Nicolai Firtha, the heavyweight prospect from Dayton, Ohio known as "The Stone Man" will make his long awaited Las Vegas debut on Friday, March 6 when he battles Everett, Washington's Vili "The Tongan Warrior" Bloomfield in the main event of Crown Boxing's Friday Night Fights at the Orleans. Firtha, who was an alternate with the 2004 U.S. Olympic team, brings a formidable 15-4-1 record into the contest, while Bloomfield is a strong 9-3-1 himself. We spoke to Firtha recently during his preparation.
CM: What does it mean for you to fight in Las Vegas for the first time?
NF: I can't wait. It's a great opportunity. I fought in Las Vegas as an amateur and I know the town a little bit. I hope to enjoy a little warmer weather while I'm out there.
CM: What do you think about your upcoming battle with Vili Bloomfield?
NF: I need to bring my best. I'm ready for a six-round war.
CM: How has your preparation gone?
NF: I've been training for a long time. I had some dates fall out. I think I've done like 120 to 140 rounds in the gym.
CM: What was your best night and what was your worst night as a professional?
NF: Almost all experience in the ring is a good experience because you learn from every fight and every time you spar. I learned a lot sparring with Robert Davis and with Oliver McCall. My best night and my worst night was the same night, against James Nordy. I was dominating and I had him in trouble. I went in to finish him and I got careless and he hit me with a right. He turned the fight with that one punch. It was bad 'cause I suffered a set-back but it also showed me what I was capable of and I learned a lot.
CM: We hear a lot of talk about a midwest rivalry with George Lindberger.
NF: George is a good guy and we get along fine when we see each other. From a boxing perspective, we just couldn't be more different. He was fighting almost every month in Tenessee against opposition that I found very questionable. I've just never believed in that approach. We've taken different paths. Also, my name was used to sell fight cards that I was never signed to compete in and I didn't much appreaciate that. The great thing about boxing is that we can resolve our diffferences in the ring.
CM: Crown Boxing has indicated that if you win this fight, your next fight could be for the IBA Heavyweight title. What's your thought on that?
NF: Ever since the fight with Nordy, I've been working so hard to elevate my ranking again. I feel like I'm ready for the spotlight. Just being mentioned for this is a great honor. I've always taken great pride in my professionalism. I always come in shape and ready to give a real effort. It would certainly be the realization of a dream and I'm extremely thankful to Crown Boxing and Frank Luca for considering me.