Eddie Chambers has candidly discussed what it was like to go head-to-head with one of the heaviest hitters in boxing history.
On March 27, 2009, inside the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California, USA, the American went head-to-head with the legendary Samuel Peter.
Knowing he was sharing the ring with a truly dynamite puncher, Chambers utilized his superior footwork and remarkable hand speed to cruise his way to victory.
The win, against a former world champion, who’d dropped Wladimir Klitschko and beaten James Toney, proved that ‘Fast’ was undoubtedly one of the best heavyweights on the planet. But while his performance was stellar, there’s something the warrior wishes he could’ve changed.
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Eddie Chambers would’ve loved to have been more aggressive against Samuel Peter
Eddie Chambers was nothing short of scintillating against Samuel Peter, with his awe-inspiring boxing IQ shining through.
However, while the tremendous display propelled him towards a world title shot, the 42-year-old wishes he would’ve put it on ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ a little more.
In an exclusive interview with Bloody Knockout, Chambers explained: “It was nerve-wracking at first, pretty much the whole time. It wasn’t so much fear of the man, but the fear of trying to complete the task.
“I’m in there with a puncher that can knock your lights out at any point. I’m trying to do the right thing—I’m trying to stay safe.
“Then, as the fight continued to go forward, I started realizing that I didn’t have to be that safe, to a degree. Don’t get me wrong, you’ve still got to be careful, because punches can come out of anywhere. But I didn’t need to be as safe as I was being.
“I started to open up a little bit and try a few different things. As soon as I get back to the corner, ‘No man, keep moving, don’t stand in front of him, what are you doing? You’re giving him a chance’.
“I’m sitting there, like, ‘I feel like I can do much more than what I’m doing’. It’s not that I wanted to take unnecessary chances or risks, but I did feel like I could stand in front of him and make him miss and make him pay.
“I might not have been able to physically hurt him or wobble him, but maybe I could. But I’d have been able to sit down on my punches and leverage more combinations at close range, while also making him have to punch more, which would wear him down even further, because he was already not in the best shape he’d ever been in.
“I think if I’d pressed a little bit more on the gas, it would’ve given him a little bit more opportunity, but it also would’ve given me a chance to complete the task, and possibly I’m not gonna say stop him, but at least make it look close to getting there.”
Eddie Chambers’ father fought one of the greatest of all time
In his esteemed career, Chambers cemented his status as one of the best American heavyweights of the 21st century.
However, he might never have reached the heights he did without his father.
The fighter cherishes the memories of traveling to boxing shows with his dad, who trained him as an amateur, teaching him exactly what it takes to get to the top.
And it’s fair to say, Chambers couldn’t have asked for a more knowledgeable coach, as his father fought one of the best to ever do it.