Another question....mid to late 90's what were you thinking as far as your career goes? Boxing for cash, working your way up again for a shot, trying not to get beaten? Looked like you had other things going?
My aim right throughout my days as a boxer was to stay on top for as long as I could. Like I said before I never really got any big money but always hoped a big offer would come. Whilst ever you are winning there is always that chance. Once my wins record started getting into the 90s I was keen on reaching 100. Once I did I should have retired. My last fight was terrible. I knew a week before the fight I should never have been there. But it did make sure I wasnt going to fight again.
Cheers for answering these questions Flash. I know you sparred some great great fighters over the years. Any chance you could list some of the best? Anyone that you thought "I don't want any more to do with him".
Hey Jeff,not sure u'll remember him but my uncle John Starr sends his regards,says he trained at same gym as u a long time ago...
No I never really sparred anybody that gave me a real belting. I was never a real hard person in the gym. If you were giving points decisions on my sparring I dont think I would have won many. To some guys to beat you in a spar meant everything. It was mainly an ego thing for them. Boxers like Pernell Whittaker Azumah Nelson and current champion Chris John all box without trying to kill you. It lets both of you work on things without anyone getting hurt or cut.
Please send him my regards. I am now living in Ulladulla and should have a gym up and running by the first week in May. I am speaking to a high profile regional champion about coming down from Sydney to train. Hopefully Choc will spend some time down here also.
Ash glad you asked, For Chocs fight with Rob Medley I used a lot of old school training. Things that trainers used back in my prelim days. Tony would come and get me and we would talk about things we did in our day and what was the best to use with Chocs training. Choc put in 100% every session and I think it showed in the fight. He still did padwork which was his only easy excercise. The old way is still the best way.
[url]http://www.eastsideboxing.com/forum/showthread.php?t=213444[/url] I remember barry michael commentating on a choc fight during his initial foray into dropping down and he reckoned that mundine sacked weights off in favour of bodyweight exercises and that decreased his ability to starch people. Obviously you know better than me about the training aspects of boxing but my own training for amateur away from the boxing gym uses explosive movements with weights etc and the amateur coaches have us do a lot of plyometric stuff with medicine balls etc and interval sprints along side a couple of more steady state runs during the week. Obviously there's a massive difference between amateur and pro but is it a case of your preference as a trainer teaching "old school" or is it widely used by other trainers in australia like hussein etc?
Hey Flash , I know you won the Common Wealth title and are very proud of that achivement but do you and Team Mundine hold that WBA international title in higher regard ? Seriously ? Btw thanks for the Q&A sess its appreciated ( Things are looking up on this forum ) , PS How would you see yourself go v the likes of Kirkland Laing and Colin Jones @ Welter back around the late 70's early 80's ?
Josey I remember both Colin and Kirkland very well. Kirkland was a gifted welterweight who holds a decision over Roberto Duran. Colin was a very tough walk up guy who fought the great Ray Leonard. In those days I was a jnr welter so I was lucky enough to keep away from those guys. The problem today is there are to many regional titles. If you are boxing today and do not have a title sack your manager. Because Choc is aligned to the WBA they have not looked at the commonwealth title as that is a WBC thing. But to me the commonwealth title is the real deal.
20a87 Professional boxing today has changed because life and people have changed. People know more about there body today. If I fought on Friday I would starve myself for 3 days and spend hours in a sauna to make weight. Nobody ever thought of dieting a month before. Tony Mundine wouldnt even talk to you while he was making weight. Amateur boxing today isnt boxing. Thats why nobody cares. The thing with trainers including Billy today is yes they are good and have a lot of skills but they cant teach there guys that old school stuff because they were never around in those days. But Billy is a guy who will always have success. Unlike my wife he listens.
Mate barker is stagnating and has needed to step up for ages, choc would destroy him most likely but choc shouldn't be going near the commonwealth title as it's a huge backwards step.