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Money is the objective of professional boxing --if it wasnt, it wouldnt exist! I earned equivalent of 70 million from the art form by the time I was 28, so its fair to say I conquered boxing
Its vital that you get a good promoter working for you, and in Barry Hearn I had one of the best --Why was he one of the best? Because he promoted Chris Eubank
Barry was aware of me before the Logan fight, he had sent a worker of his called Darkie Smith out to the Gleasons Gym in New York on a scouting mission where I was spending some time training in 1988 and Smith reported back to him about me --I couldnt find good enough sparring in the United Kingdom! I met Barry at the 1989 World Snooker Championships where I was in Sheffield for some sparring with the fighters at Brendan Ingles gym
Roy Jones was kind of my Clubber Lang, if you like, but until he got into the No.1. Contender spot I was not obliged to face him
Im not an academic, so I dont know the meaning of that word (resume)
Thats the subjective. The objective is to win, correct? I have 20 world championship wins to my name, which is top 10 of all time. I have 20 world championship wins in under 5 years, which is top 1 of all time!
I spent 3 weeks in Jamaica directly after the 1st Michael match and took my sparring partner and former opponent Simon Collins, we both had relatives out there and they put together alot of sandbags for us to punch, hanging from leaning trees and stuff, so that was good fun for 3 weeks. The next time I went out, I saw this big banner before I got off the helicopter which read `the champ is back!`
Jamaica has always felt homely to me, I spent 5 or 6 weeks a summer in Clarendon there from 75 to 79, and was brought up there as a baby and toddler, so it alway feels homely
(on Bernard Hopkins)
Whos this? Bernadette Hopkin? Who? Sorry
I dont follow any business meticulously so I wouldnt know this chap you speak of
(on Calzaghes biggest fight)
Chris Eubanks comeback opponent in a box office pay per view in front of 5 million people in all the clubs and lockins, in a known territory --the United Kingdom, I somehow doubt Calzaghe will get a bigger scrap than that [laughs]. Sky moved my fight until after Naseems because they obviously thought it was a bigger attraction
I took that fight on 11 days notice, but that wasnt a problem because I took most of the fights in my early career on short notice, even going back into my amateur career. I lost 20 pounds in 7 days, but that wasnt a problem because I often took off alot of weight in a short space of time, even going back into my amateur career. --The problem was that Id been using sparring partners that matched the style of my original comeback opponent --a rangey orthodox lightheavyweight slugger-- and didnt have time to find sparring partners that matched Calzaghes southpaw style, so the point is I had got used to something entirely else. Yes I underestimated Calzaghe --I took the fight. I thought I could beat him on heart alone, but he turned out to be the proper package. A minor problem was that ones knee was gone, which restricted roadwork and foot movement, so attributes such as stamina and ring generalship were down a few notches. Another minor problem was that because Id taken the weight off gradually over 7 days --through just eating vegetables whenever I wasnt training-- instead of squeezing out all liquid in the last 2 or 3 days like I usually did, I couldnt put as much weight back on after the weighin as Id have liked, because your body is mostly water, you see. And another minor problem was that my final week of sparring --I always sparred in the week of the fight-- was lacklustre, I suppose because I wasnt consuming any carbohydrates or proteins. But fair play to Joe, he went out there and beat me up
I can never be accused of dodging one fighter. Even in the most difficult of circumstances, I accepted the challenge of the No.1. contender --here Im referring to stating how I wouldnt fight Nigel Benn after the 2nd Michael Watson fight because of his mentality and what might happen to one of us, so when he was mandated I stated I would give up my world championship and go for one of the other belts instead of facing Benn, only to repent and accept the challenge because of my manhood, before Benn went elsewhere. I wanted to fight James Toney, as a matter of manhood, but not until my last fight --I would never have dodged him, its just that he was never No.1. Contender
I lordshipped myself because I deserved it
I only talk to the English-speaking schools in South Africa. The extended assembly talks describe how I had been to many special schools in my youth, and how I was eventually faced with the stark choice of taking the easy or the hard path. The hard path --now regularly referred to by the pupils-- is the one to take: to avoid the temptations of wrongdoing, and dedicate oneself towards good, healthy goals that respect others. I use powerful and clear examples to illustrate personal qualities needed to achieve these goals, and talk about application, desire, dedication, determination and identification
Students then discuss and analyse these words in following English lessons, and write letters of thanks
Im not an academic, Im emotionally intelligent. I dont try to intimidate people with intellect, I never even realised I had this intellect I might have, I just like to reflect my love of the longer words in the English language. If I do have an IQ of 190 and if I have made people who have PhDs in philosophy feel intimidated, its not my fault, you know? Im as approachable as they come. And growing up in a Jamaican household, when you hear the accents and articulations of the BBC and World Service Radio newsreaders of the 70s, you find that very stylish
They say you cant teach an old dog new tricks, I was an old dog at 21 --in that I knew every trick of my trade. In 1987, I knew probably 97.5% of everything I ever knew in accordance to the practical elements of my trade, and I learned it in New York, and as the old saying goes: If you can make it there.... In my gymnasium in New York, I climbed literally from bottom to top, from the worst fighter there to the best fighter there, and I saw so many fighters come and go
Oh, if someone told me 5 years earlier that Id still be boxing in 1993, I couldnt have believed it --I always wanted out at 25
Also bare in mind Nigel had to take off some weight for the weighin for the first time ever, so he was actually coming into the ring heavier than ever against me, so if anything he was punching relatively harder than ever before --and even more so considering the weighin was at noon on the day of the fight, so I didnt have time to put some strength on. Thankfully my skull and jaw are strongly densed, but my ribs were bruised for 2 weeks and my kidneys bleeding for 3 weeks
For 5 rounds, I gave Michael a boxing lesson --(1st fight) but then I ran out of strength because I weighed in half a day earlier having lost 15 pound in 3.5 days and so didnt have enough time to put enough strength back on. By the 10th, I was there for the taking and Michael didnt take me
It was vital I had learned such agonizing skills as splits and backbends, because when you take weight off you take strength off, and when you take strength off you take balance off, so it was vital I had absolute flexibility in my championship reign, because I often took off alot of weight in a short space of time
Box in the fullguard and no fighter will be scared, because they have been training for that stance all their boxing lives. Box in the halfguard and they have to work out the terrain from scratch, and while they are doing that, you are hitting them. If you can think alternatively, you can go on to be champion for a long time, as I did
Money is the objective of professional boxing --if it wasnt, it wouldnt exist! I earned equivalent of 70 million from the art form by the time I was 28, so its fair to say I conquered boxing
Its vital that you get a good promoter working for you, and in Barry Hearn I had one of the best --Why was he one of the best? Because he promoted Chris Eubank
Barry was aware of me before the Logan fight, he had sent a worker of his called Darkie Smith out to the Gleasons Gym in New York on a scouting mission where I was spending some time training in 1988 and Smith reported back to him about me --I couldnt find good enough sparring in the United Kingdom! I met Barry at the 1989 World Snooker Championships where I was in Sheffield for some sparring with the fighters at Brendan Ingles gym
Roy Jones was kind of my Clubber Lang, if you like, but until he got into the No.1. Contender spot I was not obliged to face him
Im not an academic, so I dont know the meaning of that word (resume)
Thats the subjective. The objective is to win, correct? I have 20 world championship wins to my name, which is top 10 of all time. I have 20 world championship wins in under 5 years, which is top 1 of all time!
I spent 3 weeks in Jamaica directly after the 1st Michael match and took my sparring partner and former opponent Simon Collins, we both had relatives out there and they put together alot of sandbags for us to punch, hanging from leaning trees and stuff, so that was good fun for 3 weeks. The next time I went out, I saw this big banner before I got off the helicopter which read `the champ is back!`
Jamaica has always felt homely to me, I spent 5 or 6 weeks a summer in Clarendon there from 75 to 79, and was brought up there as a baby and toddler, so it alway feels homely
(on Bernard Hopkins)
Whos this? Bernadette Hopkin? Who? Sorry
I dont follow any business meticulously so I wouldnt know this chap you speak of
(on Calzaghes biggest fight)
Chris Eubanks comeback opponent in a box office pay per view in front of 5 million people in all the clubs and lockins, in a known territory --the United Kingdom, I somehow doubt Calzaghe will get a bigger scrap than that [laughs]. Sky moved my fight until after Naseems because they obviously thought it was a bigger attraction
I took that fight on 11 days notice, but that wasnt a problem because I took most of the fights in my early career on short notice, even going back into my amateur career. I lost 20 pounds in 7 days, but that wasnt a problem because I often took off alot of weight in a short space of time, even going back into my amateur career. --The problem was that Id been using sparring partners that matched the style of my original comeback opponent --a rangey orthodox lightheavyweight slugger-- and didnt have time to find sparring partners that matched Calzaghes southpaw style, so the point is I had got used to something entirely else. Yes I underestimated Calzaghe --I took the fight. I thought I could beat him on heart alone, but he turned out to be the proper package. A minor problem was that ones knee was gone, which restricted roadwork and foot movement, so attributes such as stamina and ring generalship were down a few notches. Another minor problem was that because Id taken the weight off gradually over 7 days --through just eating vegetables whenever I wasnt training-- instead of squeezing out all liquid in the last 2 or 3 days like I usually did, I couldnt put as much weight back on after the weighin as Id have liked, because your body is mostly water, you see. And another minor problem was that my final week of sparring --I always sparred in the week of the fight-- was lacklustre, I suppose because I wasnt consuming any carbohydrates or proteins. But fair play to Joe, he went out there and beat me up
I can never be accused of dodging one fighter. Even in the most difficult of circumstances, I accepted the challenge of the No.1. contender --here Im referring to stating how I wouldnt fight Nigel Benn after the 2nd Michael Watson fight because of his mentality and what might happen to one of us, so when he was mandated I stated I would give up my world championship and go for one of the other belts instead of facing Benn, only to repent and accept the challenge because of my manhood, before Benn went elsewhere. I wanted to fight James Toney, as a matter of manhood, but not until my last fight --I would never have dodged him, its just that he was never No.1. Contender
I lordshipped myself because I deserved it
I only talk to the English-speaking schools in South Africa. The extended assembly talks describe how I had been to many special schools in my youth, and how I was eventually faced with the stark choice of taking the easy or the hard path. The hard path --now regularly referred to by the pupils-- is the one to take: to avoid the temptations of wrongdoing, and dedicate oneself towards good, healthy goals that respect others. I use powerful and clear examples to illustrate personal qualities needed to achieve these goals, and talk about application, desire, dedication, determination and identification
Students then discuss and analyse these words in following English lessons, and write letters of thanks
Im not an academic, Im emotionally intelligent. I dont try to intimidate people with intellect, I never even realised I had this intellect I might have, I just like to reflect my love of the longer words in the English language. If I do have an IQ of 190 and if I have made people who have PhDs in philosophy feel intimidated, its not my fault, you know? Im as approachable as they come. And growing up in a Jamaican household, when you hear the accents and articulations of the BBC and World Service Radio newsreaders of the 70s, you find that very stylish
They say you cant teach an old dog new tricks, I was an old dog at 21 --in that I knew every trick of my trade. In 1987, I knew probably 97.5% of everything I ever knew in accordance to the practical elements of my trade, and I learned it in New York, and as the old saying goes: If you can make it there.... In my gymnasium in New York, I climbed literally from bottom to top, from the worst fighter there to the best fighter there, and I saw so many fighters come and go
Oh, if someone told me 5 years earlier that Id still be boxing in 1993, I couldnt have believed it --I always wanted out at 25
Also bare in mind Nigel had to take off some weight for the weighin for the first time ever, so he was actually coming into the ring heavier than ever against me, so if anything he was punching relatively harder than ever before --and even more so considering the weighin was at noon on the day of the fight, so I didnt have time to put some strength on. Thankfully my skull and jaw are strongly densed, but my ribs were bruised for 2 weeks and my kidneys bleeding for 3 weeks
For 5 rounds, I gave Michael a boxing lesson --(1st fight) but then I ran out of strength because I weighed in half a day earlier having lost 15 pound in 3.5 days and so didnt have enough time to put enough strength back on. By the 10th, I was there for the taking and Michael didnt take me
It was vital I had learned such agonizing skills as splits and backbends, because when you take weight off you take strength off, and when you take strength off you take balance off, so it was vital I had absolute flexibility in my championship reign, because I often took off alot of weight in a short space of time
Box in the fullguard and no fighter will be scared, because they have been training for that stance all their boxing lives. Box in the halfguard and they have to work out the terrain from scratch, and while they are doing that, you are hitting them. If you can think alternatively, you can go on to be champion for a long time, as I did
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