Q&A: Buddy McGirt!

August 6, 2007

By Lisa Scott

Photo: Lisa Scott

‘The Contender,' the boxing reality show broadcast by ESPN (which features 16 super middleweight contenders and prospects challenging for a grand prize of $750,000), went into production 2 weeks ago in Los Angeles for their third season. The 10 episode series will be televised on Tuesdays beginning September 4th with the finale being aired live on November 6th at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston.

Producers of The Contender (which include reality show maven Mark Burnett), have axed coaches Tommy Gallagher and Jeremy Williams (also a heavyweight fighter), and enlisted two of boxing's most respected trainers - Buddy McGirt and Pepe Correa (former trainer of Sugar Ray Leonard and Lennox Lewis). With the addition of McGirt and Correa, the third season of The Contender looks to be very enticing. The knowledge both trainers can bring to the show, mixed with McGirt's charisma and hair-trigger humor, could be The Contender's best season to date.

Fightnews spoke to McGirt and this is what he had to say:

Which fighter's will be on your ‘team' for this season's show?
Unfortunately, I can't talk about that. I signed a confidentiality agreement and if I say anything, I can't get paid.

Understood. Did you follow the first 2 seasons of the show? What did you think of it?
Actually, like I told them once before, I really didn't think much of it. But now that I've been a part of the show and have seen how things are behind the scenes, I've definitely changed my mind. To see young hungry fighters get the chance of a lifetime - a chance that most fighters work their whole career for - is really an experience in itself. And to be honest with you, they asked me to be the trainer for Season 1. But I couldn't do it because I had Antonio (Tarver), Arturo (Gatti) and Laila Ali in camp.

Two weeks ago, you were in L.A. filming the show - just days before your fighter Vernon Forrest fought Carlos Baldomir. How were you able to manage that?
Before I went out to L.A., I spoke to Vernon about it and he gave me his blessing. A lot of fighters would have said, ‘No. I need you here with me.' But Vernon said: ‘As long as you're there Saturday for the fight, I don't care. Good luck.' So I really have to thank Vernon for that.

In previous shows, they had the fighters competing in challenges such as ‘dodge ball.' What will some of the challenges be for this season?
If I knew, I couldn't tell you because of the confidentiality agreement. But I really don't know because we haven't gotten to that part yet. This was only my first week. And it consisted of weeding out the fighters who were ready for the show and those who weren't. I couldn't believe that some guys came in out of shape! My thing is if you can't get in shape, that tells The Contender people that you don't want it that bad. So we had to weed those fighters out. Believe me, it wasn't easy. There were a lot of guys, but we could only pick 16. This week, I'll be training my team of fighters to compete in bouts for Thursday. It'll be about who is ready to rumble and who ain't.

Can you tell me which fighters were rejected?
(Laughs) Sorry. I cant talk about that either.

What's an average day like on the set?
Well for one thing, I have to wear make up. I've never had to do that before. They say I sweat too much for the cameras, so they have to put make up all over my face and head so I won't be so shiny. I got the make up lady following me all over the place! (Laughs) But really, the whole thing is no different than what I do here in Vero. They have a great set up there and nothing is ‘staged' because they want the reality of it all. So I'm basically out there doing what I normally do when I work with my fighters. But one thing I can't do, that I always do, is smoke my cigars in the gym while they film. (Laughs)

Do you have to live with the fighters?
No. No, no, no. If I had to live with them, I wouldn't have done the show. Living with fighters and training them just doesn't work. It could literally drive you crazy.

Are you contracted for this season only, or for next season as well?
I believe I'll be doing next season too.

If needed, can you bring your son and some of your other fighters like Dat Nyguen to the Contender camp?
If I have to, yeah. The Contender people have been very good with me and my schedule.

What's going on with Lamon Brewster?
He went to see a new eye Doctor to get an o.k. and everything is fine. But Lamon and I haven't sat down and talked about what's next for him. I expect to do that when I get to L.A.

Prior to his bout with Wladimir, there was talk that Lamon re-injured his eye during sparring and was unable to see. True or false?
That is definitely false! His eye was not damaged in sparring and he was able to see perfectly. But Lamon was really worried about his eye going into the fight. I told Lamon's people that he needs to see a Doctor that tells him either - ‘Yes, you can fight' or ‘No, you can't fight.' A Doctor can't tell a fighter ‘Maybe,' because it messes with his confidence. I wasn't worried about his eye, but everyone else around Lamon was. I feel, that when you have people around you who are worried and telling you things, you have a tendency to think negatively. I know that Lamon is a warrior. But when someone's eyesight is on the line, it's only natural that they become hesitant. Now, Lamon has a new eye Doctor that has given him a clean bill of health and he's good to go.

Last question. A lot of American fighters who compete in Europe (and lose), usually return home with some sort of story about how the deck was stacked against them. For Lamon's fight with Wladimir in Germany, what were things like while you were there?
It was incredible! The Klitschko's promotional company, K2 is the best! I have never been treated so good before in my life! Even when I was fighting and I was a champion, I never got such treatment! They gave us all A-1 treatment from the time we arrived in Germany right up until the time we got on the plane to leave. They made us feel like Lamon was the champ. Hell, they made me feel like I was the heavyweight champ!