By Rick Reeno (photo by Richie Maldonado)

A former heavyweight champion, an Olympic Gold Medalist, heavyweight Ray Mercer has accomplished all his career goals as a fighter. On August 26, live on pay per view, Ray Mercer steps back in the ring to take on archrival Shannon Briggs. Mercer is 44 years old and still knocking out fighters that are many years younger then him. Mercer knows that in today's heavyweight division, every fighter is one knockout away from a title shot and he wants to make Briggs his stepping stone towards gaining one last crack at heavyweight gold.

BoxingScene sat down with Mercer to discuss his upcoming fight with Shannon Briggs, the recent ban of Evander Holyfield, the upcoming fight with Samuel Peter and Wladimir Klitschko, Tommy Morrison and so much more.

BoxingScene.com: There seems to be a lot of animosity between you and Shannon Briggs since the press conference announcing your fight. What is your side of the story with respecting to Shannon holding such a grudge against you?
 
Ray Mercer: My guess is that he is jealous. He says that I'm jealous, but I think it's the other way around and the way he is talking shows it. We used to play cards in the house and I never knew that it was like that. I never knew he felt like that about me.
 
BoxingScene.com: What exactly do think set him off?
 
Ray Mercer: If you really think about it, he said at the press conference that he used to come in and watch the triple threat train and all that. He tried to get with the triple threat and we wouldn't let him in is what he said. I didn't even know the kid. I didn't know he was trying to get with us or whatever, but the triple threat is the triple threat. What he is doing is that he is just jealous of the triple threat people. I mean he is just jealous because he couldn't get in. He couldn't get in and I guess he is just mad because of that. When I was training up in New Jersey, I lived in North Carolina and would come in and Marc (Roberts) would have a room for me, me and Charles Murray. We used to play cards together and everything, I never knew the guy felt like that you know. I didn't know what he was talking about (at the press conference).
 
BoxingScene.com: Do you think that he may of felt disrespected in some way?
 
Ray Mercer: How could he be disrespected? I have no idea how he could feel that he was disrespected. We had the manager first and he moved us. Marc Roberts came and asked for me to come back. For me it was just business, for him it's personal I guess. I haven't been jealous of anybody since I was 10. I'm 44 now and I'm definitely not jealous of anybody because I like to see people make it in life.
 
BoxingScene.com: There were some of the harsh words that were exchanged at the press conference. It may not have been personal then, is personal for you now?
 
Ray Mercer: No, its not personal. It's only business. For him its personal, for me its business. He was saying that he was in all these movies and CDs with the Fugees. I don't know about all that stuff and I really don't care. I don't wake up every morning thinking about Shannon Briggs. All he really did was piss somebody off to train even harder to whoop his ass. And disrespecting a girl, I don't even know what girl he was even talking about.
 
BoxingScene.com: You decisioned Daroll Wilson in your last bout, the man who gave Shannon his first career loss by way of a third round knockout.
 
Ray Mercer: I did tell him that and I don't know where this guy gets his anger from. The truth will come out, the situation was not like he makes it seem. I think he was just jealous of us. He really hasn't accomplished anything that would make me jealous. I won a Gold Medal, what did he win? I was a former world champion, was he a former world champion? He's nothing. I have nothing to be jealous about. I get more out of my kids than anyone could get from being in a movie or with the Fugees. I'm 44 years old, I don't have time for that. I don't wake up thinking about Shannon, everyday right now I don't think about him. I just have to think about what I have to do as far as training and what I have to do in order to get ready for the fight. For him it's personal and me it's business.
 
BoxingScene.com: I know you took a brief timeout from boxing in order to try your hand at mixed martial arts. Do you regret making that move of think it may have hurt your image by making that move?
 
Ray Mercer: If anything it helped my image because it shows what kind of person I am to get involved in something where you are totally out of your element. It was fun for me. I got to go to Japan and meet all those tough guys. I got the sh*t kicked out of me, but that's all part of the game.
 
BoxingScene.com: Do you think that because of your shortcomings in mixed martial arts, some of your opponents may overlook you now? Maybe they think those bouts may have taken something out of you.
 
Ray Mercer: I don't know. I wouldn't think that about nobody. I am in my element now. I am an Olympic Gold Medalist and I am a former world champion.  These guys never accomplish anything or what they set out to accomplish. I have. I don't even belong in the same group as Shannon Briggs because I am former world champion and I won a Gold Medal. I accomplished a lot in my life.
 
BoxingScene.com: When you fought in your prime, there was so much talent in the heavyweight division. Why do you think there is such a lack of stars, talent and quality bouts in today's heavyweight division?
 
Ray Mercer: Styles make fights and today, a guy can be 10-0 or 15-0 and they get considered a top heavyweight. Back in the day it would of never happened like that. Today, the promoters are so protective of their fighters that they handpick their opponents and only want to fight the guys they know their fighter can beat. It makes the heavyweight division look weak. If your a tough guy in the heavyweight division, all of the top guys are going to avoid you.
 
BoxingScene.com: Do you think the public is reaching too hard in order to find a new heavyweight star?
 
Ray Mercer: Exactly, exactly. You knock a couple of guys out and they put you on top. Just like Michael Grant, they said he was the next big thing coming out. I blame it on the trainer personally, Teddy Atlas. I think because of him, Michael wasn't successful and Shannon Briggs. It's the way he trains guys, he likes to get in their minds. That don't work. It's guys like that who mess some of these top heavyweights. They teach them so much and think they are so good and think they can fight, but they can't. They can't because they don't have the experience. To train you have to work the body, you can't just go to the mind. I think that was the problem with Shannon, it was Teddy Atlas. We couldn't watch him train, he used to watch me train. We had the same manager, but we couldn't watch him train. He had a closed session everytime he trained. The few times we peeked in, the two of them were in the middle of the ring hugging and talking. And that's why I think Shannon has not been successful.
 
BoxingScene.com: What are thoughts on this new heavyweight that the public is hyping up, Samuel Peter?
 
Ray Mercer: I think he is very strong, he reminds me of myself when I was coming up. No experience, he's just strong. How many rounds does he have? Has he even been ten, twelve or eight rounds?
 
BoxingScene.com: Not very often.
 
Ray Mercer: That's what I'm saying. You get no experience that way and he has no experience. When you see him you know he is strong and he could hurt you, but he won't be able to win a fight just off of talent.
 
BoxingScene.com: He has a huge fight coming up with Wladimir Klitschko.
 
Ray Mercer: I think he has a lot more experience then Sam Peter and if he doesn't get caught, he will win the fight. Sam Peter's chin hasn't been tested and that's the example I'm trying to make. They put him in there and he hasn't been tested yet. Now if Wladimir knocks him out, people will say that he didn't belong up there and all that.
 
BoxingScene.com: There have been a lot of top prospects falling all over the place. Joe Mesi, Dominick Guinn, Owen Beck.
 
Ray Mercer: Exactly, they knock out a few guys that were never any good. And when they do face somebody good, they get knocked off.
 
BoxingScene.com: The one fight people always bring up when they talk about Ray Mercer is the knockout win over Tommy Morrison. After that knockout, did the Morrison camp ever request a rematch?
 
Ray Mercer: Never, we never heard from them again. They never wanted a rematch or else we would of had one. The guy didn't want a rematch.
 
BoxingScene.com: What about Lennox Lewis? That was a fight where many observers felt you won.
 
Ray Mercer: Never called me, never called me for anything. He told me that he would give me half his check for that fight and I'm still waiting. That's what I'm talking about, you have to fight the tough guys to get the experience. I give Lennox Lewis all the respect in the world because he never ran from anybody, he fought everybody. He was a damn good fighter and a damn good champion.
 
BoxingScene.com: You fought a lot of heavy hitters in your day. Who would you say is the hardest puncher that you ever faced?
 
Ray Mercer: Tommy Morrison definitely.
 
BoxingScene.com: Tommy Morrison in your opinion was a harder puncher than Wladimir Klitschko or Lennox Lewis?
 
Ray Mercer: Yes. Wladimir Klitschko hit me in the temple, first time I was ever hit like that, but it wasn't a hard punch. I'm talking about pain, it was Tommy Morrison and Bert Cooper.
 
BoxingScene.com: Do you think the heavyweight division is still so wide open that anyone can grab a world title?
 
Ray Mercer: I think so. Oliver McCall just knocked out a guy who was never even really known and now he is in the running. Every guy is one knockout away from a world title shot and I just want my chance.
 
BoxingScene.com: Do you think it looks bad when a fighter like Andrew Golota gets three title shots in a row and other hungry fighters have to wait in line?
 
Ray Mercer: Exactly, same thing with Holyfield and Ruiz. It's the promoters now. It's not up to the fighters anymore. You can be a tough fighter and they will steal the win away from you.
 
BoxingScene.com: What are your thoughts on Evander Holyfield recently being banned from fighting?
 
Ray Mercer: I don't like that either. I feel that if the guy passed all of the proper tests then he should be able to make a living. This whole situation is about a guy trying to make a name for himself by getting Holyfield banned.
 
BoxingScene.com: Something is politically wrong when a guy like Holyfield gets banned and you have Miguel Angel Gonzalez, coming off a title shot loss, receiving another title shot and gets starched by a fighter ten years younger than him.
 
Ray Mercer: Exactly, the situation with Holyfield is a guy trying to make a name for himself. He banned somebody that earned the right to be in a fight. It's out of boxers' hands now. Whoever has the better promoter will win the fight.
 
BoxingScene.com: How long do you want keep on fighting, win or lose in your next bout?
 
Ray Mercer: I don't know. Shannon says that he will retire me so we have to see. I'm not ready to quit fighting, I was the oldest guy on the Olympic team when I won the Gold Medal at 28. I was 28 when I won the Gold Medal and 23 when I started boxing.
 
BoxingScene.com: Some of these guy think your an old man, but in reality your a "young" old man.
 
Ray Mercer: Exactly, some of these guys don't know the whole story. I've got the sh*t beat out of me by Wladimir Klitschko, but that's about the worst whooping I took. I don't have a lot of wear and tear.
 
BoxingScene.com: The average age of most heavyweights is around 31, 32.  Excluding Samuel Peter, there are not many heavyweights in their 20's.
 
Ray Mercer: Exactly.
 
BoxingScene.com: What do you think is causing the recent trend of fighters committing criminal acts? Most recently the tragedy with heavyweight Clifford Ettiene arrested for armed robbery and attempted murder.
 
Ray Mercer: I don't know. I have no idea what was going through his mind when that happened. I don't know what makes these guys do something like that. Some guys may be getting the bad end of the stick, but there is no excuse for robbing somebody or hurting somebody. I don't care what the promoters did to them, there is no excuse to go out and commit a crime. Your life is first, boxing is second. If you get a bad draw in boxing, then quit and go get a job.
 
BoxingScene.com: Was there ever any serious talk of you and Mike Tyson getting in the ring?
 
Ray Mercer: Of course. I signed a contract. he didn't sign the contract, but I signed it and still have it. Lennox Lewis took him to court and said that he was supposed to fight him next. It was in all the news papers. Because Tyson did not sign when I signed, the judge ruled that Lewis fights him next. That was the one fight I wanted when I came out of the Olympics. I always felt that me and Mike Tyson would be the best fight.
 
BoxingScene.com: Lewis fought you as a test on how he would do against Mike Tyson. He didn't do so well. I'm sure once the fight was over, you truly thought you won.
 
Ray Mercer: Like I said, I'm still waiting on my check. Half his check. You know what really hurts me. I fought for my country three times. I was in the army and fought for my country, I fought for my country in the Olympics and brought home a Gold Medal and I also fought for my country when I fought Lennox Lewis. My country wasn't behind me, I beat the guy and they still gave the victory to him, right here in my own home. I knew right there, that the promoters took over. I thought my country would be behind me, but they weren't. I looked at that fight like I was competing in the Olympics, I was going to fight for my country and I think I was let down.
 
BoxingScene.com: I know you have a pay per view coming up. Do you think the boxing industry is pumping out way too many pay per view events?
 
Ray Mercer: Yes, you can say that. A lot of these guys have not earned the right to fight on pay per view and most of these fights do not belong on pay per view. Guys get on pay per view and don't want to fight. I feel bad for the people who have to pay all of that money. That's what happens when you deal with Don King. I've earned the right to be on pay per view, Shannon Briggs has not. I'm just thankful to get a pay per view fight with anybody. I know one thing, people are going to see a fight when they watch me fight Shannon.
 
BoxingScene.com: In closing, what is your prediction for the upcoming fight with Briggs and do you hope all of the personal issues with Shannon get settled in the ring?
 
Ray Mercer: I don't know. He's a tough fighter, but he really hasn't been tested either. I know I will come out victorious and the fight will not go ten rounds. He said that I'm going out on a stretcher. I know the fight is not going to go ten rounds. I'm coming to fight for my life. If I'm coming to fight for my life then you know somebody is going to get knocked out. Like I've said, I don't know where all of this anger from Shannon comes from. I used to play cards with guy, his wife and Charles Murray. He must of had all of this bottled up inside of him and was not man enough to come out and say something. I really never knew he felt like that about me. I'm a man, I'm going to beat his ass and forget about him.