Chris Byrd Quotations

I used to be crazy about being the best, No. 1. I wanted to be considered No. 1 heavyweight in the world and everybody know it. But now, at this point in my career, how things have been going in my career and not getting certain fights and people ducking me, I just concentrate on who I am boxing and I do not worry about the unification thing. You cannot make somebody fight you. Whatever happens, happens.

I need to be active, ... I'm off 11 months, that's what you get.

It just blossomed from there, ... He worked with my son with basketball. I ask about his kids and his wife, and he knows about my kids and my wife, so we call each other periodically. We are just friends. It is cool. But we knew in the heavyweight division, even after sparring with each other, we knew we are going to have to fight each other eventually.

I was never in the fight. He's a big guy. He's strong. He did everything right. I didn't hit him at all.

I think more than anything it has been mentally draining,

Yeah, (he's a champion), if his test doesn't come back dirty, ... But it came back dirty, so he can't be a champion. You can't cheat and win. You get caught.

DaVarryl wanted to fight his way to the spot and Wladimir didn't want no part of it. They just wanted everything set up in their favor, knowing going to Germany is not a great thing for any American fighter.

He's like Lennox. What else does he have to prove?

I have got to feel I'm the best heavyweight in the world, ... If people don't consider me the best, I don't care. If everybody fights everybody, you'll know who the best guy is. Until then, it's everybody's opinion.

Everyone has bad fights. The last couple of fights I tried to put on a good performance. But I'm a counter puncher and he just sticks and moves.