Toe-to-toe with soccer star Steve Guppy
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| Brian Doogan, Enzo Calzaghe, Steve Guppy |
Our good friend Brian Doogan, of the Sunday Times of London, put the Neutral Corner in touch with Steve Guppy. His soccer resume is stellar. A winger, Guppy played for England's national team, played for the Premiere League club Leicester City and was an MLS teammate of Freddy Adu's on D.C. United. He was once listed second behind David Beckham as best crosser in Europe. Last season, he was a player-coach for the Rochester Rhinos in the USL.
And, he's a Joe Calzaghe fan. Here's what Steve had to say about boxing and soccer, er, football:
Neutral Corner: What do you think of the Calzaghe-Jones fight?
Steve Guppy: I’m really excited and looking forward to it. Obviously I believe Joe will win the fight. I recognize that Roy Jones Jr. has been a great fighter, but I just think, with my very limited experience in boxing, that Joe wins.
NC: Are you coming in for the fight?
SG: Yeah, absolutely. I'm flying over on Wednesday.
NC: Did you watch fights when you were growing up?
SG: When I was growing up it was the Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank era. Obviously, Frank Bruno was someone we all hoped would beat Mike Tyson. But it never worked out that way. Then Joe came in and took over. Eubank lived in my neck of the woods, down on the south coast, so I was always in the Chris Eubank camp I guess.
NC: Who in soccer would have made a good boxer?
SG: That’s a good question. I guess it would have to be Mick Harford. Now he's the manager of Luton Town. He was hard as nails. He would have been a really good fighter.
NC: What has to happen for soccer to become more popular in the United States? Do we need more stars like David Beckham?
SG: I think there are a number of reasons it's not popular. I think David Bechkam has been great, the exposure is great. But I think where it will really grow is in developmental leagues. Rather than bringing in senior players from Europe we need to develop superstars and I think that is starting now. I don't want to be controversial, but one thing I've seen that I don't like, I’ve seen youth coaches doing drills and drills and it looks boring. I would love to go watch kids play and just let them play. There are a helluva of a lot of drills going on and it doesn't look like a lot of fun. A lot of kids play soccer at a very young age, but then when they are 14 or 15, they go off and play other sports. But at that point soccer should be in their blood.
NC: What's the best live fight you've ever seen?
SG: In the last few years, I've gotten into watching Joe fight and I've been to a lot of his fights. The most amazing fight that I’ve been to was the Kessler fight. To see how Joe just found a way to win that fight, well it was one of the best sporting events that I’ve ever been to. I’m a bit in awe of those guys.
NC: Can you elaborate on that? You are in awe of those guys?
SG: I couldn’t do it. These are fabulously talented guys but there are so many different things in their makeup that have to be right for them to be at the top of what they do. That Joe has managed to stay at the top for some many years, that shows that his hunger has not diminished. I would guess as a boxer, when your hunger diminishes, you get found out very fast.
NC: I read that you are one of just two players to play at the old and new Wembley Stadium. What is that like?
SG: It was a boyhood dream to walk out at Wembley, I was very lucky that I managed to do that. The atmosphere, the history, it was everything and more that I hoped it would be. I guess you could say that Madison Square Garden is a venue that most boxers would love to have fought there at least once. There is a certain sadnesss to see the old stadium go but the new stadiums are the way to go. The new stadium is beautiful. From a spectator's point of view, the views are much better. It certainly is marvelous and I feel fortunate to have played there. As a player, I loved playing at the old Wembley, there is nothing quite like the old Wembley for me.
For a look at all of the Neutral Corner's coverage of the Jones-Calzaghe fight, click here.
-- CASSIDY
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