Tweet
Talk to us about your early boxing life, Chris. How did you get into it?
I was working as a janitor at a gym in New York and started sparring. The guy was a Puerto Rican nicknamed 'Horse' and battered me.
Subconsciously I wanted the acceptance of my elder brothers, who were boxers. That was my drive.
I went to the gym every day and there eventually came a point when I got the better of 'Horse'. From there, gym owner Adonis Torres entered me into the Spanish Golden Gloves tournament - which I won.
I wasn't the most gifted, but I WAS the most dedicated and determined!
After three fights, you came up against Philly's Eric Holland, later known as a real tough guy of the ring.
Yes and I knocked him down with a right hand. He wouldn't ever go down again I'm told.
Who was the hardest puncher you fought in your career?
Without doubt, Nigel Benn. (Michael) Watson's right hand was very, very hard and (Anthony) Logan's left hook was very, very hard. But Benn ****** beyond hard, be it his right hand or his left hook.
(Henry) Wharton and Tony Thornton nearly took my head off when they did get through with a punch, but those gentlemen were flat-footed and one-dimensional and therefore easy to outbox and elude.
And the best fighter?
The smartest guy I fought was the German, Graciano Rocchigiani. The fastest - Joe Calzaghe. The hardest - Henry Wharton.
The best defensively was certainly Michael Watson. Offensively - by far Michael Watson in our return fight.
You don't seem to give Steve Collins a great deal of credit, considering he bettered you twice.
Steve was a good fighter. He outsmarted before our first fight, albeit with a lack of integrity. I still think I did enough to get the decision.
The second fight - he broke my spirit with sheer lunatistical resolve and beat me fair and square. So fair play to him.
He didn't hit hard, he wasn't fast and had below average technique. That's why you give him credit for his career and say fair play. I think he was a good fighter!
What would you say was your best asset as a boxer?
I found a way to beat every style with my own style, all at world championship level. The level of my opposition and the fact I didn't rest my mind, let alone my body.
Benn, Rocchigiani and Sugar Boy Malinga - all world champs or future world champs. Rocchigiani never lost his world champ. The American Lindell Holmes had been world champ. Watson beat Benn and Tony Thornton was No. 1. of all bodies.
I fought them all in a few years with many other contenders between. The fact is I didn't dodge the other champions. The other champions and even the champions today, like Floyd Mayweather; they rest mind, body and soul.
I always tested mind, body and soul to it's absolute limits.
I'll go with conviction then, as my best asset for boxing. Integrity - period, is my best asset.
But the way it works is that through integrity comes conviction. Training the correct way, not taking shortcuts and so on or giving in to temptation.
Conviction is going in with the hardest pound-for-pound puncher in world championship boxing with no Top-10 wins under your belt and losing not an option.
The fights that sealed your career were against Carl Thompson at cruiserweight.
Indeed. The public need to see that you can lose with grace and dignity as well as win, then they embrace you with an acceptance.
But do you regret not returning Stateside in your prime?
Not at all. I made the United Kingdom the place to be from 1990 to 1995. The world's best pound-for-pound fighters wanted to fight me in London or in soccer stadiums.
I made the most money in boxing in that period and got the most media attention.
Like the 80s, the big fights since have been Las Vegas. That is the place to be.
I was working as a janitor at a gym in New York and started sparring. The guy was a Puerto Rican nicknamed 'Horse' and battered me.
Subconsciously I wanted the acceptance of my elder brothers, who were boxers. That was my drive.
I went to the gym every day and there eventually came a point when I got the better of 'Horse'. From there, gym owner Adonis Torres entered me into the Spanish Golden Gloves tournament - which I won.
I wasn't the most gifted, but I WAS the most dedicated and determined!
After three fights, you came up against Philly's Eric Holland, later known as a real tough guy of the ring.
Yes and I knocked him down with a right hand. He wouldn't ever go down again I'm told.
Who was the hardest puncher you fought in your career?
Without doubt, Nigel Benn. (Michael) Watson's right hand was very, very hard and (Anthony) Logan's left hook was very, very hard. But Benn ****** beyond hard, be it his right hand or his left hook.
(Henry) Wharton and Tony Thornton nearly took my head off when they did get through with a punch, but those gentlemen were flat-footed and one-dimensional and therefore easy to outbox and elude.
And the best fighter?
The smartest guy I fought was the German, Graciano Rocchigiani. The fastest - Joe Calzaghe. The hardest - Henry Wharton.
The best defensively was certainly Michael Watson. Offensively - by far Michael Watson in our return fight.
You don't seem to give Steve Collins a great deal of credit, considering he bettered you twice.
Steve was a good fighter. He outsmarted before our first fight, albeit with a lack of integrity. I still think I did enough to get the decision.
The second fight - he broke my spirit with sheer lunatistical resolve and beat me fair and square. So fair play to him.
He didn't hit hard, he wasn't fast and had below average technique. That's why you give him credit for his career and say fair play. I think he was a good fighter!
What would you say was your best asset as a boxer?
I found a way to beat every style with my own style, all at world championship level. The level of my opposition and the fact I didn't rest my mind, let alone my body.
Benn, Rocchigiani and Sugar Boy Malinga - all world champs or future world champs. Rocchigiani never lost his world champ. The American Lindell Holmes had been world champ. Watson beat Benn and Tony Thornton was No. 1. of all bodies.
I fought them all in a few years with many other contenders between. The fact is I didn't dodge the other champions. The other champions and even the champions today, like Floyd Mayweather; they rest mind, body and soul.
I always tested mind, body and soul to it's absolute limits.
I'll go with conviction then, as my best asset for boxing. Integrity - period, is my best asset.
But the way it works is that through integrity comes conviction. Training the correct way, not taking shortcuts and so on or giving in to temptation.
Conviction is going in with the hardest pound-for-pound puncher in world championship boxing with no Top-10 wins under your belt and losing not an option.
The fights that sealed your career were against Carl Thompson at cruiserweight.
Indeed. The public need to see that you can lose with grace and dignity as well as win, then they embrace you with an acceptance.
But do you regret not returning Stateside in your prime?
Not at all. I made the United Kingdom the place to be from 1990 to 1995. The world's best pound-for-pound fighters wanted to fight me in London or in soccer stadiums.
I made the most money in boxing in that period and got the most media attention.
Like the 80s, the big fights since have been Las Vegas. That is the place to be.
Comment