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Monk Mode with George Foreman III is a podcast for those seeking focus, discipline, and personal growth in an age of distraction. Join Mr. Foreman as he interviews athletes, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders who have mastered the art of self-discipline and mental toughness. Each episode explores the mindset, habits, and strategies that drive peak performance, resilience, and inner peace. Whether you’re looking to sharpen your focus, achieve your goals, or lead a more intentional life, Monk Mode will help you unlock the next level of your potential.
Dania. Yes, sir.
Speaker 2:Thank you
Speaker 3:for joining me, man.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. Big gosh.
Speaker 3:Appreciate you, man. Yes, sir. It's been a a pleasure over time, you know, here and there getting to know you. And, obviously, you know, you like you are for millions of people here. Probably the inspiration for me.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I try to think of somebody who inspires me more than you. And I'm like, I'm really hard pressed.
Speaker 1:I appreciate it.
Speaker 2:And I'm
Speaker 3:sure you're tired of hearing that, but I'm a say it.
Speaker 1:No, man. It's not.
Speaker 3:So I'm really excited to have you here, man. I, you know, first, I just wanna go through some of the some of the the basics that, you know, ever so often there's still some people who may not know who you are. Yeah. And if they happen to be listening, I would love for them to hear about kinda where you're from and so on and so forth. So if you don't mind just starting kinda back at the beginning, like, where are you from and and, and, you know, where are you from and, honestly, your your path from where you started to, to college.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely, man. Man. So, I'm from Canton, Ohio.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean? We're a home of the NFL Hall of Fame and all this cool stuff, but, I grew up I grew up in a foster care system, so I didn't have family growing up for 17 years. And the thing about that is, you know, you see a lot of different faces. You jump around a lot of different things, and not everybody's the best. So my situation growing up was I was want sometimes I wonder where if I had food or if I was gonna have a roof over my head, if I was gonna have clean clothes, clean water.
Speaker 1:And, you know, it's something that you had to just kinda deal with, you know, as a kid. You know, as a kid, there's a lot of things out of your control. So for me, it was about a factor of factor of survival. And go just, the grace of it all was I was a wrestler. You know?
Speaker 1:I, got to go to school, and I went to school, and I would go to practice. Try to stay away from home as much as I could. And so I
Speaker 3:How old were you when you when you first developed the interest in wrestling?
Speaker 1:I was 5 years old.
Speaker 3:Right away?
Speaker 1:Yeah. So, like, I've always been I've always been just enveloped into it since I was legit. And so, you know, I would just stay stay as far away from home as I possibly could, and I would go and I'll be at a wrestling practice. You know what I mean?
Speaker 2:So,
Speaker 1:as the years went on, you know, I lost a lot. I lost almost 200 times before I won anything. Really? Yeah. And this started in, like, junior high?
Speaker 1:It started in, like, 1st grade.
Speaker 3:Great. They had
Speaker 1:a team? Yeah.
Speaker 3:See, I didn't even know wrestling started. So you started okay. Go on.
Speaker 1:I started. I was, like, literally, like, dude, wrestling wrestling, you could start when you're, like, 3, 4 years old in, like, youth programs where you got your little, little kids all it's like it's like, oh my god. I could never I could never deal with it. I'm telling you right now. Yes.
Speaker 1:You could. If you really had to, you could. But, you know, it's something that, you know, it kinda get like, humbled me about. Alright. If I get my if if I get my ass kicked, am I gonna be a sore loser about it, or am I just gonna keep pushing forward?
Speaker 3:You know, it's funny. I'm gonna this reminds me of something not even remotely the same, but I'm a I'm a get get get to the point. Yeah. Like, I've one of the one of the, my mentors, he's a great he's one of the best salesman, period, in the in the fitness industry, and I think in general, in in the world. And, and not like the snake oil salesman.
Speaker 3:Like, you know, sound something that can help people. But long story short, you know, he would talk about how, like, you wanna get as many nos as possible. The more nos you get, the closer you are to a yes.
Speaker 1:Yeah. I you
Speaker 3:know, understanding how to get the yes. But then also if someone tells you no 10 times and they still, But then, also, if someone tells you no 10 times and they still haven't walked away from you, you you know? And then you're doing something. And that was weird for me. That changed my you know?
Speaker 3:So, like, when I'm when when I'm in the position where I'm trying to, like, influence somebody, I take that mindset. Not even close to being the same thing. Yeah. But my question for you is when you're, you're going on your 100 and second loss, 100 and third loss, and I think about so many people who get frustrated coming off 1 or 2. Right?
Speaker 3:Or not even trying. What do you what what's the mindset? What's going through your mind, especially as a young kid?
Speaker 1:Man, actually keep going. As a kid, my coaches wouldn't let me quit. I just thought, well, when you know you're a kid, man, let me tell you right now. You lose once, it's like the world ends. You know what I'm telling you right now?
Speaker 1:Most kids, they lose.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:They're like, you especially a wrestler, I'm I go to these I go to these huge tournaments every once in a while. I see how kids are doing. You see a kid when you see a kid getting whooped. Yeah. And, like
Speaker 2:That's why I'm getting all that. Yeah. You know what I mean? It's like it's so, like, man, I'm telling you right now.
Speaker 1:As a kid, it sucks. But as I was getting older and, you know, my team had a good set of coaches around me, and my teammates, they were some of the toughest wrestlers I knew. Like, when I say just either I knew or, like, that the entire state knew, like, my my teammates, they were, like, top 5 in the state consistently. And I was, like, the worst guy that there ever was, you know, and I had guys like that to look at. So, like and on top of that, you know, you they stay at your practice with you and they kept working.
Speaker 1:So, like, I was I lose and I'd be like, I mean, I'm having a good time. I'm gonna watch my boys win. You know what I mean?
Speaker 3:Yeah. It's about the team.
Speaker 1:Exactly. Because, you know, wrestling's a single sport, but it builds com camaraderie like like none other. You know? So as I was going up through it and going up to a 110, a 120 losses, I was like, and here's the thing. It wasn't like I'll just get flat out blasted.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know
Speaker 1:what I mean? I would be doing good, not lose. You could be yeah. I I would make a dumb mistake every single time.
Speaker 2:You know
Speaker 1:what I mean?
Speaker 3:Like, An error.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Like, I'd be I remember I'd be up on, like, a single leg, and I'd double leg off double leg off on somebody.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And then I get to take down, but next thing I'm on my back.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean?
Speaker 3:Are you at it?
Speaker 1:It's like one little spark and then it's gone. And
Speaker 3:And it's funny you, did it reminds me of something. A friend of mine says that, her name's Stephanie. She's a boxer. And, she's lost, I think, her first could be, like, 7 amateur or 5 or
Speaker 1:something, but the most
Speaker 3:of her first her first batch. And I was asking her about it because she's still, like her optimism is still there, and she was, like, I've become so obsessed with getting better. So obsessed with getting better that I'm sorry. I'm more obsessed with getting better with, like, about I'm I'm more obsessed with getting better than winning. That's what she said.
Speaker 3:Yeah. You gotta hear the way she said it. So I'm I'm assuming, like, 175. Well, at some point, you start noticing, like, I'm improving. I'm improving.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Closer, I would assume.
Speaker 1:Bro, I remember my junior year, I I won one my first win junior year, they put put put me up varsity for 1 first time. And I remember I they bumped me up to 113. I was a £106. I was a little guy. Like, little like, skinny dude.
Speaker 3:And you went up to 113?
Speaker 2:I went
Speaker 1:up to 113, and I'm thinking, like, look at my coach level. Fuck.
Speaker 3:Here we
Speaker 1:go. That's how you doing. You feel me? And he's just like, that means, like, you got this? And I went
Speaker 2:out there, and we're at
Speaker 1:the Wheeling Park Duels wrestling against the number one team for West Virginia. And I go out there, and I just worked my butt off. I won 5 to 4. Really? Yeah.
Speaker 1:And I finally won. And I remember I was so happy, but, like, I just, like, I felt what it's like to, like, push past that limit and, like, figure out, okay. This is what it takes. I remember I went to go stand up on the mat, and I just fell over.
Speaker 3:Really?
Speaker 1:Yeah. There's this there's an old picture of my teammates, like, picking me up because, like, I literally exhausted every ounce of energy I had to pull it down for the team. And after that, I was like, shit, I can do something. And even after that, I kept losing until the next year. You know what I mean?
Speaker 3:If you knew you could do it, then what I what I heard
Speaker 1:you said took one time.
Speaker 3:You say you knew what it took.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Once I, like, I finally realized, okay. Now now that I won, I know what it's like to lose.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:This is what it's like to, like, put all the work in. And now, like, use your skills to your advantage and win.
Speaker 3:So at that this point, was that that was, high school? Yeah. And then what at this point, what is what's what's life like at home at that point?
Speaker 1:Home home life is still crap. I'm I have Bossier Brothers. You were getting the fist fights every day. Wow. Like, beating the hell out of each other, man.
Speaker 1:It was bad. I couldn't stand the boys I live with. They couldn't stand me neither.
Speaker 2:And, you know, so
Speaker 3:like They couldn't stand me neither.
Speaker 1:So, like, man, it was it was a war zone where I was at. Plus, like, we're in a bad neighborhood where I'm from, so it's like you're just kinda trying to survive, and I'm like, I really mean that.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You
Speaker 1:know, sometimes we I wake up and, like, have to have to fight fight cats fight cats in the morning. You know what I mean? Like Waking up to out my sleep to somebody ready to square or somebody, like, over you over you like that. You know? Because, like, we have real, like, real it was live, but I won.
Speaker 3:You know, I've, I I've been, you know, thank God. I've been fortunate enough to have not been in foster care. Right? But I've had some friends who have been. And, and there's people I'm sure that are gonna be watching this that maybe in foster care right now waking up to having a fight.
Speaker 3:Right? Then then go to practice. Yeah. What what the last thing I'll ask you about your childhood, what do you what do you what's going through your mind in the morning? Is this just, like, part of life at this point, or is there, like, something you're telling yourself to get past it?
Speaker 3:Like
Speaker 1:So for me, I know I wake up, and I'm I'm not gonna say that it. But I'll I'll be like, man, I hope no I don't know what it's like. So so don't come up to my face this morning. I just like, in the back of my mind, I'm like, I hope you do. You you
Speaker 2:you you gave me, like,
Speaker 1:I was I was that dude.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean?
Speaker 1:So, like, I lost all the time, man. I'm telling you. I just lost all
Speaker 2:the time.
Speaker 1:The time.
Speaker 3:You do.
Speaker 1:But what it so what's like, going to that like, even after that, like, during the day at school, I just I kept to myself. You know what I mean? Most 90% of the time, I just kept to myself.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 1:And what wrestling did for me, especially once I really started figuring out what the work it took to put in. Man, my senior year, I won the 1st 12 matches of my year, like, undefeated. Like, I beat I beat out some of the I beat out
Speaker 2:the top
Speaker 1:15 yeah. I beat out the top 15 guys in the state Wow. And beat the number 1 guy in the country right out right out the gate senior year. Good. Yeah.
Speaker 1:God. So, like, when I was do when I was on that, I was, like, when I was doing that, I was kinda just stop having an aptitude and wanna, like, get in fights with people. You know what I mean? That that
Speaker 3:that's when it went away?
Speaker 1:Yeah. It went away after that. Like, it really went away. Because once I started I was, like, 1, I was too tired. You know what I mean?
Speaker 1:Because I was, like, I'm thinking, like, man, like, you talking all you talking all this? I was, like, you just need to go sit down because, like, I didn't help you.
Speaker 2:So, like
Speaker 3:I know what it
Speaker 2:is. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So,
Speaker 1:like, it taught me it taught me patience, you know, and it taught me a lot of things that not not that I just use now as professional, but as I I use in just life in general.
Speaker 3:So so so tell me about, the transition from, high school. So you were in, in, Ohio authorized school? And then, and then tell me about that transition right into college. Getting picking a school, getting in. I'm sure you had to, just like anywhere, go into a new place, get some respect on the team and so
Speaker 2:on and
Speaker 3:so forth. Tell me tell me about that. And I know there's a Netflix documentary, and it talks you get to see a lot of that. Yeah. But tell me, you know, obviously, this doesn't tell you everything.
Speaker 3:What what was that transition like going to college, being away from home? Was that a better was that the good thing?
Speaker 1:Man, I'm telling you right now, I was I couldn't wait to get a good way to go. I was like they said they said you can go here. I said, bye. Yeah. I mean, see
Speaker 2:you again. Yeah.
Speaker 1:I was like, you'll see me when you see me. Yeah. You got something to do. And I was like, I had opportunities, so I jumped on it. You know?
Speaker 1:And I might my very first college match, I made I made the starting lineup, freshman year. Really? Yeah. And I lost my first match at home.
Speaker 3:It happens, though.
Speaker 1:You, like, shit up. I was wrestling against, Lake Erie College.
Speaker 2:I was
Speaker 1:wrestling against the 125 finals. It's, like, in turning national places.
Speaker 3:How much are you weighing at the time?
Speaker 1:I'm weighing, like, 110.
Speaker 3:And you're 125? Yeah.
Speaker 2:So you
Speaker 3:find people bigger than you?
Speaker 1:Yeah. But I I gained a lot of muscle mass. You know what I mean? Strength and speed. So, like, I was, like, I might have been lighter than you, but I I was equal.
Speaker 1:I was your equal. You know what
Speaker 3:I mean? Just talk can you talk about that for a second? Because we were just talking about and I wanna talk about your, your box the
Speaker 2:the people
Speaker 3:you like in boxing too. Mhmm. But we were talking about Canelo and Floyd, and these are both guys who and, these are both guys who fought above their weight class a lot. Floyd is going and fight a guy that weighed in at a 154, walked in the ring at 165. Floyd walked in the ring at £146 less than what he weighed in.
Speaker 3:Right? Yeah. And and then Canelo is fighting giants. Right? Yeah.
Speaker 3:And you find that sometime your speed is your ally, and sometimes these guys put on weight to fight bigger guys than they do worse. So I'm just curious, why were you fighting above your weight class? And then number 2, what type of, edge did it give you?
Speaker 1:For me, I What
Speaker 3:did it give you?
Speaker 2:I have
Speaker 1:a I have an edge of speed.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean?
Speaker 1:I never used to be fast. But, like, when it comes down to it, one moment I'm right here, and next moment I'm under you. And your feet are off the ground. You know what I mean? Like, I just gotta get to where I'm going, and I'm extremely accurate.
Speaker 3:Got it.
Speaker 1:You know? Like, in the heat of it, you could be throwing a flurry of, punches at me, and I'm just gonna look at it. I wanna watch it
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And wait for you to wait for that opening right here where I can just grab your leg. And, like, you could be coming right here, and I could just wait wait wait wait wait crap.
Speaker 3:Yeah. You know
Speaker 1:what I mean? Because that's what I know best.
Speaker 2:You know
Speaker 1:what I mean?
Speaker 3:It's interesting because my, my coach, he told me when it from what the coach I'm working with now, he told me the 1st day probably not not the 1st day. Probably 1st month we started working. I was trying to counter punch somebody, and he was like, George, he was like, you're never gonna be able to counter punch this guy. He's faster than you. Yeah.
Speaker 3:He's like, he's just faster than you. And no one had ever talked to me like that, and I didn't like it. Yeah. No. I didn't like it.
Speaker 3:But I was like so it made but it made me start saying, alright. But where am I better?
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And focus on that. And I started going from doing 7 or 8 things to, like, I'm just gonna be really good at these 3 things. Yep. And then eventually, I was counter punching them, by the way. Yeah.
Speaker 3:But just curious, did, can you talk about your development as a as a wrestler from how how what was your journey? Just just talk about skills and the craft.
Speaker 1:So skill wise skill wise, man, I used to I used to have a lot of trouble with somebody getting on top of me. And, like, say, like, I got taken down
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You could, like, just ride me out Yeah. Like, for the whole period. And I I just hated it.
Speaker 3:And you were just fighting the whole the whole day?
Speaker 2:The whole the
Speaker 1:whole time just fighting. But as I developed, you know, my coaches, we worked a lot of, like, speed drills and accuracy. You know, like, one moment, like, I just had to sit here and they they call positions. I'm just saying, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here. You know what I mean?
Speaker 1:And I'm sitting there, like, okay. The more I was doing, the faster I I found myself getting to the point where, like, you could, like you would go to, like, snap my head down or something, or, like, say you get behind me, you go to, like, put your arm across my neck, I'm literally, without looking, catching it right here. And, like, just pulling it over because I know it's coming.
Speaker 3:Got it.
Speaker 2:You know
Speaker 1:what I mean? Whether I whether I've competed against you or not, I just expect it to be there.
Speaker 3:Now hold on.
Speaker 1:And so with that being said, all my skill just based off, okay, what can you do? What can't you do? We crossed off everything that I can't do. And everything that I kinda could do, we modified it to make it work. That's why, like, when I compete or I train or I when I'm sparring or I'm fighting, I move so differently because it's hard to describe my skill set Yep.
Speaker 1:And the fact that I'm so unorthodox.
Speaker 3:Yep. And that way you're gonna practice. Right? That's why I was talking about, there's, like, this heavyweight champion. He's 6 for 9.
Speaker 1:Yeah. That's crazy. Tyson Fury. Oh, okay.
Speaker 3:And I was telling somebody, they're like, man, they're I was explaining one of his advantages. I was like, where are you gonna find somebody 6 foot 9 who can move like this guy, Floyd Mayweather?
Speaker 1:Yeah. He can roll the punch and get under. Yeah.
Speaker 3:You're not gonna find a guy with those type of skills, 6 foot 9. So then when you get in the ring, that's the first time you've seen it. You know what I mean? Yeah. And people don't realize how much of an advantage that is.
Speaker 3:I was gonna ask you. So tell me, you said speed and accuracy. And I think you already answered this, but I just wanna double check. You said those are 2 things you're you're great at. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Was that because your coach said, hey, you're gonna have to be fast and accurate? Or it's because he said, I'm looking at you, and I see that you could be really fast and accurate.
Speaker 1:He was looking at me because, like, I was, like, a real, like, I was one of those kids that, like, couldn't sit still.
Speaker 2:I was on the back. You know
Speaker 1:what I mean? Like, you see so, you know, a lot a lot of people, like, they they just, like, get they'll snap your head down. They'll tie up and, like, hang off the head and move you around. You know, I wasn't one of that. You know, I wanted to get in, and I wanted to push you away
Speaker 3:and get
Speaker 1:off the mat. You know what I mean? Like, that's how I that's how I was always thinking. I was like, I didn't wanna I didn't wanna be out there. I don't want especially in college, I don't wanna be out there I wanna be out there for 7
Speaker 2:minutes, potentially
Speaker 1:potentially 12 when we go into overtime. You feel me? Like, that's a long time.
Speaker 3:You don't get paid for overtime.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So I'm like I'm like, alright. What's the quickest way that I can get in and, like, either run up the score so I can relax or, like, put you away and get the pin?
Speaker 3:Got it.
Speaker 1:And so I was always looking for something like that. And my coaches, they realized that, like, they're, like, you're they used to call me jumpy because, like Did
Speaker 3:you always
Speaker 1:because I was real, like, real jittery. Even now, like,
Speaker 2:now it's more controlled. I can sit there, and I can
Speaker 1:wait, and I'm so good at it. I can I can controlled? I can sit there. I can wait, and I'm so good at it. I can
Speaker 2:I can fake a takedown and come over with the left hand?
Speaker 1:Got it. You feel me? Real easy. You know? Just because, like,
Speaker 3:I have the speed
Speaker 1:for it. Yeah. You know? Or just fake the takedown, and and then you think I'm taking down, fake fake up top, and still take you down anyway.
Speaker 2:You keep
Speaker 1:keep going like it's, like, a complete sellout. You know what I mean? So, like, there's a
Speaker 3:Speaking of Tyson Fury, that's his feints. Have you have you seen him 5 minutes? Yeah. He's like he's always Yeah.
Speaker 1:He's always sitting like, dude. Me, I when I fight, I'm sitting here just like this.
Speaker 3:Got it.
Speaker 1:Because, like, I wanna I want you to understand that if I wanna come up top, I wanna come up top. But if I wanna grab your leg, it's it's just as simple as a misdirection.
Speaker 3:And you might still come up top. Yeah.
Speaker 1:And I still might come up top anyway. And so, like, my coaches all the way through college, all the way through high school, all the way through just, when I joined MMA, they're all like, dude, we need to hone in that accuracy and, like, try to up your speed. And on top of that, like, I'm already a strong dude. That's what that's been established a while back. You know what I mean?
Speaker 1:Like, I had the strength, and I had the stamina. Now we need and I have the speed, and I have the accuracy, and I need the skill. So then now with all that put together, now we start drilling in drilling in what I need to do. Exactly. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Exactly what I need to do. So in college, I they see I used to be they used to fear me because I'd my headlocks are really tight. You know what I mean? Like, my teammates, bro, like, even my own teammates, they'd be like, alright. We're doing headlock drills.
Speaker 1:And I'd be like, who's my partner? And my my my main partner, he'd be like, nah, bro.
Speaker 3:I'm onside.
Speaker 2:Yeah. He said Oh, you can do that.
Speaker 1:Like, nah, bro. I ain't I ain't with that today.
Speaker 3:But, man, that that's a testament. So tell me tell me a little bit of I wanna ask you about your strength and then your, and then the skills real quick and then a couple more things about college.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:But your strength, was that gift? Was it developed? It
Speaker 1:was developed. You know, I used to be real weak, and I used to be real small. And, dude, I had this I had the craziest growth spurt in my entire life when I was 17.
Speaker 3:Can I speak on this real quick? Interlude, like, just to be clear. The other day, Zion was here, and he was, we he was like, yo. How can I do you have something where I can pull the sled? And the sled, like, every the sled here is everybody's worst nightmare and, everybody's worst nightmare.
Speaker 3:So I went in and found a 20 pound weight vest and attached a strap to it and then put it on the sled. The sled weighs £80. He put £90 on it. Long story short, it was £200. And I was, like, looking at him, like, I don't know if you wanna do this because we do that in class and we do not put that much weight on it.
Speaker 3:Yeah. We put, like, a 35 or a 45 and people are dying. Right? Yeah. And so, even me, like, I put about the same amount of weight, and I go down and back, and I'm, like, that's that's what me and him did yesterday.
Speaker 3:And so
Speaker 1:You're tired.
Speaker 3:I'm, like, and then you drag the thing down the fucking turf.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And so that changed me as a human being. And so I'm really fascinated at how to how to fuck excuse me. How did you develop that type of strength?
Speaker 1:Man. I'm telling you right now. After that little taste of victory, it's my junior year of high school.
Speaker 3:That that when you said you completely exhausted.
Speaker 1:Yeah. When I completely exhausted myself, like, when I pushed, I gave it everything. You know what I mean? Like, I I don't think I had given it everything up until that point. You know what I mean?
Speaker 1:I have no I can't couldn't tell you a time where I thought I was giving it everything, but I I could've told you times where I thought I was giving it everything.
Speaker 3:But it wasn't.
Speaker 1:Oh, really? Oh, reality, it wasn't. But that time I did, that was everything. Because I'm telling you, bro, like, my arms felt like pure liquid.
Speaker 2:You you feel me? Like like,
Speaker 1:I could not move. So, like, I'm telling so but, like, after after that feeling, you know, going into the summer between junior and senior year, I trained 7 days a week, 3 times a day for 3 months straight. You Did not hang out with none of my friends all summer. And I gained, like, 15 pounds of muscle. You feel me?
Speaker 3:Yeah. Because that my moment changed the weight.
Speaker 1:Yeah. And I was like, if I'm gonna if I'm gonna do this, I gotta get big. I gotta get bigger.
Speaker 3:Got it.
Speaker 1:Because I do I used to be, like, small fries, small
Speaker 3:fries.
Speaker 2:Yeah. You know
Speaker 1:what I mean? So I after that, dude. And then I had a growth spurt. My arms got longer. You know, I started getting some hair on my chest.
Speaker 1:You remember? It's like, you know,
Speaker 2:it's like, you know, it's like,
Speaker 1:you know, it's like, you know,
Speaker 2:it's like, start to get big. So, like, man,
Speaker 1:I'm telling you right now, I came in. I look I look completely different that next year. Everybody was like, dude, I was doing so well that, like, I was getting, the the school and, like, other, like, other divisions for whether I was doing track and field or wrestling, they were drug testing me for performance enhancers. Are you fucking kidding me? Dude, I went because I was a literal nobody.
Speaker 1:And in the span of, like, 2 weeks into the season, I was ranked top 10.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean?
Speaker 1:So, like, I'm like they're like they're like, what the hell is this dude?
Speaker 3:They go to drug test.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So that was I was pissing in the cup, like, pretty regularly.
Speaker 3:And you weren't wealthy or anything like that?
Speaker 2:No. I was horrible. I was just I was just my I was eating mine.
Speaker 1:That's so expensive. That's why. I was eating. Eating my mom's food. Yep.
Speaker 1:And we're going to the gym and busting my butt. And, like, I didn't have a car, so I would push my wheelchair across town to go to another spot. And then I push my chair to my detailing job in detail cars for 4 hours, and then I have a night session, and then do that for another 2, 3 hours.
Speaker 3:I've traded.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And then I come back home at my mom's house and fall asleep at the bottom of the steps, like, to just crash out. Wake up next morning, take a shower, do it again.
Speaker 2:And And,
Speaker 1:like and my mom told me this is after this is after. So I didn't get adopted till I was 18, but I was taken in before that.
Speaker 3:Got it.
Speaker 2:And so
Speaker 1:I remember when Did
Speaker 3:you say your your mom that's after you adopted?
Speaker 1:Yeah. So I remember when she told me, she's like, you ain't she said she said, listen. You ain't gonna be sitting up in my house all summer doing absolutely nothing. I said, you either gotta go work out and get better at wrestling Yeah. Or you better go get a job.
Speaker 1:I kinda I went and did both. You know what I mean? So, like, I was making some money, and I was training everything I possibly have.
Speaker 3:You said detailing cars?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:I didn't know that.
Speaker 1:Yeah. I was I do I detail all my own cars.
Speaker 3:That was my first job, by the way.
Speaker 1:Oh, shoot. That's what's up. Oh, yeah.
Speaker 3:Man, all them chemicals, by the way, those were good for us.
Speaker 1:Yeah. No. I mean, but you know. I'm I'm just in there, like
Speaker 3:Looking back, that was bad.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah. I got good tips, though. So, like
Speaker 3:You got oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
Speaker 1:The tips are always good. So, man, I'll I'll I'll I'll be like, alright, boys. What we doing this week?
Speaker 3:Let's get it. Man, so to to I gotta ask you about this workout regime, and then, one more question about college. Sorry. I because every time you talk, I think about something else.
Speaker 2:But Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Tell me 3 you working out 3 times a day, 7 days a week. What type of what what what are you doing? Is it calisthenics? Is it weights? Is it, drills, skills drills?
Speaker 3:Like, give me kind of a day an a mix an idea of the mix.
Speaker 1:So we had these one drills where, like, for instance, when I when I go to when I say I catch, like, whether it's a MMA fight or anything, if you throw if you throw a punch and I can see it, I'm gonna I'm gonna do I'm gonna grab your wrist and pull you towards me. Like, the last thing you would think somebody would wanna do, you think. You know what I mean? But for me, you punch at me, and I see a fist coming. If I get out the way, it's gonna grab it
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:And pull you down. And you throw an uppercut, or pull you down, take you down, and throw an elbow or something. You know what I mean? So, like, for me, it was more, like, we do all these drills where, like, my coach would hold on to me, and then we'd have somebody else and put their feet together. And I usually do it with our heavyweight coach.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And we just sit there tug of war, like, pulling, seeing who had the who had the more strength. So now when I go every time I do anything, I snap your head down, pulling it in. I I grab your wrist, pulling it in.
Speaker 3:Just straighten it in.
Speaker 1:Your legs, pulling it in. You know what I mean? I it's just like a collection service. And then on top of that Come here.
Speaker 3:Get over here.
Speaker 2:That's what I'm saying. Yeah.
Speaker 1:But then
Speaker 3:Get over here.
Speaker 1:On top of that, you know, I was benching. I was doing pull ups.
Speaker 2:I was
Speaker 1:doing a regular just regular thing, but, like
Speaker 3:Push, pull.
Speaker 1:I would do, like, extra sets. You know? By the time I turned 18, dude, I was benching £230 on a bench.
Speaker 3:And you're doing you're getting 4 sets, 6 sets.
Speaker 1:I'm getting, like, 4, 6, 10. Like Yeah. And, like, after a while, I just stopped at 2:30, and I just tried and I was like, now now let's see let's see how many see how many times I can push £230 for reps.
Speaker 3:Twice your body weight.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So, like, I'm like, alright. Now we're getting now we're there. Now I got the strength.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Now let's get faster. So then I'm sitting there, and coach would like we have to, like we've we he would play this game, where we would, like, have to throw things at each other real close up front.
Speaker 3:Yeah. You know
Speaker 1:what I mean? And try to catch it, like, catch it. You know? Like, we'd have, like, 4 or 5 guys, like, take, like, a little pong ball
Speaker 3:Yep.
Speaker 1:And rocket it at us. You know what I mean? And try to, like, either block it or catch it. You know? Like, whatever angle it's coming at, don't let it hit you.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean? Whoever let the whoever let the Leafs hit them win. 1.
Speaker 3:Hey. I would just do that over and over again.
Speaker 1:I would try to crack my homes. I would just like, be like, seriously, like, I'm in the MLB, dude. Shiley Welton. Are you feeling me? Just fuck.
Speaker 1:Hey. But it was like it was a game that, like, either you gonna move or you're not.
Speaker 3:You gonna get hit or you're gonna catch it or you're
Speaker 2:gonna have to. Gonna get hit or you're
Speaker 1:not gonna get hit. You ever seen the movie Dodgeball? He said if you can dodge the rest, you can dodge the ball. No, man. Same same logistics.
Speaker 3:There's a story that, Joe Louis you've heard of Joe Louis? Yeah. That his, chappy, Jack Blackburn, they said he was, was getting hit with right hands. And so they had a fight, and he told him he said, man, I'm a have to teach you how to, how to, duck a right hand or get out of the way of right hand. But long story short, he was like, alright.
Speaker 3:And then he was getting ready, and he took a break and threw it right at his head.
Speaker 1:And got the way there. He
Speaker 2:just And
Speaker 3:he said that's that's how we do it. Yeah. Now that's a true story. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Bro, but it's it's crazy. Sometimes it takes it takes the it takes the knowledge of imminent danger for somebody like us to, like, push ourselves and be like, okay. If we're gonna be a real savage, man, like
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You gotta be able to dodge these punches. You know, I train with guys like AJ McKee and, like, Baby Slice and, like, Antonio McKee. These guys are certified savages.
Speaker 3:Killers. Dude, you
Speaker 2:know what I mean?
Speaker 1:So, like Gotta
Speaker 3:have a cup.
Speaker 1:You you know, if you think that I'm just sitting in there letting them piece me up every day
Speaker 2:Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1:You mistaken. Because, like, I bro, I was trying to make a day today, and I hit him a little too hard on 1. He said he said, oh, yeah? Yeah. He came back with some heat, and I had to I had to he had I had to get serious.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean?
Speaker 3:That's imminent imminent imminent.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Imminent danger. So, like, he started throwing him throwing heat. I got real focused and started getting out the way. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Because if he hits you 1 or 2 1 or 2 times with these bombs that he's throwing at a high speed It's
Speaker 3:a problem.
Speaker 1:He's gonna push you down. He's gonna sit you down. And so, like, just the levels of training like that where you have to move and you have to react real time. Yep. That's what it is.
Speaker 1:I don't like I don't like the drills where they're like, here here comes a golf ball at the same speed. Try to catch it. Try to catch it because you're only gonna know that speed then rather than here's here's 40 golf balls all at different speeds.
Speaker 2:Try to
Speaker 1:get them out of your way.
Speaker 3:No comfort zone.
Speaker 1:Yeah. No comfort zone. You're not gonna know what you're not gonna know what to expect.
Speaker 3:Catch 1, 2,
Speaker 1:3, 4. Because I might throw a punch that fast, but my next one might be just to see how you move. You know what I mean?
Speaker 3:You might throw fast and then slow.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Just to, like, just to, like, test the waters.
Speaker 2:You know
Speaker 1:what I mean? I like to see, like, what's up.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Yeah. So so tell me, it's funny because you're not, so much your well, you I I know, like, MMA, like, you gotta use your hands like a boxer, but so much in the way you talk about strategy is how we talk about it with traditional boxing. So last thing, tell me college, highs and lows. Like, highs and lows.
Speaker 3:What what would you say the the low was? And what would you say, like, the the high was? Because that was to the way I understand that school, that's one of the best wrestles.
Speaker 1:Yeah. We are we are definitely a prestigious wrestling program. I don't know about so much anymore.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:But at my time and the years before before me, yeah, they they were they had some big hitters. Yeah. So, like, man, we did it's it was it was a lot being there. You know what I mean? I'm just gonna I'm not gonna speak bad on the school even though I could say some things, bro.
Speaker 1:So, like
Speaker 3:But it was a lot.
Speaker 1:It was a lot. But, like, here's the thing. When it came to my team, I would have asked for a better Band of Brothers to fucking go to war with that every single time. You feel me?
Speaker 2:If I
Speaker 1:could do it all again, I would do it exactly the same way. But my thing is the the dynamic in there, it's like the different like, there's, like, people like, I I love these, like, state champs. Like, these, like, state champs or, like, high school national champions that, like, come into college thinking that they're like, oh, come on, dude.
Speaker 3:Did a SHOT? Yeah.
Speaker 1:And then you get somebody like me that never went to state, whooped their ass.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean?
Speaker 1:So, like
Speaker 3:Take care of them.
Speaker 1:That's what
Speaker 2:I'm saying.
Speaker 1:Like, like, here's the thing.
Speaker 3:You see the gyms all the time.
Speaker 1:Yeah. And, like, a lot of people, they don't understand because the level is so, like let's say high school's here. College is here. You know what I mean? But at the same time, you look at the Olympic level and college level, they're too far from each other.
Speaker 1:Because if you're gonna be if you're gonna be the most elite college wrestler or you wanna be an Olympian, you gotta work you gotta
Speaker 3:About the same
Speaker 1:just about the same amount of work you put in.
Speaker 3:Got it.
Speaker 1:You feel me? Being an Olympian is a little higher. But high school is, like, the jump, man, it's like you're trying to jump a 20 foot 20 foot crevice. You know what I mean? Yep.
Speaker 3:Yep. It's
Speaker 1:gonna be hard. And, you know, it was for the level for the amount of work I put in and amount of times there, the ups and downs. My my high was the fact that, you know, I figured out how far I could really go when I was by I remember the regional championships.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I broke my ribs in the regional semifinals.
Speaker 3:Semifinals.
Speaker 1:Yeah. And I ended up ended up winning my semifinal. And, I remember that first that first place match, I won it by a hair. You feel me?
Speaker 3:You won it?
Speaker 1:I won it barely. Like, I should I feel like I if I was healthy, I shouldn't have. Like, it shouldn't have been, like, close if I'm gonna be real with you.
Speaker 3:You said if you were healthy.
Speaker 1:Yeah. But I was, like, I was my wrist is broke. You know what I mean? What you expected me to do? Like, you know what I mean?
Speaker 1:And my opponent, he knew that. Like, he he wholeheartedly he'd been studying me the entire time because he was the one that was predicted to go get into the finals. Yeah. And I was the number one seed.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean? So, like, me being the number one seed, I have I have a big old big old target on my back.
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 1:And so I'm in that 1st place match. And every time every time that he, like, would get a takedown on me, he would just tight waist me around my wrist and squeeze.
Speaker 3:Bro.
Speaker 1:You feel me? It would just take the life out of me. And every time I say you squeeze, I'm telling you something activated in me. And I would turn around as hard as I could without without exposing my back, and I under hook him and sit there, throw it up, and then, like, push his body away and get back to neutral. Sit right back here, like, alright.
Speaker 1:We ain't having that. Because, like, you know, it it forces you for me at that time, my highest moment would become the regional champion because I figured out how far I could go. I figured out that I'm I'm one of the baddest dudes in the country now. You feel me?
Speaker 3:Like Literally the baddest dude
Speaker 2:in the country.
Speaker 1:Me, you gotta really whooped my ass. You feel me? And so at that so for that being a high, that's it's it was just like I've kinda realized I was a man at that moment. And then my lowest was I just didn't like I didn't like the dynamic of the team all the time.
Speaker 2:You know what
Speaker 3:I mean? Denial. Yeah. Yeah. Just the the I
Speaker 1:just I beef with our, like, other guys in my weight class. Yeah. They hate me. I'm a I'm a tell this one story one time, but just only once. But I remember, wrest loss freshman year, I won.
Speaker 1:And then the next day, we're doing drills, and, like, we're doing mat return.
Speaker 3:He coming for you?
Speaker 1:Yeah. And, like, we're doing we're drilling.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And this dude picks me up and just drops me, like, hard. With his way on top? Yeah. Hard. Like Yeah.
Speaker 1:Like, doing the mat return.
Speaker 3:In the drill?
Speaker 1:Yeah. And then you guys started talking shit. So I got to come down. But I'm not I'm not joking with you. I'm a savage.
Speaker 1:I took off his wrestler shoes.
Speaker 2:It won't matter.
Speaker 1:I was just like I was just like, bro, I should throw it I'll throw you pictures away. So I was always like that was, like, probably the lowest moment I had there because, like, after that, I just didn't really like my teammate some of my teammates no more.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Because I was like because
Speaker 1:I was I was always the guy, like, sophomore year, I was cap I was one of the captains of the team. You know what
Speaker 3:I mean? Summer year.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Yeah. And so, like, from the get go, I was always trying to lead the guys to do better. I was always trying to push out push them to be better.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Always trying to be that dude that, you know, if nobody's up at 5 AM, I'm gonna break your door down and make you get up because, like, if I gotta be up and coach is calling my phone, you gotta get up because I'm calling your phone. You feel me? So, like
Speaker 3:You were that guy.
Speaker 1:I was that guy. And like me or not, we're all gonna get better together. And I feel like not everybody a lot like, my my my roommates
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Those are some of the guys closest guys to me for the rest of my life after the experiences we had, but those guys, they they were like me where, like, I'd be like, bro, we're getting up, or, like, hey, bro. It's, like, 8 o'clock at night. Wanna go to the restroom and get a scrappin'? They'd be like, hell, yeah. Let's go.
Speaker 1:And we'd be in the restroom 8 o'clock, 9 o'clock, 10 o'clock just scrapping, trying to help each other lose weight.
Speaker 3:And they still get up the next morning. Yeah.
Speaker 1:We still get up the next morning and keep going, and that's why we were the guys that were placing at nationals. That's why we were the guys placing in that region, being the regional champions. You know what I mean? So k. Highs and lows at Kent, there are there is and there's not.
Speaker 3:It's it's it's interesting, man. You taught me you I learned a lot in that. I was gonna ask you well well, I got 3 questions. 1, how did how did you break the rib?
Speaker 1:So I went so he went for a so this is semifinalist against the University of Las Vegas, I think.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And, if I can't remember, like, red and black.
Speaker 3:UNLV. He goes to UNLV.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay. Cool. And, this dude, he, like, he, like, he, like, tried to hit, like, a super duck on me. In a super duck, so you have the you have the, elbow, and you duck it.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And you come under and then you come around the leg. You pick it up. You can double, or you can single it off. And he tried to hit a version of that on me, but instead, him getting it, I just kinda grabbed his neck and his arm.
Speaker 3:You feel me?
Speaker 1:So, like, because, you know, I'm up in the air like this.
Speaker 3:Yeah. And he came.
Speaker 1:I'm thinking, like, alright. If I let go, because the second I take my fingers off the mat, the ref's gonna call potentially dangerous.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 1:And we're gonna have to go back to neutral. So I'm trying to play smart. In college, they also give you a lot lot more leniency.
Speaker 3:Gotcha.
Speaker 1:You know, like, you could have one finger in the ring, and it's still alive. Okay.
Speaker 2:You know
Speaker 1:what I mean? So I'm upside down, and I'd go to, like, try to, like, let go and try to, like, like, double under, scoop him from behind.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And it just didn't work out. He saw it coming. And so, like, he kinda stepped back and kind of all his body weight went down. I missed it. And I came down like this and just his weight, like, just I hit the ground and then he came down on top.
Speaker 1:And just at the angle, I threw I felt my ribs crack. You know what I mean? Like, immediately, I felt them crack.
Speaker 3:Hurt when you breathe?
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah. It really hurt. They had to they had to, like, tape my body around and, like, compress my ribs.
Speaker 3:So and then last thing I wanna get back is I wanna make sure anyone who's listening understood this. You said had you not had the injury because of that that reflex you have when the guy the guy in the finals was messing with it? Yeah. Had you not had the injury, you may not have won.
Speaker 1:Oh, I might've lost. Yeah. I might've I might've straight have lost, but, like, not that you know you know what it's like that say, never corner an injured wolf?
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Because, like, you might get messed up.
Speaker 3:Yep.
Speaker 1:That's how I felt. Because, like, I didn't wanna go home. I mean, obviously, I was going up. I didn't wanna get a lower lower,
Speaker 3:lower seater.
Speaker 1:Yep. I didn't wanna look bad in my 1st year. My mom was there. Yeah. So, like, didn't wanna look bad.
Speaker 1:You
Speaker 3:feel me? That was that
Speaker 1:was a moment. Yeah. So, like, I just was like, you know what?
Speaker 2:Fuck it. You feel me?
Speaker 1:Like, if we're gonna run it, like, I don't care what happens next after this, but I'm about to be the regional champ. And I just I just I remember I blast up with this dude with, like, a couple seconds left
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And just rode it out. You feel me?
Speaker 3:Yo. You know, it's funny. I was I was I've been, like, scratching my head about this one moment and, like, once again, not even close to comparing it. Not even close to like, this is this is literally I'm not being, modest. This is child's play compared to what you just described.
Speaker 3:But I was I've been scratching my head about this. I was sparring recently because in high school sports, I was I suck. I get on varsity and they figure out I couldn't run plays. I couldn't, like, remember a play.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:I just I freeze up and, so, like, can't play at the highest level of basketball. Can't play at the highest level of football. Like I could read it, but when, you know, I would not open up the gap. You know what I mean? Yeah.
Speaker 3:And so on and so forth. And then I finally settled in lacrosse that works for me because I could just do 1 on 1. But I just wasn't a good high school high school athlete. I found boxing late. So, I haven't had a lot of these these experiences.
Speaker 3:But recently, I was sparring and, I had a hamstring injury, like a bad one.
Speaker 1:Oh, shit.
Speaker 3:And so I wanted to get some work in, and we had, 3 guys, I think, that day. But long story short, I could not throw body shots, and I really couldn't do, like, a a quick rotation this way, and I couldn't rotate that way. So I couldn't throw a hook. And I ran 2 of my sparring partners out of there. Ran them out.
Speaker 3:And one of them I drop almost dropped them, and I didn't even mean to. But I remember thinking, like, why does it take me to have
Speaker 1:Why does it take you
Speaker 3:For me to
Speaker 1:because now you're compensated. And you know that if they if they reach that area of they reach that area of weakness, you might go down.
Speaker 2:Yeah. You you should have Yeah.
Speaker 3:I can't let them find out.
Speaker 2:That's what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying.
Speaker 3:See, most people don't get that. I know. I get it.
Speaker 1:My ribs, man, like, you like, the fact that you knew about it put more urgency on me
Speaker 3:I got that. To end
Speaker 1:it earlier against you. Because the longer we sit out there, especially having busted ribs and, like, you know, you can't at wrestling match, you can't just call a time out. You know what I mean? Like, it don't work like
Speaker 2:that. You
Speaker 1:know? So sucks. Yeah. No. And if you're busted up, you're busted up.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Only time they'll stop it is that you lose too much blood. Like, that's it. You know? And even at that, sometimes they don't really care that much.
Speaker 3:Really?
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:So it's about how much blood you lose. Yeah.
Speaker 1:It's like, if you're about to pass out, oh, yeah. It's stopping it. But, like, if you're fine and you're just leaking, have fun. Like, you
Speaker 2:know what I mean? So,
Speaker 1:like, but it's that it's that urgency of that's that that's that, natural instinct that we have as mammals, as apex predators. You know? Like, the humans, we're all part of the animal kingdom. But, like, we're we're at the we're at the top of the top of the chain when it comes to intelligence, when it comes to savagery. You know what I mean?
Speaker 1:When it comes to everything. You know? So with that being said, you corner a man
Speaker 3:You go.
Speaker 1:And you corner any grown man in, anywhere. Oh, no matter if you have the up arm or not, he's gonna go out fighting.
Speaker 3:You got a animal on your head.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Yeah. You're gonna go out fighting. Yeah. And for me, I was like, if you like, you're gonna have to break my ribs even more for me to, like, say, like, okay.
Speaker 1:You win. You know what I mean?
Speaker 3:You better snap. You better break some more.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Like, I better not be able to breathe. You know what I mean? So, like, that's how I felt. And then I went out there and I pulled out a dub.
Speaker 1:Ray got my hand raised and then, like, went to the hospital. So, like, that's how that went. I that's how
Speaker 2:that went. I enjoyed it for a
Speaker 1:second with my team, said hi to my mom, and then, like, they put me in the ambulance. They were, like, sitting down. So yeah. So that was So That those experiences, that's what
Speaker 3:does it for me. So tell me, so college and how how old are you?
Speaker 1:I mean, I'm 26. So That wasn't that long ago. I was around 5, 3 years ago. 1, 3 years ago. Yeah.
Speaker 3:So then college into now. And so since since I've known you, you transitioned into professional boxing, fighting Yeah. M, MMA. Yeah. And, talk to me about that transition.
Speaker 3:Like, college is up. You've competed at the highest level, won at the highest level. What what do you do now?
Speaker 1:I remember I walked into my gym and thought I was hot shit. My my, my boy Joey Davis Junior. You ever heard of him?
Speaker 3:No. No. I don't.
Speaker 1:So he's a he's a 4 time NCAA wrestling champion at a £170. He had a 133 wins and 0 losses. Yeah. I know. Right?
Speaker 1:That's what the dude's nuts.
Speaker 3:I know who he is.
Speaker 1:Yeah. That you know what I'm talking about? No.
Speaker 3:But I'm no. I know what I'm saying. I do that.
Speaker 2:Oh, you
Speaker 1:know, you get, like, the type of dude you A
Speaker 3:133 wins?
Speaker 1:Yeah. A 133 wins, 0 losses.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:He beat the best guy, but he beat all the Olympians that stepped in his way. He beat all the national champions that stepped in his way. He was a different breed.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And he's also he's also one of my best friends.
Speaker 3:And this is where? Where are you at?
Speaker 1:I'm in Ohio. USO.
Speaker 3:You were back to Ohio. Got it.
Speaker 1:Yeah. No. This is why. I met him while I was still in still in college.
Speaker 3:Got it.
Speaker 1:And it was, like, I met him. My my sophomore year was the final year he defended his last title.
Speaker 3:Got it.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Alright. So, like, he, got me to come out to California because, like, he's from Compton.
Speaker 3:Got it.
Speaker 1:He's the 1st wrestler from Compton to do something like that.
Speaker 3:Good. You know what
Speaker 1:I mean? So I remember he was, like, yeah, my team were savages, and I was, like, yeah. Because, like, he was, like, 8 and o in Bellator. Like, AJ at the time was, was, like, 16 and 0 in Bellator. Like, you know what I mean?
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:That's that's big.
Speaker 1:So I it was, like, yeah, you gotta come meet my coach because, like, coach Tom is his uncle. Mhmm. You feel me? So we pulled we pulled up, and, I'm gonna coach Tom was so blunt with me. He said, if you wanna be in my motherfucking gym, you gotta work your ass off and get the hell out because I don't wanna see you slack.
Speaker 1:I don't wanna see you compliant. Yeah. So if you wanna be a real one, we got some we some big dogs in here, man. So you either roll with us or you roll. We roll without you.
Speaker 3:That's that's his open monologue.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Yeah. That's how you started.
Speaker 2:I was
Speaker 1:I'm not gonna lie. I was intimidated Yeah. Just for a second. And then I was like, I went to you know what I mean? And then first day of practice, I almost got knocked out.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:You wasn't playing?
Speaker 1:I was yeah. And I came in there like I was big.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean? Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah. I got one I got one takedown on somebody. Yeah. And, like, they stood they got back up and did I sat back. I was like,
Speaker 3:But this is MMA. Right? Yeah. You can't because the the wrestling, you can't punch. Right?
Speaker 1:No. So I I was just getting accustomed to striking.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So, like, I was just like just kinda just out of here.
Speaker 3:I remember my first time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, man. So then after that, coach was like, I remember me talking. He's like, you you still wanna do this? Because I was feeling down bad at the practice that first day. You know what I mean?
Speaker 1:And I really had to think about it, but I I sat there for, like, about 10 minutes.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:He He said, let me know before you leave. You gonna come back or not? And I was like
Speaker 2:He said,
Speaker 3:let me know before you leave.
Speaker 1:Yeah. He's I said, I'll see you tomorrow. You know what I mean? And, like, I'm not I'm not I remember that at that moment. I remember I was thinking, like, why the fuck?
Speaker 1:I just say that. You
Speaker 2:you remember that?
Speaker 3:And where do I get myself into?
Speaker 1:Yeah. Like, what did you just do?
Speaker 3:It's a different sport. Yeah.
Speaker 1:It's a different sport. Yeah. But fast forward to now, those guys have taught me to be, like like, you and you thought people thought I was savage back then.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Now look at what I can do. I can I'm way I'm a I'm a 100 times more dangerous than I was before. Yeah. Because now I added on a gander of martial arts onto my onto my belt Yep. That I can access at any time.
Speaker 3:All these different skills now. Yeah. So so so talk to me a little bit about, coaches for a second if you don't mind. Because it sounds like to get here and then I have some questions about your career, and I wanna talk boxing before we get done. It I I keep hearing coach.
Speaker 3:Co it sounds like you've had some great coaches.
Speaker 2:I don't know
Speaker 3:if they were all great. But can you tell me, like, was there, like, 1 or 2 that stood out, or have you been coincidentally fortunate enough to have great coaches at every level?
Speaker 1:I've I've coincidentally had great coaches at every level. You know, for instance so, like, the dude that taught me everything I knew in high school, his his identical twin brother was my first wrestling coach. And then I switched school system, twin. The other twin was my coach. And then I went to college.
Speaker 1:Our coach, he was a 2 time all American for West Virginia State University. And then going out here, Antonio McKee, he is one of the he is one of the, like, the pioneers of fighting for, like, UFC fighting for Yeah. Like, the open, like, the big leagues back in the day. He won it, like, 4 times. Wow.
Speaker 1:And he also wrestled for team USA, and, like, did all this shit. And then, you know, Nate Karras, you,
Speaker 3:I've heard that name.
Speaker 1:Yeah. He took 30 Olympics back when Dave Schultz was still around. Mhmm. And, he was my next door neighbor growing up. So, like, I'm in high school.
Speaker 1:You know those days when I told you I was, like, I was training 2, 3 times a day? You bet your bet your butt. I was sitting at his house Yeah. Listening to everything he had to tell me. Yeah.
Speaker 1:I would I would help mow his grass and, like, cut his bushes just to get some wrestling work with him.
Speaker 3:So then tell me and the and the guy that's from Compton that you that you got to know while you were in a sophomore in college, what was his name again?
Speaker 1:Joey Davis.
Speaker 3:And then how how'd you connect with him?
Speaker 1:Our schools wrestled each other.
Speaker 3:Okay. So then that's another connection there.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So, like, turns out, like, we have a lot in common.
Speaker 3:But did you just live in the wrestling neighborhood, or is this coincidence?
Speaker 1:It's, like, coincidental, man.
Speaker 3:So the reason I asked you that, man, is I was like, man, there's gotta be a have you read Malcolm Gladwell's book, Outliers? Uh-uh. So what he he believes, and you should read the book or read the cliff notes, but just that stories such as yours. Right? There's, some coincidental things.
Speaker 3:Right? For instance, you know, a great hockey player, you know, maybe he was 6 months older. He was born 6 months later, so he got to play above his, his his, what do you call it? You know, his, skill level. Yeah.
Speaker 3:So he was always, like, playing at the highest level even though he was
Speaker 1:a little bit younger or something
Speaker 3:like that. Little things like that or like Bill Gates. His I believe his mother was on the board of the United Way and knew one of the presidents, I mean one of the executives at IBM. And basically called in a favor and said, hey, will you try my son's operating system? And that Oh,
Speaker 1:it's superb.
Speaker 3:IBM had that not been there, that he wouldn't, you know, and then she knew somebody who would get him computer time. She just happened to know somebody who could help him. There would be no Bill Gates who's worth 300,000,000,000 or whatever he's worth. Right? And so listening to your story, it's like, obviously, the man you are.
Speaker 3:Right? You happen to have a certain type of attitude. You happen to have great mentors, but like the great wrestler that lived down the street, the fact that you knew one of the winningest winningest wrestlers of all times that told you come to LA so on and so forth. When you read the book, you'll be like, okay. I see what he's talking about.
Speaker 3:It's a kind of an outlier situation.
Speaker 1:Yeah. No. I kinda like it's it is weird that, like, it went like that because, like, in the
Speaker 3:beginning, man You didn't do the work too.
Speaker 1:We ain't got shit. You ain't had nothing. You know what I mean? I say nothing like the like, we had less than nothing. You feel me?
Speaker 1:And so, like, the fact that it just kinda happened like that, kinda like when I think about it, it's weird to think about. But at the same time, like, I don't like to think about it. I just like to think that I'm blessed. You know what I mean?
Speaker 3:Yeah. You are. Yeah. You are. It's blessings work and and so on and so forth that and more you you obviously know more than me.
Speaker 3:I'll give you another example quick one. My dad, so he won he had 25 amateur boxing matches, and his 25th was the gold medal match. Yeah. So he started boxing in, I believe, February of 1967, somewhere in there, or it could have been November of 1966, somewhere in that 3 month period. And then it just so happened that the Olympics were coming up in 1968 in the summer.
Speaker 3:So pretty much all the tournaments were qualifiers.
Speaker 1:Oh, shit.
Speaker 3:So he was just kept closing his eyes and getting knockouts. And if you win, you advance. Yeah. But had he started a year before that, he would've got so frustrated because he didn't really like to box. That he would've just given up because that would've been 2 years later.
Speaker 3:There's no way you get into the Olympics. And he may have lost a couple times. He actually, like, he actually left and went back home and tried to get out of it, and his coach called him back and was like, trust me. Come back. And you Yeah.
Speaker 3:But the point is just 6 months before or whatever, I don't know. It's just really special. Please read the book.
Speaker 1:Yeah. No. I'm gonna have to.
Speaker 3:So, last couple questions, man. If you don't mind, were there any outside of wrestling, any mentors for you?
Speaker 1:Not really, man. Like, I I never really had a support system.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So, like, I made my own support system.
Speaker 3:Gotcha. You
Speaker 1:know what I mean?
Speaker 3:Tell me what was it for me about it. Uh-huh. Yeah. That you you you did it yourself.
Speaker 1:Yeah. And that's the that those people that taught me, like, those those coaches, some of those coaches, they weren't just coaches. Like, those guys, like, would pick me up and, like, take me to tournaments and, like, let me spend the whole weekend with them. You know what I mean? Or, like, they, like, give me food because, like, they worked at the school, and so, like, they give me food and, like, make it so I have something to eat at lunch.
Speaker 1:Because, like, 9 times out of 10, I would pull up and not be able to eat lunch. You know what I mean? Probably didn't get breakfast neither.
Speaker 3:I gotta ask you this. Those those, those jerk, jerks on your wrestling team that, that you said you didn't like so much in college, do, any of them try to holler at you?
Speaker 2:Nah. They
Speaker 3:don't. I'll imagine. They know where you y'all know where you stand.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Yeah. We all we all know what we said. Okay. Have a
Speaker 1:nice night, bro. I hope you do well, bro. You know what I mean? Like, I hope you have a fruitful life. But, like,
Speaker 3:it's not We're good.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean?
Speaker 3:So tell me about, boxing. I'll ask you about your MMA for a little bit, and then, I'll let you get out of here, man. Who your, do you like boxing? I heard you talk about Canelo earlier. And if so, who are some of the people you look up to in the sport?
Speaker 1:Shit. I'm more of an MMA MMA guy. I'm a be real. Boxing, you know, I was a kid, like, watching videos of Mohammed, like, as a kid.
Speaker 3:Wasn't he great, man?
Speaker 1:Yeah. I got to recently meet, his first wife a few, months ago
Speaker 3:Really?
Speaker 1:In, Miami
Speaker 3:Nice.
Speaker 1:At, Art during Art Basel. Yeah. And I was like, she, they used to, like so I've been on TV since I was, like, 17, like, with all the stuff I've
Speaker 3:been doing.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Yeah. So she, like, back in the day, like, her family, they used to, like, the Ali's, they would watch me
Speaker 3:on TV. Really? Yeah. I'll let you
Speaker 1:know that. Yeah. It was a cool thing
Speaker 3:she let me in on. Because I think I know maybe Lonnie and Hannah. Yeah.
Speaker 2:And there's
Speaker 1:a few
Speaker 3:of them I know. I don't know all of them.
Speaker 1:I guess, cool, like, him and you know, I was I saw a lot of fights with your dad and, like, man, it's real cool, like, being around, like, being around stuff like this because, like, these guys, like, I was me or, like, their families that I meet, I was, like just, like, it makes me wonder, like, what's it like to be around, like, a man like that that
Speaker 3:Oh, yeah.
Speaker 1:Just has the power of a bomb in his hand and a voice to change the world. You know what I mean?
Speaker 3:Yeah. It's, it's it's definitely an interesting experience.
Speaker 1:And like and it wasn't just that. But like I was like watching somebody move like that. It was like elegant.
Speaker 3:Yeah. You
Speaker 1:know what I mean?
Speaker 3:He showed what it showed us all what it could be. Yeah. My pops always says that he wasn't he he's quick. He would be like, Muhammad Ali wasn't the greatest heavyweight of all time. That was Joe Louis.
Speaker 3:But Joe Louis Joe Louis was the greatest heavyweight of all time. Joe Louis would say Sugar Ray Robinson was the greatest fighter greatest fighter
Speaker 2:of all time.
Speaker 1:I was really good with Sugar Ray. I know him pretty personally, though. Sugar Ray is amazing. He's an amazing man.
Speaker 3:You're talking about Sugar Ray Leonard?
Speaker 1:Oh, Leonard. Yeah.
Speaker 3:So Sugar Ray Robinson where you got his name from.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 3:So Joe Louis would say Sugar Ray Robinson is the greatest fighter of all time, but Robinson would say it about him. Now, Muhammad Ali would say the he's the greatest heavyweight of all time, but but he would say the greatest boxer of all time is Sugar Ray Robinson. He called him my master, my idol, my mentor. And then lastly, my father said, Muhammad Ali, although not the greatest boxer of all time, he believes he's the greatest man to ever box.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And what he did for the sport, no one could ever do that.
Speaker 1:Oh, I know. No one's ever gonna do that again, man. That's that's a whole it's awesome. What
Speaker 3:about Canelo and, Floyd? I gotta ask
Speaker 2:you.
Speaker 1:I've I've watched Floyd for a long Floyd's like my generation.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah. He's like he's like he's like our generation's Ali, our generation's Foreman. You know what I mean? So, like, Floyd growing up, you know, everybody's like, Floyd winning again? Yeah.
Speaker 1:Alright. He's gonna win next week probably. Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know what
Speaker 1:I mean? Growing up as a man.
Speaker 3:Get some.
Speaker 1:Every time I heard Floyd made my way, his name was like dub dub dub dub dub dub dub for years.
Speaker 3:Money. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Like, just the epitome of, like, being, like, he might be the best there is. You know what I mean?
Speaker 3:I think so. He
Speaker 1:Like, personally personally speaking.
Speaker 3:Respect to Canelo, but the way he dispatched Canelo?
Speaker 1:Bro, he dispatched Canelo. Canelo at the time was a savage. He still is a savage.
Speaker 3:He still is.
Speaker 1:Bro, when them 2 clash heads, nobody knew what's gonna happen. But Floyd made it very clear it was gonna happen.
Speaker 3:And Floyd was almost 38 years
Speaker 2:old. Yeah. You said, let me
Speaker 1:take you to school real quick, my boy.
Speaker 2:He made
Speaker 3:it look so easy. I watched that fight more than
Speaker 2:any fight. Yeah.
Speaker 3:But, so now these days, you you, I'll let you tell me. What what's going on in your career now, being a professional MMA fighter? And what are you looking to accomplish, in and outside the ring, but inside the ring first?
Speaker 1:Inside the ring. Octagon. Inside the inside the octagon, man, I want a belt. I want the belt. Give me the belt.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean? I really mean that. I wanted to take it home, give it to my mama, and, like, my grandpa or something like that. You feel me? Yep.
Speaker 1:And, you know, I like I can't say what I don't wanna say it on film.
Speaker 3:Got it. Exactly. Yeah.
Speaker 1:But I already
Speaker 3:told you. Yeah. Yeah. But yours is yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Something's coming.
Speaker 3:Good.
Speaker 1:So, but aside from that, outside the ring, man, you know, like, you know, I had MMA in general, like, mixed martial arts, everything from wrestling to boxing to karate to all this shit, it's it's it's helped me, like, develop in who I am and, like, it's also made it's demanded respect for me too, which I didn't get a lot of as a kid Yeah. Or as even a young man. But now people are like, that's that dude that, like, like, that's a nice guy, but, like, mess you up. You know what I mean? And, like, I get that, and I kinda like it, but at the same time, like, you know, it's, it's almost like a stamp of, like, alright.
Speaker 1:You put the work in. Now this is who you are, and I'm trying to use my voice to change a lot of stuff in foster care, and I'm trying to change stuff just for just for my family too and, like, my people. You know what I mean? I I'm trying to change shit for things that matter the most.
Speaker 3:Final question for for you know, obviously, anybody can benefit from hearing everything you have to say, but for the young man or young woman who's in foster care with no sense of, hope, or belief of any sort, what do you what do you say? Because you you would assume they're gonna need some sort of hope at some point, some sort of belief. I don't know. I've never been in foster care. What do you say to that person?
Speaker 1:I tell them, like, look. Like, whatever you wanna do, keep that keep that right there. Because, man, even all the crap I was saying, I was like, man, I want somehow, some way, I managed to find my way back to a wrestling mat year after year after year with all the torn turmoil I was going through. If you really wanna do something, you'll you'll make it happen. You'll find a way.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean? And you just gotta you just gotta, like if you would say everything is taken from you, find what makes you happy. You know what I mean? I used to sit there and wrestle my pillows. Like, my giant pillow that I'd wrestle.
Speaker 1:You feel me? Like Yeah. Yeah. Just, like, as a kid or as a as a preteen, like, you know what I mean? When I wouldn't be able to go to practice, you know, and, you know, as a kid for especially those kids that are in the system that might not have it as easy, like, listen, and it's not it's not gonna be like this forever.
Speaker 1:Someday you will be an adult. You're gonna have to make some choices for yourself.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So with that being said, keep true to what your faith is and what you believe in.
Speaker 3:Alright. Alright. What up? Thank you, brother. Yes, sir.
Speaker 3:Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.