THE SPAR-INN BOXING PODCAST
THE SPAR-INN BOXING PODCAST
ALL CURRENT EVENTS BOXING AMONGST OTHER THINGS TO INCLUDE INTERVIEWS, ANALYSIS, PREDICTIONS, OPINIONS, FUN, BANTER AND MORE ! RATED R!
THE SPAR-INN BOXING PODCAST
The Italian Cruiserweight's American Dream: Giovanni Scuderi
What does it take to transform from a struggling Sicilian kid with no opportunities to a cruiserweight pro boxer sparring with heavyweight world champions? Giovanni Scuderi's journey is a masterclass in persistence against impossible odds.
Standing 6'6" tall, Scuderi breaks every stereotype about Sicilians. With remarkable candor, he recounts leaving his poor working family, arriving in America with nothing, and learning English from scratch while pursuing his boxing dreams.
It's time for the main event. It's the Sparin' Podcast.
Speaker 2:Oh, it's a knockout. New York, italian like myself.
Speaker 3:What kind of Italian are you?
Speaker 2:Yeah yeah. That's me, yeah, but we're the real Italian right now, Real Paesan, giovanni Scuderi. What's going on?
Speaker 1:Thank you guys. Thank you for having me. What's going?
Speaker 2:on brother. Yeah, when are you at right now? I know you live in New York, right, but I've seen you.
Speaker 1:You've been in Philly. I'm training right now with Boosie, the father of, you know, boots Hanks, yeah, so yeah, new team. You're driving. No, I'm doing back and forth. I got a place in New York and somewhere here in Philly.
Speaker 3:He's a real tyrant. The mob.
Speaker 1:He got two houses.
Speaker 3:He got like three, maybe four Real estate.
Speaker 2:Speaking of the mob, I guess I'm half Sicilian myself. You got to be the tallest Sicilian ever.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there is just a few tall guys in Sicily. There is not that many.
Speaker 3:Is this a stereotype with that? Yeah, man.
Speaker 2:Sicily, there's not that many.
Speaker 3:Is this a stereotype with that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, man, sicily is like the island of Italy. It's very, very small, very small people come from there, but not him.
Speaker 1:Yeah, 6'6", 6'6". Yeah, if we talk about history, we've been conquired by so many people and we are so mixed-blooded, bro, we can be dark-skinned with a beard. We can be like, dark skinned with beard, you can be blonde. In sicily, you know, we've been conquered from uh, spanish people, vikings, arabic, so we all, you know. You can see people like me or short people and any kinds that's.
Speaker 2:that's crazy, like, because I've actually been to sicily. I was only there for like a week, but I got to be honest, man, I didn't see anyone tall. You should have stayed another week.
Speaker 1:Yeah, one more week, another week, maybe, maybe We'll be, maybe lucky to see somebody.
Speaker 3:Yeah, maybe no, but I got a question, so we are Giovanni's right. There's a lot of pizzerias out here, so that's kind of like you're related to them, you know.
Speaker 1:Giovanni's. No, bro, I wish.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I wish they out here getting money. They out here getting money on. Yeah, I wish they out here getting money. They out here getting money on yeah.
Speaker 2:So what brought you from Italy to New York? So obviously you fought amateur in Italy, correct, mm-hmm? And then what made you move? Was it for the recognition in America, or something happened?
Speaker 1:I come from a poor family in Sicily. We're a place where we don't have a lot of job opportunities, we don't have opportunities in the boxing sport itself. So I had this dream to change my life and I feel like the American dream was what I needed. So I came to this country, decided I wanted to become a boxer because, even if I had some amateur fights in Italy, I feel, when I become a boxer, it was in the United States, but I had my first two Golden Gloves. Then I won and then, you know, moved to New York and turned pro.
Speaker 3:So what age did you start?
Speaker 1:Late Like 18. 19, 18, 18 probably, yeah.
Speaker 3:Somebody came up to you and was like yo, you, a big Italian heavyweight you can take over the game type shit. That's what they said pretty much.
Speaker 1:Not even, bro. They wanted me to play soccer over there in italy. It's not. It's not like, uh, the culture of boxing, it's not like here in the states. You know, over there like you play soccer. So, yeah, if you want to box, you know you gotta come here. Yeah, yeah, that makes sense, that makes sense, did you?
Speaker 2:so now I know you know you got to come here. Yeah, yeah, that makes sense. That makes sense, did you? So now I know you were with our guy Andre Rozier, so you you're you're done with him. Was it a good falling out or was it? Is there drama or you don't got to get into it?
Speaker 1:No, we don't have any drama, especially if on my side. You know like I love the man. Besides the boxing relationship. I feel like we've been for so long together and it's like part of family. I have no feelings in this regard. I don't know how I feel about it. I went on another team, but there's a love.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. So he's one of the only trainers where, when you're listening not the only one, but one of the few where you're watching on TV or you're there ringside you actually hear him over the crowd. You hear him yelling out they don't need to mic him up you hear him screaming.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:Stay on the stick. Stay on the stick, that's one of the things I like about him. And so now you said you're going to Philly with boots in his team, what's the sparring like over there for heavyweight? I know it's kind of difficult to find heavyweight sparring. Is it better in Philly? How do you spar?
Speaker 1:boots, boots don't give a fuck Boots sparring anybody bro.
Speaker 1:And especially what I like of a gym like this, like, uh, like you know, I've been in camp with alexander uzik. Total different style, total different, like you know, mentality of work. But the similarity that I saw in both teams is combat school, which means work on technique every day defense catching, you know, sleeping shots, cannon shots, you know, working on your form. And that's where I like Buzi, because he's a teacher. He makes you work on these little details, and what I see Uzik was doing as a champion with a lot of experience, was working on the little things you understand. So that's the similarity for greatness, if you want to be good, bro, you gotta be consistent on the little things. Be a student, you know. And another thing that I like of Boots' team is that it's a good environment. Everybody is a hard worker, everybody is good and like this, you can learn from the environment For anybody around you, not just from the coach.
Speaker 2:So when you were like, are they repetition? I know a lot of guys when they switch trainers and stuff, that the repetition of certain things, like like canelo and his team we we talked to tfimo lopez and he was like the biggest difference with him is like repetition of the same shot over and over and over.
Speaker 1:Listen if you think about it, and custom mother used to say that boxing is a, this is a sport. Anybody can become a fighter. It's repetition, you know that is who get it faster. You know there is who need more time, but it's true repetition that you become a good fighter. You know doing the same thing over and over and over and master it. Do it correctly, yeah, you know, not skip any step. So are you put up over there in Philly, though you have like a place to stay?
Speaker 2:correctly, yeah, you know, not skip any step. So are you put up over there in Philly, though you have like a place to stay in Philly?
Speaker 1:Yeah, you're in.
Speaker 2:Philly and you're okay. Okay, because I did see you. You were. I think you were coming back from Philly the other day. You posted you got pulled over or something when it's nice out, they come out.
Speaker 1:You know, everything good start to get nice, in Philly. Yeah, what is when there is a good weather, you know yeah, he posted something.
Speaker 2:He was like let's have some fun. What is the biggest difference? Like culturally, maybe like sparring wise or gym wise, from New York and Philly, or is it is it? Is it a lot of the same stuff?
Speaker 1:I don't know. I can say from what I like in this gym. There is a lot of respect here in philly, so you know, so more than in new york.
Speaker 1:In new york, in new york I don't know, maybe because I spent a lot of years in new y I feel like there is too much animosity. Man, you know you got to watch out for everybody around you close to you, Jealousy and this and that, why? You know why that, and I've never been a person like that. But I feel like a lot of people over there like you know, man, too much like fucking talking and animosity and bullshit, buying your back all this stuff. I'm glad that I left. To be honest, I love New York. It's in my heart. But, yeah, I just don't want to stay focused on the boxing business and don't really deal with all this bullshit at the gym every day.
Speaker 2:And that's just going to elevate you, because you know it's more of a mind game than anything at your level and you got to keep your mind clear. So if that wasn't working, you made the change and that just shows how much of a professional you really are. What did you take away from Usyk's camp? I was going to get into it a little later, but what was?
Speaker 3:I have a question before that though.
Speaker 2:Okay, go ahead.
Speaker 3:Let's back from. So you was in New York, right? So you was at Gleason's Gym in New York.
Speaker 1:No, that's where I first, like you know, as an immigrant, as somebody that doesn't know nothing in New York City. You know New York City, you know boxing situation where do you go? You got the famous Gleason and that's where I spent like the beginning of the time. Then I trained with Mark Breland. Then he's the coach who made me, because when I get here in the States, when I was here in the States, I was just an amateur green as fuck. You know what I mean. Then he saw something in me. I started training with him and he's he's the person that introduced me to the real boxing.
Speaker 1:Teach me, like the, the old school heart Painting jab. Seven, six different types of jab, and we would do it the jab over and over. And I I remember the first three months I was training with him we only used the jab. I was dying to throw out my hand but I used to have the left hand and it was like two arms. I didn't even need the right hand. I was like mixing it up combination with the left hand. You know what I mean and a little bit low. Yeah, you know what I mean and a little bit low.
Speaker 2:Yeah, go ahead, go ahead.
Speaker 1:A little bit lost, like the heart of the jab. You know I was training with him and then you know I haven't been able to reach out to him. But I would love to, you know, bring him on the team again. You know, because I've. Really. It's like when you're a kid that you don't understand what your father is saying, and then you grow up one day oh, now I understand, now it makes sense, now that I'm, you know, I'm experienced and I feel like now, today, I'm a fighter. I really, really would love to have somebody like Kim just to talk to me and, like you know, make me think on the right way. I'll set up a shot, I'll do open on an opponent with the feints and everything else. But I'm very lucky because I find Boosie pretty much preaching the same things.
Speaker 2:You're a smart guy because if you look what happened to Deontay Wilder when he got rid of, that's horrible.
Speaker 1:That's horrible. You saw what happened. The ego of a fighter is this when you fall, that's horrible. The brilliant saved his ass. You saw what happened. But you know the ego is, yeah, the ego of a fighter is this you know, when you fall down, fighters that's what they do. They gotta find an excuse. Yeah, so it's so easy to fucking put it on you. Okay, I fucked up. That guy was better than me tonight, you know. So, sometimes your ego, your pride, make you do bullshit like this and turn against the people that really love you Because, yeah, eardrum broken, bleeding, there was no way you could have turned over the fight.
Speaker 2:Everybody agrees.
Speaker 1:The only person on your corner that tried to protect you because, okay, you made something on the sport of boxing. You got some money. Enjoy that with your family. Don't risk your fucking life for this bullshit. You know what I mean. So he did the right thing as a coach. He tanned him.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he did the right thing, of course, of course. And did you ever? When you said you came up, mark Breland, it was when, earlier, obviously in your career, when you got to America, did you ever move around with Deontay Wilder? Was he with him with that?
Speaker 1:I was supposed to, like you know, going down over there in Alabama for some camp, but then I had my shoulder injury. I had two surgery on my right shoulder and that's why I fell off with Mark Billings For a couple of years. I wasn't able to train him. I should have like doubled the fights and I had known.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. When I was reading up about you, I read about the injuries. I saw that and that's part of the game, man. Especially for a big guy like yourself, it's a lot more common with the big guys.
Speaker 1:No, I feel like now that I'm more mature and more experienced and wise, I feel like sometimes us athletes, us fighters, we do everything wrong and we don't even realize the diet is wrong. You don't eat enough, you know you're over training or you're beating up your body and then you know you end up having like injuries. Then you don't take the right time to recovery, you go again at it, you get injured even more and then you need a surgery. It's just like you fight this mentality, this brain and the things that I don't know. I would never probably get injured, but now I got two surgeries the right one, one on the left one. Now I'm healthy, I'm good and I have a big care of my body. Now I'm good. I'm still young.
Speaker 3:You got the tattoos that covered up the scars or something.
Speaker 1:No, no, I had the tattoo before. You see, they got their wings, but I still fly. Okay, I still fly, you got the wings, but I still fly I like that?
Speaker 2:Yes, sir, I like that one. I was going to actually ask you about your tattoo too. What does it signify? Is it part of your nickname?
Speaker 1:No, no, it's a how I like what it represents. You know it's a, it's a animal. Again, he's a hunter. They can see in the dark, you know, and uh, very, very wise, very, you know, rare, you know. So I like this, this qualities, I like that little brother sometimes.
Speaker 2:Sometimes I do that I have the deep meaning, you know yeah, yeah, what a um when you were, when you were in who six camp, right, I'm sorry I'm bouncing all over the place because I, as I interview everyone, I get a little star struck.
Speaker 3:So don't mind me camp was there?
Speaker 2:was there a strong language barrier? Was there a strong language barrier there, or was it like the name?
Speaker 1:of translators.
Speaker 1:No, what I like of them is that everybody's serious. You know, it's totally different the type of camp from any other camp. You go over there to work, so there is not much conversation and stuff like that. But you know, I'm Italian, I like to talk, so I still like break through the barrier, you know, and then we end up like become actually very good friends with, not just with him, with all the team and, uh, I was blessed to be allowed to not just stay for the sparring but even for other like you know, exercise, like running or wrestling. I was his main wrestling partner partner because that's what we did on the second camp. Yeah, no, I figured out, yeah.
Speaker 1:And what people don't understand about Uziq? What people don't understand about Uziq is, even if he don't have the crazy power on his shots, he's very, very strong physically. You see somebody 6'9", 270 pounds, 80 pounds. He didn't bully him in the ring, it was opposite. Honestly, you're right, you're right, you know it's a smaller man, he's very strong and it's because you know the wrestling, the wrestling that they do, the core has excise. He's like, he's not that heavy bro 220.
Speaker 2:Yeah, when they first told you that you're in his camp and they're like, hey, we're going to wrestle, were you like what the fuck? What do you mean? We're going to wrestle. Did you take him back?
Speaker 1:I didn't even know. I didn't even know. I pretty much told him like I have a fight coming up and stuff like that. You know, even if he's a great camp like this with a great champion like this, it's not good for you, it's good for him, yeah, but I still accept to do it because, you know, I feel like Alexander Usyk is gonna be in the history like one of the you know, one of the greatest.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, and in some ways, in some, in some ways, he remind me, like Ali, because there is a lot of little things that people don't know what he do for his country, how he help like people, how he have a big heart, how he have a big ego like other fighters. You know how he's religious, and the thing that he remind me of Ali is how he was, like, you know, for the other people. He wasn't selfish at all. Sorry guys, my camera just dropped off. He wasn't selfish at all. Sorry guys, my camera just dropped off. He wasn't selfish at all. He was trying to, you know, help everybody and it's fate.
Speaker 1:One thing that I realized after the first camp you know, fury is very smart doing these tricks, like stretching those camps by, you know, having a cat or some other bullshit like that, and he messed up the rhythm of the camp music, you understand. So he trained for seven months straight. So sometimes it's counterproductive when you do something like that. There is other things. I can't even say some things because I signed an NDA, but there was some other problem during the first camp. Yeah, bro.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And yeah, bro, yeah, they're very professional, bro, yeah, they're very professional. So they should, you see, like you know, allow, like you know, to say, and stuff like that. And I was expecting for him to pull back from the fight Because he suffered, like you know, a little injury and then, like he sent everybody home because there was that injury, and he still fought and still beat his ass and dropped it in the ninth round and I realized that motherfucker is for real, bro, like Ali is ready to die for this shit. And what I realized is not even this, it's not even his courage, it's his faith, because when you believe in God, you know the way they do it, why you should be afraid of any other man. You understand that's what I realized from both of them. They're not afraid, they have the extreme confidence and come from the faith. He was like doing the rosary and his prayer, like you know, five, six times a day, doing training and stuff like that, very religious, wow, wow, you know.
Speaker 2:That's the stuff we don't see.
Speaker 1:You don't really promote it.
Speaker 2:You know, that's something we could bring up too. No, but they're religious.
Speaker 3:But that's a lot of things like nowadays. They don't even want that out there. Yeah.
Speaker 2:I don't understand that, but that, like what's going on in saudi and stuff, they're pushing the muslim faith. But I've never seen anything about usik praying in between camp. They didn't advertise that that's kind of.
Speaker 3:They don't do that.
Speaker 2:It's kind of weird that we don't see that. But I'm just, you know, I'm not trying to create controversy or anything, but it's a good point.
Speaker 1:I didn't know that, I knew we live in a very strange world nowadays, brother, so it's very, very strange word. You know especially the mainstream and stuff like that. You know they, they decide what they want to show you or not, and stuff like that so and again, I'm not trying to create them.
Speaker 2:But I I never knew that. Listen, I'm a boxing nerd. I don't watch the sport too much.
Speaker 1:I think right now, like Usyk is the most religious person I know, like he's literally like bro, the most religious person I know. And I have some family members and stuff like that you know that are very religious. But no, bro, that guy like after every sparring spine. So the first thing that he does when you get at the gym you got like a small, like a little thing, like it's a prayer, by the pole of the heavy bag where he's hanging the heavy bag. So you go over there he does his prayer, then he start the workout, blah, blah, blah. Then he does the cross after the spine. He pray again, pray again. You thank God, that's his routine, bro, all day long. Sunday in camp, every Sunday going to church, yeah.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. I know some camps when you bring sparring. It sounds like I know the answer to this. I don't even know why I'm asking, but they took care of you over there too. Sometimes they put sparring partners up in some kind of fucking shack or something.
Speaker 1:Oh, brother, I can show you. I'm going to send you some pictures. We were in a five-star hotel.
Speaker 1:Okay, and by the beach in Spain, everything paid off and great experience, and we used to play like we do with Uziq. Another thing about Uziq they all know how to play any sport and I'm talking about from the doctor, from the coach, from the physical therapist. You know everybody. Yeah, because I think there is, I think there is this culture over there in this. You know Ukraine and you know European place like this where they play any sport. So you gotta understand like we were, like everybody was tall, like I was the smallest of the group, everybody was like 6'8", 6'9" and we play against his team, right. So we're talking about Catman. You know the chef, you know the doctor. They was like 5'10", 5, 10, 5, 5, 6 foot tall. They beat our ass, bro, seven foot tall guys. They beat us at volleyball at the beach and you're like basketball basketball dude, they play ball, come on.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, yeah, we used to.
Speaker 1:We used to play. We used to play any sport. We used to do tennis a lot like uzik used to play any sport. We used to do tennis a lot Like. Uzik used to do this like sparring, then play tennis, then play volleyball, then play basket, competitive, and every day, every day, every day, he would play any type of sport. Like this guy is way more in shape than you guys think, way more than like you, more than guys half of his age, yeah, that's what's up bro, that's something, you learn something new.
Speaker 3:I appreciate you for telling that story.
Speaker 2:Of course, wow, that's great bro, that's great. Because you look at Usyk as Americans, I'm like that guy don't play basketball. He got this whole team out there.
Speaker 1:They know how to do everything and you got to see how he plays soccer too, bro, Like they know how to do everything.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. I think it's soccer, obviously, because you know Europe Soccer is massive. Obviously, but who else was in that camp with you that you mixed it up with sparring-wise, if you could say? I'm just curious.
Speaker 1:I knew, knew, obviously you were. Yeah, there was like some. Some other friend from australia. There's actually a great fighter, you know, there's like six, seven and all. He just fought recently another guy from uh, from pennsylvania uh, taurus is his name, his last name, uh, six, seven he's.
Speaker 2:He was like 6'0" he brought in all the tall guys.
Speaker 1:Yeah, all the tall guys, I was the smallest, like I said, I was like 215, 6'6" so they used to call me like middleweight. But I bring something, I bring something to the table and those big guys maybe didn't bring. It's my fame, the tricks you know. Make him think because you know, yeah, like I, I think I think something that was that I had good, like you know, it was my fame, my jab, you know all other, like all tricks you know. Step aside all these little things that remind of fury and uh, you know they like that of me. Yeah, I, I keep him like sharp, like uh thinking, you know, most of the time, like you can use power, you can use your reach, you can use your, but sometimes it's nice when you have another like athlete in front of you to stimulate you, uh, to think. You know, with the feints and stuff like that, and I feel like I was doing this for him a lot.
Speaker 2:I wasn't easy to catch?
Speaker 1:no really, bro, but it's something that actually not really, but it's something that you never do enough. If we see Caballel, if you see Caballel, look. If we see Caballel, look what he's doing to all those heavyweights Destroying the body. With all of them.
Speaker 2:Killing the body. All of them.
Speaker 1:No, but if you think about it, all these last fights over there in Riyadh, right, all these big fights against? Like who he fought? The Russian dude, the Cuban guy? What's his name? Sanchez, sanchez. He's destroying the body, bro, and stop him with body shots. He stopped him with a straight jab to the body, a lot of shots and dropping with a straight jab to the body.
Speaker 3:But what big guy really work out. They abs, though you know what I'm saying. It's true. Not too many big guys Is working.
Speaker 1:Do abs no no, it's not even about that, brother. Like, listen, like, when you're a big guy you need more oxygen, right, you need more gas. And if I got the gas, that's the way, bro, you cannot fight. Then Then, bro, you cannot fight. Then it's not even about like headshots, bro, like they can take it, but the body, bro, you cannot breathe, you cannot fight. That's rule number one.
Speaker 2:You know, I knew it, so I didn't really count the what's his name? They call him the mountain, I think, or the wolf, the Russian guy he fought.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm sparring with him. If you go on my Instagram, there is like a clip that I'm sparring with him.
Speaker 2:I'll check that out. Yeah, I'll check that out. You know he's a huge, massive man. You don't want to get hit by him, but I kind of knew, like you said, the oxygen he was going to peter out.
Speaker 1:But when he beat Frank Sanchez boxer.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was like a Jits real, and then our guy Zhang, we love Zhang, I love Zhang, man he was as cool as a man.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he's a great dude, but I wish he was at this level like 10 years ago when his body would allow him to do what he wants. He's a great fighter, Very technical and stuff like that, but let's remember that you know he's 300 pounds and he's like 40 years old, so he's been doing great actually.
Speaker 3:He came in overweight.
Speaker 2:That body was. He had a plan to attack that body, and that's what he did. That's how good Zang is, though he still knocked him down. I was like, oh, he's knocked him down.
Speaker 1:Listen, he's a sharp shooter and you know, with the weight that he got, you know all you gotta do is touch you.
Speaker 2:You know so yeah, did you ever, you ever spar with zhang at?
Speaker 1:all. No, I never. I never had the you know the chance. But let's remember, I'm a cruiserweight brother, I'm working overtime here with those heavyweights, but I'm a cruiserweight. I walk around 200, 210 pounds, 115 pounds, but I'm fat. So yeah you know what I mean, that's crazy like I actually, yeah, I'm a cruiserweight, if you think about it, like you know. So I'm tired to give away. I'm tired to give away 50, 60 pounds, all those big guys out there it's true, that's true, that's you are.
Speaker 1:And then everybody complain about why. You know, but you should have dropped that guy, you should, motherfucker. I weigh 50 pounds less. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:You're right, you're right. So, speaking of that, I have a question for you, and it's nothing against you, obviously at all. I think it was Brandon the heavy guy, was it? I have it written down. Hold on, oh, carmack.
Speaker 2:Carmack, yeah was that the Hulu theater? Yeah, yeah, was that a little discouraging to you? You see a guy with a body like that and we know it doesn't mean anything. The guy can still box, but you're this like Adonis of a man. And then you got this guy with all this listen, I never underestimate, ain't nobody right?
Speaker 1:Every man that steps in the ring, you know, is a dangerous man. Now I didn't feel bad or stuff like that, because I know how he can fight. You know, people underestimate him for his looks.
Speaker 1:And he had enough time to prepare for my fight. You know, and if you see, actually, if you look at his box rack, he always like been fighting overweight, overweight. We're talking about 300 pounds, 320. For my fight he was actually in shape, but you cannot see it because the flap is skin. It was 274 pounds, something like that. So he actually was in shape. All the other fights that he had after me, if you see the weight, you can tell it was out of shape. And if you can see it's because, like, I can move on my feet and stuff like that. So I wasn't just having fun in there. But you know, if you stay there and fight like a regular heavyweight, a guy like this, you know I give you a fight. You know I make it look like this because I use my brain and I take away what he got. What he got is stay there and bang, but he can never catch me if I move. That's my attributes. No, you did great.
Speaker 2:I was actually. I was there ringside for that fight and the surrounding fans, but they were talking all kinds and I'm like, no, no, no, like I knew it was his skin. I'm like, look at his skin, like that's not fat. He lost the weight, this guy. That guy came in shape in a sense. It's just not the shape you want to see, I was just curious if, like as a fighter, if that's a little like.
Speaker 1:God damn this guy. This guy's freaking, but you, you're smarter. You're smarter than that. Listen, for me it's business, brother. You know, give me a tenor. Give me the more of those guys like this, I don't care, you know, it's business. I gotta move forward, I gotta make experience, I gotta learn. You know and, uh, you know, and that's what fights like this are for you know, for let people you know they don't know. You know, you see what you got and keep on learning and practicing things. And yeah, bro, there is going to be a new surprise, a new version of me, because you guys don't know these little things.
Speaker 1:But pretty much for my last like 10 fights, 12 fights, what not I was like I told them all. I always said for all like my career things. I was like I was set for all like my career things that are nice. I've been having the great Andrew Razia on my corner, but nobody knows that. I've been training by myself. I'm in my basement, in my house and people still judge you, because people still judge you and stuff like that, but they don't know that I don't have like a, like a team behind.
Speaker 1:And now that I actually do, then I have a coach and I have a team that I can work on things with. I want to really show people what I can do, because people don't know what I can do when people see me in the ring. I haven't been 100. I have to take fights with short notice to make shit happen, and we knock the camps and stuff like that. And that's okay because that's the first part of your career, when you're learning and stuff like that. But now I'm really serious about it and I really want to show what I can do. I'm going to sharpen up on my tool a little bit more, maybe another couple of fights and get some other stuff straight and then I'm ready to really take risks. Because if you don't take risks, bro, in this life, you know, getting money makes no money, you know.
Speaker 1:You got all the experience man, I don't know what's next for you right now, but you definitely got all the experience.
Speaker 3:And then people that you're destined for greatness, then people that you you destined for greatness, the people that you've been in the ring with. You know what I'm saying, so, and you're doing all the right things, obviously.
Speaker 2:If the team wasn't working out for you with Rozier, you switched, you took another risk and you took a risk coming to this country and it panned out for you. You had to dig through some dirt, I'm sure, obviously, and here you are. But there's another Italian guy with a little bit different of a track. He's not from the rough upbringing like you were, and I think you know who I'm going to go with this. I think I've messaged you about him, guido Vianello, and again, he is a heavyweight. He's a smaller heavyweight. You think we can get a little Italian vs Italian going on sometime, or what? Would you take that fight?
Speaker 1:If I move up to heavyweight. I've been fighting heavyweight, but I'm not looking to fight heavyweight, at least until I become more champion. Also, we're great friends. I never had a chance to meet him before, but then, before my fight for the title in Argentina, we ended up meeting each other in Vegas and we ended up coming together. So we're sparring each other in Vegas and we end up I mean, I came together, so we're sparring each other for the fight against the Russian dude over there and I help him out a little bit with the sparring and some advice, because I'm sparring the dude and I told him. I said, listen, bro, if you use your attributes and move around, the guy cannot touch you. He load up every shot and stuff like that.
Speaker 2:I won so much money on that fight.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and me and Michael Hunter actually helped him out for the fight. We helped each other. We fought at the same time. I fought in Argentina, he fought over there. I don't remember what it was the fight in Canada or something like that.
Speaker 2:What's Hunter been up to man? Where's he been? Where's he been at? Where's Hunter been at? What happened to? Him I haven't seen him in a minute.
Speaker 1:Listen, this guy got so much potential, so much potential. Let's remember what he did. Let's remember what he did to Bacoli bro, yeah, and nobody knows, they call him like a short notice. If we're doing gland, he's bought us a money. Bet on himself and stop the guy he's a stopper
Speaker 1:colleague yeah yes stop, stop my colleague, but it's a cruiserweight to. He's one of the most curious guys, guys that I know. You know, unfortunately he hasn't had luck with promoters and stuff like that. And uh, nobody really knows, true, yes, and uh, you won the fight, you know? Blah, blah, yeah.
Speaker 2:He was on my radar a few years ago and I was very high on him because I'm like, oh wow, an American heavyweight, this guy could do it. You know he had a tough resume too and a tough climb. So you, saying his name, brought it right back. I was like actually, oh shoot, he's fighting Christopher Lovejoy in April. I'm seeing.
Speaker 1:I didn't even know that. I Actually oh shoot, he's fighting Christopher Lovejoy in April, I'm seeing. I didn't even know that, yeah, and then he told me there should be a mandatory fight with the winner of Pulev against the other dude from England. What's his name? The guy that break the jaw to the other dude with a right hand Can't remember his name right now.
Speaker 2:Oh, char, no, no, no, he's fighting somebody else from England from England.
Speaker 1:Hmm, yeah yeah, it's a good fight. Actually, you should fight the winner of this fight. Wba already send, like the mandatory fight yeah.
Speaker 2:You said that name, it brought me back.
Speaker 1:Fabio Woodley.
Speaker 2:Fabio Woodley yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 1:Who left Fabio Woodley? The winner is, I guess, Michael Hunter. He's already called by the WBA.
Speaker 2:It feels like England has the stronghold on the heavyweight division. Obviously, I know you're not heavyweight, but they have the top heavyweights right now. Yeah, they do.
Speaker 1:Not so much, but they got the top heavyweights right now.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they do Not so much, but they got the top heavyweights.
Speaker 3:What's next for you? Nothing for me.
Speaker 1:Are you going to be in Atlantic City? Yeah, I'm going to be there. We actually was talking about me on the car over there, but then I got sick, got the worst flu I've had in my life, and I didn't move from the bed for seven days bro, yeah, everybody.
Speaker 2:My life and I didn't move from the bed for seven days. Bro, yeah, everybody, everybody did. Man, I had it too, we all did. It's crazy. You're on the east coast, yeah, damn so.
Speaker 1:You're not, yeah, so no, I'm not gonna be in the car. Yeah, I'm still recovering actually right now, but I'm gonna be there, you know, for the fight. You know, support the team. And then you know we just like, uh, stay ready. You know, keep learning, working hard, sharpening up everything. And then you know, seek, you know, for another couple of fights and then maybe sign with a big promotion. So, like I got the looks, I can speak italian, I can speak spanish, I can speak english, I can fight, I can sell tickets. I feel like now is the time to sign with a big promotion, because you cannot do everything by yourself. I've been doing a good job with my team right now, but I need a big promoter now.
Speaker 2:Real quick and we'll get out of here shortly. You've already gave us more than we bargained for, speaking of the looks and I'm a straight male, but you're a tall, good-looking italian man. What's the love life like? Are you? You shooing these americans away? What's going on with that?
Speaker 1:absolutely, bro. I find like a great woman, you know, and you have a great woman.
Speaker 2:You have a.
Speaker 1:You have a great woman yeah, I find a great woman and and that's it, bro. Like you know, it is boxing. You know? Do you remember the great moment? That is what I used to say. The hardest thing in boxing is being bad at nine o'clock with no body on your side that's true, amen, I think you're, you're mature. Yeah, I feel like you know, especially for our sport, you know, yeah, sorry yeah, no, no, no, you're good.
Speaker 2:I was saying your maturity speaks for you, and I'm thinking of this tall Italian dude with the accent walking around New York City. Like me, I'm like a car salesman. I gotta try and get what you got. They're probably throwing themselves at this guy. I was just curious about that. But hey, I'm happy for you, man, I'm married. I'm married too. I have a great woman. But you know, I was like, damn, this fucking guy is probably killing us. I was like, like you said, dead by nine is the hardest thing they ain't be around.
Speaker 3:On the blacks, it's got to be hard Boots, ennis yeah.
Speaker 2:Boots Ennis in Philly. You're like the token white guy. Now too, man he's, so you will be at the fight. Obviously we're going to be there. You have anything else? I don't really have anything else. I think he's said more than we wanted. I'm a big fan. I know you said you have your gripes with New York, but technically we know you're from Italy, but you're a New Yorker, so here you are all right. No, absolutely, bro.
Speaker 1:I got to give everything to New York. New York made me. You know All my friends and the people that helped me. You know this journey like come from New York and all my connection, everything is in New York. I just like you know I'm here in Philly like strictly for business. You know I don't care about like, yes, we welcome friends and stuff like that, but I don't care about this shit anymore, bro, I'm like straight focus. You know I stay home, go to the gym, do this twice a day. I don't want no new friends, I don't want no drama, I don't want nothing. You know, just me, my lady and business and boxing, bro, because next time, you know, if I want to do something big, you know I got to stay focused now.
Speaker 2:And that's awesome to hear, man, you have the mindset for it. I see you got the heavy bag. You got two fans for life.
Speaker 3:Yeah, fans for life, Fans for life. Thank you guys.
Speaker 2:Probably the craziest fans too.
Speaker 3:I hope you do fight, because we're going to be there, I hope you're going to be there, I might need you to throw a punch. Absolutely, bro, you to throw. Absolutely, bro, you're good, absolutely, absolutely. And uh, yeah, bro, you wanna leave the fighters, you wanna leave anybody like a motivation, you know. That's why I like to ask the fighters to, you know, give something motivation, bro.
Speaker 1:Motivation, yes, motivation, I young kid, you know, is like it's cheesy, but never give up. You know why I never give up? I wasn't supposed to literally see nothing that I see in this life or have what I have. You know, I was born in a very humble family, in a city, a small city in Sicily, and I have no really opportunity, you know, to change my life and stuff like that and through like simple things like sport, training every day, why everybody used to tell me yo go get a job, bro, boxing's not going to pay. That's Italy, bro. What are you doing?
Speaker 1:And I used to be broke and training, raining, you know, cold, you know, sunny, no matter what. I used to be broke and training, raining, you know cold, you know sunny, no matter what. I used to grind and grind and grind and cry, sometimes alone and no money and no friends. You know, nobody understand me. And then I move here in the United States. I had to work and training and more, you know, suffering. Then I finally, you know, met Mark Breland, signed my first contract.
Speaker 1:Then the injury, the first time, no money, I lost everything, I lost the manager, I lost the sponsors. Then I get back again. I make it Because I don't have family that I can call. Yo send me 10 grand. I gotta pay rent. I gotta do this, I gotta do that. No medical insurance no, nothing, no education. I got to do this, I got to do that. No medical insurance no, nothing, no education. I learned English, you know, since I'm in the States.
Speaker 1:Then the second surgery came and I lost everything again. Then I go back on my feet again. Then the third surgery came, brother, I come back from fucking everything in this life, you understand. So the thing is just never give up Like literally nothing. Told me that I couldn't make it. Just keep going forward. No matter what happens in life, take it, take it on the chin, get up and keep on doing what you're doing. If you like something, just go straight because it's going to lead you to something good. If I stop boxing nowadays right now, god forbid, let's not conclude. I got so many connections and friends and knowledge that I could do whatever the fuck I want in this life and all coming from persist every day in one thing only. So, whatever you're doing out there, just keep on doing it and do it all the way. Don't do a thousand things, do one, but do it good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, focus, focus, focus, focus. Yes, sir, you've showed us. Yeah, focus, focus, focus, focus. Yes, sir, you've showed us. We're going to look fast. I love that I'm about to go run 10 miles right now.
Speaker 1:Let's go. I'm just kidding.
Speaker 3:I was thinking about my life. Every time he was talking, the whole time he was talking, I was thinking about my life.
Speaker 1:It's true, bro. Sometimes in our life, you know you get overwhelmed. You don't know what you do. Do what you know. The only thing that you know keep going forward and then give up on yourself. You give up on yourself, bro. Who's going to help you? Who's going to help you? It's going to be you, bro. You're right, man.
Speaker 2:Yo man, thank you so much, man. You're an inspiration, you are. Listen, it's St Patrick's Day weekend. I am half Irish. I'm going to the Irish fights tomorrow at MSG, but we had to get my Italian side here.
Speaker 1:Thank you for coming, man, I appreciate you. And you're an inspiration for everybody out of Sicily too, there's not.
Speaker 2:Sicily is often forgot about. Like you're an inspiration for everybody out of Sicily, man.
Speaker 1:Everyone about, like you're an inspiration for everybody out of sicily. Man, it's everyone here's italy, italy, italy, rome. Listen, sometimes when I, when I meet those you know guys older than me, under 50, you know late 40s and stuff like that, and have family members that are immigrants then came here in this country like 80 years ago, 100 years ago, and, you know, change everything for them. I told them I'm like your father, I'm like your grandfather, like I made myself. I came in this country. I maybe didn't came with a boat, I came with a flight, but it's the same shit for me, man, I learned english here. You know I had no education. You know I learned two languages.
Speaker 2:You speak great english like you. Like guido don't speak english like you. What the hell? Yeah, you speak great English.
Speaker 1:And he got the education, bro, he went to squad. I dropped out of school, bro, when I was like 12 years old.
Speaker 2:But yeah, he's alive, bro, he can learn.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Guido is playing tennis. Man, I had to learn, bro, survival.
Speaker 1:you know Survival skills when you're out there. You got to work. You better learn how to speak and do stuff you know, like you would definitely.
Speaker 2:Sometimes it's a blessing, that's right man.
Speaker 1:Sometimes it's a blessing when all you got is yourself, bro. Sometimes it's a blessing, you know.
Speaker 2:It definitely gives you some skills, you know You're wise beyond your years and you're a dog in the ring and obviously a dog outside of the ring. Nothing can stop you. Willie and Puma are fans for life. Thank you so much for the time. We'll let you go now. Thank you, guys, you got the heavy bag back there, you got the heavy bag back there. I'm sure you're ready, man, always, always ready.
Speaker 1:You got the Yankee hat on.
Speaker 2:Keep that. Yankee. Hat on too. I know you're in Philly, but just let them know you're from New York, alright, so take care. Thank you so much.
Speaker 1:Pleasure to meet you guys. Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2:Alright, I'll see you in Atlantic City in a month or two. Alright, take care.
Speaker 1:I'll see you there. We'll talk more. Alright, brother, bye-bye, bye.