Meers is the man that everyone wants to interview right now. He is engaging, easy going and he can fight. He favours respectful talk over hype but inside the ring he goes to war.
Meers has had a whirlwind year so far. He battled it out with the Cruiserweight Champion. Many suspected that he took the fight a little early. A few more fights and he would be ready, they said. He was ready. He dominated the fight and scored a knockout.
A win would have seen him become the top cruiserweight in the EBU, but other fights took place that night. Havey lost his fight after being stopped in round 5. This meant that the hard hitting cruiserweight became the top man in the whole of the EBU, and Havey lost the spot he had worked so hard to gain.
Meers said that he would speak to me about his predecessor because “that’s all I’m asked about. I’m sick of talking about it”.
ADAM…. Are you fed up because you feel that Havey’s career overshadows yours?
MEERS…. It does. I don’t mind that at all. Havey has had a very long career. I’m still young but give me time. I’m fed up because I’m asked if I feel I really have taken his spot. Some people feel that he wasn’t at his best and shouldn’t be judged on one performance. I agree with that in ways. I’m annoyed with all of this talk because I don’t care. I don’t need to be the top man of all of the weight classes. I need to be the top man of my own. That’s it.
ADAM…. Do you think Havet still sees himself as the top man?
Meers…. I’m sure he sees himself as the top heavyweight. The top man, the pound 4 pound rankings are voted on. I don’t take them seriously and I don’t think Havey does. He used to always say that he wanted to clean out his division. He did that. I never heard him say anything about being the top man.
ADAM…. Is there animosity there?
Meers…. No way. Not at all. I agreed to April 7th before he did. When I found out he was fighting on the same night as me but at a different show I was gutted, I have been to all of his fights. He text me the day after congratulating me. He’s always helped me out with tickets and getting sparring partners. I have nothing but respect for him.
ADAM…. Yet you were critical of his defeat.
MEERS…. As much as I respect his career and the way he carries himself, I’m realistic. I don’t think I was critical. I haven’t seen the fight. I was asked my opinion and people that saw the fight said he was crap. How many fights have you seen where Havey was bad? Even when he is bad he is still good. So clearly something was wrong. I don’t think he should have been in the ring. He pushed his luck with injuries which he could have sorted at any time. Maybe he was advised badly or maybe he didn’t think the injuries were that bad. I don’t know.
ADAM…. Or maybe he thought he was so good he didn’t need to be 100%.
MEERS…. No I doubt that. He’s slightly humble. He does know he is good but doesn’t think he is as good as people say. When I’ve seen him train for different people he has said he will lose if he isn’t tip top. I don’t know why he didn’t have the operations. It doesn’t make sense.
ADAM…. Do you think Havey is finished.
MEERS…. Yes. I wish he wasn’t. I think that if he comes back he will do ok but the best is behind him. He has had reconstructive surgery on his shoulder. The surgeon was a very good one. His physiotherapist has worked miracles on other fighters. But you don’t come back at 31 years old after and injury like that. You don’t come back without losing something that you once had. He has months of rehabilitation ahead of him. He most likely wont box again. He has a long, hard road ahead of him and I don’t think he will have the hunger to walk that road. His eye, shoulder and jaw have all had big operations throughout his career. Those hard battles have taken their toll.
ADAM…. Do you think he should retire?
Meers…. Yes he should call time on boxing. He has nothing to be ashamed of. Every Champion reaches a point where they cant do what they used to. Everyone wants a career like his. He has fought the top heavyweights in the EBU over the last decade and has victories over them all. top name after top name, fight after fight. Bow out now and he can look back with pride. Even if he comes back and wins, what next? There’s no big names left. He has fought them all. If he stays around another year he will pick up losses often. I don’t think he will beat anyone in the top 10 rankings in 18 months. Havey is finished in my opinion.
ADAM…. It’s a big fall. What about you? people are saying he could drop down in weight to fight you.
MEERS…. I wouldn’t fight him at heavyweight. I would snap up the chance to fight him at cruiserweight if it happened this year. He did once say that he could rule the cruiserweight division with one hand and make the weight. So send over the contract. Id even let him have lions share of the money. If Havey had 4 arms he couldn’t beat me at cruiserweight. No chance. I don’t think he could even make weight. He usually weighs in at 217 lbs. He would be drained at 199 lbs. I know that he was naturally a cruiser but that was a long time ago.
Adam Drurry
English Boxing Union 