By John DiSanto – PhillyBoxingHistory.com
Photos by Darryl Cobb Jr. – dcobbjr.com
Many who have watched Philly heavyweight Joey Dawejko ply his trade in the ring know that he’s a bit of a puzzle. Physically, he looks like a pure puncher – short and stocky, with close-cropped hair and a fixed smirk on his face that implies he’s hiding something. However, when the bell rings, Dawejko is more boxer than puncher, with surprisingly mobile feet and slick defensive moves. Perhaps this is the secret that his smirk keeps.
Or maybe Dawejko’s biggest secret is that his skillset and potential as a fighter have always seemed much greater than the story told by his inconsistent performances and 19-4-4, 11 KOs, record. On one hand, this discrepancy could be a secret weapon, potentially making him a spoiler for any fighter, matchmaker or promoter who takes him lightly. However, Dawejko himself has always been a full partner in the business of underestimating his true potential.
You see, with Joey Dawejko, the only real question is whether or not he’ll show up on fight night in good enough shape to deliver. His performances have often been hampered by his spotty conditioning, and therefore Joey’s prospects for success have always been held hostage by this missing piece of his game.
On Saturday night, Dawejko and his Achilles heel will be tested like never before in a hotly anticipated collision with fellow Philadelphian and heavyweight contender Bryant Jennings. Their 10-round bout, with the PA State Heavyweight Championship and both of their careers at stake, is the best Philly vs. Philly bout staged in years and is part of a mega-watt fight card at the Liacouras Center in North Philly.
The match is an interesting one. Despite their geographical similarities and comparable weight class, Dawejko and Jennings are very different animals.
Dawejko began fighting during his childhood, while late bloomer Jennings started as a grown man. Joey garnered many amateur trophies, while Bryant got in and got out of the amateur ranks in the blink of an eye.
As professionals, Jennings mounted a fast-rising campaign that led him to a shot at world champ Wladimir Klitschko, while Dawejko rode his rollercoaster journey to the middle of the division.
Their training regiments are night and day opposites. Jennings, who splits his training time between Philly and Florida, has always put his conditioning first, while Dawejko, who holds camp in California, has always struggled to commit to the toils of the gym.
Yet, both of their paths have led them to Saturday night’s fight, in an assignment that figures to be “must win” for each heavyweight.
Dawejko claims that he’s finally overcome his fatal flaw and that his entire future will be launched with a win over Bryant Jennings. If Joey has in fact trained properly, the fight could be his. However, if he took another shortcut to the ring this time, it’s a fat chance that he’ll come out on top. We will find out when the bell rings on Saturday night.
I spoke to Dawejko by phone at his West Coast training camp.
How has training camp at the Wild Card Gym been going?
“It’s the best camp I’ve put in in my whole life. We’ve been getting ten to twelve rounds in on our sparring days. We spar Monday, Wednesday and Friday. So, like I said, this is the best camp that I ever put in. I’ve been out here since January.”
Has it been hard to be away from home for so long?
“My fiancée, Maria makes it a lot easier for me. While I’m out here, she handles everything back home. She’s a bigger trouper than me because she’s taking care of the kids, holding the house down, paying the bills, doing everything she has to do so I can come out here and do what I need to do. So, she has to get props too, because she’s doing just as much as me.”
So you’ve been training for four months for this fight?
“I was supposed to fight in March, and I was already in shape for that fight. A couple of weeks before that, this fight happened to come about. So, this gave me a lot of extra time to be in a lot better shape. It’s been a great camp and I’m about to prove to the world what I’m about.”
Do you think your conditioning has been the missing piece?
“I always get the people that say I never come in in shape. But this is a completely different thing. I’m doing things I’ve never done before. People always criticized me – ‘oh, he probably never ran’. I might not have run as much as people think (I should), but now it’s a steady thing for me. This is a completely different camp. I know that this is life or death. So I’m doing everything I need to do. I’m in great shape. I’ve been running every day. I’m about to prove to the world what who I am.”
No one has ever questioned your skills.
“I have great skills. I’m a good puncher. I’m fast on my feet. The only thing is if I’m going to show up in shape or not. So, that’s my biggest thing right now. I’m in shape. I feel that I’m a better fighter than him. I’m a bigger puncher.”
What are Bryant’s advantages in this fight?
“His strength really for a lot of years has been that he’s always been in great shape. He’s always been in super condition. Maybe he has some experience over me in the pros, but I’ve been fighting my whole life. So, it doesn’t matter what type of shape he comes in. I’m the better fighter, and I’m going to prove it on that night.”
Is this the biggest fight of your career?
“Yes, it is the biggest fight of my career. I know with a win over Bryant Jennings, where my career can go. It doesn’t matter who I fought before, because it’s this fight that’s going to matter. After this fight, I’m going to get bigger opportunities. Let’s face it. He’s pretty high in the rankings. So, after this fight, when I beat him, I’m going to be in that position. I’m going to get the big money fights. I’m going to get the bigger name fights. So, yes, this is the biggest fight of my career, and I completely treated it like that. The whole camp, from the moment my manager called me, I knew we were going to put it together and I knew this was going to be the biggest fight of my career.”
Is Jennings the best fighter you’ve ever faced?
“I don’t know if he’s the best opponent. Amir Mansour was a great fighter. I’m giving him that respect now. I don’t know if Jennings is the best. I’ll have to tell you on fight night.”
The Mansour fight was one you let slip away, right?
“My manager (Mark Cipparone) brings it up to me all the time. He says, ‘Joe, you know that you could have won, and it’s your fault (that you didn’t).’ It is my fault, and that’s everything I was willing to change. I walked out of that ring as a better fighter that night. It’s a shame because it was my fourth loss, but I needed that learning experience. It was the first time I was going ten rounds, the first time I was ever cut. I needed that learning experience. Walking out of the ring, I knew I was a better fighter. Now I’ve put it altogether to be a complete fighter.”
How do you feel about facing another Philly fighter?
“Everybody criticizes the Philly vs. Philly stuff, but Bryant Jennings never paid my electric bill. He never put any money in my pocket to make sure me or my kids were ok. So, it doesn’t matter where he’s from. I don’t have any friends in the heavyweight division. There are guys that I talk to, guys that I’m cool with, but none of them are my friends, because eventually we’re going to fight someday. After my career, we can be friends, but as of right now, it’s about business.”
You hold a win over Jennings as an amateur and sparred with him as a pro years ago. Does this mean anything now?
“Bryant Jennings knows exactly who I am. Top Rank gave him, I’m not going to say easy fights, but Top Rank gave him three fights to get back. I think they might be thinking they gave him four fights to get back into title contention. It’s going to be a big upset. Maybe Top Rank was looking at my record and thinking this is just another tune-up for Bryant. But deep down inside, Jennings knows exactly who I am, so he’s going to bring it all. He better be treating this like it’s a championship fight, because I’m no slouch. I’m giving it my everything. You haven’t seen my everything yet, and that’s my fault. But I’m going to give my everything in this fight.”
Haven’t you felt this way before in your career?
“My mind is right. I’m completely focused. I know the opportunity that this holds, and I’m not going to give that up. After I beat Bryant Jennings, it puts me in the rankings. I’m not losing this fight.”
What does the chance to win the PA title mean to you?
“I love Philadelphia; I love Pennsylvania, but it doesn’t mean too much because I’m moving on to bigger and better things.”
In Philly, there is a lot of buzz about the fight. It’s not the main event, but it doesn’t it feel like it is?
“Absolutely! This is an intriguing fight. I have respect for everybody fighting on this card. The main event, Isaac Dogboe and Jesse Magdaleno. I’ve known Isaac for a couple years now. He trains out in California. I know Jesse Magdaleno from back in the amateurs. I’ve known Jesse Hart since we were 12 years old. But this is the biggest fight on the card. This is the best fight on the card.”
To beat Jennings, you have to make good on your promise of being in shape.
“This is do or die for me. When I win this fight, it’s going to bring on better money, so I can provide for my children the way I want to. I want to give them the world. Like I said, this is the biggest fight for me, and I’m doing everything I need to get the win and to move on to a better life for me, my fiancé, and my children. This is where everybody’s going to see the real Joey Dawejko.”
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To read more about the Philly fight scene – including more on Jennings vs. Dawejko – visit www.phillyboxinghistory.com.