Whether it’s in the ring or the kitchen Carlos “El Olímpico” Tamara 21-4(15) has been cooking up a storm of late. Last week the Columbian went to The Philippines and as a heavy underdog scored the best win of his career sensationally knocking out home favourite Brian Viloria to claim the IBF Light Flyweight title in the final round whilst narrowly behind on points. Now back in his adopted home of North Bergen, NJ made famous by former Heavyweight champion James J Braddock. He’s enjoying life and hoping to do just the same as Braddock and provide a better life for his family. He may only weight 108 pounds but Tamara certainly doesn’t starve himself when not in camp. The mighty mite who by his own admission loves to spend time in the kitchen cooking knock out food for all the family. It’s just one of a number of things he does to care for his family. To go on the road to another country the other side of the world and win a world title and in dramatic fashion says a lot about a fighter and you get the impression that this is just the beginning of what may just be another Cinderella story. James J Braddock would be proud.
Hello Carlos, welcome to 15rounds.com
Anson Wainwright – Firstly congratulation’s on winning the IBF Light Flyweight. What can you tell us about that fight?
Carlos Tamara – Thank You. It was a very hard fight and a fight that I knew shortly after I signed the contract that I would have to be in the best shape of my life and I was not wrong about that. Viloria is a very, very, very good fighter and very strong.
Anson Wainwright – Looking back how proud do you feel now about that win? Have you received any congratulations as yet from your homeland?
Carlos Tamara – I feel very proud and I have to thank my team. (Butch Sanchez, Angel De Jesus, Nelson Fernandez and my promoter Universal and it’s president Javier Bustillo) Yes, I have gotten a lot of phone calls from my country and they are all waiting for me to go back so they can congratulate me in person and give me a giant party.
Anson Wainwright – It’s always tough to go on the road and take the title you did this and showed a huge heart by stopping a great champion Viloria late in the twelfth. This is likely something that has been instilled in your from a young age. Can you tell us a bit about growing up in Columbia and how it took you on your path into Boxing?
Carlos Tamara – Thank You it was a great opportunity and Viloria gave me that opportunity and I thank him for that and hopefully he will come back and show everyone why he is one of the best in this business. It’s funny you ask me about how it was instilled from a young age by my mother and father and they did the same when we moved from Sincelejo to Barranquilla when I was 12 and that opened the path for my boxing because when I got to Barranquilla for 3 years I was getting beat up by kids so I decided I better learn something QUICK or they going to kill me and I took up boxing.
Anson Wainwright – You had a very impressive amateur career that saw you fight in the 2004 Olympics can you tell us about this experience? What titles you won in the amateur’s and what your final record was?
Carlos Tamara – Never thought I could get there as an amateur but my silver medals in the Pan Am Games got me to the Olympics and I was very happy but back then I did not think I could win a medal or even place. I won my first fight and I thought I won my second fight but the judges and the point system did not favour me.
Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us who your team is your manager/trainer & promoter and where you regularly train?
Carlos Tamara – My team is Butch Sanchez and Angel De Jesus my main trainers, my manager is Nelson Fernandez and he oversees all of the training and strategy for training and the fights and my promoter is Universal Promotions in Ponce, Puerto Rico. We train five days a week at the Bergen County PAL in Hackensack, New Jersey and when we are close to fight day we train 6 days. For the Viloria fight we trained even on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day there were no breaks for that fight.
Anson Wainwright – You live in New Jersey now, what brought about you moving from Columbia?
Carlos Tamara – Needed to be here in the USA were the purses were more lucrative and the training a lot better, sparring and everything is a lot better in the USA.
Anson Wainwright – What do you like to do away from Boxing?
Carlos Tamara – I like to write and listen to music and I’m an excellent cook as well maybe someday you can come over and I will make you a nice Bandeja Paisa.
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A dish from Antioquia, it is made with several ingredients making necessary to use a platter (Bandeja in Spanish, hence the name). it is made of beans, rice, fried eggs, chorizo pork rinds and other ingredients.
As well as my family’s specialty TAMALES.
A corn “cake” is wrapped in a banana leaf and steamed. They can be filled with everything from chicken, potatoes, peas, carrots, to rice. Many consider the Tamales from Tolima, which are made with a female pig, a roast pig, to be the best.
Anson Wainwright – Though you have only just won the title. What do you hope to be able to achieve with the title?
Carlos Tamara – Be able to give my family a nicer house and a better life for my 2 daughters, my mother, my father and my 5 siblings.
Anson Wainwright – Who’s the best fighter you have fought in either the pro’s or amateur’s and why? How did the fight go?
Carlos Tamara – THE VERY BEST WITHOUT A DOUBT BRIAN THE HAWAIIAN PUNCH VILORIA – HE IS AWESOME!
Anson Wainwright – What do you make of the other champions at 108 WBC Rodel Mayol, former opponent WBA Giovanni Segura & WBO Ivan Calderon?
Carlos Tamara – They are all extremely good and that is the reason they are World Champions – Rodel Mayol paid his dues and had a few cracks at the title and finally did it – I like that! Giovanni Segura, a good fighter, very strong, very intelligent, tremendous team and very respectful champion. Ivan Calderon “the very best of all times” when we all get old and a little heavier we are going to then appreciate his talents, determination and domination of this weight division – FUTURE HALL OF FAME! My manager’s favourite fighter of all times!
Anson Wainwright – Who was your hero growing up?
Carlos Tamara – My mother and father who always gave us everything! Even if times were bad we had a good life.
Anson Wainwright – Do you have a message for your fans in North Bergen, NJ & back in Columbia? Also do you have a message for Brian Viloria who was hurt after the fight?
Carlos Tamara – Thank You so much for all of the support everyone has given me in the past and present and hopefully in the future. We tried to go and visit him in the hospital in Manila and his manager Gary Gittelsohn told us that was not necessary because he was OK and that he was going to make sure that we were concerned with his well being. Brian Viloria is a TREMENDOUS FIGHTER and he should stick to this game and I can guarantee that he will again become World Champion – he is AWESOME.
Congratulations again & thanks for your time.
Thank You very much for the time and the great questions.
Anson Wainwright
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