June 18, 2025 • 61 mins
Hello Friends,
In this episode, Chris and Mike sit down with Fred Johnson, a professional boxer from Florida, who shares his journey in the boxing world. Fred discusses his transition from amateur to professional boxing, the challenges he faced, and the importance of mental health and coaching in his life.
He also highlights the significance of giving back to the community by coaching young boxers and the challenges boxing faces in the current sports landscape, especially with the rise of MMA. The conversation delves into the business side of boxing, including the role of promoters and the impact of losses on a boxer's career.
In this engaging conversation, Fred shares his journey into professional boxing, discussing the importance of popularity in the sport, his rigorous training regimen, and the mental preparation required for fight day. He reflects on the psychology of fighting, the significance of scoring and judging in boxing, and his aspirations for the future.
The discussion highlights the dedication and discipline required to succeed in boxing, as well as the respect and sportsmanship that come with being a professional athlete.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:30):
What's up there, boys and girls?This is the Chris and Mike show.
We have a super special guest today.
We have Fred Johnson, a boxer out of Florida is actually
coming on the show to talk all things about life and boxing and
being a pugilist. Welcome, Fred.
How are you? Welcome Fred, nice to meet.
You. Nice to meet you too.
How you? We're good.
So just so people know, I'm in Arizona, Mikes in Illinois, and
(00:53):
you're in Florida. Yes, Sir.
Right on. How's Florida today?
It's been raining all week off and on.
Still warm though. Yeah, yeah.
It's like it's the armpit of America, right?
The humidity. Yeah.
What part of Florida are you in?Calm out of Florida.
It's like 40 minutes South of the Tampa.
Still considering the Bay Area alittle bit.
(01:14):
OK, right where you're at. OK.
OK. And born and born and raised in
Florida. That's where hometown
everything. Yes, Sir.
Right on right on and so give usa little bit of background on
you. You're obviously a boxer get
litter and just so you know too,this is at the why we're doing
this right now. We're we're we stream live on on
YouTube, but then we'll also have we'll have we'll drop this
(01:35):
whatever lineup we are and all that kind of jazz.
So people can re watch this if they're not able to join the
YouTube broadcast. So OK, give us a little bit
background of who you are as faras you know, whatever we want to
talk. We can talk about personally, we
can talk about family life. We can talk about work life.
We can talk about boxing. You tell us, introduce yourself,
and we'll just go from there, man.
Well, I'll start off by saying I'm a pro boxer, cool out of
(01:57):
palm out of Florida. I'm a father of two.
Nice. My work and mental health.
So that's. Cool, yeah.
Yeah, yeah, I've been how long? Go ahead.
I was going to ask you how long you been a boxer.
Since I was 15. OK.
And how old are you now? 36.
Really. You don't look 36, man.
(02:18):
No, I would have never. I I couldn't have no party life.
It is a good boxer. So how so?
So you've been training basically into the world of
boxing for, what is that, 16 years?
A little longer. Yeah, OK, right on man.
And and what's, what division doyou fight in?
Well, it's a weight. OK.
And what's your record in welterweight?
(02:40):
I'm two I know as a pro right now.
OK, now congratulations. Yeah, absolutely.
So here's a question. How, how because we don't know,
I don't know the in and outs of boxing, right and and the
struggles and things like that. Like we had somebody on that
that was knee deep into into professional wrestling and kind
of had give us insight with that.
So with boxing, how long were you an amateur boxer before you
(03:01):
became a professional boxer? Well, I can't even count how
many years. Really.
I started competitive boxing at 19, but I trained since I was
15. OK, so you have 4 years of
training to become A to start competitive boxing at 19?
Actually, you compete when you're ready.
Like I was still chasing football dreams.
(03:23):
Right, right, right up, man. Chase and tell me they shut the
door. Right.
Yeah. Man, I had to make a decision.
There you go. So so why?
Why is there such a long time being an amateur and and going
into the pro level? Because I tell kids like who
want to turn a pro on boxing, A lot of people in general, not
just kids, you got to treat boxing and amateurs as let's
(03:48):
say, pee wee football. You.
Know. You got to learn.
You got to learn the basics of it, and then from there it is
high school football. OK, use that as an example.
Then you make it to college, then to the NFL.
It's kind of like you're saying,well, you want to build all that
experience, as much experience as you can in the amateurs.
Win, lose or draw right off the account before you turn on the
probe. OK, so how many amateur fights
(04:11):
have you been in? 56.
OK. And what was your what was your
record as an amateur? To two and four the.
Hell. I did.
I did underwater boxing as well too.
Wow, what's that? Under the radar bouncing.
Oh. OK, So what was your record on
that? I don't know, it was like every
(04:32):
week. Wow.
Explain that. Explain that for the people.
That don't know. Is that like, is that like
fight? Is that like Fight Club?
You don't talk about Fight Club.Yeah, it's basically that's what
it is. So I'm going to get put together
in certain nightclubs. Yeah.
OK. Wow.
You you still have all the gloves and stuff on.
It's not bare knuckle or anything like that, nothing
(04:52):
crazy. Well, we we had our hands
wrapped. Even some of the shows had had
your own. OK.
Yeah, it was dangerous, but we made sure we did the best we
could to stay safe. Yeah, of course.
So how many did you get? Yeah, Go ahead, Mike.
Sorry. Sorry, man.
You go. Go ahead.
Did you get paid at these fights?
Of course. Or why else would you do them?
(05:15):
Yeah, cut them. He asked.
He you cut off Mike, say again. Oh, did you get paid at those
fights? Or, you know, like people would
ask, why else would you do them?Experience.
Oh, there you go, experience. So even the amateur level, you
don't get paid. Experience.
(05:35):
OK, so no, he didn't get paid. OK, wow.
So the so underground boxing's experience amateur, is that a
paycheck or is that experience as well?
Amateur boxing is legit experience.
OK. Wow.
Because that's certified, right?That's a certified organization
rules, OK. That's crazy man.
(05:55):
So. So 16 years until you became a
pro? 16 years of experience but not
making a dime from doing it. Hundreds of fights because he
says he can count the other ones.
Right, right. So you got to be like it.
Like what? What 80 plus knockouts say we
have 100 fights. You're like 80 plus knockout
guy. See.
(06:17):
That's see, so to me, that's amazing that it it took you that
long to break into the pro level. 2017.
Musicians, man. 2017 I originally turned pro but.
OK. I dealt with some mental things
after the show that I was originally supposed to be on.
Damn falling through. I was already battling mental
issues like prior to going into that fight and when I fight it
(06:40):
didn't go through, which is likepretty much hung out the gloves
for a little bit. Gotcha.
I actually just got back into itlast year.
OK, OK. Like when I hung out the gloves
I dripped it into. Actually, that's when I started
working in mental health. OK.
(07:02):
And what do you what do you do in the mental health field?
I have background with that too.I worked.
OK, cool. So you work like behavioral
types type stuff like that. Yeah, but I've been, I had some
time in that field too. So I I know what that's like for
sure. And from now I started giving
back, you know, coaching kids, alot of kids.
(07:22):
And I eventually ended up pro boxing coach.
I told you Aston Muscle Gravel, that's the first pro I've
trained. OK, right on.
So I'm sure Mike and I both havethe same question.
What does it feel like getting hit in the face, in the nose, in
a boxing ring? In the beginning, I'm going to
(07:43):
take you in front of the beginning.
In the beginning, Well, what thehell is that?
You know what? I mean right, if you get popped
the right way that's how you feel but if you in a zone and
your adrenaline rushing it's youdon't really feel it.
Let me ask you this, did you play baseball?
I played baseball 2 years when Iwas a kid.
(08:04):
Did you ever get hit by the ball?
I got nipped in the air. OK, so I got just pelted and
like the first time it was, it took me forever to get back in
the batter's box, right? But once somebody explains to
you, you already know what to expect.
It seems different after that, right?
Is that what getting hit in the face is like repeatedly?
(08:25):
You just know what's coming. Yeah, I mean the stuff you see
coming, that's that due to less damage, it's what you don't see
that takes us too long into the works.
The blind side, that's that's where Mike Tyson's, you know,
uppercut that comes out of nowhere.
That's why he dropped people with that shit, because they
weren't expecting it. I've been fortunate enough to
experience that in sparring, so I won't experience that in my
(08:48):
real fights. I've been parked a couple times
in my real fights, but I really haven't been taking much
punishment. That's good.
Do you approach? Do you approach the when you get
into the ring? Do you approach it more from a
defensive standpoint, waiting for your moment to to be
offensive and aggressive? Yeah, I'm a I'm a counter
puncher we call. I stayed to like the art of bars
and well, the way my close trainme is hit and not get hit, you
(09:11):
know? Right there's there's I.
Got you right. And I'm I'm taking off.
Yeah, that's there's a today would be the best approach as a
boxer man, defensively and counter punching boxer as
opposed to, you know, the great,late, great Muhammad Ali just
dope on a rope. You know, that's the punishment
you don't want to take. So growing up, did you have any
(09:33):
any any boxers that you idolize that you aspire to become like?
Well, first it was Roy Jones Junior, but I learned quick,
like as my coach taught me a lot.
I learned this guy breaking every single rule of boxing and
getting away with it because because of his speed, you know
Roy Jones is certain athletes orboxers you can't really coach.
(09:55):
Just like Curry with that crazy 3 pointer.
Right, right, right. Some things you just have.
And join one of those guys and learning the art.
I really watched a lot of Andre Ward, Floyd Mayweather and Penel
Whitaker. OK, yeah, old school man.
What about you? Consider Floyd Mayweather, the
master of not getting hit. Yeah, that's.
(10:16):
Yeah. One of the greatest?
That's not the greatest defensive fighter of all time.
I agree. Yeah I I would agree with that
too 100% and that's why his fights are boring.
You took the words right out of my mouth.
People are going to say that hisfights are boring and as a
student, how you look at it? As a student, it's amazing.
I agree with that for sure, Fred.
(10:38):
Yes. Go ahead.
No, I was just there, I was justreinforcing that fact.
You're you're a student of, of the sport, you know, like you
said, how you were coached and stuff.
So I could see that. I could see how you would
appreciate Mayweather's fights. And and because he was, I mean,
to me from a, from a viewing standpoint, you know, you want
(10:59):
the, you want the knockout punch.
You want, I like say I like the lighter weight weight belts or
weight classes just because theytend, they're more aggressive in
the ring. There's more movement.
I heard there's that. Yeah, right.
Yeah, a lot more punching in thein the lighter weights.
What's you mentioned football earlier So, so and you still
(11:23):
pursuing that dream, What what are you doing with that?
Are you trying out for teams andstuff like that?
Oh no, that was before dripping into boxing.
I'm still a I'm still a teenager.
I'm glad to please. Gotcha.
Yeah, I was playing semi pro forthe brightest and Gladiators
beta, Southwest Florida Gladiators now, but that was it,
(11:46):
you know? Did you play?
Did you play football and baseball and stuff throughout
high school? Like I just played football in
high school. OK.
And certain situation with a newcoach kind of really shifted my
path into the boxing gym. OK, So what was it?
(12:06):
What was it? Explain to us, give us like some
insight of your first of your first professional fight.
What was what was that like? I mean, the emotion, the
adrenaline, you know, the stage,all that kind of jazz, you know,
because you might obviously Mikeand our fighters to kind of walk
us through that journey and whatit feels like to step into that
ring knowing you're going to go toe to toe with that dude.
After doing it so much in amateurs, I had a lot of
(12:28):
experience. So with that and then dripping
into being a coach and then going into camp, I'm going into
camp after all of that. OK.
I had some real hard sparring. Yeah, there's one guy in
particular, Sonny dude who said he another pro boxer, he's from
Avon Parkway. He was training out of Sarasota,
FL OK, put me down a couple times.
(12:50):
He really showed me, OK, this what the pros going to be like,
you know, so. He showed you the next level.
Yeah, basically that's what thatwas.
That's what that was from there.I think the preparation that I
went through to get ready for this fight.
I usually think that people havebutterflies and all that nervous
(13:12):
stuff. I didn't like my trainer
prepared me and I had a real good camp, so I was ready.
OK. So would you say you were very
centered on that night? Yes, I got yeah, I was real
calm. But people like the way to fight
was it was a bloodbath and people was like looking at me as
(13:32):
a monster. But I I wasn't like black and
out or angry, not once because everything was connected for me
and where. Was this fight at?
The van waves on the side, so the Florida.
OK, I was right by the water. Can we, is this something we can
we can go on YouTube and watch? Not the fight, but I could send
(13:53):
you the videos. Oh, that.
'D be cool. Yeah, I'd like to see it.
Man, that'd be awesome. That'd be cool.
So then this is your first professional fight we're talking
about. Yes, Sir.
Right. And who was that against again?
Brian, I forgot his name. When you beat the guy, when you
beat the guy, you don't rememberthe name, right?
It's I just kicked. Brian nice guy though.
(14:13):
Nice guy. I know his name was Brian.
Get his last name. Yeah, yeah.
So here's another, here's another.
And Mike, feel free to chime in with all questions you have too,
because so when you're boxing, when you step into that ring,
it's all business, right? It's got to be business.
You, you got your game plan, yougot your everything you're
supposed to do. Listen to your coaches all kind
of jazz like you just kind of explained that you had your
(14:34):
camp, you were ready. And so before the fight you meet
just like weighing stuff like that, right?
Do you really get to know the person you're going to fight or
is more just like your opponent's gladiator style?
And after the fights over, do you?
You know what? I mean you crossed paths but
you're not really finna rub elbows with your partner before
the fight. It was actually doing some scare
(14:57):
tactics trying to. Yeah.
It was weird. Yeah, you got to, you got to do
that Tyson Stair, right? You just want to intimidate.
Yeah, it. It didn't work.
It was like, I don't know if yousee, like, the scary movies, you
see, like Michael Myers and thenlook away and look at him again.
He disappeared. Yeah.
It was like stuff like that he was doing.
OK. Oh, this really?
(15:21):
That's a great description. That's funny.
That's funny. So is it so like I know when in
professional sports like basketball, football, baseball,
not so much baseball, but basketball and football going
from from collegiate level, which we can kind of call
amateur, right, Going from amateur to pro, the speed is, is
that much more as a pro, right? Like with football, you can have
(15:44):
an amazing athlete, college football athlete, right?
Then it comes to the pros and just falls flat because of the
speed and the timing is so different between the two.
Is it is? Is it the same with boxing from
an amateur to pro level? It's actually two different
levels and the amateurs you got novice level, which is like your
first ten fights. That's like then you go open.
Once you go open you fighting anybody from who had between 10
(16:08):
to maybe 300 fights. Those are both sanctioned
divisions. USA boxer Yeah, obviously you
want to get into the way you're competing on a national level.
Well, I just want people to understand you're fighting at a
pro level, just a semi pro levelat that point, right?
You know, you're calling it amateur and I think that gets
misunderstood sometimes. These are sanctioned divisions
(16:29):
within the pro league. You just well, if it's like
wider League Baseball versus probaseball.
Yeah, basically. It's still a pro.
Basically when you go open you fighting guys with ton of
experience, you you hope that you get matched with a guy who
had somewhere around the same amount of fights as you.
But I don't know, that way you might be finding a guy who just
(16:50):
won nationals 2 years in a way on a row.
Just fall in the Olympics, you know?
Yeah. You can go like that when you go
open. So when you so when you're
openly fighting, you still had how many knockouts as an
amateur? I had.
When I went open, I had just twoknockouts.
(17:11):
I didn't know I wasn't one of those guys who lift weights.
I was just sold out for skill. I didn't start pulling people
down until I added strength and conditioning.
Oh really? Yeah.
Interesting. So, so before that, would you
say you were more of you relied on your defensive skill set to
(17:35):
wear people down? Yeah.
I'll throw a lot of punches. OK, A.
Lot of punches, you know, they they had a little bit of sting
on them, but I didn't want them not to make you go to sleep.
Gotcha. And then?
You wore them down offensively then, OK.
And then once you added the strength and conditioning did
that your, your sting got a little bit more stingy, right?
(17:57):
Then I I started settling down alittle bit more too, like, OK,
this feels kind of good. OK, because you had more, you
had more power behind your punches then, so you didn't have
to throw as many punches to havethe and having a greater impact
then? Correct.
And when just like any sport, you got to develop into your
grown manpower, sure. You know that didn't start
(18:18):
happening for me. Talk about 2324.
OK. What age did you go from the
what you called the Peewee League to the Open League?
23 I think so. So you got 23 when you went into
the Open League and then what age was your first professional
(18:39):
fight? 3035 last year wow right where
am I? I had that gap or yeah, athletic
boxing so. It's just what I want people to
understand and what I'm impressed with is just, I don't
know any other way to put it with but your stick to
itiveness. You know, just that.
(19:00):
Your tenacity to not guess, that's the word I was looking at
for you know, I'm impressed withyour tenacity to never give up
on your dream. Yeah, because that's a long
time. It's a long time chasing
something and just to get, I mean, you did take some time
off, so go ahead. Giving back, you know, it kind
of like brought me back to the sport.
(19:22):
Yeah, helping fuel. We had it, we had a gentleman on
earlier today that his whole thing was a project finds your
fire. And that's the basically is it
kind of is what it sounds. It's it's, it's helping someone
find what what they absolutely love to do in life.
So that carries them, you know, all other aspects of the light,
not just their thing. So obviously boxing is is
something that you're very passionate about because you
(19:43):
again, like over 16 years of your life, you've dedicated to
the sport and you're still here talking in a very eloquent way.
So you've obviously not been hitin the head very much.
No, I haven't took many. I've never been cut.
I've never been. Yeah, I've never been out.
Never. Never broke your nose?
I ain't. Never broke my knock.
(20:03):
I would. I'm not kidding you, man.
Now I want to see some of your fights.
Yeah, because. That says a lot to, you know,
Chris and I, we're not blowing smoke.
We both love watching boxing. Yeah, yeah.
Like we were disappointed with the Tyson and and Logan Paul
fight. It's like, come on, man.
Then you hear all the back nonsense that it was all you
know. Yeah, it's pretty sweet.
(20:25):
I think Tyson deserved that typeof payday won last time.
I agree 100%. We agreed on that.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And he's actually, he was just
in Arizona yesterday. They're instituting a thing in
Arizona with kids and physical education.
I didn't. I didn't dive deep into the
story, but it was something thatcame across with Tyson and and
the Arizona schools working on aphysical fitness program for
(20:46):
kids, which is cool. You know, it's all about me.
Mike and I are all about giving back too.
So the fact that you now from a coaching standpoint with your
coaching kids and stuff like that, kind of helping them
achieve their dreams. Yeah, a lot of them come and go,
but a lot of kids, they come in and gym like just like me, like
how I was. I just just a little damaged
(21:08):
kid, you know, that didn't have nowhere to put that aggression
out. Right.
Yeah, something like boxing. Talk a little bit about that,
Fred, that how important boxing is to kids who have no other
choice. A lot of people don't understand
that this probably saved your life.
Would you not agree with that? Yeah, it definitely dropped in
my path. I don't know where I was going
(21:29):
to go, but I could tell you I didn't find out where I was
going to go without boxing. And there's a lot of kids like
that, right? A.
Lot and they don't have no outlet.
A lot of them don't even know about boxing and don't even know
boxing is a odds now. See, that's crazy, especially in
in, in the the time we live in with how social media is so
(21:51):
prevalent everywhere and you have access to everything.
It's it's taken this huge world and just shrunk it down to your
palm right where you can Google anything.
Is it, is it because they don't think it's it's it's it's a,
it's a an option because of costor because of location or it
kind of expand a level? Because it could be cost,
location, it could be how they look like.
(22:16):
A lot of kids obese. So I can never do something like
that. But they don't know.
I just got to go in there and start doing it.
I can lose weight. I can get in shape.
Well, George Foreman. Yeah.
And then you got some kids who only know as far as social media
on YouTube Go, they see somebodylike J Carl, like, oh, I can't
do that. You got to be rich, you know?
(22:36):
OK. Yeah, I get that.
I didn't think about that from that approach.
Yeah, because because the size really doesn't matter from a
boxing stack, because I mean, the Foreman, what was his name?
Butter Bean that that, you know,that hit that dude was huge,
right? Somebody like Benavidez, he was,
he just fought Canelo and he wasabout 15.
He was huge like butterball, right?
(22:57):
That's yeah. So it's it's, yeah.
Yeah, Boston, Boston do a lot offor kids, but places like
jujitsu and Maui Tai Taekwondo, those would be in the front of
the city, you know, boxing pack tucked away somewhere.
Gotcha. Because the whole M&AUFC
culture. Yeah, like Muay Thai and
(23:19):
Taekwondo a little bit more popular, you know, so they'll be
in a Plaza next to a Publix or something like that.
And right boxing and being warehouse somewhere where you
got to really search for there'snot really an open for everybody
to know handsome boxing gym right there.
So it's almost become a second class society because of MMA.
(23:41):
No, I wouldn't say that. It's just boxing.
Always been tough dunks like that.
Oh, it's always been that way. OK, I didn't know that that
that's. Crazy and and you.
Got to go in the inner city to find like a.
See you do because, because I've, I've been faster with
boxing forever. And I always thought train doing
the I always thought that the training behind being a boxer
would be just an epic workout todo on a consistent basis because
(24:05):
it's a full body thing. Like it's, it's, it's not just
cardio, right, because the weights and the discipline and
the hand eye coordination. But you can't, I can't.
The only boxing gyms I've ever found are 45 minutes to an hour
away from me. So it's, it's, you know, it's
like, and then they open one up in, in in the East Valley where
I live. But it was for women like you.
(24:28):
The whole thing was catered for What?
Because I I just. Yeah, I want to do something
like that. They making to kill it.
Women are oh for those. People making box and fitness
gyms like. Absolutely because again,
there's nothing where I live right now, there's nothing.
There was one that popped up. We had a we had a guest on.
She's part owner Alicia Shields Mike of a gym called Box Out.
(24:50):
But everything you see on them social media wise, it's it's all
women. There's no men.
So walking in there as a guy would be awkward like, oh, which
one of you are going to fight? But I can't hit a woman.
And then those guns don't be setup like that.
Just need just fitness like Title boxing.
I don't know if you'll have thatthere.
Title boxing. Mayweather even drifted into the
(25:12):
fitness boxing germs. Well, Mayweather, if he touches,
turns to gold, you know. So how long you been married or
are you married? I'm in a relationship.
OK, OK, OK. And how old are your kids?
Oh my God, an 11 year old and a five year old should be 6 August
8th. OK, right now I have a grandson
(25:34):
that's 5 1/2. So I feel you.
They're they're a blast at that age.
Grandson, you look my age. Thank you.
Thank you. I just turned 55 and I've just
turned 55 in March. I'm done.
I look like I'm 36. See ya, I'm going to tell my
wife that, honey. I'm only going to be 23 and I
(25:57):
look like I'm 62. No, I'm just kidding.
I'll be 52 in August. It's so you have a fight coming
up, right Fred? Yeah, it's next Friday in Tampa.
OK. And who you and who you fight
next Friday in Tampa. They just replaced my opponent
it. Was because he's scared of you.
I don't want to fight. I don't want to fight action jig
(26:19):
man. I'm going to get my ass kicked,
right? So he balanced.
Yeah, this is Raul or something.I got to look and scare family.
So, so from a preparation standpoint, when they switch
your opponent, like do you watchfilm and stuff of who you're
boxing? So you kind of know they're.
Yeah. OK.
So when they switch your opponent, how does that, how
(26:39):
much does that mess with your training and your game plan?
Not too much. It take me in my trainer
probably like a day. Sometimes it take my trainer
like 30 minutes to figure out weneed to do this that, this and
the 3rd to get a job done. Let me.
Ask you this. That's why I do a better check
man. Do you have right on?
(27:02):
Do you have the? Option to not fight if they do
that inside a week. Yes.
OK, so now it'd be the balls in your court.
You can say yes or no to the newopponent because.
Well, it's always in your, the thing about the probes, you can
make a decision if you're not signed with a major, a major
(27:24):
emotion company. I mean, sometimes you got to
trust who they put in front of you.
But I'm pretty much independent,so.
OK. I'm a part of all my decisions
that I make. Oh.
That's good. That's awesome.
Yeah, because I kind of, I don'tknow if this is act or not, but
it seems like Oscar De La Hoya, that kind of started that whole
trend where where you're the boxer and you can be the
(27:44):
promoter and and you're the, youknow, the Golden Boy production.
So that way the boxer, rightfully so, especially
someone on your journey, right, almost 16 plus years, you should
get all the pieces of all the puzzle because you're the one in
there, you know? Not you, of course, because
nobody touches you, you know, but you should.
That's that's the thing, right? You should make the money, you
(28:07):
should reap the benefits from promotions and and management,
all that kind of jazz, because you're the product.
So why not have it all-encompassing?
You know action jig promotions, right?
Well, it's not my promotion company.
You have some promotions are pretty fair, right?
There should be a percentage of the ticket sales guarantee
purse. That's cool.
(28:27):
I'm good at. So when you're dealing with good
people like that, they look out for.
Is there is there still Don Kings out there in the world
that just just for lack of better term, just everywhere you
rape the boxers. They're everywhere still.
Really. Yeah, they're everywhere.
That sucks, man. And that's just that's so, so,
so a boxer latching on to someone like him.
(28:49):
That's just, that's just they'retrying to, you know, kind of
selling their soul to get to that upper, to that next level.
And they feel like that's the only way they're going to get
there. It can be that way.
Hopefully he changed, you know? Yeah, Yeah.
Hopefully. Learn from his mistakes.
Like dead people? Yeah.
But you're saying that that kindof personality is still super
prevalent in the Boston? World they say it's like just
(29:11):
like the music industry like it's just Trump familiar with
that the next been staying getting milked there man.
We're going to the next like when in boxing, if you lose a
few times, it's like basically send you right back to the
bottom and a lot of promoters don't want to deal with that.
They ready to move on to the next best thing.
(29:32):
That sucks. So there's no, there's no they
don't, they don't back like you just talked about with music
like back 20 years ago, you invest in them in a band, you
help them grow. You, you say the, you know, the
foundations, all that kind of just now it's like, OK, I need
one song. Give me one song.
And then and then a year from now you're just done.
See you later. Bye.
As long as you win, you can make20 sounds.
(29:52):
Well, it's funny that he yeah, it's funny he brings that up
because I just heard that on a podcast I was listening to that
I was unaware of that, Fred, that in the boxing world, you
cannot lose in MMA, you can losea couple times and you can still
keep trajectorying up, right? You're on the upward path in the
boxing world. If you lose one time, you could
(30:15):
be done. If you lose 2 times, you're for
surely done I. Didn't depend on who you lost
against. If you lost again, it's like a
world champion, like a Canelo. You still got, you still got
levers to yeah, 'cause. You lost a world champion, It's
not like you lost to me, but. You lose against Billy Joe from
Papa John's. I don't think we could push you
(30:39):
out too much. I don't think, Mr. Mark, you too
good. Yeah, so when it comes to when
it comes to your fight on on what was it the 13th or 16th
the. 13th. The 13th are you the where you
at in the card is because now you're a pro.
Are you an undercard? Yeah, I'm on network.
OK. It's a it's a popularity thing
(31:00):
at this point. Oh OK so the more fights you do
as a pro the more popular you can become and then you start
moving? The more they can promote and
push you out in the public, that's who the crowd coming to
see most of the time. But I got a pretty good
following home. Right on, right on.
Channel 10 and Channel 8 News just did a story on me.
(31:24):
But I think I saw something of that when you you were in the
boxing gym. Yeah, that's awesome.
That is awesome. How many, how many, how many
sparring partners do you have when you're training for a
fight? It could be from 2, it could be
the tenant. OK, do you do you spar every
day? Tuesday and Thursdays and
(31:45):
Saturdays with sparring days. But I started overnight job, so
I got a right. Yeah, I do.
Different days. OK.
And the other days, what are youdoing?
Just conditioning, strength work, cardio OK.
Just a lot of craft in. OK, so, so again, just so people
can wrap their head around stuff, so we're going to, we're
(32:05):
going to Rocky, right? The the world famous movie,
Rocky, the first one, not all the ones after the fact, like
all the training and stuff, the running and all that.
Shit's kind of real at a certainextent, right?
Yeah, it's, it's pretty much. I don't you're doing the same
thing every day. OK.
And then after that, you're doing the same thing again every
day. Every day.
(32:28):
But but that's the thing though,you're, you're, you have to be
in top physical condition to step to the ring, right?
Yes, Sir. That's what we did everyday.
We practiced. Yeah, Yeah.
I think that's the part that in a situation like this that
people need to understand is howmany hours you put into, you
(32:48):
know, what do they say, 10,000 hours for the hour that they saw
you fight. You know.
You're talking pregame, the fight, after the fight.
You know people see that glory of yours for an hour, they see
an hour of your life. They don't see the 10,000 hours
that went. Into my last fight I was
training like I'd say 4 to 5 hours a day.
(33:09):
Wow for 2 1/2 months and it was over 4 minutes.
I stopped the second round one minute.
Did you knock him down? Yeah, yeah.
How'd that feel? How'd that feel when knocking?
Like like throwing a punch and then seeing your opponent just
drop. It was a flurry.
I threw a flurry that made him quick and I thought the referee
(33:30):
was going to let him get up. Yeah.
And he waved it off. OK.
I saw what I wanted to throw out, everybody wanted.
I was highlight knockouts. I saw what I wanted to throw,
but there's a freeway to fight off.
OK, right on. And so you just, and then all of
a sudden he's down. Yeah.
So, so, so you're stepping back looking at that, right.
You're still probably just dancing a little bit freaking.
(33:52):
Just adrenaline's going through the roof.
Are you just like in your head Like yeah man, that knocked you
on your ass? No, I stepped back Like people
thought like I stomped. Like I stomped off.
People thought like I was celebrating.
I was more disappointed because I saw the overhand right that I
wanted to throw. I wanted referee to just, you
understand, the 8 lbs and I don't get back up.
(34:15):
Yeah. You know about those highlight
knockouts that be viral, you know?
Well, yeah, because that's goingto increase your popularity,
right? There's the other side of it
that people don't see is that disappointment on your face was
just you at war with yourself, not your opponent, right?
They thought I was celebrating when I when I started to.
(34:36):
Yeah, See, Chris and I will say the same thing.
It's like we'll make horrible mistakes in the middle of our
set and then we'll ask the people that see us play every
night and that's like we didn't hear anything, you know, like
the people don't understand. It's like at that level, you're
not. You're in more competition with
yourself than you even are your opponent, right?
(34:58):
And the people be more entertained than you realize.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because what you, yeah, because
what you do isn't is it's entertaining for sure.
I mean, that's the whole point of it, right?
You're putting on a show. So if you ever so if you ever
had one of those those those punches thrown that just you
know, it's just you know, tree falling in the woods, just one
(35:19):
hit, one shot. Yeah, I had a.
And how does that feel? Because you got a little smile
when I asked that. Well, yeah, I got with him.
It felt good. I'm still remember the first
time I put somebody down on my. Punch.
Yeah, well, what kind of punch was it?
It was a body shot. OK.
Oh, really? Yeah, it was a body shot, you
know. To the ribs.
(35:40):
Yeah, to the oblique area. I reached down to help him up
and well, he was one of my mentors trying to Smith.
He wasn't on boxing around here.He kind of freaked out, you
know, like what you doing? We don't do that.
We don't help nobody up. We go to, you know, wait on the
ribs to do his job. That's what type of person I was
(36:01):
at the time. But as it start happening more I
just walk off because. You have to, right?
That day, he told me you go to the corner where in the room
that that's like in my head, like you'll see me walk off when
I drop somebody on the videos I'm seeing.
You Well, yeah, I mean, you know, most boxers aside from
some of them, the showboating ones would would like you said,
(36:21):
you just you drop the guy, you walk away and I I guess that's
kind of more respect for the sport, right?
Like you're not going to showboat.
Look at me. Because all it takes is one
punch, right? It's.
Yeah. It's kind of like with football.
You score, touchdown, OK, Give the ball to the referee.
Like the great ones like Barry Sanders.
Here you go. I act like Carolina before,
right? Yeah, exactly.
You've been there. This is this is who I am.
(36:44):
My job is to knock you on your butt.
And, you know, these days I'm more impressed with somebody who
has that class because it's so rare, you know, than somebody
that makes up some dance they do.
Yeah, I'm not as offended as everybody else at all.
That showboating. I mean, the over the top stuff I
can't stand, but now I'm so impressed when someone has what
Chris, you know, just described as the Barry Sanders approach.
(37:07):
Act like you've been there before.
Yes, Sir. If you're and you're going to be
there again, because that's the other thing with that, right?
You, you've been there before and you plan on being there
again and again and again. That's my point.
If you think you're that great that you have to do all that
showboating, then just don't do it at all because we're going to
see it over and over again, right?
Yeah, you never know who watching like this is time for
the place where people can't, like, be over the top when
(37:29):
they're celebrating. But you just want, yeah, show in
front of you just want to fight in front of probably 100 people.
There's no reason to go insane. I can see if you want like a
championship belt. Yeah.
Oh yeah. That's a whole.
Yeah, that's a different. Story exactly.
That's a different yeah. You win the belt, man.
You better be fucking celebrating.
(37:49):
That Yeah, If you win a world title, we better see you
standing on the top rope, Fred. Yeah.
So for your fight coming up, howdo how do people watch it?
Can they watch it? Is it something you can stream
online? Is something you can TuneIn
thriller. TV it's going to be on
pay-per-view on trailer TV. I'm not sure how much OK it'll
cost, but I know you can stream it on that app.
That kind of thriller, like Michael Jackson.
(38:12):
Thriller TV. Thriller.
OK. A lot of musicians use that app.
OK, yeah, you have to give us, you have, have have your, your
people give us that link so we can, we can take a look at it.
Yeah, because that would be fun to watch you, man, just, you
know, to see you, you know, not now.
So Rocky never broke his nose either, right.
And then his first fight with with Apollo Creed, the first
(38:34):
punch. Yeah, there's a there's
definitely a lot of lessons on those movies.
Now, when you're, when you're standing toe to toe with a guy,
right, I mean, you have a certain space, right, because
the jab, the extension and stufflike that, you're not like, you
know, typical, everybody knows typically what boxers do and
things like that. When you're when you're when
(38:56):
you're looking at the guy like like in football, I let my son
play football and I so I was oneof the coach of the time and I
would coach the, the cornerbacks, the defensive backs
and I would, you know, teach them you, you watch the waste
because the waste shows where the receivers going, things like
that. So you don't get Juke and dive
and that kind of jazz. So when you're boxing and you're
toe to toe with somebody, what do you focus on?
You focused on on his eyes. You focused kind of like the
(39:17):
whole picture around him. Because the speed is what always
intrigues me with that. The first thing I'm doing is I'm
checking their feet. I'm seeing it flat footed.
I'm seeing it on his toes. OK, once on their toes, they're
ready to move. The ones with flat feet, they
they're not ready to move out ofthe way.
I'm going to stand and bang. OK.
Yeah, some of them just flat feet.
(39:37):
They don't know how to stand at all.
After that I'm checking my rangeand like a lot of.
People. Which is why, Which is why the
jab's so important, right? The jab sizes up how?
Tall are you? Once I figure out my range, I'm
listening to my coach. OK, how tall are you?
I'm 59. OK.
And what's your weight? 154.
(39:58):
And what's your span? I forgot I only got those
measures like once. So here's here's a fun question.
So being 59, is it Do you preferfighting somebody taller than
you? Your heights are shorter than
you. Everybody want to fight somebody
shorter than. OK.
And and why? Yeah, and why it's?
(40:18):
Easy to find your range if you know how to do that and it just
give you that confidence like you just so much bigger than
that person. OK, OK.
But for me, like fighting somebody taller, I don't get a
lot more leverage than you can, and I know I can get lower
quicker, yeah. So you can you can attack the
body easier on a taller opponentthan you can on the shorter one.
(40:41):
Yeah, and people who are slow from underneath, those are shots
that knock you out and be explosive enough, like tank.
A lot of tank shots come from underneath.
Right. He always catches somebody on
the blind side. Yeah, yeah.
Which is what that uppercut's sogood, right?
Yeah. And then when like you said,
when you do flurry, so when you're doing your combinations,
is it both hand combinations, are you focused on one side of
(41:03):
the body or does it depend on the opponent?
I'll mix it up. What I was going body, head,
body, head. So do you get like in baseball,
they can, they can measure the speed of the baseball right from
the pitcher to the catcher. Do they measure the speed of
your hands when you're? When you're that?
Would be pretty cool if they. Did that would be cool, right?
They don't measure the force of your punch though, right?
(41:26):
Yeah, well, not during the fight.
Yeah, not during I I could. Is that what you're asking for?
Is it sounds like? Yeah.
I've just it's intrigues me how fast like the the like we talked
about earlier, the lower, the lower weighted weight classes,
the lighter weight. You watch them do the speed bag,
man, it's out of control. Yes, that's what I'm talking
(41:46):
about. Like the speed that the that the
the lighter fighters have has always been more intriguing to
me than the heavyweights becausethe heavyweights tend to be
slower. You know, that's why I want to
watch him fight, because if he'snever been cut, I'm interested
in skillful. You know, like, whatever
profession it is, if somebody's developed a way to do it the
right way, I want to watch you do it the right way.
Yeah, well, obviously you don't get hit a lot.
(42:09):
Yeah, I'll keep my hands up. Yeah, they're going to say
figure that, yeah. So you so you you wear glasses?
Do you wear contacts in the ring?
No, I can see like if I took this off, I can see you guys
pretty clear edges. OK.
Well, if I back up too far, I won't be able to read and it's
saying Chris and Mike. Oh, gotcha.
OK, So you still have perfect vision as far as being in the
(42:30):
ring without glasses on? OK, I do.
Gotcha. Well, I can't see nobody outside
already. Well, yeah, it doesn't matter.
You just got to see the guy in front of you, right?
I'd be in the same boat. I can still see up close without
my contacts in, but I can't see.Far away and I can hear good,
like I can make my own. I can hear my coach over
everybody. Really.
(42:51):
No matter how loud to get it, I can hear my coach.
Yeah, that's cool. That's kind of like you ever
seen that movie for Love of the Game?
It's a baseball movie. OK, So remember when, when, when
he when Coster's on the mound and he's like, clear the
mechanism and the entire stadiumgoes silent?
Isn't that Kevin? Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, I've seen that. Yeah.
So is it is it that kind of concept 'cause that that's
(43:12):
intrigued me when he when he didthat in the in the movie, like
what if that's a legit? That's like tonal Bridger.
Yeah, so it's so that's legit. So it doesn't matter.
You can have people standing on their feet cheering like crazy,
screaming, hollering, but you just, you're so zoned in on your
coach, that's all you hear. When you say that's how you felt
in the middle of a song, you know on a good set you're not
there anymore. This is true.
(43:33):
Yeah. You get it.
I mean, yeah, but it's a different thing.
I'm not trying to defend myself,you know.
No, but you're doing what your skill set is at that point.
He's just, I think a lot of people would be fascinated that
he can get to that point in his head before he gets hit for
sure. Yeah, yeah, well, he doesn't get
hit. He's already explained that.
(43:54):
That's why he looks so pretty still.
Well, OK, so before he potentially gets it.
Right, right. So you've never been knocked
down. Where have you?
I've. Been knocked down and sparring.
Oh, and sparring, but never in an actual fight.
Never. In an actual fight, never
somewhat again. OK, then let me ask.
You this? Yeah.
No, we're not going to wait for you, dude.
In your losses, were they technical knockouts?
(44:16):
Were they decisions? Were they?
Not over decisions. OK.
All decisions. And all those decisions were
wrong, right? I say three of them was.
Questionable. One of them was for sure loss.
I didn't do enough. I gotcha.
OK, you. All know the one.
That's humble, man. But I started developing my
(44:37):
prostyle right And amateurs, they want you to shoot and Bang,
Bang, Bang, Bang. Oh, really?
They they care about who the busiest.
OK. Obviously skill play a point on
that, but when I developed a prostyle of boxing I slowed
down. Like I was more patient picking
and choosing when I want to shoot.
They don't like that in amateurs.
Now do they want you to be that way because of the entertainment
(45:00):
value? They don't want boring fights is
that? No, it's it's a sport who can
land the most hits and. They want you.
That's busy. That's the way their game is
designed for their score. And we turn pro like everything,
by just a business. You got to be strategic with
everything. I can see that.
What what do you have as do you have particular colors that you
(45:21):
that you gravitate to like, you know, like Tyson always wore the
black shorts and the white towel.
Do you have the same kind of colors you always?
Nah I'm mixing it up. I saw like red and cheetah print
or leopard paint. My first.
Fight I will baby blue and white.
My last fight and it's fighting on white wearing all white and
silver. OK, have you ever, have you ever
(45:44):
met any professional boxer that was just like.
Yeah, I mean Roy Jones junior asa.
Case. I was in Alabama.
Right on. And I'm in my phone and he come
in AB side locker room like you.That's pretty much unheard of
for the big guys to come to speak to the B side.
Then I was in the A side or the main Carter speed.
(46:04):
He came in and was like, what's up everybody?
And I'm looking at my phone and I look up and I look back at my
phone and I look up again like, oh stop, He took a picture with
us and everything. That's awesome.
That's cool man, how I love those stories.
That was what, three years ago? Right on.
Was he? Was he what you hoped he would
be as a human? For the short time of my time,
(46:26):
you were. With him, he is a decent dude.
OK. I've seen him at a celebrity
basketball game when I was younger, but I never met him.
He had a house here in Sarasota.OK.
At the time. OK, it's cool when you meet
somebody that you aspire to be in their their, they're not
assholes, that they're genuine humans, you know?
Yeah, you know, everybody's an asshole.
(46:46):
Some point in their in their in their rise because, you know,
it's just. Floyd Floyd walked right past me
one time too. Yeah, who did?
As a coach, Floyd Mayweather, and I think it's like Daytona
Beach area, he actually dapped the fighter up who I was
coaching, right with no hesitation.
(47:08):
Oh cool, that's cool. That's awesome.
And then did your fighter win? Oh no, he didn't win that night,
damn it. That would have been great if he
won too. They gave they he did a good job
because Floyd was going to actually sign the fighter who
fought our guy, OK? And he did enough for Floyd not
to want to sign him anymore. Wow.
(47:30):
Even though. We didn't win.
He gave a little upset. Gotcha, That's fair.
You know, So what do you think about the, the, the scoring in
boxing? Does it does it warrant the
decisions when it comes down to it?
Or is, you know, is it, is it popularity?
Is are they really looking at atthe the punches landing?
(47:51):
Because I think that'd be reallyhard to sit there and watch.
What do you do? 10 rounds or 12 rounds?
Well that's probably 6 rounds, but my first team is 4.
OK. So from a six round standpoint,
you go to the distance, I mean are are there the judges are on
what three sides of the ring? Yes.
OK, how do they, how do they, how are they counting it?
Like is there something in theirhands or something where they're
(48:13):
like they? Have one of those clickers.
They just got a good eye and they that's it.
They're marking it down. Whoever they feel on that round,
they it's a 10/9 like right? So that's it.
It's just naked eye. It's a judgment.
But a lot of them, before they become pro judges, they got to
go through the amateurs too. Oh, even the ribs.
They got to go through the amateurs as well.
(48:35):
OK, so you got to work your way up on all levels of the sports.
You're starting at the bottom and working your way all the way
up. And that's why a lot of those
judges to be old. Oh, that makes sense.
Though. Let's see that's that.
Could that be? Could be a bad thing though
because their their reaction time is is lower than it was 20
(48:55):
years ago. You'll be surprised though, it's
like a lot of good judges like they, you know, they've been
doing it so long when it's like second hand.
OK, OK. I can see that it becomes a
habit, right? So they're basically watching
the fight and just with their hand, they're they're making
little ticks on something. OK.
And. Then you have every now and then
(49:15):
you have those questionable decisions.
Yes, watching. Right.
What were you watching, man? That's the stuff that drives us
nuts as viewers. Like, you got to be kidding me
because there's some fights Mikeand I have talked about and
watched recently. You know, it's like how.
Recently, there's a lot going on.
Some of those judges be hurryingboxing.
Yes, kind of like how LeBron James is destroying basketball.
(49:38):
Do your job. Yes, quit falling over when no
one touches you. Yes, like she's just, you know.
And there's video evidence. No total video evidence.
They made it so popular man flopping.
I think they got it, stole it from soccer and ran with it.
Yeah, because I've. Yeah, soccer has flopped too.
(50:00):
Good point. Yeah, yeah, but you know
flopping needs to stop. You can't flop in boxing, right?
You just can't fall to the ground.
Then you get a standing 8 count for nothing.
Yeah, that defeats the purpose of the sport.
Man changes to me and said gracewas in his eye.
Look at that, duty just fell over.
That's the first day you got to go down in history as the first
bouncer to plop. True.
(50:23):
Story So let's talk about the day of fighting.
We got about 10 minutes left here.
So I want to kind of get into the mindset of that.
So the day, the day of the fight, what's your, what's your
routine? Because I'm assuming it's, it's
consistent, right? Because creature habit, right?
So the I mean, what's the day ofa fight?
You wake up at what time and andjust take us through that day
before the night of the fight. I'm waking up probably 7-8
(50:47):
o'clock and. OK.
I'm eating a good breakfast. What's a good breakfast?
What's a good breakfast for you on fight day?
Life, anything would lie to you.Like I'm loading on berries and
vegetables. Really.
Yeah, really loading up on them things.
OK, so why? Why loading up on vegetables and
(51:08):
berries as opposed to to protein?
Well, I'm really trying to rehydrate and put those fluids
back in my body first in the morning.
For the weigh in was the day before.
And we still rehydrating all theway up into that fight.
So I want to put lights in my body that morning, probably for
lunch. I have like a small chicken
(51:28):
pasta because my stomach. You shrink your stomach while
you're in that wood cutting process.
Yeah. I have like a small chicken
pasta and probably some broccoli.
OK. Maybe our protein shake before I
get to the venue. OK, won't eat again until after
the fight over with. But prior to that fight, we'd be
(51:49):
relaxed. I don't know what they'd be
saying, but I listen to opera too.
I listen to opera. Anything that keep me, you know,
mellowed out and relax. Well, I could think Opera.
Yeah, Opera. Music.
People probably think little baby on headphones or something.
Nah that's awful. I don't even know what they
(52:10):
saying. They just keep me.
That's. Cool though, yeah.
I thought I was the only one that had my opera sessions.
No, I yeah, I love classical music too.
I like everything, really. Except.
Except a hardcore rap. I'm just not a fan, you know?
I just. That's what people think I
listen to all the time. But I'm being ready to fight.
(52:30):
I'm I'm a real like I visualize a lot.
I could see that you kind of seem like somebody who would
totally zone into it and Zen andjust inner peace and just calm.
You know, I I don't I don't I haven't seen you fight yet.
We're going to make that change,but I I don't imagine you going
in there like, oh, you just don't have that demeanor.
I know I could be wrong. He.
(52:51):
Seems very centered. He just seem, yeah, you do.
You seem very centric, very in control of who you are.
You know that's her cool. Right on.
So again, the fight is the 13th.Yeah, the 13th.
Right. And and it's a pay-per-view
event. What's the what's the venue for
that? It's the Hilton downtown Tampa.
OK. And what are tickets?
(53:11):
If somebody's in Tampa, they want to go?
It's $75.00 for VIP and $50.00 for general admission.
Right on. I'm sure they got any tables
left, but that was a lovely one.Gotcha, cool.
Anything else you want to add? I I just appreciate you guys for
giving me the opportunity and I.Appreciate you coming on.
Yeah. Anybody you want to shout out
(53:32):
to? I asked, man.
He asked. He been doing a lot for me, you
know. Ash is cool.
Yeah, that's how we found you. Yes, and I asked when somebody
doing me wrong. Ash don't like it.
He found it. Right, that's awesome.
Or some like the news here, the newspapers here didn't do me too
good and it's not about it like right away.
(53:54):
Ash took care of that. I actually had a real big dude
that's like my most. OK, right on.
Yeah, thank you for by the garbage.
This is my brother, man. Right on.
That's awesome. Yeah.
And again, Ash is how we found you.
So shout out to Ash for coming. And that's with Absolutely with
Fred, Ash and Jig. And he friended both of us on
Facebook. So thank you, friend, and us,
Ash, it's a pleasure to meet youand thanks for hooking us up
(54:16):
with Fred. This has been awesome, man.
We appreciate you coming on too.Yeah, and you're welcome to come
back, man. Let's get you like, you know.
Yeah. Let's talk to you after the
fight. Yeah.
I want to know what went throughyour mind and all.
Yeah, let's do this after the fight so that you can tell us,
you know, what fight day was like, what the fight was like.
You know, take us through that, I think.
That that was a huge. Boxing fans, man.
Yeah, we are. Totally, dude.
(54:37):
I mean, it's, it's, I mean, I grew up.
I grew up Marvel. Marvelous Marvin Hagler.
Tyson. Tight white, yeah, but.
Tommy. Tommy Hearns.
Yeah, yeah, yes, Tommy Hearns, that's what it was.
Yeah. Tommy Hitman Hearns.
Like all those Buster Douglas Tyson.
Yeah, Buster Douglas. That's a bad word.
Tyson should have been ready forthat fight, man.
(54:57):
He should have been. He was too busy.
Hookers and blow man Hookers andblow.
The one thing that I got from Fred on this podcast is how
focused he is on doing the job, man.
And that's what that's what you got to be.
You know, people think that musicians are all drug addicts
and party animals. Yeah, there's a little bit to
that, but there's a lot of work that goes into being a
professional. Anything right?
Exactly. People don't see that side of it
(55:18):
so. Do your do your kids watch you
fight? Yes.
They are they like, are they like, just like, come on, Dad.
Come on, Dad. You know, I think my old, my
oldest one and she would be a little bit more nervous, but my
5 year old. Yeah.
I got videos of her I think she menace she like.
That's awesome. That's great man.
Just. Stand up and scream at me like
(55:41):
I'm not doing enough. Kids are brutal, man.
But she want me to get busy. Sure.
Good for her. That's cool.
That's cool, man. You're a good man, Fred.
I appreciate you coming on, man.And damn.
Nice to meet you. Man, Yeah, we got to have you
back. We, you know, let's talk again.
Let's talk some more about fighting, all that kind of
(56:02):
stuff. Man.
You're a good dude. Send us the stuff because we're
going to watch you. It's going to be fun.
I want to see you fight man. Keep them up right?
Yes, Sir. That's right.
There you go. There you go, man, We appreciate
you. Be safe out there.
We always wrap our shows up withthat.
Don't let the bad days win. So if, if, if anybody out there
is feeling suicidal and depressed, don't be that person
(56:23):
that takes your own life becausesomebody's going to miss you.
Somebody Loves You and and you don't want to create that hole
in somebody else's heart. So reach out, find some help,
talk to somebody you know that will listen to you and and just
be an ear to lean on. We're no judgement zone here.
The Chris and Mike show. We're all about love and and and
finding common ground with people, human interest, things
like that. So we wish you the best of luck
in your in your fight cup comingthere, Fred, Absolutely great.
(56:45):
Kick some ass, man, where we're going to be rooting for you.
And I'm going to yell at the TV.If you're not doing, I want you
to do. Yeah, best of luck, man.
Like I said, it was damn nice tomeet you.
Thanks again for doing this and knock him dead man.
Yeah, we appreciate your time. Yeah, we appreciate time.
Especially because you're training for a fight.
So nothing but love from us, man.
Nothing but love. Alright, brother.
(57:06):
Peace. Peace.
Have a great day man. Alright too.
Nice. This is the place where you will
(57:35):
go. Feel the trail behind your eyes,
Feel sob and need yourself. Take a moment.
Look until you see him. Watch the battle.
That's you boss. We're Watch the battle.
But you boss Will, who is this baby?
(59:26):
The. When?
It goes around. The world you with no creature,
we don't pray and smile. You took your breath on the
almighty day, you got a dream. Who in your life?
The people soul in every day take the trail behind your eyes
(59:52):
feel the soul yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah take a
moment listen to you see it fight the fan over to you most
(01:00:13):
we. You gotta, you gotta.
(01:00:41):
You gotta, you gotta, you gotta.
What's up there, boys and girls?This is the Chris and Mike show.
We have a super special guest today.
We have Fred Johnson, a boxer out of Florida is actually
coming on the show to talk all things about life and boxing and
being a pugilist. Welcome, Fred.
How are you? Welcome Fred, nice to meet.
You. Nice to meet you too.
How you? We're good.
So just so people know, I'm in Arizona, Mikes in Illinois, and
(00:53):
you're in Florida. Yes, Sir.
Right on. How's Florida today?
It's been raining all week off and on.
Still warm though. Yeah, yeah.
It's like it's the armpit of America, right?
The humidity. Yeah.
What part of Florida are you in?Calm out of Florida.
It's like 40 minutes South of the Tampa.
Still considering the Bay Area alittle bit.
(01:14):
OK, right where you're at. OK.
OK. And born and born and raised in
Florida. That's where hometown
everything. Yes, Sir.
Right on right on and so give usa little bit of background on
you. You're obviously a boxer get
litter and just so you know too,this is at the why we're doing
this right now. We're we're we stream live on on
YouTube, but then we'll also have we'll have we'll drop this
(01:35):
whatever lineup we are and all that kind of jazz.
So people can re watch this if they're not able to join the
YouTube broadcast. So OK, give us a little bit
background of who you are as faras you know, whatever we want to
talk. We can talk about personally, we
can talk about family life. We can talk about work life.
We can talk about boxing. You tell us, introduce yourself,
and we'll just go from there, man.
Well, I'll start off by saying I'm a pro boxer, cool out of
(01:57):
palm out of Florida. I'm a father of two.
Nice. My work and mental health.
So that's. Cool, yeah.
Yeah, yeah, I've been how long? Go ahead.
I was going to ask you how long you been a boxer.
Since I was 15. OK.
And how old are you now? 36.
Really. You don't look 36, man.
(02:18):
No, I would have never. I I couldn't have no party life.
It is a good boxer. So how so?
So you've been training basically into the world of
boxing for, what is that, 16 years?
A little longer. Yeah, OK, right on man.
And and what's, what division doyou fight in?
Well, it's a weight. OK.
And what's your record in welterweight?
(02:40):
I'm two I know as a pro right now.
OK, now congratulations. Yeah, absolutely.
So here's a question. How, how because we don't know,
I don't know the in and outs of boxing, right and and the
struggles and things like that. Like we had somebody on that
that was knee deep into into professional wrestling and kind
of had give us insight with that.
So with boxing, how long were you an amateur boxer before you
(03:01):
became a professional boxer? Well, I can't even count how
many years. Really.
I started competitive boxing at 19, but I trained since I was
15. OK, so you have 4 years of
training to become A to start competitive boxing at 19?
Actually, you compete when you're ready.
Like I was still chasing football dreams.
(03:23):
Right, right, right up, man. Chase and tell me they shut the
door. Right.
Yeah. Man, I had to make a decision.
There you go. So so why?
Why is there such a long time being an amateur and and going
into the pro level? Because I tell kids like who
want to turn a pro on boxing, A lot of people in general, not
just kids, you got to treat boxing and amateurs as let's
(03:48):
say, pee wee football. You.
Know. You got to learn.
You got to learn the basics of it, and then from there it is
high school football. OK, use that as an example.
Then you make it to college, then to the NFL.
It's kind of like you're saying,well, you want to build all that
experience, as much experience as you can in the amateurs.
Win, lose or draw right off the account before you turn on the
probe. OK, so how many amateur fights
(04:11):
have you been in? 56.
OK. And what was your what was your
record as an amateur? To two and four the.
Hell. I did.
I did underwater boxing as well too.
Wow, what's that? Under the radar bouncing.
Oh. OK, So what was your record on
that? I don't know, it was like every
(04:32):
week. Wow.
Explain that. Explain that for the people.
That don't know. Is that like, is that like
fight? Is that like Fight Club?
You don't talk about Fight Club.Yeah, it's basically that's what
it is. So I'm going to get put together
in certain nightclubs. Yeah.
OK. Wow.
You you still have all the gloves and stuff on.
It's not bare knuckle or anything like that, nothing
(04:52):
crazy. Well, we we had our hands
wrapped. Even some of the shows had had
your own. OK.
Yeah, it was dangerous, but we made sure we did the best we
could to stay safe. Yeah, of course.
So how many did you get? Yeah, Go ahead, Mike.
Sorry. Sorry, man.
You go. Go ahead.
Did you get paid at these fights?
Of course. Or why else would you do them?
(05:15):
Yeah, cut them. He asked.
He you cut off Mike, say again. Oh, did you get paid at those
fights? Or, you know, like people would
ask, why else would you do them?Experience.
Oh, there you go, experience. So even the amateur level, you
don't get paid. Experience.
(05:35):
OK, so no, he didn't get paid. OK, wow.
So the so underground boxing's experience amateur, is that a
paycheck or is that experience as well?
Amateur boxing is legit experience.
OK. Wow.
Because that's certified, right?That's a certified organization
rules, OK. That's crazy man.
(05:55):
So. So 16 years until you became a
pro? 16 years of experience but not
making a dime from doing it. Hundreds of fights because he
says he can count the other ones.
Right, right. So you got to be like it.
Like what? What 80 plus knockouts say we
have 100 fights. You're like 80 plus knockout
guy. See.
(06:17):
That's see, so to me, that's amazing that it it took you that
long to break into the pro level. 2017.
Musicians, man. 2017 I originally turned pro but.
OK. I dealt with some mental things
after the show that I was originally supposed to be on.
Damn falling through. I was already battling mental
issues like prior to going into that fight and when I fight it
(06:40):
didn't go through, which is likepretty much hung out the gloves
for a little bit. Gotcha.
I actually just got back into itlast year.
OK, OK. Like when I hung out the gloves
I dripped it into. Actually, that's when I started
working in mental health. OK.
(07:02):
And what do you what do you do in the mental health field?
I have background with that too.I worked.
OK, cool. So you work like behavioral
types type stuff like that. Yeah, but I've been, I had some
time in that field too. So I I know what that's like for
sure. And from now I started giving
back, you know, coaching kids, alot of kids.
(07:22):
And I eventually ended up pro boxing coach.
I told you Aston Muscle Gravel, that's the first pro I've
trained. OK, right on.
So I'm sure Mike and I both havethe same question.
What does it feel like getting hit in the face, in the nose, in
a boxing ring? In the beginning, I'm going to
(07:43):
take you in front of the beginning.
In the beginning, Well, what thehell is that?
You know what? I mean right, if you get popped
the right way that's how you feel but if you in a zone and
your adrenaline rushing it's youdon't really feel it.
Let me ask you this, did you play baseball?
I played baseball 2 years when Iwas a kid.
(08:04):
Did you ever get hit by the ball?
I got nipped in the air. OK, so I got just pelted and
like the first time it was, it took me forever to get back in
the batter's box, right? But once somebody explains to
you, you already know what to expect.
It seems different after that, right?
Is that what getting hit in the face is like repeatedly?
(08:25):
You just know what's coming. Yeah, I mean the stuff you see
coming, that's that due to less damage, it's what you don't see
that takes us too long into the works.
The blind side, that's that's where Mike Tyson's, you know,
uppercut that comes out of nowhere.
That's why he dropped people with that shit, because they
weren't expecting it. I've been fortunate enough to
experience that in sparring, so I won't experience that in my
(08:48):
real fights. I've been parked a couple times
in my real fights, but I really haven't been taking much
punishment. That's good.
Do you approach? Do you approach the when you get
into the ring? Do you approach it more from a
defensive standpoint, waiting for your moment to to be
offensive and aggressive? Yeah, I'm a I'm a counter
puncher we call. I stayed to like the art of bars
and well, the way my close trainme is hit and not get hit, you
(09:11):
know? Right there's there's I.
Got you right. And I'm I'm taking off.
Yeah, that's there's a today would be the best approach as a
boxer man, defensively and counter punching boxer as
opposed to, you know, the great,late, great Muhammad Ali just
dope on a rope. You know, that's the punishment
you don't want to take. So growing up, did you have any
(09:33):
any any boxers that you idolize that you aspire to become like?
Well, first it was Roy Jones Junior, but I learned quick,
like as my coach taught me a lot.
I learned this guy breaking every single rule of boxing and
getting away with it because because of his speed, you know
Roy Jones is certain athletes orboxers you can't really coach.
(09:55):
Just like Curry with that crazy 3 pointer.
Right, right, right. Some things you just have.
And join one of those guys and learning the art.
I really watched a lot of Andre Ward, Floyd Mayweather and Penel
Whitaker. OK, yeah, old school man.
What about you? Consider Floyd Mayweather, the
master of not getting hit. Yeah, that's.
(10:16):
Yeah. One of the greatest?
That's not the greatest defensive fighter of all time.
I agree. Yeah I I would agree with that
too 100% and that's why his fights are boring.
You took the words right out of my mouth.
People are going to say that hisfights are boring and as a
student, how you look at it? As a student, it's amazing.
I agree with that for sure, Fred.
(10:38):
Yes. Go ahead.
No, I was just there, I was justreinforcing that fact.
You're you're a student of, of the sport, you know, like you
said, how you were coached and stuff.
So I could see that. I could see how you would
appreciate Mayweather's fights. And and because he was, I mean,
to me from a, from a viewing standpoint, you know, you want
(10:59):
the, you want the knockout punch.
You want, I like say I like the lighter weight weight belts or
weight classes just because theytend, they're more aggressive in
the ring. There's more movement.
I heard there's that. Yeah, right.
Yeah, a lot more punching in thein the lighter weights.
What's you mentioned football earlier So, so and you still
(11:23):
pursuing that dream, What what are you doing with that?
Are you trying out for teams andstuff like that?
Oh no, that was before dripping into boxing.
I'm still a I'm still a teenager.
I'm glad to please. Gotcha.
Yeah, I was playing semi pro forthe brightest and Gladiators
beta, Southwest Florida Gladiators now, but that was it,
(11:46):
you know? Did you play?
Did you play football and baseball and stuff throughout
high school? Like I just played football in
high school. OK.
And certain situation with a newcoach kind of really shifted my
path into the boxing gym. OK, So what was it?
(12:06):
What was it? Explain to us, give us like some
insight of your first of your first professional fight.
What was what was that like? I mean, the emotion, the
adrenaline, you know, the stage,all that kind of jazz, you know,
because you might obviously Mikeand our fighters to kind of walk
us through that journey and whatit feels like to step into that
ring knowing you're going to go toe to toe with that dude.
After doing it so much in amateurs, I had a lot of
(12:28):
experience. So with that and then dripping
into being a coach and then going into camp, I'm going into
camp after all of that. OK.
I had some real hard sparring. Yeah, there's one guy in
particular, Sonny dude who said he another pro boxer, he's from
Avon Parkway. He was training out of Sarasota,
FL OK, put me down a couple times.
(12:50):
He really showed me, OK, this what the pros going to be like,
you know, so. He showed you the next level.
Yeah, basically that's what thatwas.
That's what that was from there.I think the preparation that I
went through to get ready for this fight.
I usually think that people havebutterflies and all that nervous
(13:12):
stuff. I didn't like my trainer
prepared me and I had a real good camp, so I was ready.
OK. So would you say you were very
centered on that night? Yes, I got yeah, I was real
calm. But people like the way to fight
was it was a bloodbath and people was like looking at me as
(13:32):
a monster. But I I wasn't like black and
out or angry, not once because everything was connected for me
and where. Was this fight at?
The van waves on the side, so the Florida.
OK, I was right by the water. Can we, is this something we can
we can go on YouTube and watch? Not the fight, but I could send
(13:53):
you the videos. Oh, that.
'D be cool. Yeah, I'd like to see it.
Man, that'd be awesome. That'd be cool.
So then this is your first professional fight we're talking
about. Yes, Sir.
Right. And who was that against again?
Brian, I forgot his name. When you beat the guy, when you
beat the guy, you don't rememberthe name, right?
It's I just kicked. Brian nice guy though.
(14:13):
Nice guy. I know his name was Brian.
Get his last name. Yeah, yeah.
So here's another, here's another.
And Mike, feel free to chime in with all questions you have too,
because so when you're boxing, when you step into that ring,
it's all business, right? It's got to be business.
You, you got your game plan, yougot your everything you're
supposed to do. Listen to your coaches all kind
of jazz like you just kind of explained that you had your
(14:34):
camp, you were ready. And so before the fight you meet
just like weighing stuff like that, right?
Do you really get to know the person you're going to fight or
is more just like your opponent's gladiator style?
And after the fights over, do you?
You know what? I mean you crossed paths but
you're not really finna rub elbows with your partner before
the fight. It was actually doing some scare
(14:57):
tactics trying to. Yeah.
It was weird. Yeah, you got to, you got to do
that Tyson Stair, right? You just want to intimidate.
Yeah, it. It didn't work.
It was like, I don't know if yousee, like, the scary movies, you
see, like Michael Myers and thenlook away and look at him again.
He disappeared. Yeah.
It was like stuff like that he was doing.
OK. Oh, this really?
(15:21):
That's a great description. That's funny.
That's funny. So is it so like I know when in
professional sports like basketball, football, baseball,
not so much baseball, but basketball and football going
from from collegiate level, which we can kind of call
amateur, right, Going from amateur to pro, the speed is, is
that much more as a pro, right? Like with football, you can have
(15:44):
an amazing athlete, college football athlete, right?
Then it comes to the pros and just falls flat because of the
speed and the timing is so different between the two.
Is it is? Is it the same with boxing from
an amateur to pro level? It's actually two different
levels and the amateurs you got novice level, which is like your
first ten fights. That's like then you go open.
Once you go open you fighting anybody from who had between 10
(16:08):
to maybe 300 fights. Those are both sanctioned
divisions. USA boxer Yeah, obviously you
want to get into the way you're competing on a national level.
Well, I just want people to understand you're fighting at a
pro level, just a semi pro levelat that point, right?
You know, you're calling it amateur and I think that gets
misunderstood sometimes. These are sanctioned divisions
(16:29):
within the pro league. You just well, if it's like
wider League Baseball versus probaseball.
Yeah, basically. It's still a pro.
Basically when you go open you fighting guys with ton of
experience, you you hope that you get matched with a guy who
had somewhere around the same amount of fights as you.
But I don't know, that way you might be finding a guy who just
(16:50):
won nationals 2 years in a way on a row.
Just fall in the Olympics, you know?
Yeah. You can go like that when you go
open. So when you so when you're
openly fighting, you still had how many knockouts as an
amateur? I had.
When I went open, I had just twoknockouts.
(17:11):
I didn't know I wasn't one of those guys who lift weights.
I was just sold out for skill. I didn't start pulling people
down until I added strength and conditioning.
Oh really? Yeah.
Interesting. So, so before that, would you
say you were more of you relied on your defensive skill set to
(17:35):
wear people down? Yeah.
I'll throw a lot of punches. OK, A.
Lot of punches, you know, they they had a little bit of sting
on them, but I didn't want them not to make you go to sleep.
Gotcha. And then?
You wore them down offensively then, OK.
And then once you added the strength and conditioning did
that your, your sting got a little bit more stingy, right?
(17:57):
Then I I started settling down alittle bit more too, like, OK,
this feels kind of good. OK, because you had more, you
had more power behind your punches then, so you didn't have
to throw as many punches to havethe and having a greater impact
then? Correct.
And when just like any sport, you got to develop into your
grown manpower, sure. You know that didn't start
(18:18):
happening for me. Talk about 2324.
OK. What age did you go from the
what you called the Peewee League to the Open League?
23 I think so. So you got 23 when you went into
the Open League and then what age was your first professional
(18:39):
fight? 3035 last year wow right where
am I? I had that gap or yeah, athletic
boxing so. It's just what I want people to
understand and what I'm impressed with is just, I don't
know any other way to put it with but your stick to
itiveness. You know, just that.
(19:00):
Your tenacity to not guess, that's the word I was looking at
for you know, I'm impressed withyour tenacity to never give up
on your dream. Yeah, because that's a long
time. It's a long time chasing
something and just to get, I mean, you did take some time
off, so go ahead. Giving back, you know, it kind
of like brought me back to the sport.
(19:22):
Yeah, helping fuel. We had it, we had a gentleman on
earlier today that his whole thing was a project finds your
fire. And that's the basically is it
kind of is what it sounds. It's it's, it's helping someone
find what what they absolutely love to do in life.
So that carries them, you know, all other aspects of the light,
not just their thing. So obviously boxing is is
something that you're very passionate about because you
(19:43):
again, like over 16 years of your life, you've dedicated to
the sport and you're still here talking in a very eloquent way.
So you've obviously not been hitin the head very much.
No, I haven't took many. I've never been cut.
I've never been. Yeah, I've never been out.
Never. Never broke your nose?
I ain't. Never broke my knock.
(20:03):
I would. I'm not kidding you, man.
Now I want to see some of your fights.
Yeah, because. That says a lot to, you know,
Chris and I, we're not blowing smoke.
We both love watching boxing. Yeah, yeah.
Like we were disappointed with the Tyson and and Logan Paul
fight. It's like, come on, man.
Then you hear all the back nonsense that it was all you
know. Yeah, it's pretty sweet.
(20:25):
I think Tyson deserved that typeof payday won last time.
I agree 100%. We agreed on that.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And he's actually, he was just
in Arizona yesterday. They're instituting a thing in
Arizona with kids and physical education.
I didn't. I didn't dive deep into the
story, but it was something thatcame across with Tyson and and
the Arizona schools working on aphysical fitness program for
(20:46):
kids, which is cool. You know, it's all about me.
Mike and I are all about giving back too.
So the fact that you now from a coaching standpoint with your
coaching kids and stuff like that, kind of helping them
achieve their dreams. Yeah, a lot of them come and go,
but a lot of kids, they come in and gym like just like me, like
how I was. I just just a little damaged
(21:08):
kid, you know, that didn't have nowhere to put that aggression
out. Right.
Yeah, something like boxing. Talk a little bit about that,
Fred, that how important boxing is to kids who have no other
choice. A lot of people don't understand
that this probably saved your life.
Would you not agree with that? Yeah, it definitely dropped in
my path. I don't know where I was going
(21:29):
to go, but I could tell you I didn't find out where I was
going to go without boxing. And there's a lot of kids like
that, right? A.
Lot and they don't have no outlet.
A lot of them don't even know about boxing and don't even know
boxing is a odds now. See, that's crazy, especially in
in, in the the time we live in with how social media is so
(21:51):
prevalent everywhere and you have access to everything.
It's it's taken this huge world and just shrunk it down to your
palm right where you can Google anything.
Is it, is it because they don't think it's it's it's it's a,
it's a an option because of costor because of location or it
kind of expand a level? Because it could be cost,
location, it could be how they look like.
(22:16):
A lot of kids obese. So I can never do something like
that. But they don't know.
I just got to go in there and start doing it.
I can lose weight. I can get in shape.
Well, George Foreman. Yeah.
And then you got some kids who only know as far as social media
on YouTube Go, they see somebodylike J Carl, like, oh, I can't
do that. You got to be rich, you know?
(22:36):
OK. Yeah, I get that.
I didn't think about that from that approach.
Yeah, because because the size really doesn't matter from a
boxing stack, because I mean, the Foreman, what was his name?
Butter Bean that that, you know,that hit that dude was huge,
right? Somebody like Benavidez, he was,
he just fought Canelo and he wasabout 15.
He was huge like butterball, right?
(22:57):
That's yeah. So it's it's, yeah.
Yeah, Boston, Boston do a lot offor kids, but places like
jujitsu and Maui Tai Taekwondo, those would be in the front of
the city, you know, boxing pack tucked away somewhere.
Gotcha. Because the whole M&AUFC
culture. Yeah, like Muay Thai and
(23:19):
Taekwondo a little bit more popular, you know, so they'll be
in a Plaza next to a Publix or something like that.
And right boxing and being warehouse somewhere where you
got to really search for there'snot really an open for everybody
to know handsome boxing gym right there.
So it's almost become a second class society because of MMA.
(23:41):
No, I wouldn't say that. It's just boxing.
Always been tough dunks like that.
Oh, it's always been that way. OK, I didn't know that that
that's. Crazy and and you.
Got to go in the inner city to find like a.
See you do because, because I've, I've been faster with
boxing forever. And I always thought train doing
the I always thought that the training behind being a boxer
would be just an epic workout todo on a consistent basis because
(24:05):
it's a full body thing. Like it's, it's, it's not just
cardio, right, because the weights and the discipline and
the hand eye coordination. But you can't, I can't.
The only boxing gyms I've ever found are 45 minutes to an hour
away from me. So it's, it's, you know, it's
like, and then they open one up in, in in the East Valley where
I live. But it was for women like you.
(24:28):
The whole thing was catered for What?
Because I I just. Yeah, I want to do something
like that. They making to kill it.
Women are oh for those. People making box and fitness
gyms like. Absolutely because again,
there's nothing where I live right now, there's nothing.
There was one that popped up. We had a we had a guest on.
She's part owner Alicia Shields Mike of a gym called Box Out.
(24:50):
But everything you see on them social media wise, it's it's all
women. There's no men.
So walking in there as a guy would be awkward like, oh, which
one of you are going to fight? But I can't hit a woman.
And then those guns don't be setup like that.
Just need just fitness like Title boxing.
I don't know if you'll have thatthere.
Title boxing. Mayweather even drifted into the
(25:12):
fitness boxing germs. Well, Mayweather, if he touches,
turns to gold, you know. So how long you been married or
are you married? I'm in a relationship.
OK, OK, OK. And how old are your kids?
Oh my God, an 11 year old and a five year old should be 6 August
8th. OK, right now I have a grandson
(25:34):
that's 5 1/2. So I feel you.
They're they're a blast at that age.
Grandson, you look my age. Thank you.
Thank you. I just turned 55 and I've just
turned 55 in March. I'm done.
I look like I'm 36. See ya, I'm going to tell my
wife that, honey. I'm only going to be 23 and I
(25:57):
look like I'm 62. No, I'm just kidding.
I'll be 52 in August. It's so you have a fight coming
up, right Fred? Yeah, it's next Friday in Tampa.
OK. And who you and who you fight
next Friday in Tampa. They just replaced my opponent
it. Was because he's scared of you.
I don't want to fight. I don't want to fight action jig
(26:19):
man. I'm going to get my ass kicked,
right? So he balanced.
Yeah, this is Raul or something.I got to look and scare family.
So, so from a preparation standpoint, when they switch
your opponent, like do you watchfilm and stuff of who you're
boxing? So you kind of know they're.
Yeah. OK.
So when they switch your opponent, how does that, how
(26:39):
much does that mess with your training and your game plan?
Not too much. It take me in my trainer
probably like a day. Sometimes it take my trainer
like 30 minutes to figure out weneed to do this that, this and
the 3rd to get a job done. Let me.
Ask you this. That's why I do a better check
man. Do you have right on?
(27:02):
Do you have the? Option to not fight if they do
that inside a week. Yes.
OK, so now it'd be the balls in your court.
You can say yes or no to the newopponent because.
Well, it's always in your, the thing about the probes, you can
make a decision if you're not signed with a major, a major
(27:24):
emotion company. I mean, sometimes you got to
trust who they put in front of you.
But I'm pretty much independent,so.
OK. I'm a part of all my decisions
that I make. Oh.
That's good. That's awesome.
Yeah, because I kind of, I don'tknow if this is act or not, but
it seems like Oscar De La Hoya, that kind of started that whole
trend where where you're the boxer and you can be the
(27:44):
promoter and and you're the, youknow, the Golden Boy production.
So that way the boxer, rightfully so, especially
someone on your journey, right, almost 16 plus years, you should
get all the pieces of all the puzzle because you're the one in
there, you know? Not you, of course, because
nobody touches you, you know, but you should.
That's that's the thing, right? You should make the money, you
(28:07):
should reap the benefits from promotions and and management,
all that kind of jazz, because you're the product.
So why not have it all-encompassing?
You know action jig promotions, right?
Well, it's not my promotion company.
You have some promotions are pretty fair, right?
There should be a percentage of the ticket sales guarantee
purse. That's cool.
(28:27):
I'm good at. So when you're dealing with good
people like that, they look out for.
Is there is there still Don Kings out there in the world
that just just for lack of better term, just everywhere you
rape the boxers. They're everywhere still.
Really. Yeah, they're everywhere.
That sucks, man. And that's just that's so, so,
so a boxer latching on to someone like him.
(28:49):
That's just, that's just they'retrying to, you know, kind of
selling their soul to get to that upper, to that next level.
And they feel like that's the only way they're going to get
there. It can be that way.
Hopefully he changed, you know? Yeah, Yeah.
Hopefully. Learn from his mistakes.
Like dead people? Yeah.
But you're saying that that kindof personality is still super
prevalent in the Boston? World they say it's like just
(29:11):
like the music industry like it's just Trump familiar with
that the next been staying getting milked there man.
We're going to the next like when in boxing, if you lose a
few times, it's like basically send you right back to the
bottom and a lot of promoters don't want to deal with that.
They ready to move on to the next best thing.
(29:32):
That sucks. So there's no, there's no they
don't, they don't back like you just talked about with music
like back 20 years ago, you invest in them in a band, you
help them grow. You, you say the, you know, the
foundations, all that kind of just now it's like, OK, I need
one song. Give me one song.
And then and then a year from now you're just done.
See you later. Bye.
As long as you win, you can make20 sounds.
(29:52):
Well, it's funny that he yeah, it's funny he brings that up
because I just heard that on a podcast I was listening to that
I was unaware of that, Fred, that in the boxing world, you
cannot lose in MMA, you can losea couple times and you can still
keep trajectorying up, right? You're on the upward path in the
boxing world. If you lose one time, you could
(30:15):
be done. If you lose 2 times, you're for
surely done I. Didn't depend on who you lost
against. If you lost again, it's like a
world champion, like a Canelo. You still got, you still got
levers to yeah, 'cause. You lost a world champion, It's
not like you lost to me, but. You lose against Billy Joe from
Papa John's. I don't think we could push you
(30:39):
out too much. I don't think, Mr. Mark, you too
good. Yeah, so when it comes to when
it comes to your fight on on what was it the 13th or 16th
the. 13th. The 13th are you the where you
at in the card is because now you're a pro.
Are you an undercard? Yeah, I'm on network.
OK. It's a it's a popularity thing
(31:00):
at this point. Oh OK so the more fights you do
as a pro the more popular you can become and then you start
moving? The more they can promote and
push you out in the public, that's who the crowd coming to
see most of the time. But I got a pretty good
following home. Right on, right on.
Channel 10 and Channel 8 News just did a story on me.
(31:24):
But I think I saw something of that when you you were in the
boxing gym. Yeah, that's awesome.
That is awesome. How many, how many, how many
sparring partners do you have when you're training for a
fight? It could be from 2, it could be
the tenant. OK, do you do you spar every
day? Tuesday and Thursdays and
(31:45):
Saturdays with sparring days. But I started overnight job, so
I got a right. Yeah, I do.
Different days. OK.
And the other days, what are youdoing?
Just conditioning, strength work, cardio OK.
Just a lot of craft in. OK, so, so again, just so people
can wrap their head around stuff, so we're going to, we're
(32:05):
going to Rocky, right? The the world famous movie,
Rocky, the first one, not all the ones after the fact, like
all the training and stuff, the running and all that.
Shit's kind of real at a certainextent, right?
Yeah, it's, it's pretty much. I don't you're doing the same
thing every day. OK.
And then after that, you're doing the same thing again every
day. Every day.
(32:28):
But but that's the thing though,you're, you're, you have to be
in top physical condition to step to the ring, right?
Yes, Sir. That's what we did everyday.
We practiced. Yeah, Yeah.
I think that's the part that in a situation like this that
people need to understand is howmany hours you put into, you
(32:48):
know, what do they say, 10,000 hours for the hour that they saw
you fight. You know.
You're talking pregame, the fight, after the fight.
You know people see that glory of yours for an hour, they see
an hour of your life. They don't see the 10,000 hours
that went. Into my last fight I was
training like I'd say 4 to 5 hours a day.
(33:09):
Wow for 2 1/2 months and it was over 4 minutes.
I stopped the second round one minute.
Did you knock him down? Yeah, yeah.
How'd that feel? How'd that feel when knocking?
Like like throwing a punch and then seeing your opponent just
drop. It was a flurry.
I threw a flurry that made him quick and I thought the referee
(33:30):
was going to let him get up. Yeah.
And he waved it off. OK.
I saw what I wanted to throw out, everybody wanted.
I was highlight knockouts. I saw what I wanted to throw,
but there's a freeway to fight off.
OK, right on. And so you just, and then all of
a sudden he's down. Yeah.
So, so, so you're stepping back looking at that, right.
You're still probably just dancing a little bit freaking.
(33:52):
Just adrenaline's going through the roof.
Are you just like in your head Like yeah man, that knocked you
on your ass? No, I stepped back Like people
thought like I stomped. Like I stomped off.
People thought like I was celebrating.
I was more disappointed because I saw the overhand right that I
wanted to throw. I wanted referee to just, you
understand, the 8 lbs and I don't get back up.
(34:15):
Yeah. You know about those highlight
knockouts that be viral, you know?
Well, yeah, because that's goingto increase your popularity,
right? There's the other side of it
that people don't see is that disappointment on your face was
just you at war with yourself, not your opponent, right?
They thought I was celebrating when I when I started to.
(34:36):
Yeah, See, Chris and I will say the same thing.
It's like we'll make horrible mistakes in the middle of our
set and then we'll ask the people that see us play every
night and that's like we didn't hear anything, you know, like
the people don't understand. It's like at that level, you're
not. You're in more competition with
yourself than you even are your opponent, right?
(34:58):
And the people be more entertained than you realize.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because what you, yeah, because
what you do isn't is it's entertaining for sure.
I mean, that's the whole point of it, right?
You're putting on a show. So if you ever so if you ever
had one of those those those punches thrown that just you
know, it's just you know, tree falling in the woods, just one
(35:19):
hit, one shot. Yeah, I had a.
And how does that feel? Because you got a little smile
when I asked that. Well, yeah, I got with him.
It felt good. I'm still remember the first
time I put somebody down on my. Punch.
Yeah, well, what kind of punch was it?
It was a body shot. OK.
Oh, really? Yeah, it was a body shot, you
know. To the ribs.
(35:40):
Yeah, to the oblique area. I reached down to help him up
and well, he was one of my mentors trying to Smith.
He wasn't on boxing around here.He kind of freaked out, you
know, like what you doing? We don't do that.
We don't help nobody up. We go to, you know, wait on the
ribs to do his job. That's what type of person I was
(36:01):
at the time. But as it start happening more I
just walk off because. You have to, right?
That day, he told me you go to the corner where in the room
that that's like in my head, like you'll see me walk off when
I drop somebody on the videos I'm seeing.
You Well, yeah, I mean, you know, most boxers aside from
some of them, the showboating ones would would like you said,
(36:21):
you just you drop the guy, you walk away and I I guess that's
kind of more respect for the sport, right?
Like you're not going to showboat.
Look at me. Because all it takes is one
punch, right? It's.
Yeah. It's kind of like with football.
You score, touchdown, OK, Give the ball to the referee.
Like the great ones like Barry Sanders.
Here you go. I act like Carolina before,
right? Yeah, exactly.
You've been there. This is this is who I am.
(36:44):
My job is to knock you on your butt.
And, you know, these days I'm more impressed with somebody who
has that class because it's so rare, you know, than somebody
that makes up some dance they do.
Yeah, I'm not as offended as everybody else at all.
That showboating. I mean, the over the top stuff I
can't stand, but now I'm so impressed when someone has what
Chris, you know, just described as the Barry Sanders approach.
(37:07):
Act like you've been there before.
Yes, Sir. If you're and you're going to be
there again, because that's the other thing with that, right?
You, you've been there before and you plan on being there
again and again and again. That's my point.
If you think you're that great that you have to do all that
showboating, then just don't do it at all because we're going to
see it over and over again, right?
Yeah, you never know who watching like this is time for
the place where people can't, like, be over the top when
(37:29):
they're celebrating. But you just want, yeah, show in
front of you just want to fight in front of probably 100 people.
There's no reason to go insane. I can see if you want like a
championship belt. Yeah.
Oh yeah. That's a whole.
Yeah, that's a different. Story exactly.
That's a different yeah. You win the belt, man.
You better be fucking celebrating.
(37:49):
That Yeah, If you win a world title, we better see you
standing on the top rope, Fred. Yeah.
So for your fight coming up, howdo how do people watch it?
Can they watch it? Is it something you can stream
online? Is something you can TuneIn
thriller. TV it's going to be on
pay-per-view on trailer TV. I'm not sure how much OK it'll
cost, but I know you can stream it on that app.
That kind of thriller, like Michael Jackson.
(38:12):
Thriller TV. Thriller.
OK. A lot of musicians use that app.
OK, yeah, you have to give us, you have, have have your, your
people give us that link so we can, we can take a look at it.
Yeah, because that would be fun to watch you, man, just, you
know, to see you, you know, not now.
So Rocky never broke his nose either, right.
And then his first fight with with Apollo Creed, the first
(38:34):
punch. Yeah, there's a there's
definitely a lot of lessons on those movies.
Now, when you're, when you're standing toe to toe with a guy,
right, I mean, you have a certain space, right, because
the jab, the extension and stufflike that, you're not like, you
know, typical, everybody knows typically what boxers do and
things like that. When you're when you're when
(38:56):
you're looking at the guy like like in football, I let my son
play football and I so I was oneof the coach of the time and I
would coach the, the cornerbacks, the defensive backs
and I would, you know, teach them you, you watch the waste
because the waste shows where the receivers going, things like
that. So you don't get Juke and dive
and that kind of jazz. So when you're boxing and you're
toe to toe with somebody, what do you focus on?
You focused on on his eyes. You focused kind of like the
(39:17):
whole picture around him. Because the speed is what always
intrigues me with that. The first thing I'm doing is I'm
checking their feet. I'm seeing it flat footed.
I'm seeing it on his toes. OK, once on their toes, they're
ready to move. The ones with flat feet, they
they're not ready to move out ofthe way.
I'm going to stand and bang. OK.
Yeah, some of them just flat feet.
(39:37):
They don't know how to stand at all.
After that I'm checking my rangeand like a lot of.
People. Which is why, Which is why the
jab's so important, right? The jab sizes up how?
Tall are you? Once I figure out my range, I'm
listening to my coach. OK, how tall are you?
I'm 59. OK.
And what's your weight? 154.
(39:58):
And what's your span? I forgot I only got those
measures like once. So here's here's a fun question.
So being 59, is it Do you preferfighting somebody taller than
you? Your heights are shorter than
you. Everybody want to fight somebody
shorter than. OK.
And and why? Yeah, and why it's?
(40:18):
Easy to find your range if you know how to do that and it just
give you that confidence like you just so much bigger than
that person. OK, OK.
But for me, like fighting somebody taller, I don't get a
lot more leverage than you can, and I know I can get lower
quicker, yeah. So you can you can attack the
body easier on a taller opponentthan you can on the shorter one.
(40:41):
Yeah, and people who are slow from underneath, those are shots
that knock you out and be explosive enough, like tank.
A lot of tank shots come from underneath.
Right. He always catches somebody on
the blind side. Yeah, yeah.
Which is what that uppercut's sogood, right?
Yeah. And then when like you said,
when you do flurry, so when you're doing your combinations,
is it both hand combinations, are you focused on one side of
(41:03):
the body or does it depend on the opponent?
I'll mix it up. What I was going body, head,
body, head. So do you get like in baseball,
they can, they can measure the speed of the baseball right from
the pitcher to the catcher. Do they measure the speed of
your hands when you're? When you're that?
Would be pretty cool if they. Did that would be cool, right?
They don't measure the force of your punch though, right?
(41:26):
Yeah, well, not during the fight.
Yeah, not during I I could. Is that what you're asking for?
Is it sounds like? Yeah.
I've just it's intrigues me how fast like the the like we talked
about earlier, the lower, the lower weighted weight classes,
the lighter weight. You watch them do the speed bag,
man, it's out of control. Yes, that's what I'm talking
(41:46):
about. Like the speed that the that the
the lighter fighters have has always been more intriguing to
me than the heavyweights becausethe heavyweights tend to be
slower. You know, that's why I want to
watch him fight, because if he'snever been cut, I'm interested
in skillful. You know, like, whatever
profession it is, if somebody's developed a way to do it the
right way, I want to watch you do it the right way.
Yeah, well, obviously you don't get hit a lot.
(42:09):
Yeah, I'll keep my hands up. Yeah, they're going to say
figure that, yeah. So you so you you wear glasses?
Do you wear contacts in the ring?
No, I can see like if I took this off, I can see you guys
pretty clear edges. OK.
Well, if I back up too far, I won't be able to read and it's
saying Chris and Mike. Oh, gotcha.
OK, So you still have perfect vision as far as being in the
(42:30):
ring without glasses on? OK, I do.
Gotcha. Well, I can't see nobody outside
already. Well, yeah, it doesn't matter.
You just got to see the guy in front of you, right?
I'd be in the same boat. I can still see up close without
my contacts in, but I can't see.Far away and I can hear good,
like I can make my own. I can hear my coach over
everybody. Really.
(42:51):
No matter how loud to get it, I can hear my coach.
Yeah, that's cool. That's kind of like you ever
seen that movie for Love of the Game?
It's a baseball movie. OK, So remember when, when, when
he when Coster's on the mound and he's like, clear the
mechanism and the entire stadiumgoes silent?
Isn't that Kevin? Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, I've seen that. Yeah.
So is it is it that kind of concept 'cause that that's
(43:12):
intrigued me when he when he didthat in the in the movie, like
what if that's a legit? That's like tonal Bridger.
Yeah, so it's so that's legit. So it doesn't matter.
You can have people standing on their feet cheering like crazy,
screaming, hollering, but you just, you're so zoned in on your
coach, that's all you hear. When you say that's how you felt
in the middle of a song, you know on a good set you're not
there anymore. This is true.
(43:33):
Yeah. You get it.
I mean, yeah, but it's a different thing.
I'm not trying to defend myself,you know.
No, but you're doing what your skill set is at that point.
He's just, I think a lot of people would be fascinated that
he can get to that point in his head before he gets hit for
sure. Yeah, yeah, well, he doesn't get
hit. He's already explained that.
(43:54):
That's why he looks so pretty still.
Well, OK, so before he potentially gets it.
Right, right. So you've never been knocked
down. Where have you?
I've. Been knocked down and sparring.
Oh, and sparring, but never in an actual fight.
Never. In an actual fight, never
somewhat again. OK, then let me ask.
You this? Yeah.
No, we're not going to wait for you, dude.
In your losses, were they technical knockouts?
(44:16):
Were they decisions? Were they?
Not over decisions. OK.
All decisions. And all those decisions were
wrong, right? I say three of them was.
Questionable. One of them was for sure loss.
I didn't do enough. I gotcha.
OK, you. All know the one.
That's humble, man. But I started developing my
(44:37):
prostyle right And amateurs, they want you to shoot and Bang,
Bang, Bang, Bang. Oh, really?
They they care about who the busiest.
OK. Obviously skill play a point on
that, but when I developed a prostyle of boxing I slowed
down. Like I was more patient picking
and choosing when I want to shoot.
They don't like that in amateurs.
Now do they want you to be that way because of the entertainment
(45:00):
value? They don't want boring fights is
that? No, it's it's a sport who can
land the most hits and. They want you.
That's busy. That's the way their game is
designed for their score. And we turn pro like everything,
by just a business. You got to be strategic with
everything. I can see that.
What what do you have as do you have particular colors that you
(45:21):
that you gravitate to like, you know, like Tyson always wore the
black shorts and the white towel.
Do you have the same kind of colors you always?
Nah I'm mixing it up. I saw like red and cheetah print
or leopard paint. My first.
Fight I will baby blue and white.
My last fight and it's fighting on white wearing all white and
silver. OK, have you ever, have you ever
(45:44):
met any professional boxer that was just like.
Yeah, I mean Roy Jones junior asa.
Case. I was in Alabama.
Right on. And I'm in my phone and he come
in AB side locker room like you.That's pretty much unheard of
for the big guys to come to speak to the B side.
Then I was in the A side or the main Carter speed.
(46:04):
He came in and was like, what's up everybody?
And I'm looking at my phone and I look up and I look back at my
phone and I look up again like, oh stop, He took a picture with
us and everything. That's awesome.
That's cool man, how I love those stories.
That was what, three years ago? Right on.
Was he? Was he what you hoped he would
be as a human? For the short time of my time,
(46:26):
you were. With him, he is a decent dude.
OK. I've seen him at a celebrity
basketball game when I was younger, but I never met him.
He had a house here in Sarasota.OK.
At the time. OK, it's cool when you meet
somebody that you aspire to be in their their, they're not
assholes, that they're genuine humans, you know?
Yeah, you know, everybody's an asshole.
(46:46):
Some point in their in their in their rise because, you know,
it's just. Floyd Floyd walked right past me
one time too. Yeah, who did?
As a coach, Floyd Mayweather, and I think it's like Daytona
Beach area, he actually dapped the fighter up who I was
coaching, right with no hesitation.
(47:08):
Oh cool, that's cool. That's awesome.
And then did your fighter win? Oh no, he didn't win that night,
damn it. That would have been great if he
won too. They gave they he did a good job
because Floyd was going to actually sign the fighter who
fought our guy, OK? And he did enough for Floyd not
to want to sign him anymore. Wow.
(47:30):
Even though. We didn't win.
He gave a little upset. Gotcha, That's fair.
You know, So what do you think about the, the, the scoring in
boxing? Does it does it warrant the
decisions when it comes down to it?
Or is, you know, is it, is it popularity?
Is are they really looking at atthe the punches landing?
(47:51):
Because I think that'd be reallyhard to sit there and watch.
What do you do? 10 rounds or 12 rounds?
Well that's probably 6 rounds, but my first team is 4.
OK. So from a six round standpoint,
you go to the distance, I mean are are there the judges are on
what three sides of the ring? Yes.
OK, how do they, how do they, how are they counting it?
Like is there something in theirhands or something where they're
(48:13):
like they? Have one of those clickers.
They just got a good eye and they that's it.
They're marking it down. Whoever they feel on that round,
they it's a 10/9 like right? So that's it.
It's just naked eye. It's a judgment.
But a lot of them, before they become pro judges, they got to
go through the amateurs too. Oh, even the ribs.
They got to go through the amateurs as well.
(48:35):
OK, so you got to work your way up on all levels of the sports.
You're starting at the bottom and working your way all the way
up. And that's why a lot of those
judges to be old. Oh, that makes sense.
Though. Let's see that's that.
Could that be? Could be a bad thing though
because their their reaction time is is lower than it was 20
(48:55):
years ago. You'll be surprised though, it's
like a lot of good judges like they, you know, they've been
doing it so long when it's like second hand.
OK, OK. I can see that it becomes a
habit, right? So they're basically watching
the fight and just with their hand, they're they're making
little ticks on something. OK.
And. Then you have every now and then
(49:15):
you have those questionable decisions.
Yes, watching. Right.
What were you watching, man? That's the stuff that drives us
nuts as viewers. Like, you got to be kidding me
because there's some fights Mikeand I have talked about and
watched recently. You know, it's like how.
Recently, there's a lot going on.
Some of those judges be hurryingboxing.
Yes, kind of like how LeBron James is destroying basketball.
(49:38):
Do your job. Yes, quit falling over when no
one touches you. Yes, like she's just, you know.
And there's video evidence. No total video evidence.
They made it so popular man flopping.
I think they got it, stole it from soccer and ran with it.
Yeah, because I've. Yeah, soccer has flopped too.
(50:00):
Good point. Yeah, yeah, but you know
flopping needs to stop. You can't flop in boxing, right?
You just can't fall to the ground.
Then you get a standing 8 count for nothing.
Yeah, that defeats the purpose of the sport.
Man changes to me and said gracewas in his eye.
Look at that, duty just fell over.
That's the first day you got to go down in history as the first
bouncer to plop. True.
(50:23):
Story So let's talk about the day of fighting.
We got about 10 minutes left here.
So I want to kind of get into the mindset of that.
So the day, the day of the fight, what's your, what's your
routine? Because I'm assuming it's, it's
consistent, right? Because creature habit, right?
So the I mean, what's the day ofa fight?
You wake up at what time and andjust take us through that day
before the night of the fight. I'm waking up probably 7-8
(50:47):
o'clock and. OK.
I'm eating a good breakfast. What's a good breakfast?
What's a good breakfast for you on fight day?
Life, anything would lie to you.Like I'm loading on berries and
vegetables. Really.
Yeah, really loading up on them things.
OK, so why? Why loading up on vegetables and
(51:08):
berries as opposed to to protein?
Well, I'm really trying to rehydrate and put those fluids
back in my body first in the morning.
For the weigh in was the day before.
And we still rehydrating all theway up into that fight.
So I want to put lights in my body that morning, probably for
lunch. I have like a small chicken
(51:28):
pasta because my stomach. You shrink your stomach while
you're in that wood cutting process.
Yeah. I have like a small chicken
pasta and probably some broccoli.
OK. Maybe our protein shake before I
get to the venue. OK, won't eat again until after
the fight over with. But prior to that fight, we'd be
(51:49):
relaxed. I don't know what they'd be
saying, but I listen to opera too.
I listen to opera. Anything that keep me, you know,
mellowed out and relax. Well, I could think Opera.
Yeah, Opera. Music.
People probably think little baby on headphones or something.
Nah that's awful. I don't even know what they
(52:10):
saying. They just keep me.
That's. Cool though, yeah.
I thought I was the only one that had my opera sessions.
No, I yeah, I love classical music too.
I like everything, really. Except.
Except a hardcore rap. I'm just not a fan, you know?
I just. That's what people think I
listen to all the time. But I'm being ready to fight.
(52:30):
I'm I'm a real like I visualize a lot.
I could see that you kind of seem like somebody who would
totally zone into it and Zen andjust inner peace and just calm.
You know, I I don't I don't I haven't seen you fight yet.
We're going to make that change,but I I don't imagine you going
in there like, oh, you just don't have that demeanor.
I know I could be wrong. He.
(52:51):
Seems very centered. He just seem, yeah, you do.
You seem very centric, very in control of who you are.
You know that's her cool. Right on.
So again, the fight is the 13th.Yeah, the 13th.
Right. And and it's a pay-per-view
event. What's the what's the venue for
that? It's the Hilton downtown Tampa.
OK. And what are tickets?
(53:11):
If somebody's in Tampa, they want to go?
It's $75.00 for VIP and $50.00 for general admission.
Right on. I'm sure they got any tables
left, but that was a lovely one.Gotcha, cool.
Anything else you want to add? I I just appreciate you guys for
giving me the opportunity and I.Appreciate you coming on.
Yeah. Anybody you want to shout out
(53:32):
to? I asked, man.
He asked. He been doing a lot for me, you
know. Ash is cool.
Yeah, that's how we found you. Yes, and I asked when somebody
doing me wrong. Ash don't like it.
He found it. Right, that's awesome.
Or some like the news here, the newspapers here didn't do me too
good and it's not about it like right away.
(53:54):
Ash took care of that. I actually had a real big dude
that's like my most. OK, right on.
Yeah, thank you for by the garbage.
This is my brother, man. Right on.
That's awesome. Yeah.
And again, Ash is how we found you.
So shout out to Ash for coming. And that's with Absolutely with
Fred, Ash and Jig. And he friended both of us on
Facebook. So thank you, friend, and us,
Ash, it's a pleasure to meet youand thanks for hooking us up
(54:16):
with Fred. This has been awesome, man.
We appreciate you coming on too.Yeah, and you're welcome to come
back, man. Let's get you like, you know.
Yeah. Let's talk to you after the
fight. Yeah.
I want to know what went throughyour mind and all.
Yeah, let's do this after the fight so that you can tell us,
you know, what fight day was like, what the fight was like.
You know, take us through that, I think.
That that was a huge. Boxing fans, man.
Yeah, we are. Totally, dude.
(54:37):
I mean, it's, it's, I mean, I grew up.
I grew up Marvel. Marvelous Marvin Hagler.
Tyson. Tight white, yeah, but.
Tommy. Tommy Hearns.
Yeah, yeah, yes, Tommy Hearns, that's what it was.
Yeah. Tommy Hitman Hearns.
Like all those Buster Douglas Tyson.
Yeah, Buster Douglas. That's a bad word.
Tyson should have been ready forthat fight, man.
(54:57):
He should have been. He was too busy.
Hookers and blow man Hookers andblow.
The one thing that I got from Fred on this podcast is how
focused he is on doing the job, man.
And that's what that's what you got to be.
You know, people think that musicians are all drug addicts
and party animals. Yeah, there's a little bit to
that, but there's a lot of work that goes into being a
professional. Anything right?
Exactly. People don't see that side of it
(55:18):
so. Do your do your kids watch you
fight? Yes.
They are they like, are they like, just like, come on, Dad.
Come on, Dad. You know, I think my old, my
oldest one and she would be a little bit more nervous, but my
5 year old. Yeah.
I got videos of her I think she menace she like.
That's awesome. That's great man.
Just. Stand up and scream at me like
(55:41):
I'm not doing enough. Kids are brutal, man.
But she want me to get busy. Sure.
Good for her. That's cool.
That's cool, man. You're a good man, Fred.
I appreciate you coming on, man.And damn.
Nice to meet you. Man, Yeah, we got to have you
back. We, you know, let's talk again.
Let's talk some more about fighting, all that kind of
(56:02):
stuff. Man.
You're a good dude. Send us the stuff because we're
going to watch you. It's going to be fun.
I want to see you fight man. Keep them up right?
Yes, Sir. That's right.
There you go. There you go, man, We appreciate
you. Be safe out there.
We always wrap our shows up withthat.
Don't let the bad days win. So if, if, if anybody out there
is feeling suicidal and depressed, don't be that person
(56:23):
that takes your own life becausesomebody's going to miss you.
Somebody Loves You and and you don't want to create that hole
in somebody else's heart. So reach out, find some help,
talk to somebody you know that will listen to you and and just
be an ear to lean on. We're no judgement zone here.
The Chris and Mike show. We're all about love and and and
finding common ground with people, human interest, things
like that. So we wish you the best of luck
in your in your fight cup comingthere, Fred, Absolutely great.
(56:45):
Kick some ass, man, where we're going to be rooting for you.
And I'm going to yell at the TV.If you're not doing, I want you
to do. Yeah, best of luck, man.
Like I said, it was damn nice tomeet you.
Thanks again for doing this and knock him dead man.
Yeah, we appreciate your time. Yeah, we appreciate time.
Especially because you're training for a fight.
So nothing but love from us, man.
Nothing but love. Alright, brother.
(57:06):
Peace. Peace.
Have a great day man. Alright too.
Nice. This is the place where you will
(57:35):
go. Feel the trail behind your eyes,
Feel sob and need yourself. Take a moment.
Look until you see him. Watch the battle.
That's you boss. We're Watch the battle.
But you boss Will, who is this baby?
(59:26):
The. When?
It goes around. The world you with no creature,
we don't pray and smile. You took your breath on the
almighty day, you got a dream. Who in your life?
The people soul in every day take the trail behind your eyes
(59:52):
feel the soul yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah take a
moment listen to you see it fight the fan over to you most
(01:00:13):
we. You gotta, you gotta.
(01:00:41):
You gotta, you gotta, you gotta.
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