Bosnian Boxer Hopes to Put War Behind Him

Heavyweight boxer Joe Powder thought he had escaped the strife in his homeland of Bosnia-Herzegovina when he immigrated to the United States seven months ago. So when questions about his war-torn country persist, Powder puts his fist down.

“I’m an athlete, not a politician,” Powder said through an interpreter at a Monday press conference at the Irvine Marriott, where he will fight on the undercard of Thursday’s six-bout show.

But the press conference was not void of politics. Milan Panic, former prime minister of Yugoslavia, was in attendance to lend Powder some moral support.

“Some people do not have a good impression of Yugoslavians these days, but at least we are fighters,” Panic said with a laugh. “It’s not bad to be a fighter.”

Powder, whose real name is Jova Pouder, is supposedly not a bad fighter. He had a 30-2 record as an amateur and won a berth on the former Yugoslavia’s Olympic boxing team in 1992. But after the outbreak of civil war, Powder did not compete in the Olympics.

Powder continued to box during the war, but his opportunities were limited as an amateur in Bosnia. Powder considered offers from managers in Italy and Germany before deciding to sign a five-year contract with Al Rogers and Frank Ronzio of Los Angeles.

Since coming to Southern California, Powder has had two fights. He won the first in a four-round decision and won the next on a knockout two minutes into the first round with a short but powerful right hand.

“In his first fight, he got into that European stance with the left hand up in the air and the right behind him,” Ronzio said. “He’s corrected that completely now. He’s very cool in the ring and very sophisticated.”

Ronzio said he’s also tireless.

“Europeans are notorious for over-training and we’re trying to break him from that routine now,” Rogers said. “They’re used to sparring five and six days a week, doing a lot of weightlifting and having triple [training] sessions.”

But these days Powder seems more eager to assimilate into American culture. He’s trying to learn the language but so far his English is broken at best. He is also learning how to fight American style.

“I want to fight the American style of boxing,” said Powder, 25. “I’m changing my style. I’m learning a little from each guy that I fight.”

Powder, 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, is fighting John Paul of Las Vegas Thursday night in a four-round bout. Ronzio sounded concerned about Paul, even though Paul is making his pro debut. Powder didn’t sound as worried.

“I’m just going to fight whoever’s in front of me,” said Powder, who is living in Playa del Rey. “It might take me two or three years, but I want to be champion of the world. I know this is a great sport and that it’s not going to happen overnight.”

Powder wasn’t always a boxer. He played soccer and kick-boxed as a boy. When he turned 18, Powder dived off a 22-meter bridge into the Vrbas River in Banja Luka, Bosnia. Powder said the water was only six meters (about 19 feet) deep. “I did it for fun,” he said.

But as he embarks on his pro boxing career, Powder is all business.

“If I had the courage to jump from that bridge as a boy, I certainly have enough courage to fight for the championship.”