March 4, 2025 • 14 mins
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This is rewind to Neil's chat with former Australian professional boxer, Michael Alan Katsidis who competed from 2001 to 2017. Hear more back in season 9 of Secrets of the Underworld
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Approche production from from amateur You went to Sydney Olympics. Yes,
does I feel when you were going to represent Australia.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Mate, Yeah? Yeah, it made it so good. Like so
I was like I went, I won the Ocean of
Games and you know, to do that was pretty tough.
You know. I was at the AIS preparing for it,
you know, with the with the you know, with Australia's
the lead athletes and these training camps and that, and
like I got really sick, man, I got really sick
before that fight. I was it was just really I
(00:40):
don't know whether it was the weather or what. I
got sick. And you know, I rang my mom and
I had my family there. My family loved me. Have
a lot of Greek family here in Sydney. They're very
supportive of what I wanted to do. And and you know,
I used that passion from inside, you know, to dig
deep and I really wanted you know, I really want
this real bad and I've learned that you know, if
you want something more than you want to breathe, You're
going to achieve it, you know. And I was so
(01:01):
sick and the guy that so I was in Australian
b team. I was never the A player to represent
Australia in the Big Games. I was the B player
because I lost at the Australian titles to an older
or more developed fighter. He was twenty eight years of age.
I was just a kid, you know, eighteen or something
nineteen at the age at the time. Anyway. So he
got knocked out or beat by a guy called remeal
Able but from New Zealand. I'm sick. I've beat my
(01:24):
guy from Fiji or wherever he was from. And I
was fighting the guy that beat the guy that beat me,
you know, And I was like, Mom, I'm so sick.
You know what am I going to do? And she said, Love,
you know how much you want this? And you know
it's got to be now. You know, this is your
trying to make the change because you don't have to
dig with him within. You're gonna have to dig deep
within yourself. Son, You're gonna have to dig within yourself.
And I said, okay, I'm okay, I know I really
(01:46):
want this, you know, man, I fucking dig deep. And
I knocked that fucker out, you know, I fought him
and I knocked him out. Like I just looked down
at my family, all my family were there, like all
the Greek side of my family all there. Man. I
was like the Olympics. I'm gold to the Olympics, you know,
and like and the confidence that gives a young guy
(02:06):
like the age of nineteen and I've got to the
Olympics and I won the first round of competition. It's
like You're put up in front of the world. Is
this great icon? You know? And that helped me build
a lot of confidence in my life. And yeah, yeah,
it was one of the best moments. I remember being
at the opening ceremony with it like one of them
VCR little cameras put the camera on myself on is
(02:29):
the happiest moment of my life. You know. I was like,
you know, the superstars around me. Back then we had
Thorpi on it. It was big.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Is that when you decided to ten pro after that?
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Yeah? Oh yeah I did. I decided to turn pro.
Yeah I did. I turned pro and and I won
the state title. For my first fight, I won the Australian title.
Back then, I used to fight twelve rounds for the
Australian title against Danny Wilson. Yeah, Danny Wilson was the
first fight, yes, yep. And I knocked him out to
take the title of him. And then I thought James
Swan for the for the Australian title as well. That
(03:01):
was twelve rounds, big, big fight because he beat me
in the amateurs guy and that was another confidence.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Being amateur for you know, so long for what you did,
did you s? Did you feel it was a lot
hard or quicker? And all like that? It was different,
totally different in the ring.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
It is that there are two different sports. Like the
professional fight game is the hurt business, you know, like
in there with a very good and you've got the
thin gloves that we used that used to use the
horse hair cleaner rays where you can pull the horse
hair back and you just got the plass on your hands.
It's more of a thud, you know. I remember interviewing
back Rulings a little while ago. She's like a band
knuckle fighter back Rollings, and and I was like, because
I did a bit of work with seven plus and
(03:41):
and and asking her some questions and I wanted to
know and she said, like, you know, like that, you know,
the bare knuckle fighting, you know, it hurts more with
the gloves, you know, with the gloves. It's just more
of a sting with the knuckles, but hurts small with
a you know, with the gloves on it, and it's
in there you can put really put the fear of
life into a fighter when you fight them. When you've
got those gloves on, you can really and that that
worked in my favor. One thing I learned with you
(04:03):
got to be patient. You've got to be lax and
be calm under pressure. Yeah, you got to strike when
the iron's hot. You'd act man at times, right, you do,
but there's a lot to be said and acting at
the right time. And because you've got three minutes. It's
not just back then it was only two minute rounds
with the amateurs, but these were you know, with three
minute rounds, and you know, as a professional owner to
(04:25):
just take my time, take my time, and when you
had to put the foot down, just put the foot
down and go.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
You didn't feel like he wanted to do another Olympics
after this, like yeah, just to go to pro.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
No. I was meant to be a pro. I was
meant to be a pro. And I think, as you
can see right now, like we are, we are still
behind in the level of boxing. That we need to be.
I'll tell you something that I had a conversation with
one of the head Cuban coaches and and and I said,
what do we need to do as Aussie's to be
(04:54):
better fighters? You know? And he couldn't speak very good English,
and he didn't want to give us an insult, but
he goes, he goes Ozzie, he goes to this tough compliment, right,
but he went, oh, oh, you know because Russia, Cuba,
Germany goes smart my listening to play play play, he
goes Aussie, Rassia, Cuba, they play. And that's exactly how
(05:19):
they do it, you know. Like like you can see
a lot of these guys when they're going out there
to fight. They're like they got the whole country behind them,
you know, and they're like they can't help get that yeah,
you know, get that drive, you know, which is a
beautiful thing. But you know when you put that emotion,
emotion takes away power, takes away energy. You know, it's
good to have, but you need to have that focus
and that drive.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
And so after after.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
The Dunny Wilson one, yep, you won the Australian as
you said to Australian title yep, the wo Asian Pacific Yes,
and the Ibsan Pacific yes.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
What was the film when you want all them titles?
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Unbelievable, unbelievable?
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Did you have it in your mind? This is what?
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Yeah? Yeah, yeah, But it was never enough. It was
never enough. No, no, no, no no. It wasn't until
I won the world title, until I was walking on
the boulevard twenty three twenty three wins with twenty one knockouts,
thinking how great is this on the million dollar paydays,
and like, how you know? This is great? You know,
like the worlds at your feet? Then you know, and
then you sort of and then you're you're left thinking
(06:15):
to yourself, you know what next? You know what next?
You know? Then you lose your brother and it's just
like you, well, just like you just ah yeah, but
you know you. So I kept fighting instead of coming
back home and dealing with the trauma, I decided to
keep on fighting and going for the bigger cash, bigger cash.
And then my clarity wasn't there. You know, I'm just
(06:36):
masking my pain consistently, and I think.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
If it would have made your trauma worse coming.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Back, I could Yeah, I could have been dead by
now I could have been dead. I could have you know,
ultimately more money, more money made even more foolish mistakes.
You know, this feeling of inconvincibility that you have, you know,
like when you just keep masking the pain, Like I
made some really stupid decisions. And look, I'll be honest,
I'm starting again in life. But I'm not doing nothing.
I'm like, I'm doing a lot. I'm doing everything I can.
(07:03):
You know, I've got the you know, I've got the
great blueprint. You know, I've got the bullet the bulletproof mindset.
This is the stuff that I'm doing all via my Instagram.
I'm reaching out. I've been very active. I'm instagram lately.
You know, I'm grabbing this world with two hands. I've
got a floring company that I'm involved with. You know,
I work every given opportunity that I can. You know,
I work for you know, we're raising houses as well,
you know, with a couple of mates I went to
(07:23):
school with in Twin Colin and David Marshall. Like they've
been so great, Like there's some good people out there
in this world. And instead of like you know, the underworld,
like instead of like you know, the guys from where where,
like you know where, I'm responsible. I'm the one for
my actions and I'm responsible for who I choose or
what I choose to do. People people just generally they
(07:44):
do want to help, whether their intentions are either which way.
I think people do really just want to help. But
ultimately it's me that makes the decisions. And you know,
like now I'm just I just surround myself with positive
people that are helping me in my career and if
I can help them, like we work like Colin David
with Stump, Like I work with them guys, and you know,
it's such a good thing. And they still support me
(08:06):
to come down here and do podcasts and and to
catch up with like Johnny Lewis and like I spent
like two hours with George Cambosa's today and another two
hours with him like a couple of days ago. It's
like it's mad, and you know, I'm going to Melbourne soon,
Like it's just all these things have always been my fingertims.
And then you know Baron Michaels and you know, like
I'm on the phone with Brandon Smith almost every day.
(08:28):
Even my very first trainer, Mike Beetros back in t
of these names that you might not even know. But
these people are really important to me, you know. And
I'm very fortunate to have the memory and have the
life that I have and the experience that I have,
and I can pass on a lot to a lot
of other people.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
You want to be you would want to be a
trainer yourself.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
I am a trainer, but like have someone like maybe
I'll go in the Olympics and ah yeah, yeah, Australian
trainer for the box. I'm working on it. So at
the moment, on my offering my services online so so
I can just get my network out wide to the world.
So I've got I've got a partner with Marty Cornish's
my brand manager, so he's unpacked all my knowledge from
(09:07):
my brain so I can pass on a lot of
my knowledge to people. So we're doing all recording next
week so we get these modules together and deliver what
we say we're going to deliver to people. And I
really want to help people with what they're doing and
achieve their very best. But I do have my own
a couple of guys. I spoke to a young Greek
guy today in Melbourne. I've been watching him for a while.
(09:29):
And there's another friend of mine, very very he's super
freak and I'm telling you, when he comes out, it's
going to be Australia's next Mike Tyson. You know, this
guy's name is Tyrex Swan, and make this guy when
when the time's right, I'll release him. I'll release him.
But when the it's just you know, he's just waiting.
But when the time's white, I released him because I
(09:49):
know when when Michael Kat said this has a fighter
good and ready, I know that everyone's going they know
they're going to be in for a fight. But this
guy is going to be a recoing machine when he
comes out. And so when the time's right, I'll release him.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
When you've won these titles, we'll go back to when
you want the WBO and the IBF and like that,
ye as he said, you know, like you found guilty
for an assault charge?
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Yes, two thousand, yes, yes.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
Now do you think that this from this point there
you were starting to spiral or do you think that
was just out of character?
Speaker 2 (10:17):
I think Look, I was I had a young young kid,
you know, I was very hot headed, and some guy
at some puble sleeping with my mates missus and he
was the manager of the bar. And you can't just
walk into a bar and knock out the manager, you know,
you can't do that. And they say they take them,
eat them biscuits and like them apples, mate, and just
take off. It doesn't work like that, you know, you can't.
(10:37):
You know. I was like, you know, I had an
ego on me, you know, and you know there's like
a lot of people do. But like people do you
think people use you because of who you are?
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Yeah, listen, can you short this up for me?
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Yeah? Yeah, Like like I knew too though, like you know,
I can't blame anyone else. I think that's on me too,
Like I have to own my own actions, and you know,
and that's another mistake I found with a lot of
people that have been found guilty of their crimes and
that they don't want to have accountability. I was, you know,
I was, I was fault, you know, and perhaps if
I put my hand up belting and say yes, I'm guilty,
(11:11):
then then you know, I wouldn't have went to jail.
But I went to jail then. But I was just
like I don't know how many people do this, But
like both times I've been in jail. I've sat down,
I said to myself, how fucking great is this? You know?
I have gratitude. I'm so thankful because I know that
I'm going to come out the other end. I just know.
I just know, no matter what it is, I'm going
to come out the other end. And just as I
did with my boxing, this time, I just sat in
(11:33):
that cell for two years thinking about what I'm going
to do. How what am I going to do when
I get out? Yes, And I'm going to help other people,
Yes I am. Am. I going to use this experience
to help and better myself and better other people. Yes
I am. You know, Am I going to make money? Yes?
Am I going to be a good family man?
Speaker 3 (11:47):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (11:47):
I am.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
I'm going to keep on building building building building, and
these things will take time and as part of my purpose,
part of my mission now. No, no, no, no no.
So it's just I think. Sobriety has been everything for me.
It's made a big change. You know, I'm like two
and a half year is you know, I refuse to
go into addiction, you know, And I just whereas like
(12:11):
it used to be, like I could I could people's
actions and their behaviors. Was normal for me for people
to be like that. But now I said, well, you know,
I'm not happy with that. You know, you don't seek
comfortable with some behaviors of certain people, and you just
know to walk the other direction.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
But did you think it affected you going to jail
in two thousand.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
And two, But it affects you a lot. No, give shit, no, no, no, no,
it's not give a shit. I remember writing letters word
for word on postcards to America to Robbie Peden in America,
and he tells me to this day he never received it. Brother,
I knew he how Florida and address in Florida. I
was talking on the phone to Brendan Smith every day
(12:49):
and Mick be Truss, and I got Robbie Peton's address
in Florida, and I sent a postcard like international mail,
and I fit same in little words on that little postcard,
like I just wanted to emulate his career, and I did.
I wanted to emulate Rocky Rocky from the movie and
like from the first guy's hands. I shook when I
landed in America, I say, at the Rissevelt Hotel, walked
(13:10):
out there was it was a Rocky five premiere Sylvester
Salone walked out, shook the hands, and I shook his hand.
I couldn't believe it was like that was I wanted
to say to me, I was Rocky. They called me Rocky,
you know, I was you you know, and you know,
I wanted to emulate Robbie Peaton's career and I did
just that. He went over he thought Mark Antonio Berrera,
and I would always check him with Pete and always
(13:32):
check him with Pean even now check him with peteen,
you know. And you know he would say to me,
you know, like you know, to make mixed day overseas,
they overseason, all your bills all be paid over season.
I kept doing that, and you know, I went leaping
dound just taking the right advice from the right people.
And you know, like obviously I had to learn the
lesson the hard way. And now it's my it's my job.
I feel it's my mission to empower others. And so
(13:53):
so you know, these young people coming up in the world,
they look, look, am I going to go this way
and I'm going to go that way? You know, like
I can tell them straight now, jail is a fucked place.
It's a fucked place.
Approche production from from amateur You went to Sydney Olympics. Yes,
does I feel when you were going to represent Australia.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Mate, Yeah? Yeah, it made it so good. Like so
I was like I went, I won the Ocean of
Games and you know, to do that was pretty tough.
You know. I was at the AIS preparing for it,
you know, with the with the you know, with Australia's
the lead athletes and these training camps and that, and
like I got really sick, man, I got really sick
before that fight. I was it was just really I
(00:40):
don't know whether it was the weather or what. I
got sick. And you know, I rang my mom and
I had my family there. My family loved me. Have
a lot of Greek family here in Sydney. They're very
supportive of what I wanted to do. And and you know,
I used that passion from inside, you know, to dig
deep and I really wanted you know, I really want
this real bad and I've learned that you know, if
you want something more than you want to breathe, You're
going to achieve it, you know. And I was so
(01:01):
sick and the guy that so I was in Australian
b team. I was never the A player to represent
Australia in the Big Games. I was the B player
because I lost at the Australian titles to an older
or more developed fighter. He was twenty eight years of age.
I was just a kid, you know, eighteen or something
nineteen at the age at the time. Anyway. So he
got knocked out or beat by a guy called remeal
Able but from New Zealand. I'm sick. I've beat my
(01:24):
guy from Fiji or wherever he was from. And I
was fighting the guy that beat the guy that beat me,
you know, And I was like, Mom, I'm so sick.
You know what am I going to do? And she said, Love,
you know how much you want this? And you know
it's got to be now. You know, this is your
trying to make the change because you don't have to
dig with him within. You're gonna have to dig deep
within yourself. Son, You're gonna have to dig within yourself.
And I said, okay, I'm okay, I know I really
(01:46):
want this, you know, man, I fucking dig deep. And
I knocked that fucker out, you know, I fought him
and I knocked him out. Like I just looked down
at my family, all my family were there, like all
the Greek side of my family all there. Man. I
was like the Olympics. I'm gold to the Olympics, you know,
and like and the confidence that gives a young guy
(02:06):
like the age of nineteen and I've got to the
Olympics and I won the first round of competition. It's
like You're put up in front of the world. Is
this great icon? You know? And that helped me build
a lot of confidence in my life. And yeah, yeah,
it was one of the best moments. I remember being
at the opening ceremony with it like one of them
VCR little cameras put the camera on myself on is
(02:29):
the happiest moment of my life. You know. I was like,
you know, the superstars around me. Back then we had
Thorpi on it. It was big.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Is that when you decided to ten pro after that?
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Yeah? Oh yeah I did. I decided to turn pro.
Yeah I did. I turned pro and and I won
the state title. For my first fight, I won the Australian title.
Back then, I used to fight twelve rounds for the
Australian title against Danny Wilson. Yeah, Danny Wilson was the
first fight, yes, yep. And I knocked him out to
take the title of him. And then I thought James
Swan for the for the Australian title as well. That
(03:01):
was twelve rounds, big, big fight because he beat me
in the amateurs guy and that was another confidence.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Being amateur for you know, so long for what you did,
did you s? Did you feel it was a lot
hard or quicker? And all like that? It was different,
totally different in the ring.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
It is that there are two different sports. Like the
professional fight game is the hurt business, you know, like
in there with a very good and you've got the
thin gloves that we used that used to use the
horse hair cleaner rays where you can pull the horse
hair back and you just got the plass on your hands.
It's more of a thud, you know. I remember interviewing
back Rulings a little while ago. She's like a band
knuckle fighter back Rollings, and and I was like, because
I did a bit of work with seven plus and
(03:41):
and and asking her some questions and I wanted to
know and she said, like, you know, like that, you know,
the bare knuckle fighting, you know, it hurts more with
the gloves, you know, with the gloves. It's just more
of a sting with the knuckles, but hurts small with
a you know, with the gloves on it, and it's
in there you can put really put the fear of
life into a fighter when you fight them. When you've
got those gloves on, you can really and that that
worked in my favor. One thing I learned with you
(04:03):
got to be patient. You've got to be lax and
be calm under pressure. Yeah, you got to strike when
the iron's hot. You'd act man at times, right, you do,
but there's a lot to be said and acting at
the right time. And because you've got three minutes. It's
not just back then it was only two minute rounds
with the amateurs, but these were you know, with three
minute rounds, and you know, as a professional owner to
(04:25):
just take my time, take my time, and when you
had to put the foot down, just put the foot
down and go.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
You didn't feel like he wanted to do another Olympics
after this, like yeah, just to go to pro.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
No. I was meant to be a pro. I was
meant to be a pro. And I think, as you
can see right now, like we are, we are still
behind in the level of boxing. That we need to be.
I'll tell you something that I had a conversation with
one of the head Cuban coaches and and and I said,
what do we need to do as Aussie's to be
(04:54):
better fighters? You know? And he couldn't speak very good English,
and he didn't want to give us an insult, but
he goes, he goes Ozzie, he goes to this tough compliment, right,
but he went, oh, oh, you know because Russia, Cuba,
Germany goes smart my listening to play play play, he
goes Aussie, Rassia, Cuba, they play. And that's exactly how
(05:19):
they do it, you know. Like like you can see
a lot of these guys when they're going out there
to fight. They're like they got the whole country behind them,
you know, and they're like they can't help get that yeah,
you know, get that drive, you know, which is a
beautiful thing. But you know when you put that emotion,
emotion takes away power, takes away energy. You know, it's
good to have, but you need to have that focus
and that drive.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
And so after after.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
The Dunny Wilson one, yep, you won the Australian as
you said to Australian title yep, the wo Asian Pacific Yes,
and the Ibsan Pacific yes.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
What was the film when you want all them titles?
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Unbelievable, unbelievable?
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Did you have it in your mind? This is what?
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Yeah? Yeah, yeah, But it was never enough. It was
never enough. No, no, no, no no. It wasn't until
I won the world title, until I was walking on
the boulevard twenty three twenty three wins with twenty one knockouts,
thinking how great is this on the million dollar paydays,
and like, how you know? This is great? You know,
like the worlds at your feet? Then you know, and
then you sort of and then you're you're left thinking
(06:15):
to yourself, you know what next? You know what next?
You know? Then you lose your brother and it's just
like you, well, just like you just ah yeah, but
you know you. So I kept fighting instead of coming
back home and dealing with the trauma, I decided to
keep on fighting and going for the bigger cash, bigger cash.
And then my clarity wasn't there. You know, I'm just
(06:36):
masking my pain consistently, and I think.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
If it would have made your trauma worse coming.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Back, I could Yeah, I could have been dead by
now I could have been dead. I could have you know,
ultimately more money, more money made even more foolish mistakes.
You know, this feeling of inconvincibility that you have, you know,
like when you just keep masking the pain, Like I
made some really stupid decisions. And look, I'll be honest,
I'm starting again in life. But I'm not doing nothing.
I'm like, I'm doing a lot. I'm doing everything I can.
(07:03):
You know, I've got the you know, I've got the
great blueprint. You know, I've got the bullet the bulletproof mindset.
This is the stuff that I'm doing all via my Instagram.
I'm reaching out. I've been very active. I'm instagram lately.
You know, I'm grabbing this world with two hands. I've
got a floring company that I'm involved with. You know,
I work every given opportunity that I can. You know,
I work for you know, we're raising houses as well,
you know, with a couple of mates I went to
(07:23):
school with in Twin Colin and David Marshall. Like they've
been so great, Like there's some good people out there
in this world. And instead of like you know, the underworld,
like instead of like you know, the guys from where where,
like you know where, I'm responsible. I'm the one for
my actions and I'm responsible for who I choose or
what I choose to do. People people just generally they
(07:44):
do want to help, whether their intentions are either which way.
I think people do really just want to help. But
ultimately it's me that makes the decisions. And you know,
like now I'm just I just surround myself with positive
people that are helping me in my career and if
I can help them, like we work like Colin David
with Stump, Like I work with them guys, and you know,
it's such a good thing. And they still support me
(08:06):
to come down here and do podcasts and and to
catch up with like Johnny Lewis and like I spent
like two hours with George Cambosa's today and another two
hours with him like a couple of days ago. It's
like it's mad, and you know, I'm going to Melbourne soon,
Like it's just all these things have always been my fingertims.
And then you know Baron Michaels and you know, like
I'm on the phone with Brandon Smith almost every day.
(08:28):
Even my very first trainer, Mike Beetros back in t
of these names that you might not even know. But
these people are really important to me, you know. And
I'm very fortunate to have the memory and have the
life that I have and the experience that I have,
and I can pass on a lot to a lot
of other people.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
You want to be you would want to be a
trainer yourself.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
I am a trainer, but like have someone like maybe
I'll go in the Olympics and ah yeah, yeah, Australian
trainer for the box. I'm working on it. So at
the moment, on my offering my services online so so
I can just get my network out wide to the world.
So I've got I've got a partner with Marty Cornish's
my brand manager, so he's unpacked all my knowledge from
(09:07):
my brain so I can pass on a lot of
my knowledge to people. So we're doing all recording next
week so we get these modules together and deliver what
we say we're going to deliver to people. And I
really want to help people with what they're doing and
achieve their very best. But I do have my own
a couple of guys. I spoke to a young Greek
guy today in Melbourne. I've been watching him for a while.
(09:29):
And there's another friend of mine, very very he's super
freak and I'm telling you, when he comes out, it's
going to be Australia's next Mike Tyson. You know, this
guy's name is Tyrex Swan, and make this guy when
when the time's right, I'll release him. I'll release him.
But when the it's just you know, he's just waiting.
But when the time's white, I released him because I
(09:49):
know when when Michael Kat said this has a fighter
good and ready, I know that everyone's going they know
they're going to be in for a fight. But this
guy is going to be a recoing machine when he
comes out. And so when the time's right, I'll release him.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
When you've won these titles, we'll go back to when
you want the WBO and the IBF and like that,
ye as he said, you know, like you found guilty
for an assault charge?
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Yes, two thousand, yes, yes.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
Now do you think that this from this point there
you were starting to spiral or do you think that
was just out of character?
Speaker 2 (10:17):
I think Look, I was I had a young young kid,
you know, I was very hot headed, and some guy
at some puble sleeping with my mates missus and he
was the manager of the bar. And you can't just
walk into a bar and knock out the manager, you know,
you can't do that. And they say they take them,
eat them biscuits and like them apples, mate, and just
take off. It doesn't work like that, you know, you can't.
(10:37):
You know. I was like, you know, I had an
ego on me, you know, and you know there's like
a lot of people do. But like people do you
think people use you because of who you are?
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Yeah, listen, can you short this up for me?
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Yeah? Yeah, Like like I knew too though, like you know,
I can't blame anyone else. I think that's on me too,
Like I have to own my own actions, and you know,
and that's another mistake I found with a lot of
people that have been found guilty of their crimes and
that they don't want to have accountability. I was, you know,
I was, I was fault, you know, and perhaps if
I put my hand up belting and say yes, I'm guilty,
(11:11):
then then you know, I wouldn't have went to jail.
But I went to jail then. But I was just
like I don't know how many people do this, But
like both times I've been in jail. I've sat down,
I said to myself, how fucking great is this? You know?
I have gratitude. I'm so thankful because I know that
I'm going to come out the other end. I just know.
I just know, no matter what it is, I'm going
to come out the other end. And just as I
did with my boxing, this time, I just sat in
(11:33):
that cell for two years thinking about what I'm going
to do. How what am I going to do when
I get out? Yes, And I'm going to help other people,
Yes I am. Am. I going to use this experience
to help and better myself and better other people. Yes
I am. You know, Am I going to make money? Yes?
Am I going to be a good family man?
Speaker 3 (11:47):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (11:47):
I am.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
I'm going to keep on building building building building, and
these things will take time and as part of my purpose,
part of my mission now. No, no, no, no no.
So it's just I think. Sobriety has been everything for me.
It's made a big change. You know, I'm like two
and a half year is you know, I refuse to
go into addiction, you know, And I just whereas like
(12:11):
it used to be, like I could I could people's
actions and their behaviors. Was normal for me for people
to be like that. But now I said, well, you know,
I'm not happy with that. You know, you don't seek
comfortable with some behaviors of certain people, and you just
know to walk the other direction.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
But did you think it affected you going to jail
in two thousand.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
And two, But it affects you a lot. No, give shit, no, no, no, no,
it's not give a shit. I remember writing letters word
for word on postcards to America to Robbie Peden in America,
and he tells me to this day he never received it. Brother,
I knew he how Florida and address in Florida. I
was talking on the phone to Brendan Smith every day
(12:49):
and Mick be Truss, and I got Robbie Peton's address
in Florida, and I sent a postcard like international mail,
and I fit same in little words on that little postcard,
like I just wanted to emulate his career, and I did.
I wanted to emulate Rocky Rocky from the movie and
like from the first guy's hands. I shook when I
landed in America, I say, at the Rissevelt Hotel, walked
(13:10):
out there was it was a Rocky five premiere Sylvester
Salone walked out, shook the hands, and I shook his hand.
I couldn't believe it was like that was I wanted
to say to me, I was Rocky. They called me Rocky,
you know, I was you you know, and you know,
I wanted to emulate Robbie Peaton's career and I did
just that. He went over he thought Mark Antonio Berrera,
and I would always check him with Pete and always
(13:32):
check him with Pean even now check him with peteen,
you know. And you know he would say to me,
you know, like you know, to make mixed day overseas,
they overseason, all your bills all be paid over season.
I kept doing that, and you know, I went leaping
dound just taking the right advice from the right people.
And you know, like obviously I had to learn the
lesson the hard way. And now it's my it's my job.
I feel it's my mission to empower others. And so
(13:53):
so you know, these young people coming up in the world,
they look, look, am I going to go this way
and I'm going to go that way? You know, like
I can tell them straight now, jail is a fucked place.
It's a fucked place.
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