I recently had the pleasure of speaking with trainer “Iceman” John Scully. Ice gives his thoughts on the recent setback by Mike Oliver on ESPN Wednesday Night Fights, his relationship with WBC Light Heavyweight Champion Chad Dawson which came to a surprising end and much, much more. Ice has made a smooth transition from boxer to trainer and is sharing his experience with pro and amateur boxers.

Fight fans can expect a great new book to hit bookshelves in the next year or so. “The Iceman Diaries.” It will be an inside look at life of a professional boxer and beyond. I was fortunate enough to have read transcripts from the book and I am convinced that it will be a big hit. I would like to thank John Scully for taking the time to speak with BRC.

BRC: How is Mike Oliver now following his upset loss to Reynaldo Lopez?

ICE: He’s more surprised and embarrassed than anything but he actually came back to the gym a couple of days later. The fight was on a Wednesday and the following Monday he fulfilled an obligation that he had previously made to go to a facility for youthful offenders and even with the loss he gave a nice speech and tried to help the kids out.
 

 BRC: From your point of view did Mike become somewhat complacent in the fight or did he just catch a good punch? 

ICE: It was a very good punch, executed very well. Lopez set him up for it. He tried the same thing in the first round and I warned Mike about it. In my opinion Mike’s focus wasn’t really there. I noticed several times during the fight where he was looking over to his manager and promoter and he kept looking over there. I don’t know what that was all about and I still have to talk to him about it.  
 

BRC: The fight was more or less a hometown fight so do you think that played a part in it at all? 

ICE: He’s fought near his hometown in Hartford, so, not really. Mike had the big elimination fight against Cruz Carbajal and that was in Boston in the same city where he fought Lopez. I think any fighter would be effected in a certain way. It was almost a year ago since the Carbajal fight and Mike was under the impression that he would fight Steve Molitor for the IBF title afterwards and the fight didn’t come off. He wins the eliminator and doesn’t get the fight with Molitor. Mike goes on to beat Al Seeger and then drops the last fight. Every fight we have been telling him that you have to win this one and it will get you there and it didn’t happen. I’m just guessing that he was thinking that it was like crying wolf every time and not getting that shot at Molitor. 
 

BRC: I’ve seen Steve Molitor fight many times and since he won the title I have not heard him once say Mike Oliver’s name. Did you notice that? 

BRC: Will Mike pursue a rematch with Lopez or will it not make any difference in the grand scheme of things? 

ICE: Well, if I was to guess, I’d say Lopez wouldn’t want to give us a rematch. He got his opportunity and won, so I’m sure he’s looking at bigger and better things but if we can get a rematch then I’m all for it but like I said, if I was them what’s the point?
 

BRC: As far as the rankings go how much do you think Mike will drop?

BRC: Losing is never easy but will Mike be able to bounce back from a stoppage loss?

ICE: I think so. I have to talk to him but I’ll certainly use successful stories of the past and use the example of Terry Norris who got even better after a couple of brutal stoppage losses.
 

BRC: Is Mike going back to the gym soon?

ICE: Yea, I’ll make sure he does. He has to get back on the horse so to speak. Right now we have the sixty day automatic suspension so that will have to pass. I talked to his promoter so hopefully Mike will be back in the ring by July or August. We just want to look ahead and forget this ever happened.
 

BRC: Which fighters pro and amateur are you currently training?

ICE: Besides Mike there is Matt Godfrey, who is currently the NABF Cruiserweight champion, and there is actually talk of Matt fighting for one of the mandatory spots so we are waiting to see how that plays out. I have a very good amateur I’m working with,  his name is Joey Perez, a Lightweight and a five-time regional Golden Gloves champ.
 

BRC: Speaking Of Cruiserweight, what did you think of Chris Byrd’s disastrous Light heavyweight debut?

ICE: Two things to me are extremely obvious. One the weight loss. Chris did not look healthy at all, even from the pictures I saw from two weeks ago he didn’t look good. I think Cruiserweight has always been his division and he never fought in it. The other thing is, and I said this when I heard he was moving down two classes, the shots he took from the Klitschkos, Ibeabuchi and those guys had to take something out of him, being a smaller man and combining those things with the biggest factor and it was very noticeable. It shows you how mechanical and slow most Heavyweights are. Chris Byrd’s style worked so well against David Tua, Jimmy Thunder, etc., but the speed difference was apparent. Shaun George was faster than anyone he has fought in the last fifteen years or so.
 

BRC: When it comes to weight loss the only other fight in recent memory was, and mind you it was at Heavyweight, but it was Riddick Bowe’s rematch with Andrew Golota.

ICE: I knew you were going to say that. When I saw Bowe I was amazed at how weak he looked and predicting the outcome of that fight wasn’t hard and he even reminded me of Byrd the other night because of that.
 

BRC: What did you think of the Bernard Hopkins vs. Joe Calzaghe fight and how Hopkins has been griping quite a bit about the loss?

BRC: What do you think about the Floyd Mayweather vs. Oscar De La Hoya rematch?

ICE: Two things kind of go against each other. One is, I think there is no demand for the fight and there has to be someone more deserving of a shot at Floyd and with that being said I do plan on being there because it’s going to be such a big event which I’ll use to promote my book. I don’t  care much about the fight but I’m glad it’s happening.
 

BRC: I assume the outcome will be the same this time around?

ICE: I don’t see anything different from the first fight and I think the fact that Mayweather’s father is going to be In De La Hoya’s corner is going to work against Oscar. Floyd is going to make a point of beating his father more than De La Hoya. Floyd will really step it up and make a statement.
 

BRC: What do you think of the Mayweathers as trainers?

ICE: They all must be pretty good being with good fighters but I don’t think Floyd Sr. is as great as he claims to be and if he was that great every fighter would still be with him and every fighter would be amazing. When Anthony Hanshaw took on Floyd Sr. as trainer Floyd said they would beat Roy Jones Jr. and look what happened. Chemistry between a trainer and fighter is so important.
 

BRC: What happened with you and Chad Dawson and why are you no longer training him?

ICE: It’s no secret and I’m going to put it in my book. We had trained together and everything was great and I was told by people that he was going to be tough to work with and this and that but in the time we worked together he did everything I told him to do. He tried everything I told him to do and executed it. We worked on his jab and body punches a lot and it makes me laugh now when people talk about it because he never did that before I started working with him and he admitted that in one interview. In any event I talked to him one day after the last fight I worked with him and said something like that straight left hand is working good and Chad said everything is working good. He then called me a couple of weeks later, and he just comes out with it and told me he signed with Gary Shaw and I’m thinking where does that leave me? Chad still wanted me to train him and I said okay, but I’ll train you at the gym where the manager you're in the process of leaving ,and who pays the rent is, but I don’t think he’s going to let you anymore. Chad lives forty minutes from me and I couldn’t drop everything for him and leave my other fighters. He gave me one day to decide and the next day he was in Florida with Dan Birmingham and that was it.   
 

BRC: How did you see the Chad Dawson vs. Glen Johnson fight?

ICE: I thought, well I’ll give you this analogy. If two kids fight in a school yard for three minutes and one kid throws a hundred punches and the other kid throws ten punches but he knocks the kid who threw a hundred punches down and bloodies his nose everyone will remember that and forget the other kid who threw a hundred punches and landed a lot and that’s the case with Chad. I certainly could see no reason not to give Chad the decision but I understand why many people thought Johnson won. Johnson won his rounds big, especially where he hurt Chad and I thought Chad did enough but either way it was close but not a robbery. Johnson showed a lot more in losing than Chad did in winning and Chad comes out of it more looking that he has to prove himself more. I was disappointed with Chad after the fight when they asked him about a possible rematch and he kind of blew it off. I would have rather seen him, as a fighter, that I would love to give the guy a rematch because the fight probably raised more questions than it answered.
 

BRC: Do you think Chad, in his mind thinks he is better than he really is? He brushes off Johnson, I have never heard him talk about his mandatory Adrian Diaconu and only goes on about Antonio Tarver. 

ICE: If that’s the case it’s kind of like the Steve Molitor thing. It is a business. People behind the scenes might tell him what to say and the promoter will say you beat him and move on, usually to a big money, big name fight and that is where often you will see the agendas of a fighter and a promoter collide. If Chad and Adrian do fight I think Chad wins.
  

BRC: What is up with your good friend Lawrence Clay-Bey these days?

ICE: Lawrence is still working as a Corrections officer and he has two sons in college and he’s doing great. We just spoke last night and everything is good.
 

BRC: How and when did you meet trainer/TV analyst Russ Anber?   

ICE: We met in 1988. It was the night when I beat Otis Grant. I was getting ready for the Golden Gloves here and the Irish team came to fight the Canadian team in Montreal and something happened with the fighter in the 165 lbs. division so they called me and I drove six hours to get there. Otis was ranked number two at the time and it was a thrill to fight a guy I had read so much about. That took place in January and then in September I turned pro. I had fights in Hartford and my promoter at the time had brought Russ and Otis down. Russ and I became friends and kept in touch and when Otis was making his way up the ranks he called me to spar with Otis and I was his only sparring partner prior to his fight with Ryan Rhodes in London, England. Russ was here for my wedding last July.
 

BRC: What do you think of Howard Grant as a trainer and training Librado Andrade?

ICE: As a fighter, for whatever reason, never fully reached his potential. He never made it to the heights that a guy with his talent should have, but in any event, both he and Otis have a wealth of knowledge they can share with their guys. 
 

BRC: What is the latest on your book and when can fans expect to see it on store shelves?

ICE: I’ll go out on a limb and guarantee that it will be done in 2008. I’ll have it finished by the end of this year. I would have had it done sooner but some things held me back a little like my training, my daughter Sarita, etc. Priorities come first and with that said I’m rounding third and heading home with the book. I’m in the closing stages and I’m excited about it.
 

BRC: My final question is about boxing books. What are some that you would recommend?

ICE: Three books I like, “The Greatest” by Muhammad Ali. It’s his autobiography which really got me interested in him and in boxing. He influenced me a lot and especially with never doing drugs or having alcohol. As a youngster it meant a lot coming from someone you admired and I’m happy that I don’t drink and never have done drugs. The second book is “Sugar Ray” and I really liked that one. It was about Sugar Ray Robinson and not only did it talk about his career but about his life, and the other book I like is called "Friday’s Heroes" which is a an autobiography/boxing book written by Willie Pep. I knew Willie, I met him when I was fourteen and he autographed the book for me. He was a great fighter and a local guy. Those fighters and their books have influenced me the most.