After being mowed on a football field, he started boxing to avoid being hit from behind. Double world champion, he is about to play a historic struggle in New York.

-Birth - Pointe-à-Pitre, June 3, 1972. At 4 years, it remains only to
West Indies, where he was raised by his grandmother. Her parents left the city to settle in Guadeloupe. His mother works in the hotel business, his father in hospital.

Bumper - Two years later, he announces that he will leave for a vacation in Paris. He had not seen his parents since they left. The kid flies, dressed in his best suit. But when he landed at Orly, cold paralyzes him. He did not know he was now living with his family in one of Bobigny HLM (93).



-Paria - Jean-Marc arrives at his school completely disoriented and reception reserved for him is not very warm. Her classmates are constantly making fun of him and especially West Indian accent. The boy is silent. He quickly break its isolation in wins in football and running in the playground.


-Coupe - At age 10 he enrolled in a football club and dream to emulate his hero Brazilian playmaker Socrates. He wants to be like him so much he is like straightening it. The football experience lasts five years and ends abruptly.

-K.-O. - Mormeck, 15, is a good defender and he is respected by his opponents. His reputation as a tackler fact around the region. However, during a game against the Matra Racing Paris, it is he who is violent tackle from behind. It is impossible to recover.

-Trauma - It removes the field on a stretcher, the ligaments of the knee are affected. Several weeks later, he returned to competition, but he is afraid to go to the contact. Football has become a sport too violent for him.


-Change - Therefore, the teenager is attracted to boxing. "Because the shots in this sport can not be given from behind", he said. But Jean-Marc is hampered by the refusal of his mother. "Let him do his father intervenes, it will stop after one week!" It gives, dropping the son he still will eventually look like Quasimodo.


Start-flipping - he enters for the first time in a boxing club at the age of 15. The punching bags in this room Drancy (93) and impress him make you want to smash everything. He spends so much in his first over he finally pass out in front of everyone. The coach sees it as someone fragile.


Ring-improvised - He was 16 when a cousin offered him his first glove. With his friends, he organized the games in the basement of his building. He takes the right glove, his opponent on the left, and a mattress on the floor acts as ring. These parodies are pretty violent fights and KO are not feigned. Not to worry his mother saw him return with cockade, he said that it was the boxing club.


-Bad surprise - One day his father arrived unannounced in training. Jean-Marc, who faces a guy much older and beefier than he receives a beating. A bloody nose, he goes down and finds the ring, embarrassed that his father attended the pitiful spectacle. "You'll come back tomorrow?" he asked his son. "Of course I will not give up!" Mr. Mormeck was first amazed at the courage of his son.

Wrong-hand - In 1995, he spent his first pro fight and won. But things go wrong in the second. In the third round, he no longer feels his hand. Seeing that he is injured, the coach wants to stop the fight. "Let me one more round!" Asked he. This will be enough to send his opponent to the mat. But it is the doctor's diagnosis that the terrace: broken hand.

-Samaritan - The next day he consulted Professor Herman, at the clinic for the sport of Paris. "Do you work?" "No," replied Mormeck. "Then we'll have to find work," replied the doctor, that he will not pay its consultations. "You invite me for your next game, when you Rebox." Jean-Marc will undergo a bone graft. The world champion now has a fragment of the hip in his fist.


-Blond - Last year, on the eve of WBC world championship, he asked her hairdresser to restyle. "I will make a major battle, he said. I want a gray goatee!" It is clear platinum blonde. Death of shame, he is comforted by the good reaction of the women present in the lounge.


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WORDS OF A CHAMPION: memory.

Mormeck, the champion of which France does not
Interview with Jean-Marc Mormeck

by Gregory Protche,


Too bad for you, not unhappy, welcomed the victory on points, clear and indisputable, this weekend, America, Jean-Marc Mormeck, Wayne Braithwaite against the Guyanese. Uniting for the first time since Alphonse Halimi, two of the three global belts Heavyweight category, Mormeck completed to justify all the good that one could think of him ... before. When he was only the unknown media world champion ...
Find below, the interview that Jean-Marc Mormeck was kind enough to grant us in July 2004 (published in TPPV No. 3, September 2004).

Mormeck, the champion of which France does not

Hat!
50 years one expects from Cerdan, the true champion French. But in France it is the Acaris who say to Canal Plus, which is the champion to mediate. As Mormeck them loose ... Signed with Don King, having already successfully defended his title three times in Heavyweight, rest, look Mormeck, amused, excited about the media and Tiozzo Asloum.

Date of birth March 6, 1972
Place of birth Pointe-à-Pitre
Size 1m81
Specialty light-heavyweight (- 86, 183 kg)
Record: 31 fights, 29 wins (including 21 before the limit), 2 losses
Coach: Joseph Germain
Manager: Don King
Professional debut March 25, 1995
France champion heavyweight in 1998, 1999.
Champion WBA light-heavyweight since February 23, 2002 in Marseille. (Beats the American Virgil Hill, abandoned by the ninth reprise)
3 world championships played, 3 wins (including 3 before the limit).

Gregory: Paths?


Jean-Marc Mormeck, boxing world champion WBA (World Boxing Association, one of the three major federations, ed). Born in Guadeloupe and came at the age of 6 years in the metropolis. School in Bobigny. I was football. I wanted to be a Brazilian! It was in 1982 ... Socrates, Zico, Falcao I wanted to be ... everybody! I had a curl (hair straightening, ed) itself. I was injured.

G: The first image of boxing that you have seen?

Marvin Hagler. After I saw Tyson ...

Uda: If you had fought against Tyson,'d have won?

Well, I did and I always do not measure up. It's a heavy.

U: Yeah, but if ...

We can not do so. I would have done if I had decided, and I would have to win. I do things to win.

G: I think that Tyson had offered to Akim Tafer (French boxer of the 90s, ed, and that ...


Yeah, he said he had no need for Tyson to commit suicide.

G: If you had proposed at the same time as Tafer your career?


If I say yes, I am sure to do so. I give you an example. I should be number one global heavyweight. I am a heavyweight at the base. It would have been Roy Jones (undisputed number one for many years, ed). I was not ready. After I had Virgil Hill (another great boxer, ed). A legend, who beat Fabrice Tiozzo. Here, I have not said no. I thought I had the capabilities.

G: What made you say that you were not ready for Roy Jones?


The fights I had made my experience. And what made him the ring. It goes very quickly.

G: And you do not want to get so ...



I was not ready. Today, I would say yes.

G: And how was it taken?



I was told, "But it's a fight !"... Yes, but I that do it! (Laughs) When I do a thing is in order to win. I will not participate in a world championship for the sake of it. I'm going to take hits ...

Mano: The concept of fear, did you?

More than apprehension. Fear not, because we made quite a workout.

G: I saw that your only two defeats, the same year in 1997 ...

The two losses (in points, ed), I doubt. I trained for a boxer guy, and they sent me another ... My coach then should have intervened. I was told that if I do not boxed, I would not be paid. When I left a week, I lost a week's work. I was a "big brother" to the RATP, in Bobigny. So I did the fighting ...

G: Your first coach, you remember?

Yeah. I still have contacts with these people. I especially remember how it went. I got out of football. In addition, I was a fighter. So everything was going to be easy. I had not even put the gloves. I hit the sack, doing the split, and I came in apples! (Laughs) I was ashamed!

G: Your first fight?

Lost. Against Jean-Paul Mendy, champion of France. I do not train to the room between us. If you like, I was world champion ... of the room (laughs)

U: What is your strong points?

I walk all the time. I always seem to be inexhaustible. I have a great physical condition. My pulse rise to 210, and down very quickly.

G: It holds you for a puncher, a hitter?

A batter. As Hagler. Methodical destruction.

G: Your first stamp?

150 francs, as an amateur. And, as an amateur, the largest, after a great battle was 550 Francs. I was happy, I thought I was rich. In pro, at the beginning is 1000 francs per round.

G: What It involves a contract?

A commitment. But I'm someone to speak. I always try to keep a door. The first contracts, they are renewable, and last year. With a developer, it's longer. When I felt strong, I made my way alone. With coaches that I chose. And negotiating myself.

G: It is that in boxing?

No. Most boxers are ripped off. They enter a room, and the coach is the manager ... it's a bit of everything.

U: You're not afraid to waste energy in all this?

It is. I like that. I have to look at everything, control everything ...

G: Before your title, the biggest stock market affected?

100 000 francs. I have a special journey. I did not make the championship of Europe. Knowing that a European Championship is 150 to 200 000 francs. I came out of a championship of France, 50 000 francs. Then I made an inter-continental belt, to be world number 1. It's not a lot of fighting experience and titles. It was in Venezuela, and I had to reach 70 000, 100 000 bales ...

G: You've been in contract with the Acara?

Never. Precisely where was my strength. I was with Gerard Tesson. So with Eurosport. Then, like all others, you spend with Michel Acarie. They said, "We can not build Europe. You'd have to come with us and you to do the fighting. "I was ok. They offered me, this semi-final World, Intercontinental, in light heavyweight. "You will be world number 1, there will be a world championship." I came back after winning, I was told that I will not make the world championship, I had to meet a heavy-light order to make a world championship ... I had to do another light-heavyweight fight against a guy 86 pounds while I was at 79. I did not want to do ... But since I had not done all course for nothing, I did. I won. And became a global challenger. There they did what they used to do. You spend with Louis Acari, which causes you. I would not. With it, you teach you to hide. And besides, I had to sign. I said that I did not sign. Michael was in trouble I say no to Louis. It was just bawled. I ended by saying that if it were like that, the championship, I did not.

U: It means that when you do the boxing, it's not worthy?

Them, they have a monopoly. You can not say anything.

G: It was really tight with the Acari, intimidation, etc.?

A little. But to be able to look in the mirror. They do not know what I did. When I was training at the beginning, I had a flat ', it had to pay, then I would do with the safety at night.

G: They are accused of fighting to sign without any amount included ...

I never knew how I hit. They want me, I do not give a fuck. They underestimated me. I knew what they were doing. I laughed. Intelligence is not to win a fight. There is a business behind. I agreed to fight without knowing what was going to win. One would give me a piece of 10! I could not complain ... I was sent the next day: "Well done my son, you won! How do you want? - You think I deserve what? "He told me a price. It was a struggle. You could always tell me that Hill was old, and so on. We had to make a second fight. I confirmed. I had the Gold Glove. There, I put points on I. They invited me to eat. "This is going to Tiozzo, we will do that ..." I said no, now, simply do not know how I win, it bothers me. The failure to have sparring too ... You give me ten francs if you want, but you tell me before. "My son, I have always paid well! ? "Yeah, but you pay me for the benefit, so if I lose tomorrow ... So tell me before. "Yeah, but you do not sign the contract." You know it's crap. I will not sign crap.


G: What do you know about Don King before?

Basically, it was the devil himself. I am appreciative of someone like that. It's a character.

G: "With him, you get more ripped, but it is on larger amounts, it's still more money than other developers"?

When you fly, you're happy! I want him to rob me! (Laughs)

G: A guy like Bouthier, a former champion, who comments for Canal, according to you, why he said nothing in your favor?

As you said: it works for Canal. It has a place to keep. It's business. Michel (Acari, ed), he wants me because I'm leaving. But in addition, I leave with his right arm, Nathalie. All faxes that have come, for example, to make me boxer Gurov, I saw ... Gurov he proposed more than I am the champion.

G: Now, you're signed to King?

How long it will last. If I lose .... Better, anyway, to go backwards ... (Laughs) I said, I want him I want him. He said, "You're the only French who do not ask me for money, but who wants to make money." Then he will try to impress you, screaming, out of the room, etc.. .. There, I applaud him. (Laughs) "Do not forget, I'm black like you." I challenged, I suggested a game of chess. A strategy game.

U: Well, the devil is you! (Laughs)

G: Every fight Brahim Asloum been a special evening on Canal, while it is only European champion ...

I can not blame him. It takes the place given to him.

G: What do you fear in your challenger Braithwaite?

Without being pretentious, I think it can not beat me.

M: naive question, once it really hurts?

Yeah. (Laughs). When I was in Venezuela, the guy, only to see it! I was wrong. I have not slept. This guy, before I touch, it shocked me! So when he touched me! He stood up while dry ... he had a head ... the guys there, they have no life in them. The guy looks at you and you feel that wickedness. The first shot, it made me electricity! I said, "Oh! What are you doing? ! Not hit like that! "There, you're shit is over, you get to remove it does not last. Either you bluff. I was wrong. Him, he wanted to play fight with me. I put everything. Even when he fell, I wanted to blows, to complete. K-O 3. I was happy. And I want to meet him! (Laughs)