ABRAHAM ROQUENI (SPAIN)
INTERVIEW ABRAHAM ROQUENI by SERGE TREFEU (2011)
(Thanks to David Leonardo for the translation)
Serge TREFEU: Hello Abraham. You have just beaten in points in K1 rule the great Dutch champion Andy Souwer (twice K1 Max Champion),
It was a terrible fight, you have him make count in the second round, he opened you the arch in the last round, you can return on this fight and of what do you think of Souwer as opponent?
ABRAHAM ROQUENI: I think that Souwer is a very complete fighter, everywhere, punch, technical, the intelligence of the boxing ring and the physical preparation.
I was with regard to the ease on the boxing ring, allowing that the opponent was Souwer, and what my fact most evil in the third round, rather in the last minute, it is that it was physically better, and he even fired of terrible blows to gain…
You have make of big fight against of the other one Dutch champions like Chris Van Venrooij, Kamal Chabrani, Marco Pique, you can we speak about your fights in front of these champions?
I have two fights in front of Van Venrooij, the one in a tournament in 3 rounds and the other one in Super fight in 5 rounds. He is very strong and hard, but I managed to gain both fights.
Chabrani I have finds him more technical and faster, but not however hardly and with less punch and durable boxer’s capacity. I beat him in the same tournament as that with Van Venrooij.
Marco Pique, he beat me in the Netherlands in a Thai boxing match. He was much bigger than me and opened me the chin with a blow of knee. We had competed only for the first round, and a little more half of the round was when I was opened, but I did not bleed. Nobody realizes it, not even the referee. When the round is finished, the doctor who was near of my corner saw the wound and he stopped
You can say to me that you think of these champions that you have meet, Kevin Harper, Rafi Zouheir, Jose Reis, Luis Reis?
Kevin Harper, a technical opponent and a durable boxer.
Rafi is very intelligent, technical and hard. With legs nobody struck me so hardly as him.
Jose Reis is strong and hard, except its high technical level, and Luis Reis is also hard and technical but he has not a lot of punch, in the fights instead of taking advantage of the use of his technique, he rotted fights him with a clinch
You fought several times against French champions such as Ryad Rekhis, Wallid Haddad, Willy Borrel and Michael Lallemand, let us begin with Ryad Rekhis, which memory you have of your fight in front of fighter?
Well I managed to make him count several times, it is doubtless my hardest fight. It is a very hard fighter, which not retreat, a very big warrior.
In the sixth round having made me cross a very bad moment, as much by its low kicks as by his rhythm of the fight (I was very tired), I managed to get him hard with a high kick which seemed to let him grow longer on the carpet, and very bravely he’s help up and finished the fight!
Against Wallid Haddad?
He has a big punch particularly with fists, and he does not retreat, he has a lot of courage, it is also a big man
In front of Willy Borrel?
He is very hard, very strong it is a great fighter
And against Michael Lallemand?
I really like the way of fights, he has a very good distance, a good timing and it is so technical that it makes an attractive fight
What do you think of French fighters?
There is a very high level in France, in my opinion it is most important world power in these sports.
Among others because she gives the impression that in the social standing, they are respected sports, not as in Spain.
Francehad and has now very great champions!
You soon will meet one of the best French fighters in 70 kg, Abdallah Mabel, you know it, is what you have something to tell him by the means of this interview?
I know that it is a great champion, but unfortunately the fight would not be done, because I still have stitch on the eyebrow and I could not be completely restored…
Is it in K1 rule that you must meet?
Yes it was in K-1 rules
In your category in 70 kg in the rules of K1 there is very
great champions like Giorgio Petrosyan, Buakaw Por Pramuk, Artur
Kyshenko, Mike Zambidis, Albert Kraus, Dzabar Askerov, which of these
would fighters you wish more to meet?
With that of which I the most am motivated to fight, it would be with Buakaw
You fights in several forms of boxing, in Full Contact, in
Kick Boxing, in K1 and Muay Thai, in which discipline you feel it
better?
I feel more at ease in the kick boxing and K-1
Against which adversary you did fight in Thai boxing?
Against Marco Pique Kit Sitpholek, Francis Itay, Kaoponglek and some others which I do not remember any more the names
Did you already go to fight and train in Thailand?
Yes and that be one of the best experiments of my life, people over there are very nice and Thailand is a paradise…
You have very good fists, you already fought in Boxing?
Not never. I make sparrings with boxers but I never took part in competitions in Boxing
How much you have make fights until now, of victory,
of defeat?
73 or 74, I must make the account, I do not count more (To laugh), I have 2 draws and 7 losses
Do you have much victory by KO?
About 30 or 32…
Which are the titles which you gained and against which opponent?
I gained 5 world titles in Kickboxing, against Wallid Haddad, Ibrahim Tamazaev, Kevin Harper, Tim Thomas and Redouane Hamoulili. I gained a championship of the world in Full-contact in front of French Pettin Frank. A world title in Thai boxing against Kit Sitpholek and a world title in rules K1 against Michael Lallemand
At what age you began the boxing?
In twelve years
How you discovered the boxing?
In my current gym, Bushido Gym
Who attracted you in this sport?
The Contact and the Art
Which was your first gym and your first one to trainer, you can speak us about your first trainings?
The same gym as now (Bushido gym). My trainer is Peter Rodríguez. My first trainings were very different from what I make now, (laughter), they were for the beginners…
Does there is many gyms of boxing in the district where you grew?
Not only Bushido Gym
You remember your very first fight, how it is crossed this first fight?
I had 16 years old and no physical condition. I lost against a guy who had several fights, more experimented and older than me. But I fought well and my trainer was happy
When you began, what is what there are champions that you liked seeing fighting, which you one influenced by their boxing for the continuation of your career?
Yes, there were champions that I liked, but I was not influenced, I formed my own style
Until today what was your hardest fight?
As I have already said it was against Ryad Rekhis
Your best memory of boxing?
My first world title against Walid Haddad, because it was at home, with all the support of the public and it was a big fight. So my world title in Full-contact in France, because we were welcomed. I saw that people over there estimate and give some value to this sport and to the athletes, so much for the local star, that for the foreign fighter, if he gives a good show
And the worst?
My World championship of Thai Boxing against the Belgian Mohamed Rahaoui, I lost because I crossed a bad period, I had no concentration on the boxing ring…
At present where you train and with which sparring partners?
In Bushido Gym. For the sparring I have the help of my partners of trainings who are a little more advanced, in particular my friend Cholo who was a good fighter and better a Person
Which are the techniques that you most like making on the Boxing ring?
I have no special technique. I adapt myself to circumstances…
What are your strong points?
I consider complete in all the aspects and we like working on the strategy
And your weak points which you would more like to work?
You always have to improve and I work to improve all the techniques
In Spain you can live thanks to the boxing?
A “not loud, at least as fighter. Otherwise it is necessary to have a gym…
Do you manage to live on your sport at present?
No
How is the Kick boxing and the Muay Thai in Spain, there are many events today?
Every time it is better and better. The level increases for the events as for the fighters
What are the dates of your next fights and against whom?
At present I know nothing about it, I want to take some rests until summer. Unless we propose me something interesting
Your projects for 2011?
As I said it, I have no project of fight till the end of the year without any particular thought to come, except if happens a very interesting proposition
You want to add anything?
Thanks to people who were always with me, who support me in a sport so hard as it, especially in this country where there is no assistant for this sport…
Thank you very much for this interview
Thanks to you
Year 2011 began well for “El Demonio” because he has just beaten one of the references of K1 Max, the Dutch star Andy Souwer. It is the champion who rises in Spain because he beat international valuable champions such as Chris Van Venrooij (twice), Kamal Chabrani, Ryad Rekhis, Wallid Haddad, Willy Borrel, Michael Lallemand, Tim Thomas, Kevin Harper, Rafi Zouheir, Jose Reis, Luis Reis, Saro Presti, Kit Sitphonlek, Alex Asumu. Roqueni is a solid and very technical boxer who has the capacity to be able to adapt itself to all the forms of boxing feet and fists. Today it is one of the rare boxers to be a world champion in five different disciplines. A fighter than we shall like seeing more often boxing in France in front of our best champions!
ABRAHAM ROQUENI
Weight: 70 Kg
Height: 1m72
Number of fight: 74. 65 Wins (32 KO). 7 Losses. 2 Draws
Title: 5 time World Champion Kick Boxing WAKO. World Champion Thai Boxing WFCA. World Champion Full Contact WFCA. World Champion K1 WAKO.
Gym: Bushido gym.