Undercard Attraction Paul Briggs on Chicago’s “Border War”

“Five years ago I told myself that I wanted to be a world champion. Five years and four months later, here I am. I’m very, very good at achieving what I want to achieve.

“Being from the other side of the planet, a lot of top American fighters didn’t want to fight me because they didn’t know me. I’ve had to fight whoever the WBC told me to fight. I beat Jorge Castro. I beat Jesus Ruiz and then I beat Stipe Drews. Still, Tarver wouldn’t fight me.

“Tarver was offered $2.2 million to face me and $3 million to face an old Glen Johnson. Tarver took the Johnson money and ran. I would say to Tarver that jet planes don’t have rear view mirrors. He has had the opportunity to face Paul Briggs and avoided me each time.

“American boxers like to talk a lot. If you just keep knocking everybody out, the whole world has to take notice.

“My father used to train me. He was a fighter, as was my grandfather and uncle.”

On his world championship kickboxing career in the Muay Thai discipline:
“I’ve had 60 professional Muay Thai fights. My record is 55-5 with 39 KOs. Muay Thai includes elbows, knees, kicking and boxing.

“My Muay Thai experience makes me more viscious. I’m a fighter first, a boxer second. Technique and skill will take you only so far. Then it comes down to how much fight the dog has.

“Boxing and Muay Thai are two completely different sports. Muay Thai is a five-round sprint.  Boxing is a 10-round marathon.

“I’ve gone 10 rounds without getting hit and I haven’t lost a fight in 10 years.

“I won the Australian Kick Boxing Championship at the age of 15 when I knocked out a 28-year-old man. I had a huge ego and a little too much money. By the time I was 22, I was broke. I got into the wrong scene and was working as a DJ in a techno club. I did massive amounts of cocaine and ecstasy. I was working as a “stand-over man” (a debt collector for drug dealers) and breaking people’s legs.

“I loathed myself.  I was scum of the earth. My friends were dropping like flies from drugs and bullets. I wanted better for myself and I came through it all.

“I started training again and lost 20 pounds right away. I learned to love myself again and met my wife. We now live on the Gold Coast which has the best surfing in the world and we have two beautiful kids. My daughter’s second birthday is Saturday, the night of my fight.”

On what he thinks of Adamek:
“Fighting is not for everyone. I respect any man who steps through the ropes to take on another man’s will with his own two hands. Technically, Adamek is well schooled and has all the moves, but he’s never really been tested. He’s never fought anyone with my power or tenacity. He can’t handle my power and aggression.”

On the anticipated huge pro-Adamek Polish crowd at the United Center:
“So I’m in his house. It’s nothing new. I’ve fought all over the world. I don’t have to fight every person in the stands. I just have to fight Tomasz Adamek.”

On this training camp, his second with Jack Mosley:
“I’m a different fighter than I was in my last fight. I spent six weeks in Big Bear. I went back to Australia for a bit to train with Anthony Mundine who’s preparing for his fight with WBA super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler.”

Briggs message to Adamek:
“This is gonna be a fight. There’s no tomorrow for me.”