'm punching harder. For the first time in my career I'm lifting weights. I'm strength training for this fight with "Big" Al Walke at Flex Gym in Virginia Beach. He has made me so much stronger. He kept telling me "you won't put any weight on". He has me working certain muscles with tone weights, nothing real heavy. It's made me stronger. Here it is now, I'm 138 pounds way before the fight. I've got my weight down. I feel good. It's the best training camp I've ever had in my nineteen year career, and I'm not just saying that because of this fight coming up. My weight is down. I'm feeling strong, not drained, dehydrated or nothing. I feel good.

Along with weight training, what elements have come together for you and your team to make this the best training camp of your career?

One of the biggest things that happened in my life was meeting my manager and advisor Floyd Kuriloff. Meeting him gave me a new direction. He was the missing piece of the puzzle. He has my back. He's there for me. When you know you have a person around you that has your back and cares for you, it makes you much more focussed. It makes you stronger. He put a great person in my life in "Big" Al Walke from Flex Gym and everything has blossomed together. The team is on the same page, it's great. And, having Diane Fischer as my promoter. She's been keeping me busy. This is my third fight in six months. It just all came together.

I think the good Lord sends people to you and gives you the right direction at the right time. And it was needed because I was lost. I was going through problems with another promoter. I wasn't getting any fights. Everything has just blossomed together. I'm so motivated. I'm so fired up and I can't ask for a better training camp.

On February 4, you're fighting in Atlantic City for the first time in your career against tough Philadelphia fighter Victor Vasquez. Share your thoughts about Vasquez.

Victor Vasquez is a tough opponent. I have a lot of respect for him. He's a real nice, classy guy. I think very highly of him as a fighter. He's tough. He's going to come to fight and he's going to come to win. No doubt about it. I've got a big challenge in front of me but I think with the condition I'm in, I'm in the best shape of my life, and my experience, I'll prevail. Victor Vasquez is no pushover. He's tough as nails. He's hungry. It's going to be an honor to fight a great fighter like him and I look forward to the opportunity. It's going to be a great fight, no doubt about it.

How would you like to see your fight with Vasquez play out?

I would like to get a knockout, honestly. But I'm going to look to box, set everything up and put together a lot of sharp combinations. Good hard punches. Good body shots. I would like to get a knockout but Vasquez is tough. I would love to get a big victory and win the title that was stripped away from me because of a problem I had one time making weight. That was the most embarrassing moment of my life. I have a chance to redeem myself and get it back. I just want to win the title. I want to win by knockout, but if not, I'll take a decision.

With a fast pace of three fights in six months, what are your goals for 2012?

I would like to get a world title shot this year and possibly become a world champion this year. But, first thing I have to do is get through Victor Vasquez. At this point, he is the biggest test, the biggest challenge of my life. I'm in the best shape of my life. I'm not taking anyone lightly.

I want to thank all of my fans for all of the love and support. I want them to see with this fight that the old butterfly is still floating and the old bee is still stinging. This old warhorse, right now, is fired up more than he's ever been. Vasquez will bring the best out of me. I will bring the best out of him. It's going to be exciting."

Spivey's cornermen speak

"Absolutely unbelievable," said manager Floyd Kuriloff about Spivey's overall conditioning leading to "Super Brawl". "He never lifted weights before because he didn't want to bulk up as a boxer. He was afraid to lift weights but we're working with one of the greatest weight trainers there is around. He knows his stuff and works with many major athletes around here...Al (Walke) has made him stronger and faster without putting on any weight. His strength, his core makes him faster and his punches are stronger. He's 38-years-old but he's really in the body of a 28-year-old now."

"We'll start of boxing using a good jab," said Spivey's head trainer John Hunter about the fight. "We'll make adjustments as the fight goes on and are prepared to do whatever it takes to win."

Trainer Greg Smith expects Spivey to push the pace of the fight with Vasquez from the opening bell. "He's a fast starter. He'll get out there and he'll start throwing his combinations. Set the pace. Keep the kid off balance. For every one punch that kid throws, Dorin's going to throw three or four. That's just his style. Vasquez throws a good jab, so we'll counter that jab. We'll probably look to hit him with an overhand right. Good combinations and foot work."

"The fight will be a horse race," continued Smith. "If the kid (Vasquez) can keep up, he can keep up. It's going to be lots of punches. Lots of fast paced action. But, really, we are just going to outwork the kid. That's what I plan to see. By the fourth or fifth round I see this kid fading. If he's going to try and keep Dorin's pace, I don't see him keeping up. I know this kid's going to be in great shape. It's a big fight for him, but I expect Dorin to outpace him, wear him out and hopefully get a stoppage. I'd like to see a stoppage this time."

As for a world title opportunity, winning the NABA Lightweight Championship would be a major step toward that goal for Spivey. "My mantra's going to be give him a shot," said Kuriloff. "Give him a shot. I think there is not a lightweight fighter out there that wants to fight him because he's going to win. Dorin has never been knocked down in 46 fights. Nobody has knocked him down. Think about that. Every fight he either won or went the distance except for one fight where he was cut and the doctor stopped the fight...I'll bet anyone that no one will knock Dorin down for a count. All I want is for Dorin to have a shot (at a world title) and he really deserves it when he wins this fight. He's just that good."

Continuing his heavyweight title shot quest, Chazz "The Gentleman" Witherspoon (29-2-0, 21 KOs) challenges David Saulsberry (7-4-0, 7 KOs) in the "Super Brawl I" co-feature. Seven supporting bouts are scheduled for the undercard.

The Tropicana Showroom doors open at 7:00 p.m., with the first bout set for 8:00 p.m. Tickets are priced at $40, $55, $75 and $100 and can be purchased at the Tropicana Box Office or by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000 or Dee Lee Promotions at 856-692-1206.