TalkingBoxing Interviews
Now That the Contender is Over, Lange Wants More
WED June 22, JULIUS STECKER - Jimmy Lange is a clean-cut, tough guy, who many will remember from the popular NBC reality show "The Contender", which aired in the spring. Lange, 25-2, came away from the show with a 1-1 split, and a $200,000 check for winning the fan favorite bout.
Now that the experience of reality television is over, Lange will be looking for more in the fight game. TalkingBoxing.com caught up with Jimmy to get his take on the fight game and his future prospects.
“Getting into these 10-round fights now is going to help me. I didn’t know going into the show how these 5-round fights would affect me. And I think it cost me the first fight and if the Tarick (Salmaci) fight would have gone on longer, I felt I would have stopped him. I love the 10-rounder, because there is a lot more to my game, I like trying to figure a guy out and breaking him down,” explained Lange.
Lange has a step-up on his foes as he is trained by former champion and highly respected trainer Buddy McGirt. McGirt is the type of trainer that takes excellent fighters and makes them great, takes them to another level. Look no further than the likes of Antonio Tarver and Arturro Gatti as successes he currently trains. The 29-year old Lange, from Great Falls VA, likes Buddy’s style, loves the approach Buddy takes and wants to get to the next level.
“It is great to be able to believe in the person in your corner. He has proven over and over again that he is a great trainer. And with him, and me, it is not a bunch of screaming and yelling. There is great dialogue between the both of us. He realizes that I don’t need a motivational speaker in there,” said Lange.
With McGirt in his corner, Lange would like to settle unfinished business from the show; a rematch against the guy who beat him in the first round match, Joey Gilbert. It was a close fight that went down as a 5-round majority decision that Gilbert had to pull out in the 5th and last round to win.
“Any fighter who says they don’t want redemption is a liar. Joey Gilbert is not the fighter I am, and I think if the fight was longer then 5-rounds I would have stopped him,” stated Lange.
Lange recently was in camp with WBC jr. welterweight champion Arturo Gatti, helping him prepare for his upcoming super-fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. and according to Jimmy, Gatti has more then a good chance to win.
“I have worked 20-25 round with Arturo Gatti, and I will tell you what this guy can crack. And I have never been in with a guy who could crack like this. He is sharp, and I think he has a punchers chance in this fight. If Floyd trades with him, Gatti knocks him out. But Gatti has to fight the fight of his life to win.”
Lange, who feels comfortable fighting at 154, will be looking to fighting all the top jr. middleweights as his time to shine nears. Right now Lange wants namely, the other top contestants from the show before stepping out into other ranked contenders.
Lange closed with, “The boxing world can expect me to be in some good fights. I would like making a run at the some the other guys from the show. I would like to fight Alfonso Gomez, Ishe Smith, and Peter Manfredo Jr. They are good guys, but I would like to get my chance to fight them.”
Those would all be quality fights and popular among "Contender" fans worldwide. For Lange's sake, make sure it's a 10-rounder.
