Tweet
By Scoop Malinowski
STATUS: Active
CHILDHOOD HEROES: Muhammad Ali, Ray Leonard, Julius Erving.
NICKNAME: Winky. From my mom. She said I blinked a lot. My uncle was born two months before me. He was Weeny. We were Weeny and Winky.
HOBBIES/INTERESTS: Play basketball, jet ski, ski, go to Las Vegas, bowling. My high score is 249. Go to the movies every weekend.
EARLY BOXING MEMORY: I didn't start till I was 16. I won the Olympic Festival in Minneapolis when I was 18. Nobody expected me to win. Because I was new. Fighting the first and second ranked guys. People took notice of me then, Damn, he could box! I beat Hector Colon. And then Skipper Kelp lost to Steve Johnston. And I beat Johnston for the (139 lb.) title.
PRE-FIGHT FEELING: When I'm getting ready to fight, relax, listen to music. Get the butterflies. Try to prepare myself to not get hit by a lucky punch or anything. I train all the time, constantly. I want to do what I've trained to do. If they can't hit you they can't win, right? (Upon entering the ring) I don't look at him. Hey, I don't need to try and scare 'em. And they ain't gonna scare me.
LITTLE KNOWN FACT: I hate bugs! They scare the hell out of me. I could be driving and if a bug is in my car, I stop right there and get it out. Hate bugs! You ask anyone who knows me, they know that. They tease me, All they have to do is bring a bug into the fight and they'd win [smiles].
FIRST JOB: Pronto Car Wash in St. Petersburg, FL (age 16).
FIRST CAR: 1986 purple and gold Nissan Maxima. I got it painted.
CHILDHOOD DREAM: To be a champion. Seeing Sugar Ray Leonard when I was living in Washington, DC. Wow, I want to be like him. That was a dream. Never thought it would come true.
FAVORITE MEAL: Pizza. And I know I gotta stop eating so much of it. But I love pizza with some g**** Kool-Aid.
FAVORITE BREAKFAST CEREAL: Sugar Pops or Smacks.
FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR: Chocolate or vanilla. It's a draw.
GREATEST SPORTS MOMENT: Winning the WBO Junior Middleweight title ('95). Split decision over Bronco McKart. When they said...and new WBO champion...I just felt like, man, I'm finally here. Prayed before, after, every day. They threw a party for me that night in the hotel room. (ESPN's) Al Bernstein said he thought I fought a perfect fight.
MOST PAINFUL MOMENT: When I lost to Julio Cesar Vasquez (for WBA title in '94). Awkwardest fight I ever fought (in Carpentras, France). Real slippery ring. They were letting him fight dirty, hit me in the back of the head. The ref was letting everything go his way. In the second, I hit him with a double hook that dropped him. The ref said he slipped! Then I slipped in the second and seventh and he called them knockdowns! In the ninth he was holding and hitting me in the back of the head and I went down to get away and they called it a knockdown. I was clearly outboxing him, hurting him. I hit him in the body and they warned me for low blows. Man, I should never have fought him over there. The fans were booing the decision.
FAVORITE TV SHOWS: X-Files, Young & The Restless.
FAVORITE MOVIES: Comedies, Happy Gilmore, Independence Day.
CLOSEST BOXING FRIENDS: Mark Breland, Ike Quartey - we trained a whole lot together.
PEOPLE MOST ADMIRED: Down-to-earth people. People out there that are trying to improve or better themselves. Even if it's working a hard job and not getting paid a lot. Not only a rich person but someone trying to make it.
STATUS: Active
CHILDHOOD HEROES: Muhammad Ali, Ray Leonard, Julius Erving.
NICKNAME: Winky. From my mom. She said I blinked a lot. My uncle was born two months before me. He was Weeny. We were Weeny and Winky.
HOBBIES/INTERESTS: Play basketball, jet ski, ski, go to Las Vegas, bowling. My high score is 249. Go to the movies every weekend.
EARLY BOXING MEMORY: I didn't start till I was 16. I won the Olympic Festival in Minneapolis when I was 18. Nobody expected me to win. Because I was new. Fighting the first and second ranked guys. People took notice of me then, Damn, he could box! I beat Hector Colon. And then Skipper Kelp lost to Steve Johnston. And I beat Johnston for the (139 lb.) title.
PRE-FIGHT FEELING: When I'm getting ready to fight, relax, listen to music. Get the butterflies. Try to prepare myself to not get hit by a lucky punch or anything. I train all the time, constantly. I want to do what I've trained to do. If they can't hit you they can't win, right? (Upon entering the ring) I don't look at him. Hey, I don't need to try and scare 'em. And they ain't gonna scare me.
LITTLE KNOWN FACT: I hate bugs! They scare the hell out of me. I could be driving and if a bug is in my car, I stop right there and get it out. Hate bugs! You ask anyone who knows me, they know that. They tease me, All they have to do is bring a bug into the fight and they'd win [smiles].
FIRST JOB: Pronto Car Wash in St. Petersburg, FL (age 16).
FIRST CAR: 1986 purple and gold Nissan Maxima. I got it painted.
CHILDHOOD DREAM: To be a champion. Seeing Sugar Ray Leonard when I was living in Washington, DC. Wow, I want to be like him. That was a dream. Never thought it would come true.
FAVORITE MEAL: Pizza. And I know I gotta stop eating so much of it. But I love pizza with some g**** Kool-Aid.
FAVORITE BREAKFAST CEREAL: Sugar Pops or Smacks.
FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR: Chocolate or vanilla. It's a draw.
GREATEST SPORTS MOMENT: Winning the WBO Junior Middleweight title ('95). Split decision over Bronco McKart. When they said...and new WBO champion...I just felt like, man, I'm finally here. Prayed before, after, every day. They threw a party for me that night in the hotel room. (ESPN's) Al Bernstein said he thought I fought a perfect fight.
MOST PAINFUL MOMENT: When I lost to Julio Cesar Vasquez (for WBA title in '94). Awkwardest fight I ever fought (in Carpentras, France). Real slippery ring. They were letting him fight dirty, hit me in the back of the head. The ref was letting everything go his way. In the second, I hit him with a double hook that dropped him. The ref said he slipped! Then I slipped in the second and seventh and he called them knockdowns! In the ninth he was holding and hitting me in the back of the head and I went down to get away and they called it a knockdown. I was clearly outboxing him, hurting him. I hit him in the body and they warned me for low blows. Man, I should never have fought him over there. The fans were booing the decision.
FAVORITE TV SHOWS: X-Files, Young & The Restless.
FAVORITE MOVIES: Comedies, Happy Gilmore, Independence Day.
CLOSEST BOXING FRIENDS: Mark Breland, Ike Quartey - we trained a whole lot together.
PEOPLE MOST ADMIRED: Down-to-earth people. People out there that are trying to improve or better themselves. Even if it's working a hard job and not getting paid a lot. Not only a rich person but someone trying to make it.
Comment