How did a professional boxer come to train a Disney/YouTube sensation? BJ Flores steps into the Lights Out ring and talks about his first encounter with Jake Paul and what led to him wanting to train him. Flores wants critics to understand that Jake Paul is the real deal and has something special. So, which opponent is next for Jake Paul, and who does BJ think would be a great matchup? Flores is real candid in this interview with Shawne, and after listening, you too will change your perception of Jake Paul.
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Are you ready for this? Sean Merriman a one hand
ef back Boom boom, boom out, go to light. This
is Lights Out with Sean Merriman. What's up, guys. We're
back with another Lights out podcast with me Sean Merriman. UM,
and we're going boxing to day man and it's strictly entertainment. Um.
(00:22):
I know, I talked about it a few weeks ago
with Jake Paul's fight and been asking we got his
his trainers right hand man j Flores, a former high
school football player himself but also a hell of a
box who had a hell of a career, And uh,
you're not gonna speak you know, in the first turn
basis I was there. I've seen the work that they
(00:42):
put in UM and just this wold wild road that
they've been on as far as with Jake Paul and
him growing the sporting you know, look, it's entertainment. Uh.
He has a great following the pay per view shows
that they're entertained and they want to see more fights
like this. And we're gonna find out next what's for
Jake Paul and his trainer b J Floors. Yeah, what's
(01:06):
going on there? So, so what's next. Maybe you guys
have been kind of flying out and doing you know,
I'm sure it's been a whirlwind. And I talked to
the trailer guys down then Ryan and everybody, and I
know they're planning something here. What in September or October?
That sounds about right. Jake's Jake's agent has been working
on that kind of low key, so I don't have
all the details exactly, but yeah, I mean they definitely
(01:28):
want to have him back. I think late August early
September is probably the timeline they're looking at. And uh,
we got a couple names floating around right now. I
can't really say because I don't want to get any
any situation where you know, they don't want to do
the deal after I say it. So so so so
let me. I'm I'm a back up man because I
used to play used to play football too, right, so
never never at a level L no, no, no no, what yeah?
(01:51):
You all you all stay? Yeah? I was a stay
and then I was. Before my sophomore season at Snow,
I was a preseason All American wide receiver. Um, you know,
I injured my hand. I'm straying about honestly. Before our
first game I had three touchdowns on our in our
our final scramments before the games. The season started and
I did something to my handstring that stame like the
next week and I could just never recover. And I
(02:13):
was injured my entire sophomore season. So I didn't really
have a breakout year. I didn't do that good. I
had like forty catches, like seven touchdowns, like it was
all right with nothing crazy and and just kind of
you know, pushed me over the boxing because I played
by I do boxing half the year and I played
football the other half the year. But after and after
your DUCO you go to Division one school, I mean
it's it's it's seven on football. You can't mess around.
So I chose boxing. So I always say this too,
(02:36):
And I think a lot of especially former athletes to
get injured or come across something. Maybe he had a
bad coach, you know, putting guy put in the bass situation,
maybe got in trouble whatever that is, to end up
transitioning over in the combat sports. What what do you?
What is you? Because I'm I'm pitting. I'm pushing guys now. Said, look,
if you get injured early or you know, you're done
with the game early pick up some form, pick up
(02:59):
some form of combat a school. I don't know if
his boxing and it may do something. What what was
the deciding factor? Man? It kind of push you over
to to getting getting in a boxing Well. I won
my first national title when I was ten years old.
So I won my second national title when I was eleven.
I won my third on fifteen, I won the national
Bolden gloves O were all fifty states when I was
eighteen years old at a hundred sevent eight pounds. I mean,
(03:20):
I was always one of the top boxes in the country.
And then I won the US Championships, which is the biggest,
the tournament that they used to decide the Olympics, the
Olympic team. Um I won that in two thousand one,
two thousand two. I won every every tournament in America.
I won the Four Nations tournament against France and Germany
and Australia. I won the Korea China duels, and I
started getting a lot offers the term pro and boxing,
and you know good offers, you know the kind of money,
(03:43):
the kind of contracts that you don't really get offered
unless you know you're an Olympian. So That's why I
went ahead and I turned pro the year before the Olympics.
But the kid I beat, Devin Bargas, Uh, he was
the Olympian for you know for two thousand four as
a headyweight. I beat him all three times I fought him,
so you know, he thanked me whenever I turned pro
a year early. But you know that was kind of
a deciding fact. But what I would tell people is
this man like look like just just competing every day.
(04:06):
It's very important. I think it's just important to compete
in anything you're doing, you know, in your job and
you're anything you want to just compete and it brings
out the best of you. So any guys who get injured,
you know, like like hand to hand combat combat like this,
it gives these athletes and their careers are maybe terminated
a little early from an injury or whatever, it gives
them opportunities to compete, which is very valuable for from
(04:27):
my mental well being. No how to question and I
and I tell people now even why I trained the
way I do is it's number one mentally, you know, emotionally,
you get up, you got something, you gotta reason to
get up. But that's what you need. First of all,
you gotta a reason to compete. You gotta reason get
up so great great boxing career. And then you fast
forward now onto how did you come up? Well? The
(04:50):
first times you meet Jake Paul? How did that happen?
I made him. I came out. I came out to
Big Bear before his fight, uh would give January two
thousand twenties. So I was out there December in Big
Bear and I started. I came out as a sparring partner.
I spared him twice and then ah, I just saw
a lot of potential in him. And he's really tough kid.
I liked him. He's nothing like what people think he
(05:11):
is like online. He's nothing even like that. So I
had a real good experience with him. He was such
a hard worker, and I noticed how hard he worked
in the very beginning, and I really like that about him.
He's dedicated. He did everything we asked him to do. Man,
he was just he works his ass off. So that
that's when I first met him December of two thousand nineteen.
So so I even tap onto that because a lot
(05:32):
of people do ask me about I said, look, man,
this this dude works. He does so when I came up,
When I came up to the Big Bear with you guys,
and I stayed for those couple of days. I'm not
gonna lie. I had the same outlook on on Jake,
just as everybody else did YouTuber, social media, looking forward,
tanch and this and this, and I and I saw
something completely different. And we've both been around professional athletes lives,
(05:55):
so we know how guys work. So the first thing
that I noticed is that he was a total opposite
of what I thought I was gonna see when I
came there. He worked hard, pushed through, didn't beat your complaint.
And I said, Okay, when I saw that, I said this,
this kid got a he got a real, a real chance.
And so I want to I'm I'm vouching on that
(06:16):
because I know a lot of people want to say, oh,
he's not doing this, if he's doing that, or he's
doing whatever. Um So him being a raw athlete. Even
the day we we out, we ran on the field
on the football field that day, I said, Man, this dude,
he pushes like hell. He actually just wants to win.
He's a winner at heart. Man, You're you're right about that,
and you just and it's good that you saw firsthand
because you can. I mean, you've been around pro athletes here.
(06:38):
I mean, he don't won't get his credibility until he
beats more people. And I understand that it's part of
the game. But um, the kid is working man, trust me.
And and that's not even that's not even when he
started getting good. He's really started getting good when we
went to Vegas for those four or five months, he
was sparting with everybody all over the I mean good
pros and he has no business being in there with
But because it's fundamentals and his basic technique so good.
(07:01):
He can do two or three things that will give
anybody a problem. You know what, it doesn't matter who
it is, we'll give. He'll give somebody a problem with.
You know, even good guys. He'll give. He'll give problems
at least two or three things that he does really well,
which I'm not going to disclose. But he, uh, his
fundamentals are very good, his techniques very good. His spacing
is good. He's got a great left hand, which you know, Sean,
the left hand will take you around the world. Your
right hand will take you around the block. So he's
(07:22):
got that left hand and Muhammad Ali I'm not comparing
with Muhammad alive, but I'm saying the importance of the
left hand is so important and we've really worked and
developed that. So he's uh, he's he's coming along really nicely,
and I know he's spared the other pro boxes. So
so when I see people, what do you say when
people say, oh, yeah, he's fighting on YouTube or he's
been been asking what do you what are you saying
to that because I know and you know that he's
(07:44):
sparred other pro boxes, other quality, real quality guys. Are
you just sitting back saying, okay, you just wait or
are you guys? Is it kind of getting out of
your skin because you know what he's already done. If
I disclosed some of the videos and I gotta Jake
beating up with some good pros like trust me, it
would be uh, it would be eye opening. But you know,
in the in the in the business of boxing, we
(08:04):
don't do that. We don't. We don't. We don't postparing
videos of guys that were you know what I mean,
we don't do that. So a couple of distraggler guys
who came in the gym we post that, but nobody
that I respect do we post just had a respect
and just kind of an unspoken rule in boxing. But
if people saw what I saw him the gym every day, man,
there would be no questions about it. And you've you've
seen a little glimpse of it, Sean. But even in
the last six eight months, man, he's really he's really
(08:26):
turned on to another level. He's really something. And uh,
he's just working so hard. He's got such a good
team around him. He so focused. Um, there's no distractions,
and he just listens. Man, he's like a sponge. He
really does. We watch film, We spar we watch film.
I believe film study is very important. I feel like
there's a lot of advantages that you can gain by
watching your opponent and in not having the old fashioned
(08:48):
mentality like oh I'm gonna whoop his ass, it doesn't matter.
I pick up little things. I watched people what they do.
My dad was very big on film. When I was
a kid. I would always watch, uh, the guy who
watch fighting. The next night in the tournament, my brothers
would be over filming him in the ring and I
would be fighting on one ring and the next guy
who I'd fight the winner. My brothers would be filming
him and watching them. So we go home at night
and we watched the film, we break it down, and
(09:09):
I'd have a full game plan coming in on day
two of the tournament, dame day three of the tournament.
And I feel like that's something that I brought to
Jake's camp, that it's very effective. He's he's very smart,
he's he's studious. He pays attention, and we look for
little things, a little little opportunities that we can take
advantage of. We we don't try to do a lot
of things, but what we do do we do really well,
no no doubt. And so he's going to continue to
(09:30):
get better and and what no matter if and people
forget that he's only been boxing for a couple of years. Yeah,
I know. Do you do you think when I watched
Jake and knowing him as as a person, right, I
don't care about this, you know, everything else, but just
knowing him as a person. So but when I see
him doing some of the other stuff, do you ever
think just a little bit like Jake, that's that ship
(09:51):
is a little bit it's a little bit out there,
you know, it's a little bit too much or do
you say, you know what, it's part, It's part of
the sport. It is what it is. I kind of
do the ladder, you know what, kind of like Jake,
Jake it is the social media you know, expert. He
knows how to get people, get under people's skin. He
knows how to you know, create a buzz. And my
I'm moral fashioned. I'm you know, I'm just like, I'm
gonna stay in my lane. I'm gonna do what I
(10:12):
gotta do. I'm gonna clock in every day and be ready.
But I don't really understand all the other stuff sometimes.
But I mean, whatever works for him. But uh, I
know exactly what you mean. I'm just moral fashioned. Fox
Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation.
Catch all of our shows at Fox sports Radio dot
com and within the I Heart Radio app. Search f
s R to listen live. Yeah. No, I'm because I'm
(10:34):
in the middle, Like I'm I got that school like
me too, you know, I'm not I'm not doing on
this you know bullshit out here while I'm chasing guy
on doing certain But then also too, it's like, okay,
the reason why Jake is in that position is because
he does some of this ship and as long as
I think we understand, we understand that he's backing it up.
That that's most important for me watching him, is that
(10:56):
he's backing it up. Now people can say he didn't
fight a real fighter and all other stuff been asking
it was a real fighter, I mean, not a boxer,
but he was a real fighter. And then it almost
reminds me of you know, I got into some fights
back in the day where you go up and and
somebody like, oh, yeah, he can't do that to me,
and then you go and you punish him and you
do something to him, and then the next guy said,
oh yeah, I bet he can't do that to me.
(11:18):
Then you go you punish him, and so it's always
another guy saying he won't do that to me. Is
that what you guys seeing, because I've just seen Tyrone
Tyron Woodley you know, calling him out, some other guys
calling he can he can get it, next to he
can get it if he wants to say he can
get it, no problem. So so you're you guys open
Flori fight with Tyrone will Tyron Woodley has no I
(11:39):
trust me, I respect him. He's a very very good,
very good. M M. A fighter, he's excellent, he's I
was a fan of him. But he doesn't he doesn't
want to. He doesn't know nothing about that ring like that.
He'll go out the exact same way. I'm telling you
can get it to no problem. We gotta look, we
gotta list the guys that can get it. Tyron's on
the very top. He wants to step up ship, he
can get it too. You know, what's all due respecting
(11:59):
I'm I'm not I'm not trash talking him at all.
I'm just saying, if he wants to, it's no problem
with We're not going nowhere. So what's look? And I agree,
and that's I think that's one of the ones that
um that people would have actually to enjoy seeing. And
then too, Tyron is is respected and what he does,
and so by Jake going out and having a good performance,
(12:23):
now you started to silence a lot of these critics.
What when do you think it? What do you think
of the style? Because what I what I see right
now is coming from Jake's way, and I know he'd
do all the other ship and it's part of what
he do. But when do you think of the style
was somebody. People want to sit back and say, you
know what, Okay, this dude can go. I mean if
he would have, if Ben would have made it to
the second or third round, then people would have seen
(12:46):
a lot of Jake's skill set. I'm telling you these
couple of little things that we do good, it's gonna
knock a lot of people out. I telling you it's
gonna knock a lot of people out. So once we
get into a round two and three, then people will
see more of the skill set. It's gonna take him
probably going two or three rounds and one of these
fikes with somebody who's well respected for people actually start
giving him the respect. But uh, I see it in
the gym every day. I mean he does it for
six rounds. He doesn't great rounds. I'm rotating speign partners
(13:08):
in the whole time, bringing in fresh guys, always putting
him in a disadvantage to where any moment of the fight,
like he he's so prepared coming into these fights, showing
you have he is so overly prepared for these fights,
Like Ben I told, I said it at the press
comments like two weeks for the fight. I said, Ben
has no idea what he's getting in into. He has
no clue and uh and by the time you know
(13:28):
the bell rings staff person, it's gonna be too late.
But I just worked so hard. I'm making sure Jake
is prepared for any situation. It doesn't matter what it is.
A boxer, a banger. Guy's got good condition, guys a
good inside fighter, guys are good on the outside. We
work everything, Bro, he's so over prepared for these fights.
I put him in with a million different styles as sparing.
I don't. I didn't only try to go find guys
like Ben Asking. I found everybody we had can't. We
(13:50):
had calls out to everybody. Bro, he's sparring, bare knuckle champions,
Andrew Tabatie, Jean Pascal, UFC guys, m m A, guys,
people from all over the play wrestlers. I put him
in with everything because that's what Raiss is boxing, I Q.
That's what teach him how to deal with certain situations
when he gets in the ring. Unless you've done it
in sparring and you've trained for it, it's tough when
you get under those lights. So you gotta put I
(14:11):
gotta put all these different situations in front of Jake,
so he knows how to handle when he sees that style.
So bro, he's just doing so good right now. Everything
we ask me, it's just like there's so many names
out there, like who do you think? Who do you
want to see him fight? You know? I think to
me personally, Tarron Widley would be what in my in
my opinion, because you got Taryn Woodley, who's a champion
(14:33):
in in m m A. He's been, he's been around
and yeah, I remember watching him in the mid two
thousand when you're first coming on and just him, you know,
kind of progressing and being and whatever. Now and I
think by Jay Jake having a strong outing against Woodley, um,
I think it's gonna turn a lot of heads because
of how respected Wholly is now been asked when people
can say whatever, you know, no, I'll tell you this.
(14:54):
I like one thing to piss me off. I've been
asking thing And I had a I had a solo
podcast like a week or two ago or a few
weeks ago at right after the fight is when people
say the fight's rigged right, that's to me me personally
that that was the the ultimate sign of like not
even hate. It's like a disrespect level, Like you got
(15:15):
a guy like been asking that is decorated what he did, right,
So nobody's taking a dive. He's not trying to get
his ass whopped in front of millions of people. And
then you got Jake who was put in the work
to actually go and knock him out. And I don't
know what m M A fighting You guys are sparring
and training with before, but he called it. He's he
said that Ben was going to get knocked out. I
(15:35):
mean so when I seen that, I said, man, this
this sucks. You know, you hate you hate on this
kid so much that you're not willing to acknowledge that
this was a clean and brutal knockout. Everybody who Jake
sparred this entire camp came out of the ring saying
Jake's knocking Been out, no question about it. So it's
(15:55):
one of those things where just like you said, man like,
sometimes you gotta get in there with somebody to see
it and believe it for yourself. And every single spar
impartant we had coming up the fight. After the fight,
they came in looking at Jake one way, they came
out with a completely different look for him. So that
he gets people's respect because he does some a couple
of things, you know, a couple of things very very
good and uh he's he doesn't at a very high
(16:17):
level with this distance and his spacing and his taunt
and his jabs and changing levels, and it gives people
a lot of problems. Man. So people come out of
the ring if they spar and they're like this, this
motherfucker really fight. He really can. So it is what
it is. He's still kind of new. People are like,
you know, still trying to get wrapped their head around
the fact that a YouTuber, you know, a Disney character
third place in the Challenger Games. He setting all this
(16:37):
funny stuff to like try to you know, bring like
show like where he was before now. But it's like
people a people are starting to catch on everybody that
spars and comes out of the ring saying, man, this kid,
this kid really fight. So you know we're hit in
the right direction. What what's the what's the altimate goal?
Because I see he's um he partnered with a hit.
You know, he got a hands funt thing going on.
Um he got a few. I mean he's got a
(16:59):
ton of stuff going What's what's the ultsman goal. I know,
you guys mean is it for him to you know,
get to econom McGregor, or is it to get to
a big name boxer or whoever that may be. What's
what's the ultsman goal with you guys? I think the goal?
I mean, that's that's probably a question. Really Ja could
answer better than me, But um, just just making big,
entertaining fights with people that you know, fight, fighters that
(17:20):
you know, people that want to actually see him fight,
whether that's Connor, whether that's Nick Diaz, whether it's Nick Diaz,
whether it's guys like that. I mean, those are those
are tough, tough guys. Those are credible, credible guys. I
don't care you're talking about and the and the octagon,
if you're talking about the boxing wing. Those are well respected,
tough guys, and those are the kind of fights I
think that Jake wants eventually. Um, people talking about Tommy Fury,
(17:41):
the nephew of Tyson Fury, who's you know four Oh. Also,
I mean he's like there's a there's a lot of things.
How did how did he jump in? Because he he
was talking on the behalf of of Tyson. Yeah, and
so you know, I saw that Jake was, you know,
making fun of as he as he do whatever, you
know what, everybody, but how did how did that happen?
Did he just jump in a conversation what? No, I'm
(18:01):
not sure exactly how it happened, but it just, uh,
all of a sudden, you know, he starts talking. He's
got a good social media following. I guess he was
on some reality show in the UK and he's well known,
so you know, on paper, it kind of made sense.
You know, he's, you know, Tommy Fury's tyson Fury, the
heavyweight champions little brother. I mean, come on, like these
gypsies grow up a different way, man. These are some tough, tough,
(18:21):
tough guys, very tough guys, rugged guys. The father and
the uncle Peter. I mean, these guys are no bullshit guys.
I mean, these guys really can teach you how to fight.
So um, that's another big name too. But uh but
but as far as the m M A guys like
I like Nate Diaz, I like Nick Das. I like
those guys. They're tough, tough, tough kids from from California.
(18:42):
Give him a payday and they put on a great event.
A big fight, and uh, everybody wins, you know what
I'm saying. So, and and Jake's ready for those guys,
and and nobody in the in the in the m
m A world thinks Jake is. So that's what makes
it more intriguing. You know, people say, oh, no, there's
no way Jake's gonna bet Nadias or Nidias. So and
but those kind of guy, that's a tough, credible guys,
and those are kind of fights that you know, I
(19:02):
like for Jake go, man, I can't wait to see it.
I'm just I'm happy for Jake, man. I hope he's
stayed on his path. And I'm happy for you, man,
because I really did this come to me personally being
around you guys. He he needed you around him, not
you know, your discipline, uh that you bring and your
experience and then with his mindset and the building build
because people understand when you're that big, it's hard to
(19:25):
get through two people, man, you know, it's hard to
get through. And for somebody to be as successful as
he as as young and still be able to open
his ears and listen, he's gonna go places, man, So
big credit to you. And what y'all building over there. Um,
you know I'll be down there soon. I gotta come
and see the Miami crib and check you out a
lot down there anytime. Man. Well, thanks for having me on.
I appreciate it. And uh, like I said, just any
(19:46):
any shedding any positive light on Jake about what he's
trying to do, what he's you know, the obstacles he's
got to deal with all the time, like all the
ship that comes out of the media and with his
training and everything. It's just like the kid's gotta full play.
He's got a lot to deal with it. He just
he handles it so professionally every day and my job
is just to make sure anything he needs I got
back on whatever it is and more teams. So that's it.
(20:07):
Now you're a blessing to him. Dog. Hey but cool man,
I'll come down that see you soon. Bro. Appreciate you
coming on. Thanks guys for listening to another lights Out
podcast with me, Seawan Merriman. Uh, that's a lot of insight. Man.
It was cool for me to be there. And look,
I'm I called myself between the right because you know,
(20:28):
I have old screw mentality. You played football, you know,
back in early men two men, two thousands, and football
was different then. And you know, I always say it
to myself. I don't want to be the old guy
and come back say oh yeah, it's soft now. So
I understand the social media side, to understand the UM,
the discipline of the squarter boxing and UM with great
conversation with b J Force, who's Jake Paul's trainer, UM,
(20:51):
and thank him for coming on. Thank you guys for
listening in to another lighttop podcast me Sean MArmand keep subscribing,
keep believing those great reviews. I try to read all
of them, UM, but it's up to you. It's it's
all you, guys. It's just really supporting the podcast. I
guess you. I guess you like what you're hearing. So
we'll be back next week with another one, and uh,
stay tuned
Are you ready for this? Sean Merriman a one hand
ef back Boom boom, boom out, go to light. This
is Lights Out with Sean Merriman. What's up, guys. We're
back with another Lights out podcast with me Sean Merriman. UM,
and we're going boxing to day man and it's strictly entertainment. Um.
(00:22):
I know, I talked about it a few weeks ago
with Jake Paul's fight and been asking we got his
his trainers right hand man j Flores, a former high
school football player himself but also a hell of a
box who had a hell of a career, And uh,
you're not gonna speak you know, in the first turn
basis I was there. I've seen the work that they
(00:42):
put in UM and just this wold wild road that
they've been on as far as with Jake Paul and
him growing the sporting you know, look, it's entertainment. Uh.
He has a great following the pay per view shows
that they're entertained and they want to see more fights
like this. And we're gonna find out next what's for
Jake Paul and his trainer b J Floors. Yeah, what's
(01:06):
going on there? So, so what's next. Maybe you guys
have been kind of flying out and doing you know,
I'm sure it's been a whirlwind. And I talked to
the trailer guys down then Ryan and everybody, and I
know they're planning something here. What in September or October?
That sounds about right. Jake's Jake's agent has been working
on that kind of low key, so I don't have
all the details exactly, but yeah, I mean they definitely
(01:28):
want to have him back. I think late August early
September is probably the timeline they're looking at. And uh,
we got a couple names floating around right now. I
can't really say because I don't want to get any
any situation where you know, they don't want to do
the deal after I say it. So so so so
let me. I'm I'm a back up man because I
used to play used to play football too, right, so
never never at a level L no, no, no no, what yeah?
(01:51):
You all you all stay? Yeah? I was a stay
and then I was. Before my sophomore season at Snow,
I was a preseason All American wide receiver. Um, you know,
I injured my hand. I'm straying about honestly. Before our
first game I had three touchdowns on our in our
our final scramments before the games. The season started and
I did something to my handstring that stame like the
next week and I could just never recover. And I
(02:13):
was injured my entire sophomore season. So I didn't really
have a breakout year. I didn't do that good. I
had like forty catches, like seven touchdowns, like it was
all right with nothing crazy and and just kind of
you know, pushed me over the boxing because I played
by I do boxing half the year and I played
football the other half the year. But after and after
your DUCO you go to Division one school, I mean
it's it's it's seven on football. You can't mess around.
So I chose boxing. So I always say this too,
(02:36):
And I think a lot of especially former athletes to
get injured or come across something. Maybe he had a
bad coach, you know, putting guy put in the bass situation,
maybe got in trouble whatever that is, to end up
transitioning over in the combat sports. What what do you?
What is you? Because I'm I'm pitting. I'm pushing guys now. Said, look,
if you get injured early or you know, you're done
with the game early pick up some form, pick up
(02:59):
some form of combat a school. I don't know if
his boxing and it may do something. What what was
the deciding factor? Man? It kind of push you over
to to getting getting in a boxing Well. I won
my first national title when I was ten years old.
So I won my second national title when I was eleven.
I won my third on fifteen, I won the national
Bolden gloves O were all fifty states when I was
eighteen years old at a hundred sevent eight pounds. I mean,
(03:20):
I was always one of the top boxes in the country.
And then I won the US Championships, which is the biggest,
the tournament that they used to decide the Olympics, the
Olympic team. Um I won that in two thousand one,
two thousand two. I won every every tournament in America.
I won the Four Nations tournament against France and Germany
and Australia. I won the Korea China duels, and I
started getting a lot offers the term pro and boxing,
and you know good offers, you know the kind of money,
(03:43):
the kind of contracts that you don't really get offered
unless you know you're an Olympian. So That's why I
went ahead and I turned pro the year before the Olympics.
But the kid I beat, Devin Bargas, Uh, he was
the Olympian for you know for two thousand four as
a headyweight. I beat him all three times I fought him,
so you know, he thanked me whenever I turned pro
a year early. But you know that was kind of
a deciding fact. But what I would tell people is
this man like look like just just competing every day.
(04:06):
It's very important. I think it's just important to compete
in anything you're doing, you know, in your job and
you're anything you want to just compete and it brings
out the best of you. So any guys who get injured,
you know, like like hand to hand combat combat like this,
it gives these athletes and their careers are maybe terminated
a little early from an injury or whatever, it gives
them opportunities to compete, which is very valuable for from
(04:27):
my mental well being. No how to question and I
and I tell people now even why I trained the
way I do is it's number one mentally, you know, emotionally,
you get up, you got something, you gotta reason to
get up. But that's what you need. First of all,
you gotta a reason to compete. You gotta reason get
up so great great boxing career. And then you fast
forward now onto how did you come up? Well? The
(04:50):
first times you meet Jake Paul? How did that happen?
I made him. I came out. I came out to
Big Bear before his fight, uh would give January two
thousand twenties. So I was out there December in Big
Bear and I started. I came out as a sparring partner.
I spared him twice and then ah, I just saw
a lot of potential in him. And he's really tough kid.
I liked him. He's nothing like what people think he
(05:11):
is like online. He's nothing even like that. So I
had a real good experience with him. He was such
a hard worker, and I noticed how hard he worked
in the very beginning, and I really like that about him.
He's dedicated. He did everything we asked him to do. Man,
he was just he works his ass off. So that
that's when I first met him December of two thousand nineteen.
So so I even tap onto that because a lot
(05:32):
of people do ask me about I said, look, man,
this this dude works. He does so when I came up,
When I came up to the Big Bear with you guys,
and I stayed for those couple of days. I'm not
gonna lie. I had the same outlook on on Jake,
just as everybody else did YouTuber, social media, looking forward,
tanch and this and this, and I and I saw
something completely different. And we've both been around professional athletes lives,
(05:55):
so we know how guys work. So the first thing
that I noticed is that he was a total opposite
of what I thought I was gonna see when I
came there. He worked hard, pushed through, didn't beat your complaint.
And I said, Okay, when I saw that, I said this,
this kid got a he got a real, a real chance.
And so I want to I'm I'm vouching on that
(06:16):
because I know a lot of people want to say, oh,
he's not doing this, if he's doing that, or he's
doing whatever. Um So him being a raw athlete. Even
the day we we out, we ran on the field
on the football field that day, I said, Man, this dude,
he pushes like hell. He actually just wants to win.
He's a winner at heart. Man, You're you're right about that,
and you just and it's good that you saw firsthand
because you can. I mean, you've been around pro athletes here.
(06:38):
I mean, he don't won't get his credibility until he
beats more people. And I understand that it's part of
the game. But um, the kid is working man, trust me.
And and that's not even that's not even when he
started getting good. He's really started getting good when we
went to Vegas for those four or five months, he
was sparting with everybody all over the I mean good
pros and he has no business being in there with
But because it's fundamentals and his basic technique so good.
(07:01):
He can do two or three things that will give
anybody a problem. You know what, it doesn't matter who
it is, we'll give. He'll give somebody a problem with.
You know, even good guys. He'll give. He'll give problems
at least two or three things that he does really well,
which I'm not going to disclose. But he, uh, his
fundamentals are very good, his techniques very good. His spacing
is good. He's got a great left hand, which you know, Sean,
the left hand will take you around the world. Your
right hand will take you around the block. So he's
(07:22):
got that left hand and Muhammad Ali I'm not comparing
with Muhammad alive, but I'm saying the importance of the
left hand is so important and we've really worked and
developed that. So he's uh, he's he's coming along really nicely,
and I know he's spared the other pro boxes. So
so when I see people, what do you say when
people say, oh, yeah, he's fighting on YouTube or he's
been been asking what do you what are you saying
to that because I know and you know that he's
(07:44):
sparred other pro boxes, other quality, real quality guys. Are
you just sitting back saying, okay, you just wait or
are you guys? Is it kind of getting out of
your skin because you know what he's already done. If
I disclosed some of the videos and I gotta Jake
beating up with some good pros like trust me, it
would be uh, it would be eye opening. But you know,
in the in the in the business of boxing, we
(08:04):
don't do that. We don't. We don't. We don't postparing
videos of guys that were you know what I mean,
we don't do that. So a couple of distraggler guys
who came in the gym we post that, but nobody
that I respect do we post just had a respect
and just kind of an unspoken rule in boxing. But
if people saw what I saw him the gym every day, man,
there would be no questions about it. And you've you've
seen a little glimpse of it, Sean. But even in
the last six eight months, man, he's really he's really
(08:26):
turned on to another level. He's really something. And uh,
he's just working so hard. He's got such a good
team around him. He so focused. Um, there's no distractions,
and he just listens. Man, he's like a sponge. He
really does. We watch film, We spar we watch film.
I believe film study is very important. I feel like
there's a lot of advantages that you can gain by
watching your opponent and in not having the old fashioned
(08:48):
mentality like oh I'm gonna whoop his ass, it doesn't matter.
I pick up little things. I watched people what they do.
My dad was very big on film. When I was
a kid. I would always watch, uh, the guy who
watch fighting. The next night in the tournament, my brothers
would be over filming him in the ring and I
would be fighting on one ring and the next guy
who I'd fight the winner. My brothers would be filming
him and watching them. So we go home at night
and we watched the film, we break it down, and
(09:09):
I'd have a full game plan coming in on day
two of the tournament, dame day three of the tournament.
And I feel like that's something that I brought to
Jake's camp, that it's very effective. He's he's very smart,
he's he's studious. He pays attention, and we look for
little things, a little little opportunities that we can take
advantage of. We we don't try to do a lot
of things, but what we do do we do really well,
no no doubt. And so he's going to continue to
(09:30):
get better and and what no matter if and people
forget that he's only been boxing for a couple of years. Yeah,
I know. Do you do you think when I watched
Jake and knowing him as as a person, right, I
don't care about this, you know, everything else, but just
knowing him as a person. So but when I see
him doing some of the other stuff, do you ever
think just a little bit like Jake, that's that ship
(09:51):
is a little bit it's a little bit out there,
you know, it's a little bit too much or do
you say, you know what, it's part, It's part of
the sport. It is what it is. I kind of
do the ladder, you know what, kind of like Jake,
Jake it is the social media you know, expert. He
knows how to get people, get under people's skin. He
knows how to you know, create a buzz. And my
I'm moral fashioned. I'm you know, I'm just like, I'm
gonna stay in my lane. I'm gonna do what I
(10:12):
gotta do. I'm gonna clock in every day and be ready.
But I don't really understand all the other stuff sometimes.
But I mean, whatever works for him. But uh, I
know exactly what you mean. I'm just moral fashioned. Fox
Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation.
Catch all of our shows at Fox sports Radio dot
com and within the I Heart Radio app. Search f
s R to listen live. Yeah. No, I'm because I'm
(10:34):
in the middle, Like I'm I got that school like
me too, you know, I'm not I'm not doing on
this you know bullshit out here while I'm chasing guy
on doing certain But then also too, it's like, okay,
the reason why Jake is in that position is because
he does some of this ship and as long as
I think we understand, we understand that he's backing it up.
That that's most important for me watching him, is that
(10:56):
he's backing it up. Now people can say he didn't
fight a real fighter and all other stuff been asking
it was a real fighter, I mean, not a boxer,
but he was a real fighter. And then it almost
reminds me of you know, I got into some fights
back in the day where you go up and and
somebody like, oh, yeah, he can't do that to me,
and then you go and you punish him and you
do something to him, and then the next guy said,
oh yeah, I bet he can't do that to me.
(11:18):
Then you go you punish him, and so it's always
another guy saying he won't do that to me. Is
that what you guys seeing, because I've just seen Tyrone
Tyron Woodley you know, calling him out, some other guys
calling he can he can get it, next to he
can get it if he wants to say he can
get it, no problem. So so you're you guys open
Flori fight with Tyrone will Tyron Woodley has no I
(11:39):
trust me, I respect him. He's a very very good,
very good. M M. A fighter, he's excellent, he's I
was a fan of him. But he doesn't he doesn't
want to. He doesn't know nothing about that ring like that.
He'll go out the exact same way. I'm telling you
can get it to no problem. We gotta look, we
gotta list the guys that can get it. Tyron's on
the very top. He wants to step up ship, he
can get it too. You know, what's all due respecting
(11:59):
I'm I'm not I'm not trash talking him at all.
I'm just saying, if he wants to, it's no problem
with We're not going nowhere. So what's look? And I agree,
and that's I think that's one of the ones that
um that people would have actually to enjoy seeing. And
then too, Tyron is is respected and what he does,
and so by Jake going out and having a good performance,
(12:23):
now you started to silence a lot of these critics.
What when do you think it? What do you think
of the style? Because what I what I see right
now is coming from Jake's way, and I know he'd
do all the other ship and it's part of what
he do. But when do you think of the style
was somebody. People want to sit back and say, you
know what, Okay, this dude can go. I mean if
he would have, if Ben would have made it to
the second or third round, then people would have seen
(12:46):
a lot of Jake's skill set. I'm telling you these
couple of little things that we do good, it's gonna
knock a lot of people out. I telling you it's
gonna knock a lot of people out. So once we
get into a round two and three, then people will
see more of the skill set. It's gonna take him
probably going two or three rounds and one of these
fikes with somebody who's well respected for people actually start
giving him the respect. But uh, I see it in
the gym every day. I mean he does it for
six rounds. He doesn't great rounds. I'm rotating speign partners
(13:08):
in the whole time, bringing in fresh guys, always putting
him in a disadvantage to where any moment of the fight,
like he he's so prepared coming into these fights, showing
you have he is so overly prepared for these fights,
Like Ben I told, I said it at the press
comments like two weeks for the fight. I said, Ben
has no idea what he's getting in into. He has
no clue and uh and by the time you know
(13:28):
the bell rings staff person, it's gonna be too late.
But I just worked so hard. I'm making sure Jake
is prepared for any situation. It doesn't matter what it is.
A boxer, a banger. Guy's got good condition, guys a
good inside fighter, guys are good on the outside. We
work everything, Bro, he's so over prepared for these fights.
I put him in with a million different styles as sparing.
I don't. I didn't only try to go find guys
like Ben Asking. I found everybody we had can't. We
(13:50):
had calls out to everybody. Bro, he's sparring, bare knuckle champions,
Andrew Tabatie, Jean Pascal, UFC guys, m m A, guys,
people from all over the play wrestlers. I put him
in with everything because that's what Raiss is boxing, I Q.
That's what teach him how to deal with certain situations
when he gets in the ring. Unless you've done it
in sparring and you've trained for it, it's tough when
you get under those lights. So you gotta put I
(14:11):
gotta put all these different situations in front of Jake,
so he knows how to handle when he sees that style.
So bro, he's just doing so good right now. Everything
we ask me, it's just like there's so many names
out there, like who do you think? Who do you
want to see him fight? You know? I think to
me personally, Tarron Widley would be what in my in
my opinion, because you got Taryn Woodley, who's a champion
(14:33):
in in m m A. He's been, he's been around
and yeah, I remember watching him in the mid two
thousand when you're first coming on and just him, you know,
kind of progressing and being and whatever. Now and I
think by Jay Jake having a strong outing against Woodley, um,
I think it's gonna turn a lot of heads because
of how respected Wholly is now been asked when people
can say whatever, you know, no, I'll tell you this.
(14:54):
I like one thing to piss me off. I've been
asking thing And I had a I had a solo
podcast like a week or two ago or a few
weeks ago at right after the fight is when people
say the fight's rigged right, that's to me me personally
that that was the the ultimate sign of like not
even hate. It's like a disrespect level, Like you got
(15:15):
a guy like been asking that is decorated what he did, right,
So nobody's taking a dive. He's not trying to get
his ass whopped in front of millions of people. And
then you got Jake who was put in the work
to actually go and knock him out. And I don't
know what m M A fighting You guys are sparring
and training with before, but he called it. He's he
said that Ben was going to get knocked out. I
(15:35):
mean so when I seen that, I said, man, this
this sucks. You know, you hate you hate on this
kid so much that you're not willing to acknowledge that
this was a clean and brutal knockout. Everybody who Jake
sparred this entire camp came out of the ring saying
Jake's knocking Been out, no question about it. So it's
(15:55):
one of those things where just like you said, man like,
sometimes you gotta get in there with somebody to see
it and believe it for yourself. And every single spar
impartant we had coming up the fight. After the fight,
they came in looking at Jake one way, they came
out with a completely different look for him. So that
he gets people's respect because he does some a couple
of things, you know, a couple of things very very
good and uh he's he doesn't at a very high
(16:17):
level with this distance and his spacing and his taunt
and his jabs and changing levels, and it gives people
a lot of problems. Man. So people come out of
the ring if they spar and they're like this, this
motherfucker really fight. He really can. So it is what
it is. He's still kind of new. People are like,
you know, still trying to get wrapped their head around
the fact that a YouTuber, you know, a Disney character
third place in the Challenger Games. He setting all this
(16:37):
funny stuff to like try to you know, bring like
show like where he was before now. But it's like
people a people are starting to catch on everybody that
spars and comes out of the ring saying, man, this kid,
this kid really fight. So you know we're hit in
the right direction. What what's the what's the altimate goal?
Because I see he's um he partnered with a hit.
You know, he got a hands funt thing going on.
Um he got a few. I mean he's got a
(16:59):
ton of stuff going What's what's the ultsman goal. I know,
you guys mean is it for him to you know,
get to econom McGregor, or is it to get to
a big name boxer or whoever that may be. What's
what's the ultsman goal with you guys? I think the goal?
I mean, that's that's probably a question. Really Ja could
answer better than me, But um, just just making big,
entertaining fights with people that you know, fight, fighters that
(17:20):
you know, people that want to actually see him fight,
whether that's Connor, whether that's Nick Diaz, whether it's Nick Diaz,
whether it's guys like that. I mean, those are those
are tough, tough guys. Those are credible, credible guys. I
don't care you're talking about and the and the octagon,
if you're talking about the boxing wing. Those are well respected,
tough guys, and those are the kind of fights I
think that Jake wants eventually. Um, people talking about Tommy Fury,
(17:41):
the nephew of Tyson Fury, who's you know four Oh. Also,
I mean he's like there's a there's a lot of things.
How did how did he jump in? Because he he
was talking on the behalf of of Tyson. Yeah, and
so you know, I saw that Jake was, you know,
making fun of as he as he do whatever, you
know what, everybody, but how did how did that happen?
Did he just jump in a conversation what? No, I'm
(18:01):
not sure exactly how it happened, but it just, uh,
all of a sudden, you know, he starts talking. He's
got a good social media following. I guess he was
on some reality show in the UK and he's well known,
so you know, on paper, it kind of made sense.
You know, he's, you know, Tommy Fury's tyson Fury, the
heavyweight champions little brother. I mean, come on, like these
gypsies grow up a different way, man. These are some tough, tough,
(18:21):
tough guys, very tough guys, rugged guys. The father and
the uncle Peter. I mean, these guys are no bullshit guys.
I mean, these guys really can teach you how to fight.
So um, that's another big name too. But uh but
but as far as the m M A guys like
I like Nate Diaz, I like Nick Das. I like
those guys. They're tough, tough, tough kids from from California.
(18:42):
Give him a payday and they put on a great event.
A big fight, and uh, everybody wins, you know what
I'm saying. So, and and Jake's ready for those guys,
and and nobody in the in the in the m
m A world thinks Jake is. So that's what makes
it more intriguing. You know, people say, oh, no, there's
no way Jake's gonna bet Nadias or Nidias. So and
but those kind of guy, that's a tough, credible guys,
and those are kind of fights that you know, I
(19:02):
like for Jake go, man, I can't wait to see it.
I'm just I'm happy for Jake, man. I hope he's
stayed on his path. And I'm happy for you, man,
because I really did this come to me personally being
around you guys. He he needed you around him, not
you know, your discipline, uh that you bring and your
experience and then with his mindset and the building build
because people understand when you're that big, it's hard to
(19:25):
get through two people, man, you know, it's hard to
get through. And for somebody to be as successful as
he as as young and still be able to open
his ears and listen, he's gonna go places, man, So
big credit to you. And what y'all building over there. Um,
you know I'll be down there soon. I gotta come
and see the Miami crib and check you out a
lot down there anytime. Man. Well, thanks for having me on.
I appreciate it. And uh, like I said, just any
(19:46):
any shedding any positive light on Jake about what he's
trying to do, what he's you know, the obstacles he's
got to deal with all the time, like all the
ship that comes out of the media and with his
training and everything. It's just like the kid's gotta full play.
He's got a lot to deal with it. He just
he handles it so professionally every day and my job
is just to make sure anything he needs I got
back on whatever it is and more teams. So that's it.
(20:07):
Now you're a blessing to him. Dog. Hey but cool man,
I'll come down that see you soon. Bro. Appreciate you
coming on. Thanks guys for listening to another lights Out
podcast with me, Seawan Merriman. Uh, that's a lot of insight. Man.
It was cool for me to be there. And look,
I'm I called myself between the right because you know,
(20:28):
I have old screw mentality. You played football, you know,
back in early men two men, two thousands, and football
was different then. And you know, I always say it
to myself. I don't want to be the old guy
and come back say oh yeah, it's soft now. So
I understand the social media side, to understand the UM,
the discipline of the squarter boxing and UM with great
conversation with b J Force, who's Jake Paul's trainer, UM,
(20:51):
and thank him for coming on. Thank you guys for
listening in to another lighttop podcast me Sean MArmand keep subscribing,
keep believing those great reviews. I try to read all
of them, UM, but it's up to you. It's it's
all you, guys. It's just really supporting the podcast. I
guess you. I guess you like what you're hearing. So
we'll be back next week with another one, and uh,
stay tuned
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!