Sakio Bika – “This is my division and no-one is going to change this”

 
SAKIO Bika has made a career about of being the underdog. He has traveled the world and faced some of the best fighters to ever grace the super-middleweight division. But after thirteen years on the professional circuit, Bika finally has the status he has yearned for – world champion.

 
“It is a deep honour to be Australia’s only world champ. I feel extremely blessed and touched having Australia at the world platform.” said Bika in an exclusive interview with Aus-Boxing. “Last year, I fought three fights and they were all undefeated, all the fights were equally tough. I showed the world who I was and what the definition of a world champion is. The blood, sweat and tears went into every single fight.”

 
Bika, 34, had a signature year in 2013, fighting three undefeated fighters in Nikola Sjekloca, Marco Periban and Anthony Dirrell – going 2-0-1 – and earning the coveted WBC super middleweight championship along the way. Unsurprisingly, all of Bika’s three fights were fought internationally, which is something he has grown used to over the years.

 
“It was the best feeling that is indescribable, by being world champion and having a new baby daughter (during the period of my camp). It was like everything I worked for in life had finally arrived at a perfect time.” Bika said.

 
“Fighting in other people’s backyards has never bothered me, because where I grew up we never had any choices. A fighter should never complain,” he continued. “I am always happy to fight people in their backyard so that I can show the world the definition of a fighter, because a fighter never chooses who he wants to fight.”

 
For some time, Bika was considered the dark horse of a stacked super-middleweight division internationally, with many fighters and proven champions often avoiding the perceived ‘no win’ situation of fighting Bika. For many years, Bika wasn’t signed to a major promoter, which meant the risk of fighting Bika never came with the proper financial compensation of winning.

 
Despite winning the famed reality television series ‘The Contender’ as well as the IBO super middleweight title in 2008, the bigger fights were consistently steered away from Bika – and with good reason. The only fighters to have convincingly beat Bika are Lucian Bute, Joe Calzaghe and Andre Ward. All three have been world champions and two of them are future Hall of Famer’s.

 
Although Bika has five losses on his professional log, which stands at 32-5-3 (21 knockouts), one of them has been avenged (Sam Soliman in 2007) and one was by controversial disqualification (Jean Paul Mendy in 2010).

 
“Joe Calzaghe retired undefeated, which was very special. He fought some of the best fighters of all time, he’s also got my respect for when we went to war,” said Bika. “But Andre Ward won the Gold Medal, to this day is still undefeated and that’s what makes him special.”

Golden Boy Promotions, arguably boxing’s biggest promoter, is yet to announce Bika’s next opponent. Many, including the champion himself are hoping for the next challenger to be Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. – who is listed as Bika’s mandatory. However, given that Chavez is signed with Top Rank, Golden Boy’s bitter rival, it seems unlikely a deal will be made. Furthermore, it appears likely that Chavez and middleweight kingpin Gennady Golovkin are headed towards a showdown in July.

Not that it matters to Bika.

 
“I would like to fight Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. because he’s the number one contender for my title and he comes to fight. He was also a world champion not long ago. I know that I can knock him out. This is my division and no-one is going to change this.”
 

While Chavez Jr. may not be Bika’s next opponent, Bika like most champions, is hungry to cement his legacy and make the most out of his time in the super-middleweight division, while he still has the assured leverage of being the WBC super-middleweight champion.

 
“I want to fight the best fighters in the super-middleweight division, and then unify the belt. Then hopefully move up to light-heavyweight to fight the world champion for their belt.”