MichaelSchiavello
22-09-2008, 12:59 PM
An interview in which Semmy actually speaks!
Here he has HIS say about Peter Aerts and the rest of the K-1 fighters.
Their match will explode on September 27.
-You've won it three times in a row. It seems that nobody else has caught up with your level.
I sure hope so.
-Your winning streak kind of proves that they haven't.
That's none of my business, and there is nothing I can do about it. I just do my best, and that's why I've been winning. That's what everybody does, and so do I. And yet if nobody else is on my level, well, is there anything I could do about that?
-You've never had a problem in your recent fights.
Because I really try to do my best, and my will to win is very strong.
-Who is your biggest rival?
Any of the last eight. All of them will be my rivals.
-Anyone in particular?
I won't name one. Like I said, all of them. Those eight fighters will have great motivations, and all of them will come at me to dethrone me. So whoever it will be, those eight guys.
-Who do you think have a chance to beat you?
Someone like me. Someone with this enormous will to beat me.
-Some of the fighters say that K-1 will be boring if you keep winning. What do you think about that?
Let me ask you a question, why isn't K-1 an Olympic sport? It's very popular in Japan, and in Europe too. It will be even popular in the rest of the world, like in the US, if it goes the right way. All over the world. But if it wants to stay forever in Japan, in its own world, it will be terrible and just go down.
-Do you have any comment on those who say things like that?
They are weak. The fans of Mike Tyson and Mohammed Ali would never say things like that.
-What do you think the fans want to see in your fight?
KO, clearly. Maybe they want to see me go down. But in the end, I come out to be the winner.
-You mean they want to see you lose to Aerts?
He takes the upper hand for a little while, then I come back, and then he gets lucky, and so on. I don't know, maybe that's what they want to see (laugh).
-Which one do you think the fans want to win?
Me (laugh).
-Maybe they just want to see the strong one lose.
Maybe. But I think most people just want to see good fights. If it's a good fight, who wins and who loses isn't that important, perhaps.
-What about the opinion that you should entertain the fans more as a professional?
I'm not doing this for money. I'm doing this for honor. For me, it's not about money. That's not very important.
-The fans might not enjoy it if you win it yet again.
I think they do enjoy it. I've seen fans enjoy my performance, and I don't really know where that story comes from. My fans are happy about my performances, and it's my opponents' fans that are not enjoying it. There is nothing I can do about it.
-What did you think of Aerts' public challenge to you?
He did what he wanted to do in the way he wanted to do it. He couldn't fight at that time because of the injury, and I think he wanted to hype it up. I think he did it to make sure to have the fans on his side.
-Perhaps he did that to make sure that there would be no way out for you.
Maybe that's true. Whatever it is, it was his business.
-Aerts said that he will beat you with everything he has ever earned and achieved on the line.
At the end of the day, what is on his mind is that if I move on to the next stage, I will most likely win it all in the end. In that case, there is no way for him to kick me out. Well, if he thinks he can beat me, we'll see. If that's the case, he can probably win it all.
-He also said that he will beat you in order to defend K-1.
I think he's just a very weak guy. That's what I don't like about it, I mean, all those fighters say that K-1 will be unpopular because of me, but I think that's their fault. I always did my best, trained hard, and did everything I could ever do to be the champion. The fact that I'm strong is not my "fault." Those guys, those fighters, they are just like a circle of "friends." I have no business with that kind of stuff.
-Badr Hari has been amazing this year. How do you feel about him?
I think he is good.
-You've beat pretty much everyone, but his name is not on your resume yet. Many fans seem to think he might be able to beat you.
That's good for them. But first, we have to fight to see if it's true (smile).
-Do you want to fight him?
Yes. In the final, or somewhere on the way. That would be cool.
*thanks to miscmisc at kakutougi for translations
"The Voice" Michael Schiavello
Here he has HIS say about Peter Aerts and the rest of the K-1 fighters.
Their match will explode on September 27.
-You've won it three times in a row. It seems that nobody else has caught up with your level.
I sure hope so.
-Your winning streak kind of proves that they haven't.
That's none of my business, and there is nothing I can do about it. I just do my best, and that's why I've been winning. That's what everybody does, and so do I. And yet if nobody else is on my level, well, is there anything I could do about that?
-You've never had a problem in your recent fights.
Because I really try to do my best, and my will to win is very strong.
-Who is your biggest rival?
Any of the last eight. All of them will be my rivals.
-Anyone in particular?
I won't name one. Like I said, all of them. Those eight fighters will have great motivations, and all of them will come at me to dethrone me. So whoever it will be, those eight guys.
-Who do you think have a chance to beat you?
Someone like me. Someone with this enormous will to beat me.
-Some of the fighters say that K-1 will be boring if you keep winning. What do you think about that?
Let me ask you a question, why isn't K-1 an Olympic sport? It's very popular in Japan, and in Europe too. It will be even popular in the rest of the world, like in the US, if it goes the right way. All over the world. But if it wants to stay forever in Japan, in its own world, it will be terrible and just go down.
-Do you have any comment on those who say things like that?
They are weak. The fans of Mike Tyson and Mohammed Ali would never say things like that.
-What do you think the fans want to see in your fight?
KO, clearly. Maybe they want to see me go down. But in the end, I come out to be the winner.
-You mean they want to see you lose to Aerts?
He takes the upper hand for a little while, then I come back, and then he gets lucky, and so on. I don't know, maybe that's what they want to see (laugh).
-Which one do you think the fans want to win?
Me (laugh).
-Maybe they just want to see the strong one lose.
Maybe. But I think most people just want to see good fights. If it's a good fight, who wins and who loses isn't that important, perhaps.
-What about the opinion that you should entertain the fans more as a professional?
I'm not doing this for money. I'm doing this for honor. For me, it's not about money. That's not very important.
-The fans might not enjoy it if you win it yet again.
I think they do enjoy it. I've seen fans enjoy my performance, and I don't really know where that story comes from. My fans are happy about my performances, and it's my opponents' fans that are not enjoying it. There is nothing I can do about it.
-What did you think of Aerts' public challenge to you?
He did what he wanted to do in the way he wanted to do it. He couldn't fight at that time because of the injury, and I think he wanted to hype it up. I think he did it to make sure to have the fans on his side.
-Perhaps he did that to make sure that there would be no way out for you.
Maybe that's true. Whatever it is, it was his business.
-Aerts said that he will beat you with everything he has ever earned and achieved on the line.
At the end of the day, what is on his mind is that if I move on to the next stage, I will most likely win it all in the end. In that case, there is no way for him to kick me out. Well, if he thinks he can beat me, we'll see. If that's the case, he can probably win it all.
-He also said that he will beat you in order to defend K-1.
I think he's just a very weak guy. That's what I don't like about it, I mean, all those fighters say that K-1 will be unpopular because of me, but I think that's their fault. I always did my best, trained hard, and did everything I could ever do to be the champion. The fact that I'm strong is not my "fault." Those guys, those fighters, they are just like a circle of "friends." I have no business with that kind of stuff.
-Badr Hari has been amazing this year. How do you feel about him?
I think he is good.
-You've beat pretty much everyone, but his name is not on your resume yet. Many fans seem to think he might be able to beat you.
That's good for them. But first, we have to fight to see if it's true (smile).
-Do you want to fight him?
Yes. In the final, or somewhere on the way. That would be cool.
*thanks to miscmisc at kakutougi for translations
"The Voice" Michael Schiavello