Rogers Mtagwa Interview

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This Friday Night, Hall of Fame promoter J. Russell Peltz returns to the New Alhambra in Philadelphia with the action packed Rogers “The Tiger” Mtagwa ready to square off against Aldo Valtierra with the vacant NABF featherweight title on the line. Mtagwa has had some ups and downs in his career but now his team wants to let the world know that they are gunning for a world title in the very near future and it all start on Friday night. Mtagwa and his manager Joe Parella took the time to speak with Fight News on a variety of topics and they hold nothing back!

PK: In November, you lost a hotly disputed split decision along with your USBA title back to Martin Honorio who has only defended it once, taking a split decision over Joe Morales, a fighter you previously knocked out. What is your take first on that loss and are you interested in a rematch?

RM: I will say right now we are never going back to Chicago. A lot of people thought we won that fight which took place in his hometown in front of a pro Mexican crowd. The accommodations were terrible; the dressing room was like a closet. Going to the fight the driver tells us that we are in the “opponents” corner. They stopped the fight twice to check Honorio’s eye. It was voted the USBA fight of the year but outside of a knockout there was just no way were going to win that fight.

PK: What is your take on where your career stands right now?

RM: Well I am 28 and feel that there are still some good years left. Its like we are there knocking on the door, then something like Honorio happens and now no one answers and we are back to fighting for our life. We always in an exciting fight, never avoided anyone and paid the dues.


PK: What does your fight against Aldo Valtierra this Friday mean to you?

RM: We need this fight because the goal is to fight for a world title real soon. It is about the money now and the big money is at Showtime and HBO. ESPN and Teddy Atlas tell us they really like us but there’s just not a lot of money there. We are ranked #5 in the IBF with the 2 and 3 slot vacant and we aren’t ducking anyone but we can’t take the short end anymore.


PK: What do you see happening this Friday at The New Alhambra?

RM: We expect to win. We have to fight on the inside. He throws wide lefts, looping rights, all of his power is on the outside. We aren’t looking for the knockout, if it comes it comes but Aldo has never been stopped before.

PK: How are you preparing for the fight?

RM: We brought in Bobby “Boogaloo” Watts to train for this fight and I am ready to win. I have been training really hard, have in over 100 rounds for this fight. Sometimes I need to be stopped but I have my routine. The plan is to get off first and get out.

PK: You are known as a crowd pleasing, action style fighter. Do you think this has hurt your chances of securing higher profile fights?

RM: You would be surprised at how hard it is to get fights. Not too long ago there was talk fighting Jason Litzau and we agreed to the fight. After the Alvin Brown fight, Litzau’s people called back saying we have too much experience for Jason right now and that Jason can’t make 126lbs. We wanted Jose Hernandez after he beat Litzau and they wanted no parts of us.

PK: You have lost more than your share of split and majority decisions. You mentioned the Honorio fight but any others that really stick out?

RM: Yeah, we were absolutely robbed against Agapito Sanchez in Whippany New Jersey. They gave him a majority decision but we beat the living shit out of him. I won’t say it was crooked but we definitely didn’t get a fair shake. Less than 2 months after the fight, Sanchez gets to fight for a title. I am willing to bet the contract was already in place. We asked for a rematch and the immediate answer was no. I won’t say the name but even one of Sanchez people told us we got robbed.

PK: What are some of the more memorable fights?

RM: Let’s see, knocking out Joe Morales was one of them. He was never knocked out before than and during that fight we were behind on the cards. The Fernando Trejo fight too, he usually fights at lightweight and we beat him. There was a few times where the ref could have stopped that one. We stuck in there and we pulled it out.

PK: Where are you originally from? How long have you been in the USA?

RM: I was born in Tanzania which is a poverty stricken land. I send money home and have 5 brothers that fight. My youngest brother is better than me! I want to bring them over here too. I came to this country in 2000 and live in Philadelphia. I love Philly, it’s good, and it’s my hometown now. I have a good following and I am happy to fight in front of them.

PK: Where do you train?

RM: I train out of Joe Hands Gym which is my home base but sometimes I also go to Shulers Gym because they have more work there.

PK: What are you predicting for Friday?

RM: That we will win and then going after a world title.

Thanks for your time Rogers & Joe!

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