Interview with Jegbefumere Bone Albert

Jegbefumere “Bone” Albert is the younger brother of Canadian pro fighter Albert “The Punisher” Onolunose, and the younger brother of US pro fighter Albert “Bad Boy” Eromosele. He has represented Nigeria at both the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games, where he won the gold medal in the light heavyweight division in 2002. He was also the 2004 Canadian Senior Men’s National light heavyweight champion. He will fight for the last time as an amateur at the Golden Gloves in Vancouver on May 13. FightNews Canada talked to him about his life in boxing, turning pro and what it means to be a fighter in Canada.

When did you come to Canada?

2000.

When you came here from Nigeria was your brother (Albert Onolunose) already in Calgary?

No.

You were the first one to come to Canada?

My other brother was here, the one in Miami. (Albert Eromosele)

Did you go to Calgary first or did you come straight to Vancouver?

Originally I went to Edmonton.

Why?

Because there was supposed to be a competition there. We came there with my brother and stayed with the coach who was organizing the boxing competition there.

So you then moved to Vancouver when?

In 2001

Why?

Because out there it was too cold for me, I couldn’t handle the snow.

How many amateur fights have you had?

243.

And how many in Canada?

Here in Canada nobody wants to fight me, that’s just the truth.

Because you’re too good?

I think so.

So you have trouble finding opponents here?

I have trouble yah. There’s only one guy who likes fighting me all the time.

And who is that?

Mike Buchanan. I fight him 3 times already.

Do you beat him?

Beat him twice, knocked him out the last time.

It must get kind of boring fighting the same guy over and over again.

It’s boring, but you know when you train, nobody wants to fight you. You give the guy credit who has the mind to come fight you over and over and over again when you know someone is going to beat you, and you want to stand there and let him know you are a man. You respect people like that

Now what happened when you tried to get on the Canadian Olympic team for Athens in 2004?

Back then we were just trying for me to get my citizenship and it didn’t happen so that’s why I didn’t go.

You were the Senior Men’s National Light Heavyweight champion in 2004 so you could have gone to the Olympics if you had been a citizen?

Yes.

Was that a big disappointment for you?

It was yah.

You had been at the Sydney Olympics representing Nigeria in 2000. Did you like that experience?

Yah it was good.

How do the Olympics differ from the Commonwealth Games? Is there more of a sense of being at the top of your sport there or is it the same?

The Olympics is for the world, Commonwealth is just for certain countries. For me it is just games, kind of the same thing – to other people it is not the same though. The Commonwealth Games is a tough competition.

So after Athens, why didn’t you turn pro? Why haven’t you turned pro yet?

I am just waiting for the right time.

When is that going to be? What factors will make you decide when it’s the right time?

I think it’s the right time right now because I’m talking to a manager in Las Vegas right now.

Would you move there and train there?

I will be going there in a couple of weeks with my coach, (Kevin Howard) so we are going to go and work something out.

Lets talk about Kevin Howard your coach. He said that you had amazing speed. What do you think of Kevin as a trainer?

Kevin is a good trainer, at the same time he’s a good person, you know. I like working with good people, who respect you and know you can be somebody tomorrow. They’re not just thinking about what can happen right now. They think about the future.

Do you think Kevin will train you when you turn pro or would you leave him and go to someone else that had more experience?

Right now I have, the guy who is going to be my manager is a trainer so I told him from day one, if we’re going to sign any contracts I have a coach as an amateur and he’s going to be my coach too as a pro so if you want us to do the deal, you’re going to be my 2^nd coach because you’re giving me the opportunity so at the same time, I want someone whose been with me and had my back from day one.

So in that sense you’re a lot like your brother because he’s really dedicated to his trainer Doug Harder.

Yah, people from Africa, we appreciate things you know. Especially people from West Africa. We appreciate things. Like if somebody do you good, don’t pay him with bad.

Respect, dedication, commitment.

Yah.

How did you start with Kevin, how did you meet him?

The first place I met him was at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester and I was talking to him, my brothers and me were talking, from there I went to the Nationals in 2004 and I met him there and he told me he was going to be moving down to Vancouver and I said ok, and I was training with George Angelomatis and Jack Duke and they got me kicked out of the gym because of a little problem I am having with Jack Duke.

I was training and I went to the Nationals to become the Canadian champion and coming back, he’s getting mad that I wasn’t training, and I said hey, I come from a win, I know I’m not going to the Olympics I don’t have my papers, what is the need of training at the gym and he said ok if you don’t want to train at the gym then you don’t have to come here no more and he kicked me out of the gym so I said ok fine, back then when they kicked me out of the gym I left boxing for a year.

This was in 2004?

Yah.

And you took a year off? What did you do?

Nothing.

Did you miss it?

Yah I missed it, it was something I had been doing all my life.

Did you train at all during that year?

Not at all, no running, just chilling. I went to Africa for a couple of months to stay with my family and I came back in January 2005 and then I started working out again in March and had my first fight after my layoff.

Did you find it hard to get back into shape?

After a year, it was something that has been in my blood for a long time so I know it, nobody has to tell me anything, all I gotta do is to wake up in the morning.

What do you think of the current state of the heavyweight division? What will you fight as when you turn pro?

Heavyweight and cruiserweight.

Do you want to get into the heavyweight division because it is such a disaster right now and looking for the next star? Is that something that makes you want to fight as a heavyweight?

That is not the issue because right now I don’t think I would be able to fight heavyweight in the world because I need some experience to do that, but here in Canada, if I am going to be boxing here in Canada, its just a message for the people. Light heavy, cruiserweight and heavyweight they should be ready man, they should be prepared. I have a place upstairs in my room, I have a place kept for the cruiserweight, light heavy and heavyweight – it’s going to take time.

The belts?

Yah, the belts. After a couple of fights, you know if they give me the shot, I’ll take it.

Are you fighting at the Golden Gloves in May?

Yah, that’s going to be my last amateur fight.

Do you think you have to have a big promoter behind you to be successful in this business?

In this business, you don’t have to have a promoter. It’s what you’ve got, it’s what you have to dish out. When the time comes the promoter is going to come, if you’re good, you’re good. When you’re fighting, people are hearing about you, a lot of people want to see you, a lot of people want to know you.

What is it that you like about boxing the most?

When I first started boxing, I don’t know what got me into it, but right now boxing is about the money. If there is no money in boxing, why am I sweating myself?

For the love of the sport?

Love? Ha! For me my dad always said, rule #5, there is no love in sports.

What’s rule #1?

Rule #1 is to train hard. With a whip. With a cane.

How old were you when you started boxing?

7 years old.

Your Dad taught you? He was your coach?

Yah.

He would cane you when he trained you?

Yah, if you didn’t want to train, he would use a cane.

What would have happened if you didn’t want to box?

You had no choice. Back then, when I started, I didn’t like it. I was forced to do it.

How long did it take you to start liking it?

A couple of years. I was 7, forced to box.

Were you ever mad that you were forced or was it just something you had to do?

I was mad that I had to do it, but at the same time, I’m happy that I was forced to do it. Now that I’m grown up, I’m happy.

Do you have any other passions outside of boxing?

Right now, business. I am doing all the buying for Advantage Hip Hop, my brother’s clothing store in Calgary.

Do you go to all of his fights?

Yah.

What did you think of his performance in the fight last week?

Right now I think his performance could be better. He just came back from Africa, so.

Do you think the last minute substitution had an effect on him?

Yah, its gotta be hard.

Do you find that boxing has taught you discipline in your life?

Yah.

Do you think you’re a better person because you’re a boxer? Without the discipline, without the training, without the commitment, do you think you would have taken a different path in life?

Right now I’m just happy with the situation. I thank God. I can’t say I’m a better person.

Where do you want to be in a year?

Be at the top I guess.

Why is there no pro boxing in Vancouver?

No money.

Do you think there’s an interest here?

I don’t know, I just know its really hard, boxing in Canada, sport in Canada. They only like hockey.

Would you stay in Canada to build up your record?

Yah, stay for a couple years. Fighting here in Canada will be no money, my manager is from the States and we’ll be getting more fights from the States and get paid in US dollars too. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll take any fight here to build my record, But right now its not about the money. It’s about the record. When the time comes, the money comes.

And you are prepared for that to take as long as it takes?

Yah.

You sound like you have a lot of confidence in your skills and abilities.

Yah, I have been boxing for a long time so its not like I’m scared of anybody. I’ll fight you anywhere, anyway, any day, anytime, your home, your bedroom. That’s boxing.

How much of it is confidence and how much of it is skill? How much of it is mental for you?

Right now if you have skill and you’re not confident, it’s nothing. And if the mentality is there and you don’t have skill it’s nothing so you need to have everything, 50-50. The ability, the mentality and the skill.

Who’s your favorite fighter right now?

Nobody

You don’t admire anyone?

No

Why?

Because to me, there is nobody.

No standout talents?

Back when there was Lennox Lewis, I liked him. I like Mayweather because he is cocky. I like people who are cocky, because they know what they’re doing. To me, people say I’m cocky. I’m not cocky, I’m confident. I don’t like Mayweather as a fighter but that is what I admire about him.

Who’s your favorite heavyweight right now?

Nobody really. Maybe Samuel Peter. He’s from Nigeria. He was my teammate at the Olympics. He’s a good fighter.

Anything else you want to say to the readers of FightNews Canada?

All I have to say to them is for them to keep their fingers crossed and watch a new thing coming. With me boxing as a pro, it’s going to be a big name for Canada. Trust me. I’m going to shake the world.