At
34 years old and
just arriving on
the heavyweight
scene, “Big” Rod
“Lord of the
Rings” Willis
(14-0-1, 8 KOs)
may have as many
nicknames as he
does years left
of his physical
prime.
“2007, we’ll be
moving fast,”
explains the
hard-punching
Arkansas native,
who recently
signed a
promotional
agreement with
Joe DeGuardia’s
Star Boxing. “By
the end of the
year, I should
be at least
20-0.”
Despite finding
his calling at a
relatively
advanced age,
Willis quickly
discovered he
was a natural.
“I just
progressed real
fast,” he
explains. “I
started boxing
at age 25 and
did my amateurs
till I was 29. I
was 18-4 as an
amateur. I won
the Arkansas
State Golden
Gloves three
times and I won
the regional for
the mid-South
three times. I
was going to
stay amateur,
but I started
thinking about
my age and I
said I’m getting
kind of old, so
I moved to
Dallas and
turned pro.”
14 victories and
one
headbutt-induced
draw later, he
is an emerging,
undefeated
heavyweight
prospect.
Willis says his
natural power,
slick defense
and ability to
fight from
either side are
his most
valuable assets.
“I can adjust to
any fighter. All
through the
amateurs and in
my first five
pro fights I was
southpaw, and
now I’ve
converted to
orthodox. I was
doing a little
training with
(former world
champion) Curtis
Cokes and he
helped convert
me because he
said I had more
power in my
right hand. At
first I was
uncomfortable,
but I can fight
on both sides
now. And I’m
very slick and
slip a lot of
punches. I don’t
get hit really
flush. But, I
guess my
strength and
power are number
one. If I catch
you, you are
going to feel
it.”
His trainer and
father figure,
Dark Horse
Boxing’s Al
Smith, says
Willis has all
the tools he’ll
need to reach
his dreams.
“He’s 6’ 6” and
270 lbs and
there’s not an
ounce of fat on
him. He’s a
heavy puncher
and he’s quick
for such a big
man. You would
think being that
big, he couldn’t
fight inside,
but he’s
deadlier on the
inside.”
To compensate
for the lost
time, Smith has
Willis working
with a list of
top-flight
contenders and
champions in the
gym and claims
his fighter has
fared
surprisingly
well. “I got him
sparring with
just about
everybody, Hasim
Rahman, Sergei
Liakhovich, Kirk
Johnson, Obed
Sullivan and
Tony Thompson.
He dropped
Liakhovich in
sparring. I’m
telling you,
this guy can
really go!”
