Chris Byrd Quotations

More than anything it has been mentally draining. Mentally it has been a struggle. This business side of boxing is horrible. It has taken my best years of boxing. If I had been very active this past two or three years, you would have seen some great fights.

I have got to feel I'm the best heavyweight in the world, ... If people don't consider me the best, I don't care. If everybody fights everybody, you'll know who the best guy is. Until then, it's everybody's opinion.

Mentally, it has been a struggle. The business side of this boxing is horrible and I think it has taken my best years of boxing. If I would have been very active these past three years, with two to three fights at least a year, you would have seen some really good fights, really special skills. But I still try to present them in the ring to the best of my ability.

To fight three times in three years is crazy. It has been disappointing to the point of sometimes you get frustrated and really just want to retire. I have been to that point, but God is faithful and I just keep plugging along. I just have to remain patient and fights will happen, but it has been disappointing.

Hopefully, the referee will do his job. Hopefully, we just fight and give a good performance to the crowd.

I was willing to fight anybody but, at the same time, I was timid of the bigger guys.

I will fight you, and I will be wiser doing it. I just don't want to take punches for no reason, but at the same time I need to box from the outside. I can box and make him miss. But if I want to get in the trenches and fight, I can do that also. I do not fear anybody anymore as far as taking their shot.

James is running scared. James has the biggest mouth in boxing but he has no heart. He talks a lot of trash. He keeps bringing my name up. They say they need a tuneup. I haven't fought since November. Who needs a tuneup?

I'm still trying to prove I belong in this division. I may be a small guy, but I want to be huge in this division.

I think more than anything it has been mentally draining,

I think I am more confident now in my ability to fight bigger, taller guys. I just want to show I am the best out there. I am going to beat him.

I tell you one thing, if you are with Don King and you're in his dog house, you don't get to fight,

I was never in the fight. He's a big guy. He's strong. He did everything right. I didn't hit him at all.

Three fights in three years, it has been disappointing. Sometimes you get frustrated and just want to retire. I've been to that point. It has been pretty bad.

Yeah, (he's a champion), if his test doesn't come back dirty, ... But it came back dirty, so he can't be a champion. You can't cheat and win. You get caught.

Until you get a unified champion, it is split. Since I have been champion, I have really stopped setting goals because I do not see them realistically happening from the other boxers' point of view. You cannot make certain fighters fight. I will be 90 years old before I see myself unifying any kind of belt. Right now, I am just taking one fight at a time and just see what happens.

Until you get a unified champion, it's just everybody's opinion.

We knew we were going to have to fight each other eventually,

I used to be crazy about being the best, No. 1. I wanted to be considered No. 1 heavyweight in the world and everybody know it. But now, at this point in my career, how things have been going in my career and not getting certain fights and people ducking me, I just concentrate on who I am boxing and I do not worry about the unification thing. You cannot make somebody fight you. Whatever happens, happens.

I've stopped setting goals because I do not see them realistically happening, ... You can't make certain fighters fight. I will be 90 years old before I see myself unifying any belt. Right now, I'm just taking one fight at a time.

(Toney) was the headlining fight coming in, ... We just got added to the card. I guess they did not want to change it. It does not matter. ? I am just boxing. As long as the check clears, I do not care if I was the first fight coming out.

Style wise he fought a good game plan. I need to be active. I've been off for 11 months and this is what happens.

People do not realize how hard Williamson punches, ... He had a great game plan. He has great height and reach. I just cannot run out there and hit Williamson because he hits too hard. Everyone has bad fights. I have tried to put on a better performance in my last couple of fights. But, I am just a counter puncher, and Williamson just sticks and moves.

I never expected to be champion and be at one of the lowest times of my career. I still love the sport of boxing but I don't care for the business part of it.

I know what kind of talent Wladimir will have and I respect that a lot. Yes, he has a great jab. He has a great arsenal of punches. But I come to fight and not shy away from anyone. I go in and give it my all and put on a good show.

I never hit him, not the way he hit me.

I never hit him, not the way he hit me. If I had to do it again I would go in there with a different strategy, but Wladimir will be hard to beat.

I need to be active, ... I'm off 11 months, that's what you get.

Oh, please James is running scared. James has got the biggest mouth in boxing, but he does not have any heart. He had a chance to fight me when he fought John Ruiz. We thought we were going to make something then. Then it fell apart.

Nobody beats me twice. Five years ago, I was more of a finesse fighter. I was willing to fight anybody, but at the same time I was timid of the bigger guys. I do not fear anybody anymore as far as taking their shot.

Everyone has bad fights. The last couple of fights I tried to put on a good performance. But I'm a counter puncher and he just sticks and moves.

DaVarryl wanted to fight his way to the spot and Wladimir didn't want no part of it. They just wanted everything set up in their favor, knowing going to Germany is not a great thing for any American fighter.

If you're with Don King and in the doghouse you don't get fights. I need to be active and he won't get me any fights.

In the ring, I don't think there's anybody better than me.

He's like Lennox. What else does he have to prove?

It's always tough going in somewhere where nobody likes you. It's an advantage - come on - that's crazy, it's like if he were fighting in my city. Of course it helps.

The business side of this sport is horrible, ... I think it has taken my best years. If I would have been active these past three years, you would have seen some really good fights and special skills.

It just blossomed from there, ... He worked with my son with basketball. I ask about his kids and his wife, and he knows about my kids and my wife, so we call each other periodically. We are just friends. It is cool. But we knew in the heavyweight division, even after sparring with each other, we knew we are going to have to fight each other eventually.

I told him he had better knock him out.

I feel I'll get more credibility by coming over to Germany and winning than if I did it anywhere else. I'm ready to fight and prove I really belong in this division. I may be a small guy, but I want to be huge in the division as far as being the man.

If his urine sample doesn't come back dirty, yeah, he's a champion. But it did, ... You can't cheat and get caught. Now we will see how it looks when he fights Guinn. I don't care (about fighting him). Don't matter to me.