“I promised Gilberto Jesús Mendoza (WBA President) that no matter how, this year I’ll become champion one more time. Not only for the WBA, but also for my country and my family,” he stated in an interview that was streamed through the World Boxing Association youtube channel.
The 34-year-old fighter made a retrospective of his life and career, going into details on how he got his opportunities and thanked Mendoza and his father, who is the emeritus president of the WBA, for guiding him through this long and complicated path to greatness. He also expressed his gratitude for the support the WBA is providing to amateur boxing throughout the world and especially to Venezuela.
“I always mention Gilberto Jesus Mendoza. Thanks to him and thanks his father that I am where I am. It wasn’t only my father, who introduced boxing to me, but my family that gave me the opportunity to go to Japan at only 16 years old, my mother, siblings. I always tell Gilberto that I don’t know how grateful I am with him and his father for having taken me to Japan and helping me out. I keep asking for him the opportunity as a boxer and that he keeps supporting amateur and professional boxing, which we have always loved. The best I can do as am athlete is proving that there is still more of Jorge Linares for the future and obtaining a new WBA title.”
Linares Knocked out Carlos Morales on February 14 in four rounds in a bout we could see a stronger and explosive Linares. The Venezuelan assured that all of that was because of a series o elements that surrounded him during the preparation for that fight which took place in Anaheim, California.
“I made some adjustments in my career, personally, and more importantly psychologically,” said Linares. “Returning to Japan where I started my career, working with my younger brother Carlos, who is my official trainer and the best Teiken Promotions trainer. Everything has worked excellent for me, that decision was taken after the loss against Cano. I made my comeback in September facing a Filipino in Tokyo, and now that great performance I had with Carlos Morales back in February, a fighter who complicated things for Ryan García, and once again we stole the show. That means a lot to me because I now feel prepared to be back in the big leagues.”
He also talked about his plans for the immediate future: “Now I hear some names like Ryan García and Luke Campbell for a second fight. There are many good opponents in the 135lb division and that’s why I felt motivated to be back to this weight class.
Linares will spend a few days in Venezuela, and he has gathered with several authorities of different organizations to talk about the support to boxing in this country, a goal he has well traced to contribute with Venezuelan fighters in both amateur and professional boxing.
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Linares is a gritty, non-stop, and unrelenting fighter. I admire his courage and win, lose, or draw, he comes to fight! I wish him the best! Linares is not a whiner nor does he complain much over rules…He simply gets out there and does his job!
I thought he had the tools to dethrone Vasyl.
I agree. I thought Linares gave Vasyl trouble in spots during their fight. I had the first half of the fight very close then it turned back in Vasyl’s favor. Linares’ effective work rate makes him very competitive against most fighters. However, Vasyl is a gifted fighter in his own right and it will take an exceptional fighter to dethrone him.
they were dead equal entering the tenth, if i recall well.
He’s scheduled to fight Ryan Garcia this summer right? Linares has the tools to keep Ryan at bay with his boxing skills and win the fight.
Yes, that is the intentions at this point unless something falls thru. Will be a good match up in terms of a veteran going up against youth.
Reading how Linares is expressing his gratitude to the Mendoza family, come in waves to my mind, almost the same comments from others fighters favored by the WBA in the past (mostly from that region (Panama, Colombia, Venezuela and part of Central America) From Elias Cordova in 1974 till now. Almost the same for others with th WBC, mostly in Mexico since the Sulaiman family took over. I wonder what means the letter W at the beginning of their acronyms…..World or Waged?
I would validate Linares’ dreams and promises, if the current 135 champions and top guy were a bunch of chumps, but that is not the case. Lightweight division is stacked from top to bottom with real talents, with a real tiger at the top. I see no chances for this talented brave but fragile fighter that has already seen his better days. Ryan Garcia might be the one in charge to shatter those dreams
As the ill fated Concorde Pilot said “no time, too late”