BRC: Champ, what's going on with your fight against Daniel Seda?

GAINER: Well, I just signed a contract, maybe last week, for the fight to be in Puerto Rico on August 24th.

BRC: So, it's going to be a go, then?

GAINER: Yes, it's a go. I decided to go ahead and let Don King deliver the date, and if he doesn't deliver the date by the 24th, which I know he is... Tuesday we go for the press conference, so I know he will deliver the date. I am training for the fight now, so I decided to just let Don King produce the fight, and get Seda out the way, so I can go ahead and take on other fights before the year ends.

BRC: Barrera vs Morales, your take on the fight, please?

GAINER: I thought that Morales won the fight; neither guy impressed me, they only fought spurts. Some rounds they fought in, some rounds they didn't, but I thought Morales won the fight. Barrera was trying to let Morales punch himself out and then attack him but he never did, so, I wouldn't be interested in a third fight, if I were a fan, because they didn't do anything in that fight. I think the first fight took a lot out of them, and I don't think either guy will ever be the same; they showed it that night, because that was a big fight and neither guy showed up, so I don't think either would ever go back to the level that they were in.

BRC: Okay, let's go back to the future. Are you aware of the fact that Félix Trinidad Sr. is retiring and he is going to pass his fighters along to other trainers?

GAINER: He is going to retire also? I didn't know, but whether Trinidad Sr. is in his corner or not, it doesn't make a difference. I'm looking at Daniel Seda as the fighter because we are the ones getting in the ring, even though you have great people in your corner. It really doesn't matter to me, I really don't care that Trinidad is stepping out.

I hate that Trinidad, I know Trinidad personally, I hate that he is retiring. I know how he feels but as far as Seda, it really doesn't matter to me who is in his corner. I am there to beat Seda, I want to fight this guy, and I've been wanting to fight this guy for some time.

BRC: Are you concerned at all about the fight being staged in Puerto Rico?

GAINER: I am, I am, a little bit. I'm concerned that they -the judges- may be biased. But, besides that, I'm going to do my job here (in the gym), and I've been working to get prepared for this fight.

I saw him on tape, and I know what he can and what he can't deal with. I saw him. But, the only thing they can do is rob me! I really, truly, in my heart of hearts, I don't think...I know this guy can't beat me. Even with him being a big puncher, as they say, I just don't see this guy beating me. His punches look a little bit slower to me on tape, and I know everybody may be different in a fight.. but I'm not really concerned with that. I'm just going to go out there and do my job, if I worry about the judges and the little stunt that they are going to pull, when I get there then, I won't be concentrating, I won't be focusing on what I need to do, and what I need to do is beat Seda.

BRC: Which Seda fights have you looked at on tape?

GAINER: His last two fights.

BRC: Ok, his last fight...

GAINER: (Interrupting...) He got beat!

*Note: Daniel Seda's last fight was a ten rounder against Nicaragua's Roger Medal, (14-2, 7 KOs at that time), on September 29th at New York's Madison Square Garden. Seda was awarded a very controversial split decision.

BRC: ...It's not the same guy who showed up for the Kanadou fight, is it?

*Note: Daniel Seda fought crafty veteran and former WBA Bantam champion, Nana Kanadou, (41-4-1, 32 KOs) on May 12, 2002, at Madison Square Garden, stopping him in 9 rounds.

GAINER: Even the Kanadou fight, he stopped a very good journeyman, pretty old, I would say. He stopped a good guy, but at the same time, that guy had him hurt bad, too, and I think his youth is what pulled him through that fight; and even when the fight was stopped Seda was in a lot of trouble! I've watched the tape time and time and time again.

The guy was hitting Seda with some shots, and was hurting Seda with those shots and one round he had Seda wobbling all the way back to the corner, but the bell rung. Kanadou had no time to really get him, but it really showed -and my coach and I agree on this- that Seda was in good shape. Because when you are in good shape you can...like Trinidad, you are able to overcome being hurt like that and come out the next round and you are back a little fresh. If you are out of shape, there is no way possible you can take those good punches and then come back and recover from that; so he is going to be in good shape.

BRC: Is your team going to have input on the appointed judges and the referee?

GAINER: Definitely, and if they don't I'm not going to fight. I'm not going to go over there to Puerto Rico and let them appoint the judges; we are going to have to have a say on these judges, if not it would be crazy for me to go on with that fight.

I don't think they would appoint judges based upon what Don King wants. They have to give me at least a couple of weeks in advance, telling me who is going to be the referee, the judges, the whole nine.

BRC: Would you then have the option to object, is that how it works?

GAINER: Normally, yes, when I fought Corrales in Vegas they had some judges that I objected to, I didn't agree with. My promoter at the time, Murad Muhammed, he didn't like the referee. The referee was Richard Steele, Murad said Richard Steele stops fights quick, and look what happened to me in that fight.. it sure got stopped quick.

*Note: The referee who ended up getting the call was Jay Nady, who stopped the fight in the third around and went on record to say that he did it because when -following a knockdown- he asked Gainer if he was OK, Gainer looked at his ears. Go figure!

BRC: Well, champ, is there anything else you would like to get off your chest while we are talking?

GAINER: No, no, just that I am so looking forward to this fight. I saw that little article that Ayala put out the other day, saying he wants to fight all these guys but... it's just amazing to me how no one actually mentions my name. My name never comes up, and I'm still a champion. I wonder, why is that? I mean, I'm the guy who they said was nothing, I'm they guy they said can't take a punch, I can't do this, I can't do that, why Ayala didn't call my name? Why these other guys, these fighters that are around me, they're sitting there waiting, why no one is calling my name? You know, I really, I don't understand that. You know what I'm saying? But, I'm just going to do my work here, get Seda out of the way, and then I'm going to call these guys out, the Barreras, the Morales, the Ayalas, and all these other guys, that are around me, let's fight, you know, let's fight; not one guy calls my name out, it's just amazing to me.

BRC: Do you have any sense of where you'd want to go after Seda, assuming that you are a winner there?

GAINER: I really would love to fight Ayala next.

BRC: Any particular reason why Ayala?

GAINER: Because he is a gutsy guy, he's going to try hard, you know you are going to have to be in shape. When I watched him fight, against "Bones" Adams, against Johnny Tapia, I saw a guy that was quick and I like and respect that; I think that he would step up and fight me. I don't think, I really and truly read the other day where Tapia is suing Murad... I mean, isn't that amazing? He is suing Murad, and I know he is not going to fight me. I mean, he had trouble with Medina, he is not going to fight me, I would love to fight that guy next. I mean there are a lot of possibilities out there for me. But, I just want it to be the right situation, so I can go in there and fight these guys, these major fights, and I would love to unify but I don't know if the other champions would fight me.

BRC: Champ, you sound great, and I thank you for this opportunity. We wish you lots of success, and hope to talk to you again soon. Don't forget us!

GAINER: No way, I'm not going to forget you. Thank you too.

Photo Credit: Audrey Chang

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