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the up today, I know I said that way and my guest today is amazing. He is one of the great boxers of art time he is an olympic gold, medalist, two division world champion and one of most fantastic commentators currently in all of boxing and just an amazing person, and a gentleman at that. Please welcome the great and powerful Andre Ward experience trying my day, Joe Rogan podcast by night all day, Andre Ward, ladies and gentlemen, Hawaii brother, I'm good man how you doing. Thank you very much for doing this. Man, I'm a big fan, so I was very excited to do the pre she ate you have you did it in terms of like if you're a young fighter and you got aspiration's. What do you want to do? You want to be in a zip gold medalist. You want to win multiple world

Del's to division World champion and he retired undefeated you're, the one you're like a unicorn man. You have rare dude because you were tired of thirty five right. Thirty, three! Thirty! Three! That's crazy! Like you're in the peak of your athletic abilities and you go, you know what we did enough, I'm out yeah, I mean it is sound. It sounds on eating buttoned up, but it wasn't it wasn't that easy, like I didn't know how things were going to go throughout the course of my career, but whatever reason like, I always even as a young kid I'm talking ten years old, like I had this thought, like you know, I don't want to end up like a lot of fighters. End up like I seem to go high, really high and then all of a sudden they come crashing down like they start well, but they don't end. Well, that's drew me to Roy Jones Junior country boy, where swag and you always talk about himself in the third person- would be like man. You know Roy Jones, I don't you know,

I don't know the sport like that man I'm getting to get out, I'm just special at it would be fishing on my farm went. You know one day in Pensacola FL and I was like this dude is different fighters. Don't talk like that, so the first one that gave me the thought of getting in and getting out and then again I just I just studied it throughout the course of my career in other athletes and entertainers like I just I was enamored by so that was always a go just as much as I want to win a gold medal will championship. I wanted to leave on top of people were asking. Why are you lead yeah? Well, it's so difficult to make that decision for, for some and Roy Jones Junior didn't even make that decision. He said he was going to do it, and then I mean he had some rough knockouts late in his career, hard to watch that some of them that people even didn't even see heartbreaking yeah, especially if you fall

him and supported him like I have, especially if you know his decision was based on german clone. A lot of it was yeah when german Blauen for people don't know was a murder, a man. He was a savage light heavyweight, but he caught. He was cutting a lot of weight and you know he wound up having a serious brain injury and in in that epic fight with Nigel Batch of this amazing amazing fight would bend got off the deck it looked like. The fight was over because german claim, which is marked map absolutely like a prototypical, croc destroyer. You know a right hand, tall strong as fuck super aggressive, knockout striker and for whatever reason, Roy decided. You know what it was just keep doing it a lot of different reasons. Why people do that man, I just didn't, want to be one of 'em simply simply put, but it is like.

The retirement is coming up on two years September, 21st um harder than I thought it was gonna, be one of the most hardest things I've ever had to do, but one of the most rewarding and the way I reconcile it- and my brain is that okay, at some point, I might have to do this at some point. I have to face the emotions in the pool to come back and you know trying to figure out if your body can still do it and just all the different things you go through, whether I'm in my prime or rather I'm forty forty five years old, so you can't avoid it. It's just one. Do you want to take take on the task you retired at thirty three, three, thirty five! Now s, oh god, damn man you're right there I mean you have like four more years to be unless you're Bernard Hopkins and have another decade, but to Bernard's credit. He started late. He did not started in twenty some years old and grated for state prison yeah. I started at nine years old, well

Bernard developed this insane discipline while in prison that the hardships of prison were so awful, the feeling of being locked up and contain that he fucked up his life. He was so bound and determined to become something special that you so disappear even beyond that, like he opened up his eyes and he looked at the escape and he realized that most fighters are not disciplined most fighters. They, like the idea of being a champion. They like the idea of winning you know, championships and what that brings not just the championship of what the championships and the money brings. The that the ladies, that you know the party and all the stuff- and he said I'm gonna- do it a different way like these guys are out gaining weight. Twenty in between five I'm gonna live like a spartan. He under he got the revelation and he just stuck toe yeah e, eight clean. He lived a clean line and he fought so DIS. Okay, he fought so smart. He was one of the best defensive

fighters ever just and people don't like that style man, he would pop you and grab you pop. You grab the people, get frustrated, they would get out of composure and they would start doing the things that maybe they should have done and then he would capitalize on those things. I'm a twenty five Trinidad man I that was woo. These trade was a killer and I love Tito. I do too I mean he was a killer. I got a chance to see fight live in Vegas once was amazing, but when Bernard started put it on him and I was like wow, this is first of all, this is like a legitimate middle weight, fighting guys really a welterweight, and this is also a really special fighter who just figures- people out here, fatty to in New York City in Madison Square Garden, which is which is little Puerto Rico. Like you know, I think it was the week of the puerto rican lights and previously to that fight

importer Rico, but not half mistook the porto rican flag through it down, because the Malay had to run out of here get snatched out of the arena. Where were they were, having a press conference get thrown on the plane, like the the beef, was real yeah and to be able to like like perform under that kind of pressure unreal one of my favorite fights when he was running away from the crowd in Puerto Rico, and you realize, like oh, my god, he's on his own here, like literally people, are trying to kill him, but what's even cry, there's he knew that was going to have you like he knew. Ok, this is generated happen at three two one through the flag down and it was on oh man, but it worked first of all, not so many people to pay attention to that fight, yeah and then too it got. You know it got teal motional. If you lost a fight, he was back to the back of the bus if he wins the fight which you did, he moves on to become great yeah. He moves on to greatness. You know it's interesting when you watch his style as well, that very technical, very disciplined style versus

Roy style, which was so athletic and explosive, and very unusual with that lead left hook that he would fire off more than a jab Mean Roy, had a crazy style, and then you watch Roy Outpoint Bernard early, but then Bernard comes back later his career and really kind of like shot Roy down and showed like when the athleticism start to slip away a little bit Roy is normal human yeah, where Bernard was still this incredibly dis went very well. Schooled boxer was a real good lesson for fighters to see delete. This is why you use the fundamentals. This is why you fight correctly, you can get away with being Roy Jones Junior, but Roy Jones Junior with his physical. If I feel like he could have got away with fighting discipline to, he could have got away with fighting technically, but you know he just chose to fight his way. It worked for a long time. I worked until it didn't work, but it worked better than anybody. I mean it was amazing to watch in the day when he was on top. You know when he was not going to verge

deal with body shots and put his hands behind his back and knocking dudes out. That was the guy. I fell in love with you know, but he could have worked out of. He could have gone and had a full career and rode off in the sunset and been in Pensacola Fishing hunting doing whatever he does and still not really been. Super fundamentally sound, but I mean, after he beat John Ruiz for the heavyweight championship of the world, and I've been going to multiple Roy fights leading up to that heavyweight fight. Antonio Tarver, who have a lot of respect for you know they were rivals in Florida when they were young Tonio was following Roy around trying to get him to notice. I'm trying to get him to take a fight- and I remember clear as day in the Post Fight press conference after Roy became the heavyweight champion of the. But after being the middleweight champion, starting at sixty Antonio Tarver interrupted the sixty, he said, Roy Jones you've been ducking, you been running he's going on and on and on Roid looks at

carver and gives him the attention that he's been after, and he said he he said I'm with you, I'm whoop. You will make that fight happen and at that mall I'm thinking like no Roy. No don't do your the heavy, the chairman of the wheel, Tarver, was still light, heavyweight and sure enough. Roy went down stripped off twenty five pounds of muscle that he had built, but with Mackie Shilstone to get ready for the heavyweight fight went down there. Father close fight, but he didn't look like himself took the rematch. Now, even after the first five Tarver made, you run for the hills. You know what I beat him. I went myself, I'm going back up, took the rematch and then got knocked out yeah. I didn't that's where I thought the the first fight was earlier now my bro in scrambled here 'cause. I thought that that was immediately after the Ruiz fight that he got knocked out. Went back down so we's light heavyweight went down, fought targeted first time they fought the rematch, they got knocked out, so they thought two times in a row they've

two times in a row and then they ended up fighting a third time like waiting on the road. Did they really? I didn't even know they fought a third time in Florida. The LOS the loss of the a was a terrible idea, and so, let's be realistic about how we put that weight on is most likely some mexican supplements involved and if they're going to put that kind of bulk on you know I mean I don't know yeah, I'm Lesley Roy Jones, one hero save knows not disrespect. No, I hear you right and, and I've heard people say stuff like that, but like I'm that's my god. I I'm a kid. So I'm like no yeah. I know I get it, I'm believing that it was just Roy Mackie Shilstone, hard work. I will leave it at that. It's possible it's possible about a meeting. Would you like? He was like three thousand three hundred and thirty four thirty leave somewhere on their very hard to put twenty five pounds of muscle on very well. It didn't see he but way to make the light heavyweight limit right. So you got to think he's, probably like one hundred and eighty five,

five one one ninety yeah, and so we really only gained maybe one thousand and fifteen pounds still. He was lean as fuck. He was pretty lame. It would take to Roy, had it never had that kind of build. Oh, he was country sternal, very muscular. I mean he had crazy biceps and no tribe steps. It was all just whipping up. Culture was weird right hit a crazy body. I didn't notice that dude his body was very unusual. The way he was built when he was all biceps, it was just whipping. You know he's from whipping punches countries on jobs yeah. Now he was phenomenal. Your picture of Jamie yeah, the tv's right yeah, that's my guy! No, I listen. I'm a gigantic Roy Jones Junior Fan, but I mean I feel like like that's there's one example right: there sealed gigantic. His biceps are, but you see it almost more while he's fighting mean really like a body built to hook what, if Jones remained heavyweight Mean look, he was so God, damn fast, as I mean John Ruiz just was within it. Air in that fight will just think about the app

teres fighters. You know we have the same manager, James Prince. There was a Tyson fight on the table, huh and I believe I'm accurate. When I say this, it was somewhere around forty million guaranteed. Well, there's an upside to heavyweight, keep the weight on it. Tyson wasn't quite Tyson at that time still dangerous, but wasn't quite Tyson. I think they were working toward it from what I've are Roy wanted more money. James press was like Bro take this forty million is going to be an upside. Is you in my ties and Roy Jones and MIKE Tyson Roy somehow said nope. The fight will be there later on down the road put his attention toward Antonio Tarver. The rest is history wow, I'm kind of glad and fight Tyson. I wanted to see a fight Tyson to write off in the sunset. Oh, no, my one more well yeah, but I don't think you would have. I don't think Roy was we're really going to ride off in the sunset he liked him. Roy Jones, Junior, so much Tyson Jones had two thousand and three fight card

challenges out around when he fought Gulotta. They were supposed to start HBO pay per view and they were supposed to be the first fight on it. What it would have to go to MIKE Tyson's Wikipedia to his record, because I think that was around the time when he fought Kallada you still marking people- I mean he wasn't the MIKE Tyson of you know the lady three years, yeah yeah. He was still. I don't think Tyson, Fogle oddity, oh yeah, I stopped him. Golota left the ring. He dropped. Him hurt him. Yeah glad is like fuck. This is trainer called him, a coward, there's yelling screaming when he hit him with one punch and dropped him and glass was like fuck this and he broke something in his neck. He broke it face and something in his neck, and you gotta look at three years before this. Those two thousand. Ok, you never see, I probably did I don't. Remember him fine taste yeah, I go Lana left the ring. He dropped his. He says: well, our td. What is a stand for retire because he quit yeah and so the next two to

yeah MIKE Tyson was last thing. I remember they have a lot of his fights were really bo all those workers blow as well casing. I remember that it was crazy. He just decided to keep punching him in the like. I never saw anything like that in my life, Aqui fought him well in the first fight was hit him. He kept hitting him low like whenever things would go bad for him looking for where he would just look for a way out and that's what he did with Tyson Tyson dropped him see if he could pull that up, pull up the KO, because Tyson hit him with like a perfect right hand, bone dropped him and go out of got up is like fuck. This is corner screaming at him and he literally just climbed on the ropes and said: CIA just walked back to the dressing room. Yes, some some was offered Leiderman. Definitely some was what he was crazy, like he had done a lot of crazy, St Shit too, and then look at his bar fights and stuff like that too, like he went down, he just quit after the second round I haven't. Is it I remember that I will pull it up, so we could watch it. What do you watch it by yourself? Is standing fronted, interrupt the conversation

yeah. He went down man. I remember the fight very clearly. He hit him with a clean right hand in round one here. Show it yellow is a one round fight to ratify it, but I think he will be in the first here. It is booming with their right here so glad I went down and at the end I think it was in between rounds as when he decided to bail. I think that's why? Yes, after the second here, this is the second and then quits. I hear this guy's comment, yeah, it's just like no well, we have to wonder the government a bro. It was the right hand and young. You look because there really are. I you I'm out here, you know some was wrong too, and he had, I think it a fractured orbital and I buy believe there are some wrong with his next to a get broke a bone in his neck. I don't know, but I enjoyed a lot of for you, man yeah. He was crazy yeah. It was some some offered him. I don't know whatever happened to him. You know probably not good.

I hope I hope I will be got some help. You know I mean it's, you know when you think about a career as a heavyweight fighter too, and all the heavy blows that doc I took ever mental problems he might have had with very compounded by didn't help. No, no! No! No! You know you, you have an amazing career, but one of things that I think maybe people aren't as aware of is the moon makes your career even more incredible, as you fought for a long time with a bad shoulder like if you go back and watch the call frost fight, I watch that get ready for this. I watched again you box. The shit out of him, with mostly your left hand, was crazy, twelve years old toward myself calculators, which is fifty possible for fifty percent of the strength, strengthen the rotator.

I didn't really know it at the time we were told hes too young. You know he shouldn't have surgery, just rehabbing wrong advice found that out. You know ten years later, but we just rehabbed it with. You know, bands and strengthening exercises, but we never had surgery, so that was always kind of my achilles heel. Man like there's, been plenty of fights where I just fought one handed because it didn't feel strong. It didn't feel like safe, I feel like anytime. I would throw it it could pop out of the socket like that's how it felt so it had popped out before we had not like got it right around two thousand and thirteen, and it wasn't one hundred, but it was better and I was able to finish out the rest of my career s o I got still nine hundred now is not one hundred but I'll. Take you yeah I'll. Take it bro, like I probably gained about three thousand and forty percent with that surgery like they grabbed it, because the Subscapularis was loose, it wasn't attached, but it wasn't atrophy. It was still like a fat driving muscle. Just wasn't attached my doctor

well like it is this ever pop out of the socket Dr Michael dealing him in San Francisco. Although not he's like how, like your shoulder, capsules like shot subs gap is hanging. He said with the Good NEWS: is it still, a thriving muscle is getting a tax call me a test it out of four hour surgery, some like that one of those surgeries that you're not guaranteed to come out of the same, and you had to wait for a month or so to see if the surgery took like, if everything would mend and kind of get, you know, kind of get stronger. It took men and, like I said, I finish out the rest, my crystal wow, so how long was the rehab? Probably eight months so you went from it was about two thousand and twelve to two thousand and fifteen, where you did fight very often is that was very frequently was that because of the combination of a lawsuit and the injury, it's kind of like back to back blows so for eight, once you're rehabbing it and just still, when did you know that for sure you're going to be able to come back

corner, we had. You know three three month mark four Unmark, you kind of realize it do like I'm, I'm I'm good like I'm, not where I need to be, but, like I'm headed there so probably about that time. But halfway through you realize that you're gonna be ok, it's just going to take some time to fully get the strength back. Even my next fight against Evan Rodriguez, like I still didn't throw it, I didn't realize I didn't throw it until I watched the tape. I watch the table, hey you still like a one handed affair and then, after that thing about, injuries is weird like that twelve month period for me is always been like. Just like that sweet spot, so I got to that twelve here with the shoulder over here. Right came back and don't over here right in ten years show map the power in my right. Uppercut came back online to this is getting better. So after that, then you started to see that thing flying and started whistling and, ironically enough, my last fight, that was the punch that started all the trouble for Sergey Kovalev. Well, that's interesting! ' 'cause! You were so successful with one hand you know it. May she wonder like how God damn good would you have been if you had two hands or was it

your left hand was so educated matter, be it had to be one of the things you are so good at man was. I don't have to tell you. You know this was using your jab to shutdown, southpaw fighters shut down there, Jabon Cow, you know, and you just had that you had like extra juice with your left tan, because you used it so I had to when you have one Hannah one arm that that functions really well like you learn to make that thing great. Like you know, you overcompensate and that's what they left and went over compensation, because I didn't have the right man to fall back on. You know, but the whole south fought thing shout out to my boy. Nick in a d is like and all the work we've done. It can't, like those those guys, got me ready for a lot of myself. Part opponents, like you know, mid way through and toward the end of my career, so a lot of work with those guys and specifically Nate at a certain point. I stopped working with Nick because he was doing other things but

statement and the volume and having to like deal with the awkwardness and a height and the reach and like that, got me ready for Chad Dawson. That's amazing! That's my boy! Yeah he's a tough dude man. You know watching him come back after three years out of the game. Indie Pettis like that shot him a message. I like Bro, you batman like three years, really he's a bad man. Well, I'm just happy that the UFC is finally recognizing the love and support that guy has from the fans, because for whatever reason they were so high on Conor Mcgregor and all these other people. They didn't see one of the reasons why the Conor fight was so big with cousin, Nate Diaz Nate Diaz is a fucking star. When he put his face on the screen for the the fight I mean the arena erupted, it was was as they went nuts I mean, I don't know why they can see. I mean counter, obviously was you know he was a little bit different and he brought what he brought to the table, but probably would have been a good trying to balance on both our show love to to nay. But you know he was like the rebel child. You know yes say

whatever came, it was mine and you know the powers that be they don't like that. I think it was uh overshadowed by his brother too, because you know when brothers, a superstar there's something about, and especially like his brother when he was fighting on Strikeforce in particular, was one of the best fighters in the world. He was just amazing, and then you know like specially, like you know what he did during like his title reign like when he was at at at its peak when he's fighting strike force, but for whatever reason they just you know, Nate just flew under the radar until the Conor Mcgregor fight the first one yeah, then they reckon yeah. I hope they capitalize on it now. You know why he still has a few years left. Yeah yeah is the whole not even to stay relevant, but just trying to keep your skills from the rowing, like that's the whole thing right there and then, and then trying to go perform after that amount of time, like is, is, is hard yeah, I'm in a fallen from that yeah, I'm not come back to saying he didn't lose a beat. It's crazy. He looked as good as ever.

It was a good thing. Is though, he seems to always be working on it and that's what saved me when I was off like just always like chipping away in the gym. You know he's got you know his brother got. They got their own schools and they're always in their grappling working out. So that's what saved him. If you take off three years of nothing, two years of nothing a year of nothing, that's when you come back and you look like a totally different person. I always point to Mohammed Ali. When Muhammad Ali was forced to retire when he took three years off and then he came back. He did not look physically like the same guy. You know. Who did he come back and fight? It wasn't chuck wepner. It was ah what the fuck zero folly? No, no! No! No! No! It was um fuck, the is it's a tragic guy, a white dude and then his brother was also like. I cannot remember his father, I think I know you're talking about man, um Jamie pull it up. I know you're talking about to uh court. Yes, Jerry Quarry yeah Jerry Quarry

in his brother, apparently, who only had like one or two pro fights at all also had severe dementia by the time he did how many fights his brother, his brother, only had a couple. I think you need a couple profiles so now that Jim Wars, if I'm, I think I remember correctly but Quarry- is dad apparently forced them to have that kind of fight style. They just went to war all the river and yes endure the end of his career, the end of his life. I should say that, so I don't that's. Why don't I don't subscribe like here's the thing like for me. It is my view on if you love combat sports, if you love fighting, if you love boxing like you enjoy it all like, I love the guy that has to take two to give one, but I also love the master and I'll just be for boxing that the problem that we have is like: we've ostracized the the master of the game, instead of articulating what we're saying or try to articulate what we're saying and leaving at you know, leaving it right there, let it be what it is, let the fans decide what they like and don't like. We try to tell the fans what they should. Like all. You know, and this

is boring on. That's the guy, that's going to be speaking properly when all is said and done this guy. Hopefully he is too, but the likelihood is a lot less because you take given two to give one, but as soon as that guy gets knocked out, then almost everybody turns on. So I'm thankful that when I walked into the gym for the first time my dad was our ring for a trainer hook, it teaches son how to hit and not get hit he solve urge who became my god. Fa has been my trainer. You know, from my whole career said, he's a man. I was it. You know I'm a fan of Muhammad Ali, his other fifteen. You know amateur fight as a heavy weight. Can you teach my son I hit not getting and are set. Has my specialty, but just think of my dad was on something else. What if my dad was make my son, tough yeah,

to take? In addition to may not be said before you right now, and if you did, it would probably a different kind of conversation. You have Virgil Hunter is a special guy. He really, as you could tell when you hear him talking. You know when you can hear him talk about the game in the way he would formulate game plans and strategies. You know you know, I remember, I think it was the Chad Dawson think it was that when you knocked out Chad Dawson, when you know you could see the look in his face of happiness and accomplishment, but also we got through the danger. We did it it's over and but game accomplished. You know when we have a special relationship, whether it's at MA or other than boxing those special relationships between a trainer and a fighter there so valuable to me as a person who loves to watch the sport. I appreciate them so much because I know that you could get there on your own. You know you can get there and have like feuds with your trainer and break up with you can get like Kovalev. Does you know John Day

Jackson for awhile, and you know now I like that he's with Buddy Mcgirt, but it's better. If you have a real, harmonious relationship with a master 'cause, that's what virgin owners is a master. He understands the game he understands inside and out. I always tell me- and I never looked at it like that- he would like some of my sole purpose. My main focus is to get you home safe to your family. So it's not for us to win championships is not for you to be all everything to get you home to Tiffany and those kids safely and when he said that it just put it all in perspective. For me he's a competitor he wants to win, but not at the expense of my own and because he taught me the right way. We got the winds and the belts and everything anyway and then I was also able to go home to your family. So that's amazing relationship. You know one of things that stood out to me about you was how composed

you are, and you rarely get emotional even like I remember when you fart Carl Froch Kov watch it you clearly after the bell. Clearly in a flight, you were dominating and you just don't. Like those you just said you didn't even get mad. You didn't go fuck you! You did nothing. You took that punch, you swim turned. It just went back to your corner like it never happened like you just just wiped it clean like that's, not going to benefit me to get upset here. How did you develop that kind of composure. I think one thing that my dad and verged it really well for me and my brother Jonathan, who box with me for many years they gave us mental reps, like like I'd, be driving in the car or riding in the car with virgin my dad and they'd be telling me listen man when you get in that ring when you spar today, man, listen, I do try to hit you lo, you make sure you get your respect. You don't accept this in the ring like this is these are things that I was

but I was like. I was taught to be a warrior at a young age and oftentimes trainers will train the body, but they don't train the mind so, plus you and also life experiences things that I've been through with my mom, my dad and just just all that kind of stuff, plus my internal makeup. The way you know God made me all of that combined fine. I never had to be the loudest talker in the room, because I knew that all the all the stuff the real stuff is in me. It's not on me, so I'm the type that you hit me like that, I'm a smile at you. I got you. We got another round of Pfizer, so my my my anger might my get back. I'm a get it within the confines of these rules, but you're gonna feel me. Kovalev knocked me down all right. Broad smile, you're embarrassed you're, mad

everything in in that eight. Second, that eight counts. You get, you feel all every motion you could possibly feel but inside I knew like now. You want to knock me out because I'm coming to get so some of it is innate, some of it was taught and then, throughout the course of my life and career I was. I was given the mental rest, a so watch him right here watch how someone so pushed his hand down. He got right back in his face, not out of the room but in the main teaching me and showing me in highlighting what strong mind was and what a week mine wasn't. Typically the week mine was the loudest talker. Don't get me wrong, I love a guy, can talk to talking back it up. It's not a lot of those in the game now MMA or box. So I'm afraid the guy who's not saying very much the guy that's hard to be the guy we're trying to figure out many people's up with him concerned about the loudest talker. I used to get

excited when guy just to just go over the temperature I'd like minutes to like I keep talking. I got same thing work over there for the first fight close could win either way, but from the time the first fight ended until the time the second second flight started. I learn more about that guy in that period of time that I did in any around that I fought me. He said so much and I was poking holes in apps. Fine, I'm just sitting back and everybody was misreading the silence or it's carretti he's not I'll. Take the remember, simulator taking notes man. This guys keep talking, keep pocket and he was just saying things when I was like this is a weakness now he would say. Look I felt like I won the fight I felt like they robbed me, I'm coming back to get it and then went silent when dark. Now, I'm like men's do is getting ready. We gotta we gotta, tighten up kept talking man, sometimes that talking to reveal a little bit too much about yourself. What did you see from the talking just excuse making?

He didn't give me any credit he started. I mean if it wasn't the rain, I'm exaggerating, but just for that for the case of emphasis, you know the if the ring lights weren't too bright, the referee was again. If it wasn't the referee, it was the judges like he never owned up to anything thing that he did wrong. But if I go back to the research that we did about him before we even from the first time that line double will be hurt, the guy doesn't he doesn't? He doesn't take ownership of anything. He blames everybody anytime. Anything goes wrong. He's a front runner he's a bully he's this he's that that confirmed everything we had her so you're the crusher, your Sergey Kovalev, you knocked me down in the second round, not the 11th, the second round. You were supposed to finish me, sir. The fact that we're even talking about a fight being close, the fact that I finished the fight- that's bothering you that that that that's a that's a

chipping away at this whole crusher thing that you been that you've been living on and he couldn't handle it in set of owning it. He blamed John David Jackson. He blamed this guy blame, not God, that's a sign of weakness. Man now strain. We you impressed with him getting through the eighth round against yard. In his last fight, I wouldn't say impressed I mean: listen, he hasn't gotten where he's gotten, by not being tough. So, generally speaking, he's tough he's a tough individual. To a point surprise, I was just I was like dude. If you ever, if a here is ever been saved by the Bell, you were just saved by the Baile like you were a punch, punch or two away from getting you know getting stopped in your home country and in your home home city hometown. That was the only kind of like jarring part of it and in my neck, what was can you recover? Is he going to be a physically covered in psychologically come back and try to get back with? You are took women around and he did there. So he showed me that he still got something in the tank,

but he's he was the right way to say it he's fading fast, just like fading right before eyes. He doesn't have the reaction. He doesn't have. I still very good, he said, but you still can be a lot of guys, but he's fading fast, there's a Canelo fight on the table. I think you should take it in right off in a sense that man go enjoy your life. Well, it was interesting how you exposed him in the second fight, because the body shots the body. Shots have been a weakness like since then everybody is kind of compromised his body. They found. What you found out is that something you knew going into the second fight, or did you know it in the first fight like when we do that in the first fight? Did you problem with me in the in the first fight um first couple rounds? I was thinking too much and his do came out fast. I'm thinking I'm trying to get my range and he's. I don't don't and any not that

he's like this crazy power punchers just that he sharp and he's accurate. So I'm like catching shots, I'm getting hit with jabs, I'm trying to figure out. He didn't give me a chance to think in the boom. I got here with the right hand, I'm like I said Bro, so that was best thing that could happen to me. Like I said earlier, and then you saw the body attack get employment, so that was always the game plan. I won the second fight with everything that I did in the first fight. Like we unlocked the cold in the first fight we can get past the not Dan writes a field of to look at. You know the next ten rounds, but yeah the next ten rounds you started to take over and you're solving the riddle. It's interesting the difference in power punchers like there's levels of power punch. We always thought of him as this power puncher, because the crusher knowing a lot of people out but then there's like a million Jackson, do level this some people, just George Foreman, yes, like George, could kill you see it's right. There Fraser FIR like Jesus Christ, terrifying yeah, George

was one of them. I mean there's, there's been a bunch of guys like that, but that's a different level of power punch in early show versus another one. There's certain guys. You know I mean FUCK man Thomas turns in his prime, the way the way put away, Roberto, Duran, holy Shit, you and also the torque. Well, there was so much the distance between like the the length of his arms, the width of his show and then black. When that punch would come and cheese catch you on the end, you got trouble get caught in that last power area. Yes, yes, it would just put the lights out. Kovalev never had that kind of power was like a sapping power. I mean listen, he did have power. I don't want to take away from oh yeah. You definitely need a lot of guys in their hometowns home countries like it. It's a reason. Why, like at a certain point in the fight, you would see him hit guy and then all of a sudden, their body language is different, but I think one thing that was lossed

my whole career to nobody ever talked about was, I probably have one of the best teams in the sport of boxing over the last. You know at that time. Ten years MIKE, I I'd be in the best the heaviest punches in in the game and in my weight class like you look at Koval about all the damage that he's done in the light Heavyweight division twenty rounds, he had one moment he did have a wobble. He didn't have a. He didn't shake me up anywhere, be one moment, and it was a flash moment so just quantified that, like a guy who my name is the crusher like he is who he is, he had one moment of twenty rounds. A lot of it had to do with much in a lot of it had to do with my toughness, which also underrated and- and I just like I notice- is going to sound dramatic. I know it's going to sound dramatic, but I didn't like to lose and for me it was kind of like either way Ian or die like that's like that's how I feel like it wasn't that serious, but that's how it felt like hours.

I thought about Sunday morning. I don't if you close, it will be a crazy ride home on that plane, family's gonna be looking crazy feeling bad everybody's gonna be looking at your different like and you're gonna feel crazy, like I remember, being curled up like in a ball on a southwest flight. Coming back from the next Kansas losing my the last fight ever lost against John Ravish, a guy from Baton who is Louisiana? What we're about fourteen that is hilarious for teen fourteen years old, retired, never lost again and John was it was a fourteen fifteen year old bracket, so he was a little bit older and he was kind of a stocky kid again country strong and we were watching these other separate back. So you know it's like a five day tournament. You could five four to five times to get to the finals and I'm looking at him- and I was a little bit intimidating. He didn't talk to me, like I'm scared to death, but I was a little leary and he was knocking guys out and I was decision guys along the way.

Go to win either way. Do you want a three two decision, three judge when is way too jealous when my way, but that would have it. But if I was honest with myself like, I got to be before the fight that moment, like filling awhile felt coming home. I made up my mind like dude, if it as much that's up to me, like that's, never going to happen again like I can't control every every aspect of the fight game. Stuff happens, but it's not going to be because you beat me before the fight. I can't live with this anymore, so that was my motivation that just to drive like it was like win or die and then and here's the thing about boxing the I don't know about him in May, but the only sport that I know of where one loss changes your pay scale like if you have a minimum okay, you win a title. Your first defense is their second defense. Is that these are your minimums will negotiate beyond that? You know whatever whatever go ahead and lose one that song you cut in half.

So a loss literally take food off my family, so I also knew that my critics and my supporters, but mainly my critics, they had a front row seat every five and the life in the right they're. Looking down and looking at like a dalek and I get in the ring, you know before the first bill would would ring and I go around and kind of just feel the rain got all kind of look out and I always see them looking is tonight, gonna be the night. So I had that weighing on me. I had the supporters that believed in me was riding for him and I looked. You know first couple rows, my family's right there, my wife, my kids, always blow her a kiss like all of this stuff was like tangible and real to me and that's the stuff that would drive me, and so I get not bad owned by Koval it like that's fighter flight time. Baby like whatever is in use, is gonna come out. If you got some tiring in you, that's the time, you're gonna turn it's gonna, be self preservation mode and he's gonna be so you're gonna be more focused on survive leaving. Then you are trying to win, and I think

God, man that that he had his hand on me that night pro and that what was in me was real and it was enough to break him and the rest is history. The rest it is. It is amazing how much energy people get from haters I mean I don't I don't recommend, reading negative comments or negative articles, but it's amazing how people, with a certain kind of resolve a championship resolve, will take that hater, shit and you'll get up fifteen minutes earlier than he supposed to you'll have more intensity in your shadow boxing and you just push hard and you'll feel it, but I don't want to give the haters too much credit that well, it's all you don't want to get ahead is too much credit like they gave you fuel though, but it was. It was weird, though, and I don't even

to quantify- only not like explain it but like early in my career. Ah, they got a lot more credit and you know I got great mentors man, my pastor Napoleon Kaufman and former raider um. It's a great man of God, just a great great man. He would always kind of like man past him, and they know me and like this is son. Listen stop giving these people all this credit man. He said, listen man, it got. They can't do anything to you unless God allows it may stay focused on what you got to do so I started to get it as I evolved in my pro career and as I started to mature as a man, so I knew they were. There element was always going to be there, but I started letting that element work for me like I wouldn't like. I wouldn't just you know, just just be enamored with it and I wouldn't just sit there and read comments and stuff. You know Frank, the last three or four years of my career, I didn't read a mention, not one mention on Twitter. I didn't look at comments on Instagram every now and again someone slipped through.

I knew they were they and I generally what was being said. I knew generally what the articles in the headline would read. So it was there, but the real driving force with the people that were riding for me fighting for me supporting me believing in me that element was there and I was gonna dress that element through my performance, but they didn't. I don't want to give him too much credit, though they don't deserve that much because they don't deserve that much credit, but they're good. That are good to have this something there, but you were very wise in the way you manage their influence by not reading those comments. All the time but like I got the revelation like I said it, a certain point down, I'm done with this: it do it I own. We started to read comments again. Frankly, I didn't watch boxing for the past three or four years of my career really and I'm a boxing buff. Why didn't you watch? I was burnt out the opinions, the biased, the double state,

it's good stuff, to which I, which is better- and it was so weird for me because I'm the guy that will break his neck to go watch Tuesday, night Gillette fight as a key yeah. I gotta get back to you, don't even know who right it doesn't matter is two guys in the ring, I'm watching it Friday night fights for many years. I was over it going through what I went through with the lawsuit going through. What I went through with the engine he's the highs and lows, and everything in between I was just burnt out, can refresh my memory. The loss was a promotion, lawsuit, yeah, yeah yeah, it was, it was a you know. I can't get too much into it, but it was just something that man I I just I I fought for myself and you know it was. It was a long two year journey, um on my best day. I'm like doing the right thing. So ST stay stay in the race, keep fight, it may not look. It may not be going your way now, but just saying like you're, not fighting

money's not coming in, but just stay the course you're doing the right thing on my worst them only to get a rest on you. You know people are right, not war would rather fight in the court room in fighting the ring on last night, a I'm just trying to try to fight for what I believe is true, so it but, but I grew up a lot but coming out of that house, a man I'm down with all this stuff man, like I, don't know how many years I got left in this sport, I'm I'm not focused on you know. I got to focus on me and it wasn't until I retired and got full time in the broadcasting commentating that I started to watch again. So you no understand who was out there on the you know in the landscape and researching, but I didn't watch it for many years. That's crazy! Yeah! I was done. It makes sense. I mean you, probably in your early days, were so hungry for boxing 'cause. You had so much desire that you wanted to watch it all the time, but the amount of effort required to become a champion, but you to see the behind the scenes, though, then you grow up and you see business site

oxide is like nine different, the darkness dark side who who, who yeah there's a lot of that Mana boxing I mean it's historical, the Don King, MIKE Tyson's stories, the I mean, there's so many stories and and Don King Mohammed Ali there's so many stories like that. It's it's so sad! It's it's awful side of the business now when what was this before or after the super six tournament, which that all this was going on with the lawsuits was after shortly after super six tournament, though, was where people knew you were an olympic gold medalist, but that where like commented, that who is the favorite, the favorite was kind of like threefold, but it was Kessler

Arthur Abraham was dominant at one sixty. He had just moved up to sixty eight, so everybody felt like it was a foregone conclusion. He was gonna dominate at the heavier weight class called frocks. Was the w b C champion, but he was still kind of like relatively unknown. Like you know, he had potential had a belt, but you know he was probably you know, I don't know the third favorite and then we had Andre derail. Obviously you have myself and you had to maintain and the Americans, or at least this is how I viewed it. We were just like. We were just there to make it interesting. It wasn't about us, it was. It was the Europeans party, it is funny to almost didn't fight in the tournament. I was in Mexico on vacation and I've been hearing about the super six, but internally me and my manager. He was like yeah, I don't. I don't think things will come together. He's got a fight in it as a minute go enjoy your vacation, so I did that the I

I flew into San Diego, we drove to Mexico and I ended up getting like a double ear infection. I was messed up from the ocean. I probably just something like that: yeah just kind of came upon me. I don't know, I don't exactly know the origin of it. I had a little bit of internet access on looking at stuff like these guys it wait, they're doing a kickoff press conference in New York, so I call James I'm like J. What's up he's like a man, you need to get there like asap bro. This thing is going down like whoa. I'm, like you told me, it wasn't gonna happen like I didn't think it was so, but also like you know what, though, if you don't to go, it's all good, we'll figure it out. Something like that. I don't want to go with my family. I call verge spiel and fight like twenty three times in my life. He said this kind of Tony look, listen son! You need to get on a plane. You're not gonna, make the New York Press conference. The next stop is Germany. Are there a ram's home country get there I'm like man, I mean you know what my family, giving the whole space that get

here. So we pack up, we drive two or three hours of San Diego get on a flight job. My family back to the Bay Area Boat, dropped him off, get on a flight or red eye that night double infection, wake up in Germany, and that was my. It was their second stop, but that was my first time. That's when I really got the revelation that mean that this is a joke like like this. They think that me, the rail and Taylor, entirely like which is gone like that's. I took exception, and I was when I really kinda like real life, to do like that. This is either. This is gonna, be a sink or swim on the for you either you all get like. I could. I got ruined in the Super six. But he could win a whole another way or what I knew was in me was going to be. You know just play it in and then shown to the world until when you beat kessler- and you won your first title that had to be a beautiful moment, unreal unreal and it was in my hometown. Like the same arena, Oracle Arena where the warriors that play for many many years and I'm kind of salty their leading men

chase arena, I'm not happy, madam I'm not having um. I surpassed by that arena on a highway. Eighty going to King's Jim and I said, look and he'd be a be on the right side and I'm like man I wanted from a fight. They want baby fight. There's no headline like really I'm talking. Twelve thirteen years old wow, my man, you I'm a headline in Kessler's arrogance, allowed their fight to take place in my hometown. He had more knockouts and I had victories. I don't I'm not gonna go beat him beat him in his hometown, ESO. We fought there. I think was November. Nineteen and just unreal man and like for a gold medalist like people, don't understand the pressure you have coming in the game like like everything. You do well you're expected to do well, but if there's one slip up now, it's like you know, everybody comes out. The will work, so I told you was going to be there so to get the monkey off my back to win. My first title was just that pressure like that release.

Pressure would just admits. I remember when I was a kid when the olympic team had so many guys that went on to win world champions like per know what it was at the seventy six olympic team. Eighty four, eighty four now with occur Mark briefly, and you know there was There- was so many guys from that area. That was Meldrick Taylor. You know who else? Who else Holly feel Oliver was there, but I think I only feel got disqualified got a silver right, something when you you think about the amount of pressure that mean so many people were looking at those guys- and I remember when Brylin last tomorrow in Starling, we got knocked up our milestone. Remember so many people are happy, I'm happy that he lost like a another olympic gold medalists. You know it couldn't take in my first of all God, Damn Marlon Starling was all fucking day. He was a killer in the super slick. You know just a real seasoned scout artist in an excellent boxer. You know

it wasn't. That's just great boxer beat another great boxer, but there was a weird feeling to it. Like people were happy that breeland loss I was like wow. This is that's crazy. Pressure is different. Yeah, it's different um and people talk about pressure all the time I had to deal with this. How did you do with that? Why credit my faith in God and just you know feeling like there was a purpose for me to be in the game as the foundational reason, but the practical reason what I've been dealing with pressure since I've been in my you know, since I've been a baby like having two parents who were drug addicted at a young age and one is a functional addict in my dad who raised me as a single parent and then my mother was a full blown attic for many many years she's clean. Now she doing good, like that's pressure, started their day in like coming up throughout the ranks in like dealing with haters and all this stuff in the gym in your private gym or not private him, but the gym that you train it an you got some people that are with you in this case is going to be

next and you got some people over in a corner. Mumbling kid ankle building will be nothing he's. I like you, learn to deal with and then going to the national tournaments. You dealing with people from all over the US then going to the world tournament like that's pressure, then you get to a point. So when I fought a guy like well, if I had already seen him before, I'd fought Kovalev, one thousand five hundred and twenty times a mercury already to big. You know menacing guy, who everybody's afraid of like I've fought him before. I fought a mini olympics for three Russians in the Olympics, so it wasn't that odds I'm guaranteed to win, but I had seen that before even the critics and all the people like I've been dealing with this stuff. My whole life in there wasn't anything new does. Does it feel good? Absolutely not I mean you you. Your hope is that everybody support you, but you know is as successful as this podcast is you got to book birds? You have your critics, never

even talk like that. Boo, boo, boo birds, you got people that as soon as you slip up, I knew he was going. It's part of the game. Man yeah that must have enhanced her relationship with Virgil must have because he believed in or when you fought for the world title in that very arena where he said you're going to be headlining when you were one thousand two hundred and thirteen years old. What the fuck was that, like, I must have been a maze, is a real man. You just trying to manage a motion like our member at the night before the fight I had. I had my God jacket with Jackson, man, whose a great coach go assistant, grace strength. Conditioning coach boxing coach from Houston Texas had been with me from day one. I said now. I gotta get out of the room and we drove to trader Joe's just to get some cliff bars. I seem to clear my head-

and I remember like talking to my uncle Bob, who you know is my dad's best friend who you know it. Wasn't my blood uncle he's basically like an uncle to me huge boxing fan. I remember just like talking to him and I'm saying baby tomorrow is your day I'll, be I'm a be there front row baby tomorrow? Is your day your dad, your dad always dreamed about this moment and like just tears, running down my eyes, because I was just feeling the pressure like I'm getting ready to fight for a world title at home. Like the pressure like you could cut, you can cut it with a nice arm, but to be able to bear up under it and an end to go. Get it done bro under a under. Could you can you can script? Any better was the second fight with coleville of your second most satisfying fight. I, like the first one, better, the first fight, better, really 'cause. You manage to survive and come back and then start out pointing I just got it a different way. I got it a different way and.

Like crazy that you like that fight better now, this is a lot about you yeah. I love the moment. Would me a virgin a corner? He showed his worth already knew what he had, but he shows where he's a baby. Listen I'll leave a note down, so the rays been knocked down. They got up now you get get up like that's what those are Mormons you live for, like you, don't want to be on the cameras, but if you happen to find yourself there you want to know the team has what it takes, and you want to know that you have what it takes. The second round bro. I clawed back ten rounds against that the biggest night of my life and then having to deal with everything afterwards built me minute made me strong, like stronger, and that was just that that that that I won the second fight again with the first fight, like I buy already broken in the first fight. Something happened to him like right around the six round,

still trying to win to a degree, but I knew physically. I was like man. I got him he's not the same. So of course he's I want about the decision because it didn't go his way, but I beat him in the first fight. We only saw what the the the second fight with the window dressing. We just picked up where we left off, but everything that that transpired in second fight really started in the first fight. The second fight, it's it was stunning to me when it's seemed like he just quit, because it didn't seem. Like e, I mean it almost seemed like a premature stoppage, but then you realize that he didn't want to fight any longer. Tony did a great job he saved Cokie. Did I mean you know in hindsight you know you wish you would have landed the one shot and he went. You know you got knocked out and it was clear but listen man, all the excuses and stuff like I was thinking about this. The other day, big win that I've had. There was an excuse attached to so you go back to Kessler. You head butt me he's fighting dirty. No,

so I'm fighting in a style that you don't know how to deal with you look a car, french uh. It was boring. Why didn't you make it more interesting? You look at Chad Dawson, he was weight, drained e Chad, Dawson called me out. I was at home minding my own business and he said I want to fight Andre Ward I'll come down to his way and I'll fight him in Oakland. If you look at Kessler, I mean you look at Kovalev. First fight, I got robbed. Second fight, they cheated me. Every big win, Andre Ward has cannot have an asterisk next to it like either either. I'm not the guy that my record says that I am or somebody's not being honest over here. You see him saying, but I think that's inherent with boxing when there's certain people that don't ever want to accept defeat, no matter what and when there's a situation where there's a possible reason why they lost that didn't sort of fit into the room

books like he hit me low or they stopped it's too soon or the Kovalev fight. You know like the second fight in particular like the first right. Maybe he could make an argument that he thinks he should have won a decision, but the second fight you mean he wasn't. He wasn't jumping up looking to beat that eight count dust his gloves off and get back at it. He was basically is surrendering. He was those body shots with for everything. People forget about the right hand and started all the trouble days and then, like the fifteen, unanswered shots after that I'll prob side of the body shot that landed, maybe one straight a little low yeah. But your name is the crusher like like white like if you hit me low like, and I try to be as fair as I possibly can, I'm coming to get that back. Bro like if it's at five, like it's intentional this accident, you know it's all good, you know half, but if it's on a like like like do throw me a beat me from from a phallic I'm coming

get back while of a sudden, like all the people. That said, that you know you're not gonna, be Kovalev, you know, look what he did it his guys and do the same thing to you. You're too small. Those are the same people coming to the rescue of a guy who's nickname is a crusher and whose menacing and all the stuff I've been saying you know like he should be able to defend himself. He should to get me off of him a little guy just moved up from one sixty eight hello me well, the thing about called live to like he killed a guy early in his career right in May, and that was something that you know the leaders of the feeling when it has done that there is a fear to face that guy and I had to face the fear I defy. Is that fear, I'm human um that was presented to me, but that's where the mindset comes into play. That's what my faith comes into play was like listen man. Unfortunately, that happened to that guy. But you ain't doing it to me, like that's. The mindset part like if you allowed us to have to seep in take root and start to

mister in your heart and your mind. You ever get get get past. Fifty other the starting line. You'll go out there, a black man who is that dude? I was performing a night that wasn't me he was gonna have to do something because, as I was coming to women in it and again it's not that I'm just I'm not the toughest guy in the world, but like. I just believe what I believe to feel like. I'm therefore reason- and unfortunately that happened to that that young man, but I just didn't believe that was gonna happen to me and that's what I had to keep feeding myself in Orderto, get past that and then go perform now. How did you make the decision to stop him in the second fight? How did you make the decision that that's it? It was almost it for me after the first fight really yeah, that's the closest I've. I've talked retirement the past, like internally with my wife and stuff um, but after the first fight I don't know if it was. Ah, I think it was physical, like all the surgeries and rehab in just the years, how many different surgeries about three

on the shoulder and not shoulders in the year in my last kiss or some yeah, I, when I see a woman is, I think it was the physical part. I think it was just it did the toll of the sport an inmate made, maybe some other action like like you know, for a split second of my here we go again like like. I saw play something you know I beat the guy that you guys say I couldn't be mad. Now now you know, like I got robbed like that's a fight they could win either way. You know, by pointed to can't you can't have a pole, will rising opinion about the amazing, not all warlock. I can live with that, but all the robbed. So I think it was a combination. Is everything? Well I mean I'm done man like I'm, not doing this. No more! I didn't do anything for three months after that fight and I remember going to speak to my pastor about it because he did the same thing like he. You know he was all everything it as you do

six years in the league and often bone one day was like I'm done and never look back, so I went sat with them and how they may have passion. I don't know man, I think I'm done he's. Just listening live very wise man. Now I'm giving him the whole spiel, like men, haven't done in the three months. I've never done that. There's got to be a sign, I'm done. You say you know what Sonny said. I think he's. I think you'll be fine if you, if you retire said, but I think you got one more left in you I'm, but I thought he was going to side with me. Do you like outside? That's it, and I was a little disappointed honestly. I was like really I was like yeah, but I told you I haven't done anything at three months. He's like I know I don't know he said once you it going. You know the fire will be rekindled wow, so I took him at his word and I start I kind of get back going moving my body and then that happened. I started to get that fire back and ah, once we got the money right, I was like I'm gonna. Do it again, I don't wanna fight

and I didn't know for sure, but I've kind of feeling like okay. Well, you know I felt like that after the first one is: maybe it after the second one, but then the opportunity started. Come HBO had a three fight deal on the table and basically it was going to be a gimme fight in Oakland at home celebration, a move to cruiserweight against Tony Bell. You probably the U K. Did you want to move to cruise yea? There's nothing else. I'd like anyway. What about a rubber match that wasn't exciting, for you know, beat him twice. Did Kovalev ask for a rubber man? No, no! You were probably, but if somebody actually, you want to reimagine what? Yes, of course he didn't want it. Hey, don't really want it. So that was a three fight exit strategy. What they should be no give me fighter like heavy of talking to a catch, wait at home cruise away. Would you walk around back then yeah, eighty five, so you would have a gain weight.

Out I had to tighten myself up at eight thousand five hundred and ninety is probably wait. Yeah Chris rate limit is nine thousand two hundred it's two hundred year top, I probably wouldn't get too, though I would even on one ninety one. Ninety two some like that. So that was brief idea and if I was gonna be Anthony Joshua, I don't know if you we've been, we we hadn't even gotten far, but that was our that Jesus Christ right. How much would you gain to get up to get up, maybe heavyweight? That's it. Maybe two. I can't I'm never going to be as big as you guys. So why would I weigh myself down right yeah, very the situation you know, but that was something we were talking about in virus mentioned it in the post. Fight press conference will Kovalev that guys, fucking giant, but we hadn't been hit by inverse head and talked about like we talked about it, but we didn't say we're going to mention anything publicly now and then he came out with something here. You know I'm chili, not just one night he's like yeah, we were at three Josh rolling,

chill bro like he's so much bigger than you yeah. It's all good, though, that guy's gigantic I've been fighting big guys. My whole life, I'm sure you have so the three fight deal was on the table and Roman Gonzalez is so rich to chi or so so, which of course so with the chi soaring decide, we can write a fight, their rematch at the home Depot center. I think it was September, ninth September. Sixth, that was a Wednesday House was be in L, a you know, announce the new signing and get ready to call that fight that Wednesday. I come home and I'm kind of like I'm, not horn, but I'm in tears, and I tell my wife I was like I do it. And even saying that sounded crazy to me, she was like she was just real quiet, I'm thinking like. Why are you not saying nothing? I like? I, don't think I'm going to do this anymore and she said some shit never said previously. Typically, she Baylor is not time come on you gotta get.

I know you feel this way. I know you buy it but come on. I feel, like you still got time in a sport first time she ever agree with me. She was like. I think the decision is already made right should I take the decision is already made. He said I've been looking at you about this whole day and some of the stuff you've been saying and I've never really seen you like this. She said I think it's already made. I took that out. Bro started making phone calls called called. My lawyer, who was you know one of my good friends Josh, do been a bro. I think there may be it from me. He had didn't want me to be you done. He was like, if you feel that way, Brahma Support, you call my manager the next morning and it took us so I went I went. I went that weekend and call the fight we held off on the announce and my lawyer just told HBO, like look he's going through some things were good. Give us a couple of days, so I got through that weekend and he said you still feel like that. Come Monday morning the brought think I'm done long story short. We ended up announcing it September 21st. It was like a two week period, we're trying to keep it under wraps, but I was undoing all

the stuff. I was letting the necessary people, know ROC nation HBO, everybody know and the night. Why announcing me and me, and my good friend who's, a director he's also directed my Doc Deonte Thompson. He we put together the video. Now it was like a legacy video where I had my young son middle son of my oldest son and those are like those are like. You know. That was me at that point time in my career and did this whole video that I was going to announce my retirement with and actually have the act that I'm working on right now is about this like. Why did the best fighter in the world of the world at that time, walk away from the sport on top. Shut the video man, the Damn retirement bro and the response was just overwhelming. You know it was over. I just couldn't believe the amount of people that were reaching now and it was it was like good and bad like it was good 'cause. I was getting support, but it felt like I'd. I, like I feel, like I die. I'm looking at rest impede, like not literal, rest in pieces, but, like the comments were like rest in peace,

Bro or you, I couldn't believe man I'm that what like war, not shoot, man, all my God man, it was just. It was like this huge reaction and it was overwhelming, and in the two years that followed, like, I said it at the beginning of this part, cast harder than I thought it was gonna be one of the hardest. If not the hardest thing, I've ever tried to do and still like. I still have to do like it's a daily decision to be I'm not doing it, no more the most rewarding man and is a necessary evil, and I hope that and a man, the young guys, can look up one day and I'm a do the Entre Ward I'm out like how long do we have to do it before we feel satisfied? Look bro, save your money. If you don't you're, not financially literate, go get some help. Um ask

missions an as soon as you feel like you're, not really there. You want to know more right up in this answer. Bro there's other stuff. You can do hope to be an example in that area. Well, it's so important. I think, for there to be a guy like you, because people always have this narrative fighters all come back. They always fight like sugar, Ray Leonard did when he fought. You know later in his career five hours, Donny Lalonde yet and he went and fought yeah the Terry Norris Fight was hard, a wise man, and then you know it. Doctor Camacho stop yeah yeah I mean it was like you, gotta come out. So I couldn't point to either it was cap was off then the Billy blanks with training them. Remember that I mean. Is this sad when you see these guys to still try to do it over and over and over again until the same story keeps repeating itself when a guy, like you do you, it was only Hagler

before you, Hagler was only the only guy left his lois to go. That's true, but it's a handful yeah, it's a handful, yeah Lenox Hill was a brilliant guy too. You know it's like place. Chaps is articulate he's like he's a interesting intelligent guy that just so that we're good, as we did everything we need to do. We did everything we needed to have the bill having those guys like you. Is it so important for young fighters because they get told by but the you know, hey. You know all fighters, gonna wind up with brain damage. All fight is going to wind up going on their back they're all going to wind up coming back after their prime. It's so important for guys. Like you to say, you know now, that's the you can manage it correctly. These are shark infested waters, but if you stay on the rocks- and you do your do Gila

and you put in the work and your discipline and you fight correctly- I agree with you so wholeheartedly about appreciation of the masters of a real masterful boxer like when I always talk to people about Floyd Mayweather, to talk all this shit. He does this. He does that he's got all this money. I go. Save all that forget about us. Talking watch how that guy fights he fucking barely gets hit he's been rocked, maybe twice in his whole career, my Donna and and Sugar Shane Mosley. Those are the only two. The only two guys are cracked him and he bought up when, in both those fights he's a master masterful boxer, an that's what everybody should emulate this day I mean I love the Arturo Gatti, making more fights as much as anybody did. But if that was my son, I'd be freaking. The fuck out I'd be like don't fight like that. It's not worth it give a fuck. How many these drunken assholes cheer you want, they're, not gonna, be with you when you wake up in the morning. Your head is pounding in your head when you have a hard time low

sing it light when you have to of all the shades closed when the just a little crack of light coming in through the shade is hurting you, it's giving you a headache, they're not going to be with you when you're old river. Just always put it like this and that's it said a lot of people down. I say let the actual question he do this to reporters and stuff like that like if there's open work out, he knew it was a particular reporter in there that was, you know, right Ryan. You know talking down against. You know guys who could buy an actual question. You got kids yeah, you got a certain! Absolutely if you not just on the box, and it was two guys at the June and one coach said a man, I'm a teacher said not a hit and not get hit period. I know this art I've mastered, it help him master, and then you got this guy over here. I'm

you may have to take two to give one, but look you're gonna be tough, it's gonna be durable, and would you send your kid wait and they go ah the first guy? Well there you have it well, I think, there's a false narrative to here's. The false narrative is that the guy who takes two to give one's tougher, I think that's nonsense. I think the guy who hits and doesn't get hit can be just as tough, if not tougher, it's hard. It's not talked about right. It's a false narrative to yes point my easy days in the gym would be man, I'm just going to fight today, Bro almost and told her to inches, get it in I'm tired. Physically! I'm not! You know, execute this game plan today. I'm just going try to keep a tight defense. Defensive just go to war. Those are those are my like my lazy days, the when you got a like like embody a game plan and then round after round, even when things

going your way try to stick to that game plan that that's hard. That's that's draining right draining to something again that I've never said cause. I don't I'm not. I don't like talking about myself man. I try to stay out the way, but what I was one of the toughest fighters in the sport of boxing for the past ten years when I was active period, no question about it. It's just not talked about the chains not talked about you, the toughness part, because it is not really associated with the guy. Who can you know? Do it a certain way? But if you really think about my big fights in in the big guys that could punch like, I didn't beat them by moving away, I beat them by being and the warehouse people don't realize, like we will highlight like visible times that we saw Floyd get hit. Man you're getting buzzed and our kind of stuff is going on. People don't even know right, but where can millions as fighters? We have to be because if we show weakness

now the water is water in shark infested water I mean, is blood in shark, infested, water sure, even in the Conor Mcgregor Fight, he got clipped with a big left, uppercut man you but Bing, and you just type in there and people there. God there wasn't a harsh ies. A word just didn't know. It know flops Floyd Floyd has had to deal with that throughout the course of his career. Many times that we didn't know, I like how Floyd change his style to with the pretty boy boy, Floyd style early in his career. I mean he was much more knockout oriented. He was much more aggressive, but he hit more than you do it and they also broke his hand a bunch of times. You know, and he just developed a smarter style, but people don't remember those knockouts like when he you see that fight with the japanese dude. I had so many fucking arguments about that five thing where they were trying to say that that was a fixed fight, I'm like God, damn it listen to me that dude is one hundred and twenty six pounds. He had no fuck in business being in there with Floyd Mayweather ever ever forget about com. Greater comma Greg is a big man. That's a tiny dude.

What is one hundred and twenty six pound fighter he's fighting Floyd Mayweather, who is arguably the best boxer of all time and Floyd? Don't even the fucking train for that guy? He came in there with a little bit of a belly, and it's just moving his arm turn like this smile. It out of haven. You fucked, you had never seen floor, looks like that before, but we want Eazy and people were saying all look how the guy went down. That's how it happened when a big man, who is a blue, real natural welterweight, hits a home twenty six pound fighter. That's what the happened looks on her him too. He was trying to hurt him. It's almost like, for I don't know with with the agreement. Was it was almost like yeah exhibition? We went in for the competitor yeah like like, like unapologetically he's coming to win every time. Hey, you could tell flow with opening up flow, which outflow reached on a hard. Do you think he's going to go it again? There's talk. Other fighters is talk of mean he goes through money like water and he's got a fuckload of it, but God Damn Hilo

spend it and he's had some financial troubles in the past because of his flashy lifestyle, but his skill in his over boxing ability and his ability to talk and generate interest of pulled them out of these problems. I hope not fifteen of fifty time. Fifty four, it's pretty amazing training camp. Pretty amazing us does if he does stop pretty amazing. That's enough. Yeah, he's he's he's retired on with three different occasions came back then, if it environment, I think he's good selfishly. I would love to see it, but realistically, at the I think, is good. The only thing I could think would maybe talk him out of it is is if there is something that could generate a massive amount of money like a packet of right like a pack outfight, you know pack y'all still I mean after he beat Keith Thurman like what's a massive amount of money. I don't know because he's had a massive woman. I know pick up teen time. I would like to ask him, like legitimately, hey man, how much you got left. I think he would do it for a b

there be behind it or like, like, like a strong like seven hundred and fifty million with upside like Florida. Turning down a b. Is that possible? Can you get a billion dollars? Why not right? If anybody could do it right now, it's Floyd, I may have already fight. I feel like floated out to fight a young guy. It would have to be like, like he's he's done, the Conor Mcgregor thing. People like you got us like he'd, have to fight a real threat. Like do people, people pay that kind of money to see that that go so like who, like Terrence, I don't know, but I can, I don't know commercially if Terrell big enough in the cemetery spent like, but it would have to be one of those kind of guys arrow. You know before people a job. I don't care paper use two hundred, I don't care like to pry. I don't think there's a star on that level. Right now, right, I don't think any star on the level of where Floyd was when he was younger in his prime.

No one who generates that amount of eyes, okay, mellow fight, could do some like that. The code, please, can I talking about fine call live right, but he would he would he would stop talking about finding Coble and start running. Marathons was come today would be the couple who will Floyd would make him drop down like a hundred forty five pounds or something crazy as he should. If what did he make a fight at the first at one, fifty two or something like that, he came with some are maturing. I might blow it was below oh junior middleweight. I think it was like fifty to ask a Delaware. You did it to flight when they fought yeah, because he was the a c yeah he picked the gloves that'll raise. He picked the size of the ring. He picked everything you got. Do you wanna driver, see? Yes, so don't get mad 'cause Floyd is doing it right now, Canelo great fighter he's the a side, the majority of the time unless you're fighting me. So look if you want this money, this is what we're going to do. Isn't it right now, the a plus in the a side, though it seems like canal

also huge, particularly the Mexican mean if they were fighting yes, if they fought right now, Floyd still the a plus, but now it's kind of a or at least the a minus, a maybe a by maybe it'll always be play will always be the biggest star yeah. Just based on what he's amassed yes career in this. We use when you look at what can now it does look when he knocked out Amir Khan he's at you know he that mother complex heat on some punch. He can punish the box to do you think you he did a very that's one thing. He really did learn from fighting Floyd. You know how to not be be there. You know, and you saw that in the subsequent fights like he learned from that fight like that was a learning lesson and you could see in that fight him, like realizing as a fight, was going on right now. Fuck, I'm on another level of this video game, and I don't know how to be

this boss, like ploy, was just shot him down and just doing beautiful things rebels to the game for people who appreciate boxing. That's one of the best fights to watch because you got this murderous young upstart who's. A devastating punch was a big, strong kid who's. Just tough! It's fucking just embraces that mexican style of fighting pressure, a lot of power. Moving forward, that's exciting! To me a p p. I I get it but like, on the other hand, I don't get it like. How do you not see what's happening right now? Have a young dude who can really punch like we just say it. One punch can change it on Floyd's a little bit older, he's, not old, but he's older, and he found a way neutralized this young, Boris, young lying and then exposing like he took away train and then you know expose his weakness like tight, like in a twelve round fashion. Yeah, I'm not one round, not fire, not too, but twelve rounds in and left and left

hello. What out answers like that type of stuff? That's the way I was brought yeah like man take away is greatest trying. N, n n N exposes weakness pro like like that to me option. I don't watch twenty rounds like. I think, that's because you are you're not just a great fighter, but you're also you're a deep fan of the sport, but it wasn't always like that when you were a kid you, a big fan of it, yeah of course. So you understand, like the when you're seeing a masterful performance, you understand that the general look really doesn't understand what's happening, they don't see it and that's job is analyst and writers to educate the people you're going to have your die, hards they're, going to pick and choose what they like and, generally speaking, the die hard is going to. You know appreciate both styles. They maybe have a favourites but they're going to name for all them. It's the fighters over the casual right. We and we kill our. So we kill ourselves in the foot because in so much

fighting and then you have people literally like when a guy's fighting a master's finds up man, it's not worth you. It's not worth watching I'll, give an example I'll bring it to the MMA world casual like Mendez. He we've worked out with him Nick and Nate in a couple other guys like watch of one of those guys are final. You know some of those guys don't fight anymore, but like Cormier or maybe a Jon Jones like I'll watch those types of guys, I've never heard. Maybe you can inline. I've never heard an announcer like rip a guy like even the guy has no ground games like look. If someone get some on the ground he's in trouble. Did you stand up with this guy, giving me a reason to stay engaged? We in boxing a lot of times we have in past times. I think we've gotten a little bit better as of late. This is terrible, if is your fan, when I'm not gonna, stick around the fighters

for the casual, not the hard core fan, so we make you know a guy who can be hit not get hit. Like is some. You know some superset like this is some sort special thing that you know you gotta be really really smart to understand. It's really not it's the fundamentals of the game like when you go into a gym. For the first time, hey may use your jab, hey man, you hit this guy, take one slash two step back, so we can't return fire the fundamentals of the game at the highest level. It's not that deep. It's really not is being presented to people like it's deep. It's not hit and not get hit and even in the whole hit- and I get it- I you're gonna get hit you're going to get here. You can avoid contact all the time and then got a Beautifui okay. This dude, he really doesn't like to get it from a just got hit with that good man. He came back. Many many responded. Wow minute do does have heart. If you're really looking at it, you going to see a fight, you're going see boxing all in one fight, even against a guy was a master. You'll, see the whole gamut. Well in sports commentary.

There is a way that sports people right and there's a way that sports people do commentary where it's very negative and they like to call people I like to call people bombs right. They they, like there's a appeal to a certain kind of fan and it's very profitable, to be very negative and to to to to talk about a certain way. I made a very conscious decision when I started doing commentary to celebrate these fighters and to try to honor their hard work and what they're doing and to let people know how spectacular it to me. Someone who loves the sport and I stay away from negative as much as possible and less it's absolutely negative to talk about to show like, maybe if someone would have to make some egregious error for me for me to say: don't ever do this. When I talk about these guys, I want people to feel how I feel when I watch. If I watch like do

features mighty mouse Johnson was like one of my favorite of all time, and one of the thing about dimitrius to me. That's so spectacular was that he was able to fight these amazing fighters and make them look like they had no business being in there with him his movement, his arsenal, his technique. He could do anything he could take you down, he could submit you could kick you if you punch you, he moved his footwork. Is movement was masterful, but he had a hard time finding an audience. I did my best. I did my best to let people no like you are watching a special person you're watching a magician in there I mean he's on the highest level. I've ever seen in all my years of watching combat sports, that's as high as it ever gets he's just one twenty five pounds I have get excited about, but you you did your part. You did your part, hey, listen they this time you gotta call fighters out for stuff. I'm not! I'm not opposed! I'm not saying that you always have to be in alignment with the fighter. You know, if is, if it's, if it's justified to call him out if he, if he, if he, if he

put on a bad performance, look bro, he didn't perform the way. Timothy Bradley did that recently and I think it was very justified which was there was a russian heavyweight and he was on an undercard who is fighting this other dude, the dude kinda down down and Timothy Bradley was like listen, let's be honest that I suppose he felt like he wanted a way out, but he wasn't really here to fight. He was here to pad this guy's record and, like man, you know that's exactly true yeah you gotta make rebel two. Yes, you know gotta remain kredible, that's one of the things that's important, but you like you are very kredible, but you also very positive and share your fair to other praise. I try to be may not like. I think also it hurt like nothing. We do a great job at ESPN will not close, but you guys have replaced the best which used to be H. B, o h, B, O went away. Man I was like. I can't believe they get now the boxing game. I can believe, I'm still shocked. I can't there was a fight with forty years or sorry. I grew what does e DINA?

I would get it on my dvr every time like you, we go who's fighting. That's one thing that we try to stress. You know our our our LI producer, Michael Quay, Joe Tessitore TIM Bradley Mark Kriegel, but not soon, Kristin, a partial like we are trying to be fair and objective, but yet truthful, and if you and everybody has a reference for the guys that are getting in there and with all of put on the table, then we try to call it from that point. What's happening in what's happening past times and even a little bit still today is purse no agendas, personal issues like spill over into the commentary into the article that's being written like if you don't like Floyd stop, I don't ascribe to Floyd's life, but that's not my business as a fighter. We're going to call this the way we see it. Yes, he is arguably one of the greatest of all time now, wherever you have won on list that your dis vision, subjective but

style and things that was ordered, you know floating home and you spill over into this and now you're messing up this broadcast right now, because floyds do something we're not acknowledging it and it's clear that you don't like him. That's the issue. Keep those things separate lifestyles, lifestyle, talk about that and you're doing a background story, whatever okay address that way. Organ in the ring come on man genius so interesting to to see a guy like you who is former two division world champion in Olympic Gold Medalist, who also transitions to be an excellent broadcaster, because there's only been a few George Foreman. I love him to death, but he was odd big girls doing commentary I'd like to join their love deer, but he would say crazy shit. You would be like what does he say it? I mean you spoke his mind. I think that's why people loved him- oh yeah, so folksy, who is such a mean- and you knew I mean these obviously fantastic- heavyweight and the oldest heavy, this guy ever to win the heavyweight title. Roy was great

as a commentator as well. You know, but where the fuck is Jim, Lampley sure what gyms doing right now, you know, I'm surprised, get out there to actually owe Jim a call. I don't know, I don't understand it. He was so good. He is to me the gold standard of play by play. Jim could do whatever he was doing with. I did hear that he was teaching somewhere. You know, that's one thing he's done, I'm sure Jenn teaching, you had a really yeah wow teaching, but I'm not sure I'm sure, I'm sure yeah, but interesting Jim could do whatever he wants. Yeah it does intelligence smarties paid is do I think I think he's will have his pick. I'm not sure why we haven't seen him out there in the forefront, I'm sorry to awesome yeah. I miss them. Yeah me too man, like that's one of my mentors like I started off without bursting Showtime. That was one of my first mentors, then obviously La Lee Keller, man that was Kellerman because Kellerman's doing other things, vs p n, but is not calling fight. He works with us. Does he but he

doesn't do every fight who do specific fight to be at the desk? So now you are opening sat right, but what is that? Why isn't he doing? I'm not sure amaze got a lot going on a lot of fun. He's got a large. We have what we have a great crew may have. I like Joe Tessitore man, come on yes in in the guy, yes Legend in the game, and you intend together a fantastic appreciation. You know it's amazing managed. We got our guy Mark Regal. You know doing doing that. You know personal stories and you're digging it guys back around, like probably best to hear that. I know that's out right now. Well, it's so interesting. This ESPN plus thing in the zone and these streaming services that have come along that have sort of changed everything I mean. I don't worry about taping anything anyway. I know I'm going to go home and I'm either going to like. I watch him on my phone. If I'm out like I was a dinner with my wife and I was sneaking fights in bathroom and try to take a leak, I just hit the fucking have watching fights while Ump, you know it's, you can get it

where, as you have internet service now, you know I mean it's that soul Fanta. I think that's where we're headed like exclusively yeah, I think so too. I mean the UFC thinks so as well. They made this deal with ESPN and a lot of people freaked out, but for me it's fucking great. Like I mean it's great, you know my daughter had this event that she was going to, and you know as soon it was over. I ran upstairs. I pull out the phone and I'm watching fights and that crazy, it's crazy instantaneously enough to go home, get him right there. You know it's just a whole new world this world of. I want it right now. It's funny. As I hear people with the you know that have the near a box is still to listen. The the the reports of boxing's demise have been greatly exaggerated. I have been hearing this stuff with solo box. Things like it's just like for casual fans, just something cool to say no or white wires in boxing used to be listened. The errors are there errors, but in terms of like available content available, fights like

we are at all time, high right. Yes, I think so too. There are other people doing what they're doing God bless 'em, but what we're doing is yeah. May I take us unmatched yeah. I think ESPN is fantastic right now and I appreciate the zone as well. I mean Box is an amazing place right now, there's so many elite fighters and there's a lot of hype on the sport right now is people are very excited about it, people that are casual fans. Look the Tyson, fury, Deontay, wilder fight, did more for heavyweight boxing anything any fight in recent memory. When Deonte now knocked him down the 12th round and Tyson Fury rose like Lazarus, and you like holy shit, this fight still going on. He did after that he won the round like this isn't saying he looks like he's getting it looked at so left his fucking body. I turn my wife. I was like that's. It turn back out like what he got up within the tank out like I'm trying to figure out if it was over and they would just have to do

happen when the rest around dude. I was watching in my bed right, so I'm sick. I'm lean back. My feet are on the bed. Do you want to hit some a rocket towards the front of the bed? I'm sitting down, I'm like holy shit. He knocked him out in the 12th round. He got up, he got, but I'm saying there. Oh, my god. Oh my god, my wife comes in the room is like what the fuck are you doing, I'm like he got up. He got up. She just walks. Your hands up furious saved his career. He did he put to tens of millions of that. That was the one hundred million dollar get it. It was the greatest get up. Well, I don't know how much you got me as pianist reported hundred million, some people say no, but that get up was was was a very, very wealthy get up, and then how about the fact that he gives his entire purse away? Charity man, I mean, will fuck gives ten million dollars away to charity. I love to give, but I ain't giving the whole no way no way after that fight keep half

exactly. I got some for your blog, the million everybody is to love you yeah. I can do that now. The whole thing he's an interesting cat man and the the wheels to get. I mean that Dion, ten wilder's it hey are funny. Hunter is a terrifying puncher, but it's like I said earlier that those intangibles that in you not on you yeah and the show, was in a in a moment. So it's a hundred percent into me. You can design a goddam purse in the world that can count out Tyson fury after that I mean that man is special, the way he rose. I can't wait to see the rain man. Who is that going to happen? It's gonna happen. There's all this talk, but is reportedly not official, but reportedly February LAS Vegas but doesn't have to Tyson has to get past what was the name auto Filing Valley, Valley, Valley, he's gotta get passed out. Dude that might not happen. I mean he could lose that guy all weird shit happens. We saw it to you and Beyonc Wilder Dangerous right, put it on him in that first fight, but you

she's at least one hundred and fifty years old leave right, at least at this couple of cuban verse certificates. He's been like forty for, like ten years like Bro, come on, you keep saying forty years old, you're older than that right now, no he's been telling us he's been the same age for a long time, but I'm hopeful, I think both guys know what's on today they can rise man. I think I don't get it no guarantees boxing stuff happens, but crazy. Hopefully they take care of business that we get the rematch. Well, I hope neither fighter looks past, particularly Dionte in Ortiz. 'cause Ortiz hit him with some fucking bombs in that first fight and had him hurt many recover, he did recovery recovered and stopped him. What a crazy record that guys guy is like thirty, nine, an oh right, you know four thousand and thirty nine knockouts forty wins one draw I know to do is to

right. Yeah one draw in one decision to was a Brazil: no, no, not really just knocked out of our server right and then he came back and knocked over now the rematch, but that's made him pay if we're going to distance, but he want to go to listen to me. I mean I got something: not only that the way he did it there isn't defiant hand is down winging punches that come from Jupiter RD. I was like my biggest fear. I lose was one thing but like just getting knocked out. Ugly, like, like my biggest fear, was like getting hit with a shot. I didn't see or even feeling and woke up like what happen like that will happen, was an amateur new. Never thank God, but that was my biggest fear like you can't control that you can be tip top shape. You can have all the middle stuff down check all the boxes and I wasn't boom like if the shower, we have landed a little bit left or right. Who knows right right? That's the crazy thing about getting punched right, because in this day and age Bro their marks

list, the internet is burst there. So merciless is crazy. When I was a kid, I was a giant fan of Donald Curry, Donald Curry fought Milton Mccrory Mccurry him with a left hook to the body and then a left hook on the chant, and I was like oh no, not MIKE Mccallum, I'm sorry. He knocked out milk recording with a left hook, but MIKE my count, the body snatcher. It will hook to the body in the one up top in the one up top starched him and he went flat on his back because I know- and I remember I couldn't take it- I put my shoes on I went running. I couldn't take it and I decided that point. As I was running down the street, I was like I'm never going to get emotionally attached to a fighter in the never gonna like put all my eggs in one basket. It's too hard. I lost two day who wasn't, as I saw my who I'm a fan of I'm a fan of my account, is an amazing fighter. Is it just that it was just that it was like it hurt me, that's how I feel when Roy LOS, for the first time I was in New Jersey and there's like a US seller, amateur

USA versus Ireland Dual and I wasn't fighting it, but I was just out there supporting the team and we couldn't get the fight and then all of a sudden people started blowing me up because they knew rod was my. Do you heard what happened? What you mean? I got knocked out. You knocked out, Mr. So I'm like trying to look him Roy got knocked out, but I was I was. I was done. I got I just like I just drag. I went to my room. Bro put the covers over my head went to sleep and I woke up and I just feel like I feel like a lost like that was so painful. I guess my god, that's Rory Jones he's Superman. He don't get knocked out. Hey got an actor. He was in a non song, the new MIKE Tyson's Roy Jones. I mean that was when, when he was in his pram people understand when you would watch him he the way he would just dice guys up and

do it so unorthodox that leaping left hook was crazy, wag, the home and it wasn't just the average like. Oh I'm, talking tough, I believe in myself he danced at arraignment. He came, he came in a ring and like a tuxedo road, yes put the little Roy Jones Ducktail you had back there bro like I wanted to do a roided yeah. I remember I wrote him a letter who's. The ceo of top Rank boxing right now or the chief CFI. Excuse me. He was over Royce Company square ring at the time, and I remember Brad call me back. I was like hey so right and Roy Roy is getting ready for the Pazzi Enza the time you're in Vegas. He wants to meet you and the next time ended up being John Ruiz. I was it next time would fall in Vegas, but, like I've been Rocquemore Roy for a long time he when he fought Pazzi Enza. That was, I believe, the only time a fighter never scored a single punch in around literally couldn't hit him, but the way he

it again like that he had passed the other goings. Looking at the rough, I messed up the fight, yep. Okay, short like this and BOM Bom him like three applicants fight over MIKE. Who does that? Nobody? Nobody do it like right. Did it not in the know when it when it's hard for people to look back now is not happening while it's happening yep wheel, but when it was happening back, then you just go. He put a full game of basketball the day of the fight. Who does that nobody does a against Eric Lucas on his behalf yeah. It's crazy does that nobody. He did amazing shipment when he kept fighting, but did that cement in your idea that that was never gonna happen to you, yeah and I hate that he was kind of. He was one of the ones and I will say it was the one that there's a lot of that stuff going on the boxing, but heat like when I seen that I was like. I can't Glen Johnson fight with hard. That was the year. The Glen Johnson Fight was hard because he was stiff, he was stiff and that was right. After the target fight. He came out with my gold medal on.

I just got back from Greece and really have my metal on he's rapping to the ring and he's got my metal on it and I'm in pride like in the third row or something like that, and he got stars in these two boys who you know they're grown now, but they were young and I try to like get over a little like, like Barry, to try to get in the ring, and I was a member. I remember it like a couple hours after that. I'm walking around downtown and I saw one of Roy's guys and I'm glad Ray come here and Roy was in the back of a rolls Royce and it was just just him and it was all dark and he had his head down and you know he opened a door on the right kind of looked up. I was like man several surveys. I love you man, I love you, that's all. I could tell us that love, you daft him up getting my hug and then I was it, but I never forget them all. Never forget that and it just for whatever reason he just to recover man- and I think you know I mean you know Again- the boo birds. You got the peep

right and I knew where I couldn't take about listen bro. You don't get as far as he got not being able to take a punch, but when you strip off twenty five pounds of muscle abruptly yeah right is shocks. You can't you can't take a punch line bodies week to week and your whole neural mush killer systems, all my stuff yeah! No, it's it's mean. We see it in fights all the time or fighters lose too much weight. It's terrifying to see that but see Roy the Tarver fight was hard to watch, but it offers a great fighter economy clipped and we heard him be knocked him down. They stop the fight he couldn't get up that mean, but the Glen Johnson Fight was much more terrifying to me because he banged his head off the ground when he went out and he went out stiff with one leg- was up in the air: those those ones where guys looks like he's getting electrocuted when they go out scared, those of the scary ones and Tarver. You know take another complaint after he was a total total over achiever. Yes, you know what you know: animals lunch built. I've got blue collar flighter, but she didn't expect him to do that

and a lot of people didn't expect her to do it either. But, like you know, limpy- and you know like. You could see the skill set, yeah big left handed guy, so it's not like out of the question is something like that can happen, but nobody saw that coming with Glen Johnson. No, do you think that he just hadn't recovered really truly from the Tarver knockout in my gut? I think it was that a and then be. I don't think he took nine series. I think he looked at it like you know it was cool out I'ma get back with this guy and I will get back to that. I just don't think you took him serious and Glenn. I was super bowl. Yeah he's a roll warrior, that's nickname yeah, so he had to get it the hard way. So I got Roy Jones coming off a knockout, the tartar. Let's go he came in and I were took a series yeah that made Glen Johnson's career. Now, literally literal literally, you know, Tarver went on to fight, I mean all the way up to heavy way right I mean I think he was fighting fairly recently. Wasn't it

he's gotta fight coming up him and his son are going to fight on the same car target target June? I think in Florida I don't know the details but yeah, but he hasn't fought in a couple of years. I think he's been trying to get a fight. You know you'll see Tarver Post stuff, like oh I'm ready, and I don't know why he hasn't been able to get a chance. I don't know, but I got I got once I got over the Roy stuff and I'll never fully get over it, but forgiven like or it took a minute. But like minute I got I got. I got amount of respect for Tarver respect, for he had to get it the hard way, hard way to Liisa Guide. It didn't really get a lot of respect and love, but did did so much for the sport and in the sport. So I got a soft spot for, however 'cause I know again he didn't get his just do but like he pressed his way man, he beat a lot of good guys. I don't think he'd got is just too after Knock Roy out. I feel like there's a lot of people that were second sing it there was saying: well, it's just evidence of Roy's demise like wait, a minute Tarver said at the fucking, which of gloves got excuses tonight Roy and then knocks him out. I mean

that doesn't get people's respect mean he he did what he was a boy to do even more than that like to have the guts to chase Roy down like that, he literally chased him down like Roy fought Clinton Woods in Portland Harbor was at the press conference and every fight leading up to the Ruiz fight Tarver was at that press conference he'd have following up with his manager on the phone, so they could. We are really saying like that, takes a lot of guts bro to chase the best fighter in the world that seemed invincible and say, look give me a shot like as if you lose that's it for you bro. He did. It believed in himself. The first fight was close this. If I he said what he said in the beginning, like what kind of guess does that take the view that the like, with the whole world, can you got east use tonight and even before the knockout Buddy Mcgirt said something about respect his image? Don't do much respect, maybe he said. Don't you the word in his it was locked in, is locked in and they went out and not go out so yeah. It add something to do with that, but that's not our fault. Don't use that word in this course

never heard nothing like that before wow, who knew you when you look at the game right now, who do you think who's exciting to obviously this Terence Crawford and Lomachenko, but is any anybody that really stands out for you little brother shock or Stevenson um cold manage him, along with James, Prince and Josh Steuben, a silver medalist he's given to fight his first title fight coming up at featherweight. He stays focus which I believe he will he's gonna be on top for a long time tell Female Lopez he's a young up and coming guy you try to fight. Reportedly Richard call me sometime in December, possibly he's a guy biopsy Errol Spence. They have to fight right. It's tough man is tough, but for a fan, listen, I listen. I want to see, but if you're on his side, I see what they're doing and

honestly what are they doing? You can't even be mad at it. Will our hangman and those guys over there. They got all the welterweights. So if you don't, if you're not, you know, if you don't really like the other side or if you feel some type of way about ESPN top Rank- and you know that Terrence is wanting this fight. Why not make him wait a year or two and let your guy Gairo Spence try to clean out the whole welterweight division that he has Sean Porter coming up and I will be easy: five for either DINA and I respect and got a lot of love for both but they're trying to squeeze them out so they're. Looking at us like yeah, I hear you, you want the fight, but we got bigger plans, I'm a let my guy, you know a mass. You know a bigger following he's: got a big following in Dallas and Jerry's World Jerry Jones behind you know Errol Spence. So that's what that's what they're doing right now and as a fan, I don't like it, but as a businessman I get it, I understand what they're doing, but from Europe

ST. You know to your point. My only thing with that and I've told both guys this, like you, can't say that you're the best, but you may fifth like you're the best you may tell yourself you're the best, but you really don't know if you're the best until you fight the best and that's my only thing with boxing as it stands today: social media manager, social media tells a lot of lies. Like it's, some young guys coming up, I'm not gonna name any names, but it's some young guys coming up. Who, who have a lot of potential could possibly be the guy but they're not fighting anymore? We get they'll go to social yeah, I'm I'm the main, I'm next Floyd's going on next and you get social here. You're right Manu, necks out of come on. Man is some call Box, Rick or fight fax punching, and then you go to the search punching first last name and you got to be specific

Boxrec because, if you're, not if you misspell a letter in the word in the name, it won't pop up so get the name right, first and last and then all of a sudden, the record pops up first fight toe whatever their last fight was, and then you can cross reference. The guys they beat out his duty beat was twenty. No click on on that dude's name is doing fought nobody. So here twenty, you know really in a real twenty know and you're hanging, your hat on the that you beat that guy a lot of that in the game and guys aren't willing to test themselves. No listen, there's a place for building it's a place for getting seasoning, I'm not not a fan of rushing like I'm. Not! You know: that's not what I'm saying, but at a certain point in time, if we're going to say that shared the best in that you're, the next Floyd in, and that you, regardless of what play class you, maybe you got a test yourself against the best, because guess what you don't even know how good you are you won't so until you face another guy, like I said the other day when I was in the UK, I said everybody wants to be a lion when there's no lions around,

you can be a lying in the in the company of hyenas when you face in another and now we're going to see what you really working with yeah everybody's, a soldier when there's no war is going on, but when a war happens now, because what you made him, I would just like to see at a certain point time I get making money. I get the police stuff, that's going on. We don't like, but at some point time, if your pupil is going to say that they're the best you got face the best, so we can really see who's who now you're not about their life and you're like dude, I'm just trying to make as much money but at least amount of risk. I suppose I respect it, and at least you made your intentions clear, but you can't have you cake any until you can't say you the best but not fight the best you got to face the best. At some point, I like what boxing does in that the managers dictate who the fighters fight in that they do build their fighters up correctly

and one of things that bothers me about MMA, as I think there's some really good young fighters to get ruined 'cause because they get thrown to the wolves too quickly and they wind up getting the confidence shatter they get knocked out now when they shouldn't be there fighting the caliber of fighter that not prepared for for everyone fighting. You know, there's always the arguments of like a guy like Jon Jones, youngest, ever light heavyweight champion. Youngest. Ever UFC Champion Legend Mauricio Shogun, who, when he was twenty, two or twenty three things twenty three years old opens up a flying knee hits him in the face, beats the fuck out of him and takes the title for every John John phones. There's a guy who's coming up that maybe could have been a world champion, but didn't get manage correctly and the UFC doesn't give you any options. You'll see, hey! You want to fight tomorrow. Okay, here's your fight, this is it trade off yeah man give the big fights, but, but but you know in the wake of yeah, how many careers you know? Yes, that's the trade off the fans, get the big fights, but I don't think we

necessarily see the highest caliber of fighter fight the highest caliber of fighter with the best case scenario. At all times, I'm saying I don't. I don't think we get to see the most out of some of these guys, because I think that if they were managed, if there was it, was a ton of different promoters around and you weren't locked in any specific sort of an organization like the UFC has, I think you could see, see more manager, saying in a human you're, not ready for Robbie Lawler, hey man, you're, not ready for this guy we're going to take this fight on a regional level, we're going to build you up, I'm going to get you to one thousand five hundred and sixteen and then we're going to start challenging some top ten contenders and some at your place. But this way you'll have seen all the looks. You have seen a great wrestler. You have seen a great striker you you fought on by champion you fighted jujitsu guy. You know how to handle all these different scenarios and in MMA. That is part of the problem. Is that it's not just your hands,

so many different scenarios that you have to deal with like the Jg Wentworth commercial? I need my money now. That's what it is. I tried anyway like Bro. I need to get paid now right now you had you up and coming. I can't find a better match up. Let's make it happen, the UFC will throw guy on his UFC debut against a guy who is a world class contender and you watch him get lit up like a Christmas tree and I'm not a fan at a minimum. I'm a fan of again seasoning make sure your ready but box, a man that everybody like if you look at the light heavyweight division, is one of the hottest in the most willing divisions for guys to face each other also available on russian yeah. It is worse in that division and they spit him out. There's been a mile yeah but like if you look at some of these other divisions, it's like man do like how many most can you have where you are and that you're the best, but yet you're refusing to fight the best. But there is a thing about

social media, though, where these guys can self promote in a way that's never really been available. There. That's all good, but like just don't, expect everybody to buy it right. Well, as a champion, you value that title the best so the and also as you guys care about it, didn't didn't we're. Not gonna bother you, but when you, when you bring that light on yourself right now now we want. We want to have you back up what you're saying? Well, that's one of the reasons why the UFC takes this strategy. They give a young fighter fighting like you, think, you're a beast: ok, we're going to throw you into the beasts you might have four or five professional lights and occasionally guys get through, and you realize wow, this guy truly is special. That's the philosophy of the UFC is put together. The best fights all time like every car, the one murderers, fighting murderers- and I I see that from promotional perspective, it's brilliant and from a fan perspective, it's brilliant, but from

person who values fighters development I would go if I was a manager ago. Don't take that for funny. Don't take that fight not yet not yet not yet it is like a Tyson fury gear. Given a fight out of lien, the tune of five people are, are you was listen while lane is a good fighter, we'll see how good he is? But you also look at like Tyson Fury everything he came off, know dragon and booze. You know just on the brink of disaster. Personal disaster like give him a couple fights to get the rest off right when he does face wilder, it's an even better fight. Yes, why is? Why is water fighting Lewis sort eat less and give it some time so that they were trying to like sell these fights individually, but were cell? The package deal like support that you support these guys. Yeah. You want to see the rematch here we're going to get a better fighter. You let them go through the maturation process. You know, while they're trying to stall in in a way, for you know types of fear to get what he needs to get out of the way Tyson

get a little bit more rust off, so it could be a better fight than it was the first time, and sometimes they don't see that and, like you said to your point, we have brought pastors in writers we have to. We have to educate the people a little bit, they still may not like it, but at least we have to present the and say this is why we're seeing this right now? So you do a fan passage. I try really do I try. I try. You know I'm trying to you know just continue to just keep keep on keep no man, but I can't I gotta. Do I gotta great team- and I had a great team at HBO again still can't believe they're not in the business, and I still keep contact with a lot of those guys and then we have it at ESPN man, it's just it's just different man like our lead producer, like I said MIKE Mcquay, ah, like we like in past times, I would just show up to the site location on a Thursday night fighter meetings, production meeting on Friday fight, I go home Sunday. Now we have a production call the week of a fight on Tuesday.

Probably in our loan were constantly texting, sending emails of information. You know either Joe Tess's. You know challenging us in this area or temps in an article or I'm sending something or benardo sending something, or you know, Mark route like we're growing. This is on another level right now and I think that's why people get the production that they're getting. No, you can tell you can tell you, can tell in the actual fight itself, while you guys are doing the commentary that you guys a button down and locked up. I mean it's it's all your these are crossed in your eyes are dotted some of former business, but yes, it is now you're approaching that at the same way, you approached your fight crew know any other way. I don't know any other way. When you doing it, though I mean you're twenty, how many months out of your last fight when you're doing it, though there is to kind of be a itch. Sometimes things got to be it. It's not gonna go away. How did you just accept the fact that you have that itch is

what part of you that thinks like there's a ten percent chance, you might make it come back. Do you have a number in your head? Yes, is that whatever percentages- and then I wake up- and I start here in a pop pop boom boom- my knees in my back- and I like I'm right- that's why I retired that's. Why so that discourages me quick man. Do you still exercise yeah, I gotta stay. You get the bag. I haven't done a boxing thing, but I think I'm going to do it. This weird, like part of me, has died, went from a whole life, some kind of burnt out and then the other part. In fact, if I don't want to miss it like the way they want to do something else, so do a lot of you know, spin in spinning classic spin classes, I take spin classes, but they also have a Palatine at my house, the Peloton treadmill and the peloton spending by bike climber. I love that thing yeah. So I do. I do a lot of you know alternative stuff, but I think I'm gonna get back in and because a great way to just keep the weight off an after two years.

I think I'm ready to start heading back again me MIKE Tyson says he can't. He said he doesn't want to. He says if he starts hitting the pads again hitting the bag and well even at fifty. This is ego starts firing up with any start. Thinking about it. I feel Naseem Richardson legendary train out of Philly. He put it to me like this. Like last year, sometime. He said somebody acting like men, you think, like we interviewed him from my dock and my boy now tell you the director he said: listen, do you think Dray's ever going to come back? He said you know what he said. I I don't think so. He said you got a allies. Andre hasn't hasn't lost in a long time. He said as soon as he starts looking at retirement, like an opponent, I think he's going to be just fine and I never looked at it like that before. But then, when I finally under what saying it's like that's what I'm fighting against right so like just like a regular opponent, I studied retirement right, like I said earlier,

the highs and the lows the good, the bad stories just like when I fight in a fight. I got my supporters and I got my detractors. I got people send me a mistake on Broadway to get out on top. I miss you, but many men, I'm happy you did it like that. Then I got it always coming back. All fighters come back. Just like I wasn't in a real fight. I wanted to win that battle right. This is a battle that I want to win too. So I'm looking at retirement like an opponent right now and I'll ask you know I don't know how many years I've been doing pretty good against opponents. So I like my chest. I like your chances too, and I think you are very important for the sport. I think you're, an important shining apple would impassable what what's possible both with your accomplishments and also what's possible, with walking away with you all your marbles in time. Thank you for everything brother. Thank you for doing this really appreciate it. Are they gonna? Thank you. May bye everybody. Thank you friends for tuning into the show and thank you to our sponsors. Thank you to the cash app the number one app in finance

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get a free trial, then, when you're ready to launch use the offer code, Joe to save ten percent off your first purchase of a website or domain, my friends that is it for today. Thank you! So much much love to you all. Thank you to Andre Ward. Thank you to everybody. Listening one walk to you! Bye, bye,.