Exclusive Interview With Shannon Briggs, Part II

[ProBox1]

One time Linear Heavyweight champion made a successful return to the ring at the Madison Square Garden Theater on March 3rd. Briggs scored an impressive 2nd round TKO over Demetrius King. King previously was never stopped in his previous13 fight record. A few days before the fight I had a chance to have a long one on one conversation with Shannon. Here is Part II of that conversation.

David Selwyn: What do you think can be done today to improve the sport of boxing? Some people feel that boxing is on a decline. What is your take?

Shannon Briggs: I feel that boxing has to become a league like the N.F.C., N.B.A., M.L.B. These are all corporations. They are not run by the government. The government never stepped into football or baseball or NASCAR or tennis or golf. Why step into boxing? We need to build credibility so sponsors will come to the sport. Sponsors won’t touch boxing right now. If you look at a commercial for Gatorade or Nike they use professional actors, they won’t use actual boxers, it’s sad. Now, this is what boxing needs to do, it must become one corporation. It already is a business but people need to come together. The money comes from the sponsors. [details]

[joeboxer]

I started a thread last month just to make fun of this guy but after reading the second part of this interview, I actually think he is pretty cool.
My apologies to any Shannon Briggs fans.

[Sinatra.Jr]

I saw Shannon Briggs fight in K-1(kickboxing)rings last year.
He won by wear out of ko in Japan. Japanese fans expected he still fight
in k-1 ring and show greatest fights.But he come back boxing,we Japanese
hope him to fight championship again.He has a chance because todays heavyweight champion like Ruiz,Byrd are not so strong like Lennox Lewis.

[Rockin']

I can relate with what shannon has to deal with, although on a lesser scale. People find out that you were a fighter and it seems that they have a need to test you. Im not a mean or tough looking person and when Im out I am a very laid back mellow person. Very unaggressive.

When I go out to meet new people I ended up having to ask my friends not to tell them that I am/was a fighter until they had gotten to know me. Its funny, you meet some guy and everythings cool for a little while until one of my friends tell them that I was a boxer. Its funny, the look that comes into there eyes. A look like; oh yeah, you think you can kick my ass, ha. When Im out, a fight is the last thing that I would ever be looking for.

Then they will ask you something like, have you ever knocked anybody out. I say, ya I have and they ask me to tell them about it. While Im telling the story they get that look in their eyes again. Its strange man. Men have a problem it seems being cordial to somebody that could impose a threat on them even when you are being a happy go lucky sort of person. Its just an odd thing about people and about being a fighter. Its that look that they get like; oh yeah, you think that you can kick my ass, ha. Its not even about that, they just dont understand........Rockin'