By Scoop Malinowski

The purists know that Chris Byrd is one of the world’s best all-around fighters today. As underrated and underappreciated as our IBF Heavyweight champion sometimes is, perhaps even more so is the man who has trained and taught Chris Byrd his entire life: his father Joe Byrd.

When you think about it, Joe and Chris Byrd have achieved something almost unbelievable. Chris - the 1992 Olympic silver medalist at 165 lbs. moved straight up to the heavyweight division and now 12 years later is not only competitive with the heavyweight giants of today, some say he is the best heavyweight today, period. And on top of that, Chris Byrd has represented the sport as an honorable sportsman and role model.

So, Boxinginsider.com recently spoke with the man behind the success of Chris Byrd, the guru himself, Joe Byrd. Read on to hear what Joe has to say about Ibeabuchi, Wladimir’s future, his son’s talents and much more:

Boxinginsider.com: Please tell us your start in boxing…

Joe Byrd: “When I first get into boxing it was in 1957. They were giving like 20 tickets away for the Golden Gloves. So I just wanted to go out and get the tickets, I wasn’t gonna box. I got in the auditorium. A couple of older people was there. My mother always said, Always look up to older people. And they said, Are you Joe Byrd? They callin’ for you to come out and put your gloves on! Scared me to death. So I went down and put ‘em on. My opponent had fought the year before. He came right across the ring to tag me. And I threw a right hand and knocked him out. I didn’t know you could knockout a guy with gloves. So from that day on I went on to be where I am today. I went on to win the state and I was just 19. I started kinda late.

Another fight - another young man by the name of Joey Robinson whupped me so bad when I was leaving the ring, there was an old guy sittin’ there like he had been drinking. He look at me, said, Son you don’t know what in the hell you’re doing. Said go out and run a couple of weeks and come back. I ran for two weeks and came back and I had two weeks over everybody else. I was the only champ of 41 boxers there. So that’s listening to a man. So that’s what I always tell boxers, Always listen when somebody has something good to tell you.”

Boxinginsider.com: What was your greatest boxing moment?

Joe Byrd: “When I put on an exhibition with Sugar Ray Robinson in Flint. That was the greatest moment in my life. I went on to fight pro from there. I fought Muhammad Ali’s brother. I met him and his mother. The next greatest moment was when they announced my name as head of 1992 Olympics coach. That was a great feeling, hearing my name announced. You don’t know what it feels like till you hear your name.”

Boxinginsider.com: How about your most painful moment in boxing?

Joe Byrd: “I would say when Ibeabuchi dropped Chris and went on to get that decision. I had never seen Chris hit. And after I’d seen him hit and fell face-first and get up…I know he can take a punch. I’d never seen a boxer go down face-first and get up. They usually get up to their knees and fall back on their chin. But Chris got up and was moving around when they stopped it. He fought some more. He hadn’t got his head clear because when they clapped it for the ten seconds, he looked at the ref. The ref thought he was sayin’ to stop it, the ref stopped it. But I didn’t worry about it but I thought that was the worst.”

Boxinginsider.com: How good was Ike? Many people think he was extraordinary…

Joe Byrd: “Who knows. If he had his head to head with his strength - he was a strong and good puncher - I think he would’ve been world champion. But he just didn’t have that head on and he just kept messin’ up. But I think he would’ve been world champion. He’d have one of these belts, I don’t know which one, but he’d have held one of ‘em.”

Boxinginsider.com: When was Chris Byrd at his very best do you believe?

Joe Byrd: “I would say on his best - when he fought David Tua. He fought David Tua from the first round to the 12th round. And he was moving and he was the old Chris. When he fought Evander he looked real good because he kept Evander in the center of the ring most of the time. And he jabbed him in the chest, over the heart, which we trained him to do.”

Boxinginsider.com: Are you somewhat surprised by your son’s success? I mean going from 165 in the Olympics straight to heavyweight champion in this era of giants, this may never happen again…

Joe Byrd: “Well it depends on your frame. You look at Oscar - you look at where he was at in the Olympics. He came up to 165. Chris, at 165, he did the same thing, went up to fight in the 200’s.”

Boxinginsider.com: Changing the subject, do you believe Wladimir Klitschko can regain his prior form and aura and become champion again? Do you think his best days may still be ahead?

Joe Byrd: “Oh yeah. When the knockout took place he was ahead. He just got to be more calm and don’t go out there try and knock guys out. Take that out of his mind. Everybody ain’t gonna, so if he go out there and box and wait on that one big shot - like he did against my son - he’s gonna be a hard man to beat. He’s strong and he knows how to box. He was an Olympic champion - he knows how to beat these kids. He’ll be back. He’ll be back. All he need is one good fight to put him back on the winning track. He’ll be back. That last fight didn’t help him much but it helped him a little bit. But he need a good, strong opponent and he’ll be right back, right back where he left off at.”

Boxinginsider.com: Besides Chris, which other boxers out there do you like to watch today?

Joe Byrd: “Today, there’s a lot of ‘em out there today. It’s hard to say, all of ‘em I really like. Golota is one I like to watch, because you never know what he might do. He could come out and take you out, he could panic. Mike Tyson is another. You don’t know what he gonna do. So automatically, you want to see what they gonna do.”

Boxinginsider.com: How about your comments on the best fighter of today - Bernard Hopkins?

Joe Byrd: “I got a lot of respect for Hopkins. One reason is he taught us age is just a number. And he’s a helluva nice guy when you meet him, personally in person. He spent that time in prison, he’s still a young man, some guys are younger but they live crazy lives. Bernard lives a clean life. I met him, he’s a nice guy. You meet him in person - you can’t ever meet a better guy. When I first met him we were at the convention out in Phoenix in ‘98 or ‘99. And he walk up, Mr. Byrd. He just start talkin’, and he just down-to-earth. He ain’t all cocky, like some fighters, I’m the world champion, the top pound-for-pound, the best in the world…he just Hopkins. He just down-to-earth, nice guy.”

Boxinginsider.com: And finally, what kind of qualities in people do you like to see?

Joe Byrd: “I like to see people in the boxing world to have love for everybody. You don’t need to get out and talk about killing people, kids saying I want to cut your throat and all that. Just go out and put your heart at it and do your best. There’s always a boxer out there that’s better than you. And you could always have a bad day, and another boxer might have his best day. And he might beat you. But if you’re a good boxer you can always come back. If you can’t, try to get a minimum wage job.”