Congrats on the big win. Most people in the states didn't get a chance to see the fight, so why don't you tell us how it went?

EC: Pretty good, I was supposed to stop him several times in the fight. I knocked him down I think it was twice. Once on a body shot, but he tried to complain of a low blow... it was legal shot but he complained. Then I put him down in the 10^th and subsequently went on to a unanimous decision win. Well it should've been a unanimous but it ended up being a majority because one of the judges gave a draw which was pretty terrible. (Note: despite dominating the fight and receiving 117-109 and 116-111 from two judges, one judge inexplicably had the fight scored a 113-113 draw).

That must have freaked you out there for a second...

EC: Oh yea! I was definitely freaked out, hearing about all of those bad decisions going on in Germany and I was thinking here comes another.

Absolutely...You weighed 208 pounds for the fight, which is essentially the lightest weight of your career and is quite a bit lower than the 220 pound range you've been fighting at more recently. What was the motivation for that and how much credit to your performance do you give to your weight?

EC: The reason for it was obviously to improve on my performance...my foot speed and my overall fighting ability. That had a lot do obviously with the victory but more importantly the focus and determination to drop that weight carried over into the fight. It kept me focused and we had a successful game plan and took care of business.

Is that the weight you plan on coming in at from now on or what's your target weight for the future?

EC: From now on it's going to be that weight or lower, I don't think I want to go too much heavier than that. And I don't even know if I want to go too much lower either...

Too much lower and you're down to cruiserweight!

EC: Right, exactly. And I don't want to be fighting down there. I'd like to mention as well you don't want to fight a championship fight for $25,000. That's a slap in the face to the fighters who are putting their lives on the line. There aren't enough people watching the cruiserweight division and that's why it's going through such a tough time. But I just want to make sure that I'm in shape whatever that weight may be so I can be successful and I'll be strong and tough in there.

It must have been nice to be over there in Germany on July 4^th and getting a win for yourself and the states...

EC: Definitely, it made us feel a little bit better in terms of us going over there to Germany. And in terms of myself being a smaller guy and being able to beat him and take control of the fight and my future in the division I feel really good about that.

You fought Alexander Dimitrenko and he isn't stylistically similar but he is very similar physically (both are in the 6'7" and 250 lb range) to Wladimir Klitschko. How important then was this fight for you to show yourself but also to show the world how you would fare against that class of "super" heavyweight?

EC: It was very important. The guy that controls the division is very similar to the guy I just fought. In his boxing ability, I think Dimitrenko may even be a little more sound than Klitschko, but Klitschko has more strength, more experience and more focus at this point in time which is predicated on victories. It's going to take a lot, honestly a lot of focus and determination and serious, hard work in the gym to really come out with the win over someone who is so used to winning and winning on such an impressive fashion.

The fight was your second fight in Germany, a place where many American fighters hesitate on visiting- for reasons like the scorecard that came up as a draw. But with that experience now would you be willing to face Wladimir there or how do you feel that?

EC: Well he's the world champion and he commands all of the focus and attention. So I'm going to basically have to do almost exactly what they say. Then when I have the control we're gonna do it all in the states. Right now I would love for an opportunity to take on Klitschko in the states, I would love for that opportunity. But I don't think right now that that's where the money and all of the attention is. So they would probably just broadcast it and do it over in Germany.

But the two fights you've had there must give you some added confidence if you have to go back there once again.

EC: Well, hey, I got the confidence now because I know I could win a decision there. And I have the ability to beat anybody, so there you go.

What did you think of Klitschko's outing against Ruslan Chagaev?

EC: I guess it wasn't as fan friendly of a fight as it could have been. But he was dominating, he didn't let the guy inside to touch him at all. And there you go, stopped him again.

Everyone always says the same thing on fighting Klitschko and doing different things, getting in there and working and so on, but they all end up the same way. But now from your perspective what makes you a different fighter and what would you do differently in the ring against Klitschko that would translate into success?

EC: First of all I have a lot more speed than most guys he faced. Better head movement, better overall talent I would think in certain areas that he wouldn't be really, really ready to go up against. I have more talent, I'm faster, I have a lot more power than he would think. So I will surprise him a lot in different areas. And also the strength level, he's not going to be able to stay on the outside with his jab as he has against past opponents.

With all of that said you're not the only guy on Klitschko's radar screen. The guy who handed you your only career loss, Alexander Povetkin, is in line for the IBF mandatory shot. Then there's David Haye who had his fight with Klitschko cancelled due to injury. Considering all of that what are the chances you get to step in there with Wlad some time before the year is out or sometime soon?

EC: It may be a long shot to get him in there before the year is out. But I'm just going to be looking to stay ready and be ready for the long haul and do the waiting game and it will come eventually.

Obviously you just gained mandatory status a few days ago but have your people begun any preliminary talks with Klitschko or anything like that?

EC: Nothing really, there's nothing going on as far as talks. He's obligated to go to Povetkin first and he has those other things going on prior to his last fight with Chagaev. So I'm just happy to be in the position I'm in and I'll just wait in line until it's my turn and take advantage of it.

For the rest of the year then are you just going to stay in the gym or would you consider taking a tune up or stay busy fight in the meantime if Wlad isn't getting in there anytime soon?

EC: Definitely getting in the gym, well I'm already there... but staying in the gym, keep my weight in the right place and try to get a fight going as soon as possible.

You're the top dog in the American heavyweight scene right now. What do you have to say to your fans and what do you think about your status right now as the mandatory for the heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko?

EC: I just want my fans to continue to stay tuned and watch as I make my run for the title. And definitely stay tuned because it was very unlikely for a guy like myself to be in this position. But I've worked very hard and with hard work and focus you can do anything.

Thanks again for the time and congrats on the victory.

This interview was conducted by Jake Emen and has been published on both Associated Content and Pro Fighting Fans.

How is training going for the fight? It's just a few weeks away now, so you must be close to top form.

EC: It's going great, I just worked out today with Javier Mora, so it's good. I've been stepping up and having a few more guys come in to see where I'm at and what we can do.

Peter is a big guy; he'll likely weigh at least 30 pounds more than you on fight night. What are you doing to prepare for that? I know you said you have Mora in there in camp...

EC: I'm trying to get guys similar to what Peter brings to the table in terms of weight and style and Javier Mora fits that mold. And we're also trying to bring in a good boxer as well just to get used to sharp punches. You never know what's going to come your way, so we're also going to have Malik Scott and another guy, Manny Quezada.

It's a great style match up, he's known as a heavy puncher and you're known as a good boxer and you have a good job... what's your strategy for the fight?

EC: Just that, not to allow him to lay close and... well, not even so much lay close because he's the kind of guy that needs a little space to punch actually. But not to let him get into a comfortable position where he could wing shots and hopefully, for him, land a shot. I want him to remember all the negatives with his fights in the past with the Klitschko fights, where he could not really get a good rhythm. I'm going to land my jab, move to the side, give him angles and things like that, all of the basic things.

Did you watch any tape of the first Toney fight in respect to how he handled Peter?

EC: A lot of what James did in that first fight is a lot of what you can do, but Toney has a specific set of skills. I'm not saying I'm that slick or even slicker, I'm saying I can do things I can do well, like giving angles... and there's a few things I picked up from what James did in that fight that should work and give me the upper hand.

How do you think the fight is going to play out? Will you be coming out strong or will you feel him out for a few rounds and see what develops?

EC: I think a little bit of both, but I want to get out early. I don't want him to get up in confidence and land any big shots or anything that is going to get anyone too excited about what he's doing, especially himself. So I want to make sure I'm out of the gates fast and get to work early. That way I'll make him think it's going to be a long night, and I'll give him a lot to think about. I don't want him to come in there recklessly and do what he best which is wing shots and land them and get a lucky shot. I don't want him to think it's even possible. I want him to have a terrible night and I want to start early.

Do you think this will be the toughest fight of your career?

EC: Toughest fight? Possibly, yes. But looking at the Povetkin fight, that was a fight that I made tough. In these situations it's all about me, it's all about what I do. Anytime you get in there with a guy and you have superior ability, it's all about what you do. If you get there and languish on the inside - although again, not necessarily with him because he wants to be in punching range - but if you just lay around and stay in front of him and let him get those wide shots going, I'm going to make it a hard fight for me.

But if I give him angles and put my jab in his face and give him something to think about constantly, it's going to be an easy night. So it's up to me really what this fight is going to be. But you never know, you can come out there and been in the gym working and practicing and possibly come out with a heck of a game plan and then forget it and make it a tough fight anyway. So you have to be prepared for everything.

You mentioned the Povetkin fight, your only loss. It seemed to be a fight that you could have won, you seemed to be control in the first half of the fight. What happened there in the second half of the fight and would you do anything different if you had the chance looking back now?

EC: Definitely in the Povetkin fight it was all up to me, and like I said, the same thing in this fight. It's all there for the taking. I'm not saying Peter isn't a quality guy, because everyone knows he's been a heavyweight champion so you can't discredit him with that. But looking at the Alexander Povetkin fight, it was a situation where I had the fight under control and all I had to do was continue. Pick my shots a little bit, box, keep him at bay and do a lot of the things that I should be able to do in this fight.

And I chose to, you know, bull crap, and just because I had the fight under control and had a few rounds in the bag. You never know what the judges are thinking and not only that, you can not let up. If you want to be great you have to do great things and close the show, and I just didn't do that. Mental issues... you get that overconfidence, you don't think you can be beat. Even though I'm not the kind of guy that gets overconfident or thinks he can't be beat, but you get into a situation where you have everything under control and you think it's impossible for you to lose and then bam, what happens?  You lose. And that really brings you have down to reality.

Well it seems like you learned a lesson from that fight and if nothing else you'll be a better fighter for it. Where does a win against Peter place you in the division? After that is a title shot next or where will you stand?

EC: Well that's the idea. Peter has won the heavyweight championship of the world and being that he just lost it that has to be fresh in his mind. He still believes he deserves that belt, I mean, that was his belt. So if I go out there and beat a guy who now should be just as hungry as ever - or maybe, it depends on his mind and maybe he's lost confidence or lost his swing, you never know - but he should be coming out with the heart of a champion and thinking that hey it's time for me to really step this thing up and get my belt back. So if I beat him that should put me in a position where I want to be. And that's for a shot at the heavyweight championship of the world. Hopefully live my dream and be heavyweight champion.

Which of the titleholders would you like to go after? Or is it just however the ABC's line it up for you?

EC: Hey, I don't care what titlist they put in front me, I'm going directly at him... honestly I have no pick. They are all gonna be tough fights, they're all big, strong guys. They've been champions in years past or for a number of years now. It's just a matter of staying prepared for them.

What do you think of the other American heavyweight prospects, guys like Chris Arreola, Kevin Johnson and Travis Kauffman? How do you think you stack up against them?

EC: Well of course I think I stack up well. I have experience and I'm a young guy, even if I'm not as young as all those guys. They're all great prospects and that's why I think heavyweight boxing is in good hands with the American heavyweights. I just think they have to show what they have and step up and be well prepared. Chris Arreola is on his way to a title shot in the future. He has a hazardous fight with McCline coming up and he has a legitimate shot at a title.

And with Travis Kauffman... Malik Scott, all the heavyweight's coming up... Chazz Witherspoon, even though he lost to Arreola, these are all quality heavyweight fighters. If they can find their niche then they can find their way to their title. I do believe that American boxing - American heavyweight boxing in particular - is going to come back and be dominant again. But it's going to take some serious soul searching for these guys coming up to really push the envelope and hopefully get a title. Hopefully we can all get one.

Obviously American boxing fans are clamoring for an American heavyweight to be back on top of the division. Do you think you'll meet any of those guys in the ring? Is there a friendly rivalry at all with any of them or is there trash talk going on between you guys....

EC: You know it's all good things, and like I said Malik is helping me get ready for my fight right now and even though he's not the style of the guy I'm fighting, it's another look. Guys like Javier Mora and Manny Quezada, Chazz, Kevin Johsnon, all of these guys like I said are quality. And there's nothing bad there, and honesty, I would want to fight them in the future because I would want them to have belts as well as me have a belt, and put American heavyweight boxing back to where it used to be.

What do you think about the Klitschko/Haye fight coming up?

EC: I just want to see it. David Haye has been talking a great game and put himself in the best position he could be. He's only had one heavyweight fight and he already has a title shot. So you have to give him a lot of credit for running his mouth, he's done the greatest job he possibly can.

Will Klitschko have a bit too much for him and make him regret what he's been running his mouth about?

EC: Now it's put up or shut up, you have your shot. You talked all the talk let's see what you really got. You gotta see if you got anything and if you do, show it. We'll see. Klitschko will have the opportunity, let's just say that.

Well, that will be an early night either way...

EC: Ha, well that's quite obvious. I mean we've seen David Haye take shots at cruiserweight and he's not very good at it! But I mean hey, let's not just say that... he can throw a punch so if he catches Klitschko, you never know. They've both been down and they've both been stopped. Definitely a fight you don't want to go to the refrigerator for. I'm just eager to see it.

Well I think we're eager to see your fight as well. Any closing thoughts about your fight or anything else you'd like to say?

EC: I think it's going to be a great fight and I think the fans are the winners in this fight. I'm not a runner; Peter's definitely not a runner. I'm more of a boxer puncher and he's a puncher, so it's a style I think the fans want. ESPN2 is showing it and it could have easily been an HBO fight. But I'm glad ESPN2 is picking it up and I'm glad that everyone can see it and it's free. Hopefully we get a good crowd and get some people interested in heavyweight boxing.

Thanks for the time Eddie.

EC: Hey, thanks for putting me on.

Interview by Jake Emen