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by Jason Peck
Born in Greece, Michalis "Mighty Mike" Arnaoutis amassed an astounding amateur record before turning pro in 2001 and where he continues to add on to his career total of ten victories with no losses. On August 5th, 'Mighty Mike' steps into the ring for a Showtime televised fight against undefeated Juan Urango for the NABO junior welterweight belt. While training for the fight of his life, Mighty Mike took a few moments to answer some questions for TalkingBoxing.com. Interpretations are done by his trainer Mike Michael.
"Mighty Mike" Arnaoutis
Jason Peck: Just tell us a little bit about yourself
Mike Arnaoutis: My name is Mighty Mike Arnaoutis, I'm from Greece and I now fight out of Atlantic City, New Jersey. I am a former Amateur champion in my home country and in the International competitions, and I moved on from there into fighting professionally with Cestus Management. I have ten wins and no losses, and I plan on keeping it that way.
Jason Peck: What do you see in Juan Urango?
Mike Arnaoutis: A punching bag! (laughs) I see a strong guy, a guy who is going to come forward and try to take my head off. But I also see an incomplete fighter, a guy who hasn't fought anyone like me before and isn't prepared for what I can bring to him. Basically, I see a guy who is going to be defeated because he just isn't in my league.
Jason Peck: What has your training regimen been looking like lately? Just give us a general idea.
Mike Arnaoutis: I've been up and doing my roadwork at six in the morning. After the running, I do two hours of calisthenics, different exercises for different things. For strength, I've been working with a tire and a sledgehammer. I've been doing speed work, shadowboxing, working very hard with my balance. In this fights, it will be important for me to remain on balance so I can hurt this guy while not getting hurt myself, so I've been working hard on trying to commit my power to my punches while still being able to dodge and slip.
In the late afternoon, I do two and a half hours of hard sparring, mostly with Shamone Alvarez, who is a great prospect and also a southpaw like Urango and myself. We're getting closer now to the fight, so I'm winding down with sparring and just keeping sharp, but I feel ready. I've never done twelve rounds before and neither has Urango, so I've been working to the point where I could do fifteen rounds if I had to! One of us is going to be more able to be effective down the stretch in this fight, and I've been working so hard because that one is going to be me.
Jason Peck: hat do you think is your most effective weapon in this ight?
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Jason Peck: A press release from a few years back in New England Ringside Magazine said you weren't as technically polished as the other boxers under your management team, although it said you were probably the most talented. Has your focus been to become more technically proficient?
Mike Arnaoutis: A lot of former amateur champions turn professional and think they can get by with their amateur game. They have great technical skills, but they don't have the fire to be true, exciting professional fighters. My technical skills are good enough to stand with anyone out there, but I'm not satisfied with only that. So while we work in the gym to make sure my technical foundation is rock solid, we also concentrate on fighting in a more aggressive, professional style. Put it all together, and it's a powerful package.
Jason Peck: You're a great champion from Europe, but you've only had ten professional fights and want to move into America. But with the junior welterweight division as crowded as it is, what is going to make the public notice Mighty Mike?
Mike Arnaoutis: Well, I've had most of my professional fights in the USA, and so far the fans have responded well to me. I think they like that I put on a show in the ring, that I have a good time and fight the way I like to. When the crowd is cheering for me and I am punching fast and moving, frustrating my opponent and hurting him at the same time, that's when the fans know that I was born to be in the ring. At the end of the day, they will notice me because I win fights. As I fight more, the fights I win are bigger and bigger, and I'll keep winning them and keep putting on a great show.
Jason Peck: Do you think the relationship a young fighter has with his fans is different than if he were better known?
Mike Arnaoutis: No, it is the same. When you have a good relationship with the fans, when you have fun in the ring and they have fun watching you, it doesn't matter if there are ten people watching or ten thousand people.
I love all of my fans, and I love all of the people that come to watch me fight, because if they aren't fans before the fight, they will be by the time it's over. I'm always happy to meet someone who loves boxing, because I'm a fighter but I also love the sport. A friend of boxing is a friend of Mighty Mike.
Jason Peck: What was behind your move from lightweight to the super lightweight?
Mike Arnaoutis: I am 23 years old, still growing, and it was becoming difficult to make 135. At 140, I'm at a weight where I can fight like I want to without giving up any strength or power. I feel stronger than I ever have before, and I think the extra few pounds of muscle will make me more powerful without slowing me down.
Jason Peck: What do you see this Showtime fight as?
Mike Arnaoutis: I see it as an opportunity. A big opportunity to show my skills on national television, and to move forward and up the ladder. And it's an opportunity that I'm not going to let pass me by.
Jason Peck: Are you ready to say what your next move would be if you win NABO belt?
Mike Arnaoutis: Any move, as long as it's in the right direction. I would love to fight again on ShoBox, because ShoBox is where prospects like me become contenders and champions, and after this fight, I'll be both. I also think my style is a good companion to Roy Jones, so I'd like to fight on one of his cards, maybe the one in September. Either way, I plan to move ahead. With Cestus Management guiding my career, over the next year I will crack the junior welterweight top ten in the world. Count on it.
