Eddie Chambers: “I need to be fighting good level fights against the top guys in the world because I believe I have that kind of ability”

I recently had a chance to speak with heavyweight contender, ‘Fast’ Eddie Chambers. After a rough patch in his career, Chambers reinvented himself by teaming up with UK trainer, Peter Fury. Now under the tutelage of Fury, Eddie experienced a successful return to the sport, winning five fights in 2014 and is climbing back up the ranks in the division.

In this interview, I get Eddie’s thoughts on his future plans and who he’s aiming to fight next. Chambers also speaks about potential fights with former champions, Antonio Tarver and Shannon Briggs. Lastly, ‘Fast’ Eddie Chambers speaks in depth about Deontay Wilder’s title winning fight over Bermane Stiverne, as well as the highly anticipated Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight. Here is what Eddie Chambers had to say.

Robert Brown: 2014 was about getting you back in the ring and getting your body in good shape. Who would you like to fight this year? Are you targeting anyone specifically?

Eddie Chambers: At this point it’s whoever I can get to take these fights. It’s not gonna be an easy thing and really right now there’s no one in particular. I’m looking at Wilder and Stiverne and their fight, any of these guys. I’m not pointing at anyone in particular.

I just want to have a good meaningful fight that will get me rated, at least to top ten or top fifteen this year. If it happens, I will be very happy, but if it doesn’t, I can’t say I didn’t expect it to be this way. This is just how boxing is in this day and age and it’s really difficult to make a real living as far at that level.

Of course I can go ahead and fight journeymen constantly, fight maybe ten or fifteen fights a year and make maybe what I can make in one fight if I’m fighting at the right level, but to me that’s not winning, that’s losing. That’s fighting at a level that I believe I’m above and that’s no disrespect to the guys at that level but I just feel like I need to be fighting good level fights and great fighters and against the top guys in the world because I believe I have that kind of ability.

Like I said, we can keep doing that for maybe six to seven times a year and just train and stay in the gym year round, but then I’ll be getting more of a beating in the gym than I would be in the ring and I’m not making any money for it. What’s the point at that point?

Robert Brown: Would you be interested in fighting someone like Antonio Tarver and Shannon Briggs?

Eddie Chambers: Those are good fights and those are great fighters. Those guys have done great things in their careers and honestly they are in the same position that a lot of these other guys are at that are looking for these big fights.

To be honest with you, I’m not sure those guys are really interested in the fights that I’m gonna be bringing because they’re gonna be looking for six to seven figure paydays, that’s what these guys are into, they’re not into fighting for peanuts.

These guys are former world titlists, they’re not looking to say, “Okay, give me the hardest fight I can find for as little money as possible,” that’s basically what I would be bringing to the table for them. They’re looking at it like, “Why in the world would I need to fight Eddie Chambers? What does that do for me? Where does that take me?”

In their eyes, they’re already past where I am, as far as the current standings of the heavyweights, so what’s the point in taking a step back to bring me into the fold, so I can go and beat one of them and take their position and then get a little bit more hype and then me getting their opportunity at a future title shot? They’re not stupid, they’re not willing to take that kind of a chance and risk that much. It’s very unlikely but I’d be welcome to fight whatever.

Robert Brown: What did you think of Deontay Wilder’s performance over Bermane Stiverne?

Eddie Chambers: Honestly, I was a bit surprised to a degree because Wilder actually stayed disciplined and actually went and boxed, but when he did hurt him, he went back to his old Wilder techniques. He went out there and tried to take his head off and threw any kind of punch to do it.

I still think there are elements of greenness there and inexperience because when you get a guy hurt, you gotta take your time and find the spots. I think he’s missing a few of those things, but he did a much better job than I would have thought he would have done but then again, it was how I expected as far as what Stiverne would do.

I thought Stiverne would be able to be slick and do some things in there but the fights that I’ve watched when he was doing that was against smaller guys, closer to his size and they were come forward fighters. Wilder’s people were smart and said, “We’re gonna make this guy come to use because if you go to him, then you’re taking a chance.” It worked and they stuck to the gameplan and that’s why he’s champion of the world right now.

Robert Brown: Can you give us your thoughts on the big Mayweather-Pacquiao fight now that it’s going to happen?

Eddie Chambers: I think it’s happened later than it should have. It’s still popular, it’s still gonna be the biggest fight in boxing but I just think that a couple of years back, before the Tim Bradley and Marquez situation with Pacquiao happened — and even Floyd having these fights with Maidana, even though he still dominated to a degree and stayed on top and won the fights — it’s still taken a little bit out because now people are looking at Floyd and Pacquiao like they lost a step.

It’s not quite what Roy Jones and Bernard Hopkins II was, it’s not that bad but still these guys have lost a little bit of a step so it’s not as popular as it could be. I think if they would have met a few years ago, $300 million, they could have generated maybe even more of that. It was that big of a fight and they were at the peak of their careers and it would have been incredible.

I still think it will be tough early for Floyd Mayweather because I think Pacquiao is gonna come out with that aggression and he’s gonna come out with the southpaw stance, throwing a lot of fast hard combination. But I think over the course of a few rounds, Floyd will figure it out and understand what he needs to do, and in time it will be a potshot contest, where he’s basically painting a picture on his face, one shot at a time. I think that will happen eventually over the course of the fight.

Pacquiao will get in there and he’ll be kind of shocked of how strong Mayweather is and then how fast and how sharp and precise his punches are. Mayweather probably hits a little harder than people give him credit for as well, so he will get that respect. Once Mayweather gets that respect out of Manny, Manny won’t be coming in throwing seventeen punches at a time trying to get to him.

It’s just like when Manny Pacquiao fought Marquez, those fights were razor thin and that’s because Pacquiao respected Marquez, not only his boxing ability but also his power. It just looks to me like Floyd Mayweather is favorite and over the course of five to seven rounds, it will start to become pretty one sided going down the stretch.

I think Manny’s tough, he’s been caught with that one in a million shot by Marquez but other than that, he’s never been stopped with a shot to the head. I think Floyd will go in there being smart, being safe and taking chances only when he has to, when it’s called upon, but I think he’s going to box his way to another win. It’s not gonna be that simple, it will be hard early but he’ll get through it I believe.