Byrd-Williamson to purse bid?

GL: What the latest regarding your fight with IBF heavyweight champion Chris Byrd? "I don't think I know a whole lot about it. My people understand that the negotiations for us have been going very well, we just don't know what's going on around the corner on the other side with Chris Byrd and his team. We don't have a date or place, and I'm just trying to stay as patient as possible."

GL: My understanding is that this fight is on the verge of going to purse-bid.

DaVarryl Williamson: "Really? That's news to me. That's the first I've heard of it. I know Don King is doing everything he can to get things done with the Byrd's and I'm just here being patient. I know we're going to fight so it's just a matter of time. Chris was looking to fight James Toney and now James Toney has a concrete opponent in Dominic Guinn, which is nice for me because it takes Toney out of the loop for Byrd asking for an exception to make that defense. Wladimir Klitschko is occupied with Samuel Peter and there's really no one else. We've reached an agreement with Don King so the ball is pretty much in Chris Byrd's court right now."

GL: I also understand that neither HBO nor Showtime is all that interested in Byrd-Williamson. How do you feel about that considering some of the garbage heavyweight fights that have been accepted this year?

DW: "I know the last time I was on HBO's network it was a disaster for me. I know I'm working my way back to the top. I don't know Chris Byrd's relationship with the network, I know he just finds a way to win fights. He might not look particularly attractive, but he finds ways to win fights. The last time I fought on Showtime I was on my way to a win against Wladimir Klitschko, who has been no stranger to disasters on HBO himself, and now Wladimir's back on HBO after his performance against me. So I don't really know what to think about that. It's a lot of politics and it's no secret that HBO does things for Klitschko that they don't do for anyone else."

"I'm just so happy to be back in the mix. What's really interesting, and I want to tell you how good God is. Winning the heavyweight championship a couple of years ago would have been good. But it's like timing is everything, now it seems that they want to unify the heavyweight division. I'm just happy to be in the mix of the title fights when things are starting to change because being in that mix gives me just as good of a chance as everyone else to come out on top."

GL: Is there anything you'd like to say in closing?

DW: "I want to thank Boxingtalk.net and you for always being kind to me, staying on top of boxing and checking in with the fighters to find out what's really going on. I want to thank all of my Touch Of Sleep fans out there and I want them to know that we're going to show them all...sooner or later.