Gainer gung-ho on Chris John KO in Aprill 22 Jakarta title bout

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Derrick "Smoke" Gainer declared here on Wednesday that he would make short work of World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight champion Chris John in their April 22 title bout.

"I am very sure that I will win the bout and the title as I am well prepared for this fight," the 32-year-old American said upon arrival at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

"I will KO Chris John in round six."

However, he acknowledged the Indonesian was an experienced, accomplished fighter.

He added that he had put behind him his last-minute pullout from a scheduled bout against Chris John in Tenggarong, East Kalimantan, last year due to a disagreement over the open air venue.

"Now, I am here to fight Chris John," he said.

The mandatory title defense will be held in Kelapa Gading Sports Mall in North Jakarta.

Chris John has a record of 34 wins (29 KOs) without a loss while Gainer has booked 39 wins (34 KOs), six losses and one draw.

Separately, Chris John, who has been trained by Australian Craig Christian since the beginning of the year, said Gainer would be a tough opponent to overcome.

"Gainer has strength as he is tall (1.75 meters) and has a lot of international experience," the 26-year-old from Semarang was quoted by Antara as saying.

He added that Gainer also possessed a champion's mentality because he was formerly WBA featherweight champion. He lost the title to Juan Manuel Marquez in a IBF/WBA title unification fight in November 2003

The Indonesian said he was leaving the resolution of a prolonged contract dispute with former trainer Sutan Rambing to his lawyer Luhut Sitompul to allow him to concentrate on the bout.

"I want a peaceful atmosphere so that I could optimize my preparation against Gainer," he said.