Bam Bam Wants to Rumble!
Photos by Ray Bailey
(908) 753-9534
 Landscape technician by day and Welterweight contender by night,
Sam “Bam Bam” Garr, 32-5 (29), got sick of standing around waiting for
a decent opponent to fight in his weight class, so he did what came
naturally: he went over and mowed the neighbor’s lawn.
The grass truly was
greener on the other side, as despite weighing only 149lbs., Garr
captured the WBC Continental Americas Belt at Super Welterweight
last June with an impressive 12-round decision over Luis Dos
Santos.
“Actually, it was a vacant belt,” said the Illinois native
and Georgia resident, “my manager Nick (Garone) and I talked about
fighting for it since it was vacant, and we jumped at the
opportunity.” Garr claims it’s a
number of factors that have prevented him from getting many
quality chances to mow down a world-class fighter, despite his
extended stay in, or near the top-ten ratings.
A fairly high
knockout percentage, coupled with well-honed skills and world
championship fight experience have added up to limited “big name
fights” in the last few years. “I think my power is only part of
the reason I can only get short notice fights against decent
opponents a lot of the time. Not many guys choose to fight me. But
I also think that when guys who are thinking about fighting me see
me fight, they realize I’m more than just a guy who comes there to
punch at you. I’m elusive and I have a lot of skills. I consider
myself a boxer/puncher. That, with my record, scares a lot of guys
away.
I get calls, but then the guy backs away or decides to fight
somebody else.” As a 32-year-old
business owner who is married to wife Sharris, with two children,
Samuel III (11) and daughter Shavonna (6), Garr says it is by his
own request that he finds himself busier and more mentally focused
than at any other point in his career.
“We’re trying to make some
good moves with the time I have left in the sport. I‘ve got good
management with Nick Garone and Rob Burnett and they’re trying
keeping me busy. This year, I’ve been busier than I have in years.
Before that, I was having two fights a year, but this year, I
fought in February, March, June, and I’m fighting again this month
and again in September and hopefully if one of these top welters
will give me an opportunity, I’ll have another fight before the
end of the year. I don’t want small fights anymore. I want the big
guys. I’m at the point where I’m ready to make some positive moves
and make some money.”
Adding to his sense
of urgency, the former amateur national champion (112 lbs.) lost
his last nationally-televised appearance to upcoming contender
Gary “Fast Hands” Jones.
“I’m basically a twelve-round fighter and
the fight was supposed to be ten rounds, but ten minutes before it
was supposed to start, they changed it to an eight-rounder. He
does have fast hands, and he’s a fast starter, but he tends to
lose steam in the later rounds. He started off real good and I was
pacing myself and maneuvering him around the ring and in the
second round, and third rounds, I started to figure him out. The
(ESPN2) commentators were saying that I was nullifying him and
walking him down and catching him. The fight went by so fast. I
didn’t pull the trigger and I let him off the hook. I can’t blame
anybody for that but myself, but I know if I would have had those
last two rounds, I would have had him. I would have Ko’d him. His
strength was gone. He still had speed, but he’s not the hardest
puncher. He’s young, so I don’t want to take any credibility away
from the guy. I respect anybody that fights, but I would have Ko’d
him if I would have had those last two rounds.
Garr first caught
hardcore boxing fans’ eyes while giving at-the-time WBA
welterweight champion James Page all he could handle on the
undercard of the Lewis/Holyfield 1 undercard before losing by
close, but unanimous decision.
As usual, Garr wasn’t Page’s first
choice, but another fighter falling out late got him into the
high-profile scrap. “I think I fought well against Page,
especially for only having two weeks notice. At that time, a lot
of guys didn’t want to fight him because he was one of the hardest
punchers in the division, so they stayed away from him. I watched
a tape of him and I saw a lot of things that he did that I could
capitalize on. Seeing and doing are two different things. I made
him miss, but I didn’t put myself in a position where I could fire
back often enough. Honestly, I think I showed Andrew Lewis how to
beat him. He was stepping back, but not as far so he could fire
back off Page’s misses like I had planned to do.”
“I learned a lot
from the fight and it gave me more self esteem because I went in
with a lot of doubts and it showed me I’m a world class fighter.”
Furthering his confidence were the sparring sessions he had with
current legitimate champion Vernon Forrest, who is also a Georgia
resident. “I did okay with Vernon. I like him a lot. We eventually
had to stop working together because we both sort of realized that
we might have to fight someday. I would love to fight him.” Until the day comes
for Garr to wander out of the tall grass and into the title
picture again, he is putting in overtime in preparation. “I’m in
the gym every day. The only day I may not be in is Sunday. That’s
my family day. Besides that, I’m in the gym every day of the week
at the Biggs Boxing Forum.”
Sam Garr the
perennial wants to bloom this year by winning a world title and he
dares any of the champions or top contenders to try and chop him
down. |
