Arlovski Concentrates on Boxing Skills, Trains With Moorer
Moorer Working To Hone Arlovski’s Boxing Skills
Michael Moorer, the former light heavyweight and heavyweight boxing champ, likes the way Andrei Arlovski goes about his business.
“I love his personality,” said Moorer. “Just like mine; don’t give a fuck.”
Moorer, an assistant to the Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, is working with Arlovski for his MMA bout with Brett Rogers in June at Strikeforce. The status of Arlovski’s boxing debut is likely in question due to the proximity of the Rogers fight to the date which was announced earlier .
Golden Boy Promotions – Oscar De La Hoya’s company - has signed Arlovski for a six-round fight on its June 27 show, and that date just seems too close to the Strikforce fight to be realistic. No opponent has been determined for Arlovski’s boxing debut as a member of the Golden Boy stable.
Moorer is an MMA fan, but he’s as new to it – as is Roach – and his focus is purely on Arlovski’s boxing training. Anderson Silva once asked Moorer to come to Brazil to train with him, but Moorer turned down that offer.
Moorer sees a lot of his younger self in Arlovski, and he knows what he’s talking about. He was the former WBO Light Heavyweight Champion, WBO Heavyweight Champion, WBA Heavyweight Champion and IBF Heavyweight Champion.
“That’s just the way I was,” he said. “You’ve gotta have a chip on your shoulder in boxing. You have to have arrogance. You gotta have a little disrespect.”
When Arlovski found himself on the wrong end of a brutal right hand from Fedor Emelianenko at Affliction Day of Reckoning, he allowed that he may have been rash in attempting the flying knee that left him open for Emelianenko’s right. He added that he may not have taken his training regimen as seriously as he could have, and it cost him the fight.
“I just messaged my friends and joked around,” Arlovski said.
Moorer said he’s concerned about Arlovski’s defense.
“I can still hit you!” Moorer said during a training session. “I can see that shit coming!”
Moorer wants to polish Arlovski’s technique as well, an improvement he says will have an additional benefit.
“I want him to start hitting with power,” said Moorer. “I want his power to be displayed all the time. I want a jab to be powerful, like my jab was powerful.”
Moorer said though Arlovski has a long way to go as a boxer, he likes what he’s seeing.
“He’s the type of guy that studies it. When I tell him to do something, he’ll wonder why he’s doing it,” Moorer said. “He dreams about it. He’s a guy who wants to do it…”
Moorer says in boxing or MMA, Arlovski will be more dangerous a result of his renewed dedication.
“The arsenal’s going to be a lot different now,” Moorer said.
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- Arlovski on Strikforce Card for June
- Signing Arlovski Boosts A Foundering Strikeforce Heavyweight Division
- Andrei Arlovski vs Antonio Silva at Strikeforce St. Louis – Eyeing Each Other With Respect
- If You Can’t Learn From Freddie Roach You Don’t Have It In You
- Andrei Arlovski Seeks Out Greg Jackson To Right the Ship
- The Brett Rogers Fight Has No Upside For Fedor Emelianenko
- Andrei Arlovski Talks Lessons Learned and Future Goals in Strikeforce
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