ANDY SOUWER (HOLLAND)
Interview of ANDY SOUWER by SERGE TREFEU (2009)
Serge TREFEU: Hello Andy, thank you for grant us for this interview. You have just beaten in July Artur Kyshenko, you win with an extra-round, the fight was thus very close. Had you set up a strategy of fight to face Kyshenko who is one of the rare boxers to have beaten you?
ANDY SOUWER: We knew that Kyshenko is a tuff fighter with a lot of strength. His weakness is in his stamina. We expected this fight to go 4 rounds and I knew I had to go over Kyshenko in the 3rd and 4th round. The fight went as we thought it would be.
With this victory you are qualify for Final of K1-Max which will take place on October 26th. Your opponent will be the Thai Buakaw, you are for a victory each. What techniques do you most think of using in front of Buakaw and that do you think of your opponent?
Buakaw is very strong. After his loss against Sato, people started saying that Buakaw was not the same as he used to. I think Buakaw is still a very strong and smart fighter. I know what I have to do to beat him, because I know his strength and his weakness, but Buakaw also knows my strength and weaknesses. So it will be a tuff fight. I will do my best to win it.
Buakaw is a very powerful boxer with his middles kicks and have a very good boxing with his fists, is that you are going to put in him the pressure also with your techniques of fists or to try to destabilize him with your powerful low kicks?
We have our strategy. Buakaw also has people who read interviews. I will not tell you what I will do. You will see it in the fight.
If you beat Buakaw on October 26th, there is of strong luck that you meet in the second tour Italian Giorgio Petrosyan. How do you see this revenge in front of this new fighter of the K1 Max and that do you think of him?
That possibility is there. If I beat Buakaw then… If Petrosyan beats Yamamoto then… Let’s wait for the 26th. There are 4 determined fighters. All fighters have the same chance to be champion. Petrosyan is a good fighter and very strong, just like the other three finalists.
Petrosyan is a nakmuay pure which uses very well the techniques of the Muay Thai, what techniques do you think of adopting in front of him to disturb him?
I am not thinking of Petrosyan. I first have to fight Buakaw. I am not coming to disturb anybody. I fight my own fight. It helped me, I won the tournament 2 times already!
Your objective is to arrive in finale and to gain third time the title of “K1 World Max”, do is this title is the most important at present for you?
It is important, because I want to win every fight I am in. K1 world Max is an important title, just like the S-cup title. I want to show the world that I am the best, but I think that everybody wants that.
You gained twice the title K1 World Max (2005,2007), you won six championships of the World in Kick boxing (A.R.D.D.D ., F.I.M.C ., W.P.K.A ., I.S.K.A ., W.K.A ., W.M.T.A.), and you were three times World champion in Shoot Boxing. As you practically gained everything, which is still your motivation? Which new title you would like to gain?
As I already said, I want to win every fight. I will never say no to a title fight, because that is the best way to show what you’re made of. My motivation is being the best in what I do.
You discovered the boxing very early, can you say to us towards what age you began and what is attracted you in the boxing?
I started Kick Boxing when I was seven years old. By then I started because my friends were there. After a while I started liking it and now I am addicted to it. It is the fight between two men, both determined to win.
We can say that you are a true small prodigy of the kick boxing because in only 16 years you fights already in class A and in 18 years you already have a championship of the World, do you have always trusted you or is there a fight, a precise victory which was the triggering factor of your champion’s career?
Winning the S-cup in 2002 and 2004 really put me in the picture. After winning the K-1 Max 2005, people finally knew who I was. So my victory in 2005 over Buakaw Por Pramuk was my most important victory!
When you began the boxing do there are boxers whom you liked seeing boxing, in your time the stars in Holland was Ramon Dekkers, Rob Kaman, Ernesto Hoost, Perry Ubeda, Orlando Wiet, Peter Aerts, this champions they influenced you in your style of boxing?
I was a big fan of Ramon Dekkers. My way of fighting looked like the fighting of Ramon. After a while I developed my own style and that fitted me perfectly. I hope to become a legend like they are.
You can speak to us about your first Gym and with what champions you trained?
When I was with Ling Ho (Ling Ho Gym), I trained with Albert Kraus, Marcel Doomernik, Nordin Lazaar, Errol Paris and a few others. All very good fighters with a big name in Holland and the rest of the world…
How would define your fighter’s style?
I like to combine hands and feet together
Your strong points on the boxing ring are your speed combination of blows, your punching power, your defensive play and your extraordinary capacity to take a hit, what are for you your weak points which you would like to correct?
I have a few weak points, just like everybody else, but I can not tell them. Maybe my opponents are reading what you are writing…
You like techniques with fists and low kick a lot, do you work a lot this techniques in the gym or do you do naturally in fight?
This is top sport, you are talking about the best competition in the world. All fighters are training every day to perfect our weapons. Of course I train my techniques. Everybody gets talent, but only a few can call themselves the best of the world. It is all about training, training and more training.
Middles kicks, fronts kicks and knocks of knees, you work them so much on the training?
I train everything. As I already said, everything is important to train. Sometimes you have to adjust your style during a fight, and then it is important to train several techniques.
Have you a particular method of training, a small “secret” to reveal us, as for example during these trainings Ramon Dekkers to strengthen his muscle structure of the neck made pull-up with a weights of the neck, you are about a special method for the preparation of your fights?
You can see my training on YouTube. People can see how I strengthen myself. No secret about it.
What is the typical day of Andy Souwer one week before a fight, do you love training only in the gym, to run in open air in forest, to make many of sparring, to work a technique in particular?
All you have mentioned, I do one week before a fight.
Have you secretly been spying on me?
You fight often in Kick Boxing, Shoot Boxing and K1 Rule but little in pure Muay Thai, have you already fought with elbows and do you like this total fight of Muay Thai, elbows, clinch, knees?
No I have not fought many times with elbows. I have a schedule and Muay Thai does not fit in my schedule, because of injuries. If I have a cut it will take me 4 weeks to recover. In my schedule that would be a problem. I have mouths to feed. I still want to fight the Muay Thai champion in -70 kg in Lumpinee, because I want to be the best standup fighter in the world…
Have you already fought in Thailand or are you already training over there?
No I have never been to Thailand, not even for holidays.
You met and beat Yodseanklai, the boxer at present the strongest in your category in Muay Thai, you are the only foreigner to have beaten him, and you would be ready to make revenge against Yodseanklai in Thailand for example?
If Yodsaenklai is the strongest Muay Thai fighter in -70 kg, I am ready for a revenge in Thailand. I do not think that Thailand is waiting for me. There are enough strong fighters who are specialized in their game…
Do you know French champions and what do you think of French fighters?
I know that Farid Villaume is a strong fighter and of course Danny Bill, Jerome le Banner, Gregory Choplin. I do not look where the fighter is from. I look at his style and his attitude in the ring. I like the above mentioned fighters, because of their style, but it has nothing to do with there nationality
Farid Villaume, Gregory Choplin and so Yohan Lidon, are a part of our big champions who could fight you, would like you to meet one of them?
I do not know if Farid can still make -70, Choplin is fighting -75kg for a long time already and Yohan Lidon is a little bit unknown for me. I fight anybody, anywhere. Call my manager and we have a deal…
Would you like one day to come to fight in France?
Of course I will fight wherever the deal is made
After the Holland, in Europe what is for you the nation the strongest in Kick boxing and Muay Thai?
In every country there are good fighters. France, Italy, Portugal, England, Spain, Ukraine, Russia, etc. All countries have good fighters who can compete with the best in the world
Holland is the country model of the Kick Boxing, where from comes according to you this culture of the Kick Boxing which you have in Holland for several years?
Japan and Thailand, mixed with the Dutch mentality and strategy
What was until today your best memory of boxing?
I think it still has to come
And the worst?
I hope it will never come
What was so far your hardest fight?
My fight against Buakaw in 2006, because I already had two tuff fights with Masato and Kalakoda and I lost that fight, because of my own mistake. That is extra painful…
What difference there is for you to fight in Shoot Boxing, in K1 Rule and in Muay Thai?
In K1 you can not clinch and use your knees. In Shoot Boxing you can use your elbows, you can choke and throw your opponent. Muay Thai and Shoot Boxing are almost similar, but the choking and throwing in Shoot Boxing make it a little more spectacular.
Today in Holland with regard to 10 or 15 years behind we have the impression that there are more boxing shows in Kick Boxing and K1 Rule than in pure Muay Thai, why according to you?
Because the 3×3 rounds are more spectacular for the crowd. The big audience is not yet ready for Muay Thai, because of the elbows. If you ask it to me, for me it is all the same. I like fighting and I do not care what style it is
Today you training always to famous Mejiro Gym, since how much year?
Since April 2006.
What is your sparring partner at present?
I do not have a special sparring partner. I train with the guys at Mejiro and the other fighters in Team Souwer
Your coach, is it always Andre Manaart?
Yes Andre Manaart and Paul Lamoth. When I was younger it was John and Deddy the Ling.
Your objectives for year 2009/2010, except win third time K1 World Max?
Win K1 max the fourth and the fifth time. Win the S-cup 2010. Win all my fights!
You want to add something?
I want to thank you for this interview. I hope you and the readers will support me in the difficult fight against Buakaw!
Thank you very much for this interview and good luck for final of K1 World Max!
ANDY SOUWER
Weight: 70 kg
Size: 1,74 m.
Number of fight: 148. 140 wins. 7 Losses. 1 Draw. 84 KO!
Gym: Team Souwer/Mejiro Gym
Titles:
K1 Rule : World Champion K-1 Max (2005, 2007).
Shoot Boxing : World Champion S-Cup (2002, 2004, 2008).
Kick Boxing : World Champion A.R.D.D.D., F.I.M.C., W.P.K.A., I.S.K.A., W.K.A., W.M.T.A.