While the great majority of boxing fans look forward to this weekend's major bouts in California and Atlantic City, Minnesota aficionados await for their idol to give a good account of himself on Friday, January 24th at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul.

If the name Matt Vanda doesn't ring a bell, don't feel bad, you are not alone; while he hasn't become a household name just yet, Brunette Boxing and manager Louis de Cubas are working hard to make him one very soon.

Matt "The Predator" Vanda, undefeated in 25 bouts, having won 18 via the short route, has a very loyal fan base in his hometown, one of Minnesota's twin cities, the city of St. Paul. However, I think it is fair to say that Vanda's recent wars with Mexican slugger Jesus Valverde, and the controversy surrounding what many viewed as a hometown decision in their first date, have added a new dimension to his appeal.

Wanting to know more about Mr. Vanda, we contacted Tommy and Brian Brunette, who graciously arranged our interview with the young man Minnesota has come to know as "The Predator." Should he continue his winning ways, the rest of the boxing world will become very familiar with his name, too. This is what we talked about...

BRC: What can you tell the boxing fans about Matt Vanda?

VANDA: Well, I am 24 years old, I'm boxing for Brian and Tommy Brunette, (Brunette Boxing) and boxing is my life, that's all I do... I've been doing it for eleven years now and I'm just trying to win a world title, that's my dream.

BRC: Do you think that because you are from Minnesota, a state not necessarily noted for boxing, that you are being overlooked?

VANDA: Well, I might be overlooked but I think that I'm coming up and I'm fighting good fighters and I'm making a name for myself, so I don't think it really matters where I'm from. I think I'll get a shot at the title no matter what, I mean, you fight the right guys and you know... You just gotta fight the right guys to get to the top and we're making the moves, so I think I'll get a title shot maybe this year.

BRC: Talking about fighting the right guys... tell me about your two fights with Jesus Valverde...

VANDA: Valverde... well, when I fought him the first time, my best friend had just gotten killed two weeks before the fight, so I was a little bent out of shape and I thought I was ready to fight, but I guess I really wasn't mentally prepared for the fight. Physically I was prepared, but mentally I kinda fell apart... I don't know, I warmed up about an hour and a half before that fight; we just warmed up a little bit too long and I think I got side tracked and in the first round he caught me with a right hand, he nailed my eye pretty good and I just started slugging with him, I just turned it into a war; we just went toe to toe and my eye ended up closing in the third round, so I had to fight pretty much with one eye...

I just didn't fight the fight I should have fought, I went to war with him and that was a mistake; so, it was a close fight; they thought they won the fight, so in all fairness I gave him a rematch. I figured I could beat him anyway... they thought they won, we thought we won, so we figured in a rematch we'd settle the score, that's what the deal was. We fought again, and I was totally prepared and I thought I won every round in that fight.

BRC: Not to harp on this, but would you agree that the decision in the first fight was a controversial decision?

VANDA: At first I did, but when I saw the tape, I clearly... yeah, I won the fight. I thought it was controversial the night of the fight; but when you watch the tape... I saw that I actually won more rounds... I think that I probably won six rounds, he won four. It was a close fight, but yes, that night I did think the decision was controversial, but after I watched the tape I thought I won the fight clearly.

BRC: Tell me about your opponent for Friday, January 24th...

VANDA: His name is Homer Gibbons, 41-7, 30 knockouts, a former WBF champion; he fought Hector Camacho a few years back, and went 12 rounds with him. He is a good, durable fighter, a veteran. I've watched some tape on him, and I think I'll be able to knock him out, that's what we are hoping.

We have Jesus Valverde up here right now, me and him are buddies now, and we've been sparring, so I've been getting some real good work. I've been throwing more punches than ever before; we've added some things to my training, and my legs are strong, my stamina is great and I have been throwing more punches than I ever had before. So, I think, I have a good idea, that I am going to knock him out. I don't think it's going 10 rounds.

BRC: Do you feel pressured at all by the fact that Brunette Boxing's plans to make Minnesota a Midwest boxing Mecca evolve around you, their main man?

VANDA: Well, yeah, I'm the main man up here, I mean, there really aren't a lot of fighters up here, you know.. but that doesn't bother me at all. We put on big boxing shows, there's more people at our shows than there is at a lot of fights in Las Vegas. We get around 5,000 people at least at every fight, we pack the house. You know, the people here they like me, they love me, they support me, so there is pressure, yeah, but I love fighting here in Minnesota, I'd rather fight here than anywhere else. The pressure, I can deal with it, I've been dealing with pressure my whole life...

BRC: Talk to me about your tattoos, they are hard to miss...

VANDA: My tattoos? I got lots of tattoos, I am covered with tattoos...

BRC: Yeah, I know, I've seen your pictures, (laughing), tell me about them...

VANDA: Well, my mom, Lili Vanda, she took me to get my first tattoo for my fifteenth birthday. I got the Notre Dame fighting Irish guy on my shoulder, you know, I'm an Irish fighter, and then from there, well, my best friend Jeff Schmitty he does the tattoos for me. So, I get a lot of tattoos for free, actually we made a deal a long time ago, as long as I kept knocking people out, I'd get free tattoos at his shop, Schmitty's Tattoos, so I've ended up getting a lot of them. I have my mom's name on me, I have a lot of crazy stuff... I got my last name across my stomach, 'Predator' across my back, a small cross for my friend that died with his initials, they all have a little meaning, I guess I love them. I love tattoos.

BRC: Speaking of which, where did you come up with "The Predator?"

VANDA: Tommy (Brunette) gave me that nickname when I was 15 or 16 years old. He said I stalked my prey in the ring like a predator, like a hawk; that's the way I fight, I stalk, I pick my shots, and when it comes time to attack, I attack like a predator.

BRC: How long have you been with Tommy Brunette?

VANDA: I've been with Tommy since I started boxing, since I was 12 years old, I am 24 right now.

BRC: Did you fight amateur, and if so, what was your record?

VANDA: Yeah, I did, I was 14 and 2, 16 fights, and the two fights I lost, I got ripped off on them, so I figure I was pretty much undefeated as an amateur, but yeah, I only had 16 fights. I turned pro when I was 17 years old.

BRC: Would you care to share with the boxing fans what you would like your future to be?

VANDA: Yeah, I wanna tell everybody that Matt Vanda, from St. Paul, Minnesota is going to be a world champion; keep watching for him, he is coming up. I want to be the people's champion, everybody is going to love it, they are going to love us...

BRC: Your dream fight?

VANDA: I'd like to fight Oscar de la Hoya, he's the man, he's the best fighter there is.

BRC: Do you think you are ready for that?

VANDA: I don't think I am ready for that right now, no, I need a few more fights, but I think I am getting close to getting up there, yes.

BRC: How far away do you feel you are from a title shot?

VANDA: I'm thinking five or six more fights.

BRC: Your fights with Jesus Valverde and the work that you are doing in the gym now, has that helped you get closer to your goal of being a champion?

VANDA: Yes, no doubt, he is a tough guy, he keeps coming at me, he keeps giving me non-stop pressure and he hits HARD, he hits pretty hard. He just keeps coming, so he makes you work; you gotta throw punches with him, you gotta keep moving, you can't fall sleep in there with him or he'll hurt you. So, yeah, I've learned a lot from him, I've actually learned how to box a lot more since our two fights, and since we've been training together, because I don't need to take too much punishment. I'm a boxer-puncher, I'm not just a slugger, I like to box and I can box. A lot people say I box a lot like Oscar de la Hoya actually...

BRC: When will get a chance to see Matt Vanda on national TV?

VANDA: Hopefully pretty soon, we were supposed to fight on ESPN in March but we turned it down because they wanted to do the show in Minneapolis, and we didn't want to fight in Minneapolis, we wanted to fight in St. Paul. So, after this fight, we are going to go down and meet up with my manager, Luis de Cubas in Miami, and see what we can work out, maybe an ESPN fight or something pretty soon. I just want to be a champion, that's all I want, that's been my life long dream.

BRC: Well, Matt, we wish you the best and we look forward to meeting you when you come down to Miami.

VANDA: That'll be great, I'll give you a call after the fight Friday night, to share the news with you, and thank you for the interview.