♪♪
(man speaking) ...holding that coveted green strap.
The undefeated WBC
heavyweight champion of the world.
The Bronze Bomber, the self-styled...
Deontay Wilder!
(crowd chanting "Deontay")
♪♪
Deontay, this is awesome.
I appreciate you inviting me into one of your homes.
I think you told me
your other home is across the...
uh, across that way? Am I right?
Across the way, I can, you know, I use my boat
as a ferry or the jet skis as a ferry.
Are you gonna be able to see each house?
Most definitely.
Yeah, we're gonna clear out a couple of trees over there
that, uh, that covers it up right now.
You can't see it. But we're gonna be
able to, uh, open it up.
Maybe get some binoculars.
I got a telescope right there as well, too, that could...
Well, this is awesome. I appreciate it.
You're two weeks out from, uh...
I would say, uh, maybe you wouldn't say this.
But every fight is your biggest fight. Mmm.
Uh, being undefeated. Am I wrong?
You're definitely right. You're definitely right.
Every fight is a big fight.
Because you just never know what's gonna happen.
You can prepare and train as hard as you can for a fight.
But on that day or that night when those lights come on
and you have the environment change and when everything
becomes so real, you just never know what's gonna happen.
Any man can get knocked out in the ring.
Especially when you have--
when you're in the heavyweight division.
That's why people love the heavyweight division.
Because dealing with the big boys
and the big boys bring weight.
So with weight it brings power.
Do you-- the whole series I'm doing
which is called "Self Made"
which is this idea of, uh, to me it means
doing things on your own, um...
And I can't think of another individual sport
that's more-- it's all about you.
At the end of the day it's you.
Where does that come from
in terms of, uh, you grew up in Alabama.
Where does it come from
where you, uh, I guess, let's start with boxing.
That boxing became something that you
decided I'm gonna focus on?
Well, boxing only came in my life because of my daughter
that was born with spina bifida.
You know, being here in Tuscaloosa, Alabama,
it was, you know, based off of Alabama football, you know.
All the kids looked up to the sport because, you know,
people had school spirit, they, you know...
Especially when they're, um, playing against different
rivals, like, Auburn or something like that.
You see all the hype.
You see all the people coming together, their excitement.
So, when you around it, you wanna be a part of it.
But when my daughter came and dealing with spina bifida,
knowing that she had the biggest fight of her life,
that allowed me to say, you know what?
I need to fight for my family.
So, I had to choose, you know,
whether to get a regular job or pursue my dreams
of becoming a professional where I know that if I make it,
that I'll be able to support her beyond her belief.
How old were you at the time?
I was 19 years old at the time.
Uh, did you finish high school?
I did finish high school.
And I got a little, uh...
I got a semester for college.
I had a daughter coming so I had to make decisions.
But why-- why boxing?
Um, boxing, you know, for one.
I had a, uh... reputation
for fighting, you know? I tell people all the time.
I never looked for trouble but trouble always found me.
You know, and people always look at me now
because I'm so tall. Yeah.
But it was a point of time that I wasn't as tall.
And I had to grow into this height, you know, but...
Being here was nothing-- really nothing to do.
People would pick with you. They'll find fun.
You know, as guys, as boys
the most fun that we found was the fun that we didn't
supposed-- with the things that we didn't supposed
to be into. Yeah.
Because it's just a, it's--
You know, when things are, are... suspense...
You know you're not supposed to do it but, you know,
you get the thrill from doing it because you know
with the consequences that can come from behind it if you get caught.
You know, you got in trouble a lot, you know, and people
always pick with you and try to test you
especially if you go in certain neighborhoods.
Like, every day I walked out the house,
literally, I was about to fight, you know?
It-- because they knew you could--
would win because they knew you were the guy... why?
It plays a lot of part because...
You know, one of the reasons I always, you know...
People love a winner.
Until you win so much... Yeah.
Then people wanna see you lose and that could be one thing.
Haters love to hate.
You know what I mean? Yeah.
And then on the other end, like I say, I wasn't--
I always been small framed.
My body has always been a athletic type of build.
I never been a muscular type of guy and then...
Being short, you know, as well.
And so people thought they had the advantage over me.
It's just like now, you know, because I'm not this big heavyweight.
I don't look the part. Yeah.
But I'm every bit of the part.
To me, and again, this, this self-made idea.
Whether I'm talking to a Rick Ross
or DJ Khaled or Dave East,
everyone's got a little chip on their shoulder.
So, I almost picture by what you're saying, uh...
you have a chip on your shoulder because they didn't--
They don't expect-- they see something
that you're trying to say, you know what, that's not me.
I'm something bigger than that.
You know, many people
looked at me as a statistic to society. Yeah.
Many people have my life picked out, you know,
better than I could have it picked out.
And what they had picked out was negativity.
It was in a wrong way, you know?
It was of my peers, you know.
Certain things like that, but...
I always had a plan for my life, you know?
And I just wanted to see myself get there.
Although my peers had things going on and stuff,
I've never been peer pressured to do anything,
but only what I wanted to do
and what I knew what was right, you know?
My father raised me and my brother well.
He taught us to work.
You know, in the South, you gonna work.
That's what they say them country boy is strong. Yeah.
Because we're always working with our hands.
We're always doing something whether it's in the yard.
Or whether it's outside of the house
or wherever we go, you know, they just...
So how did boxing kick in for you?
Boxing kicked in, you know, um...
when I knew I had a daughter coming on its way.
And, um, dealing with the, uh, disorder of spina bifida.
I had no knowledge of it.
But it's money to pay for...
There you go. There you go. That's it.
You just thought I'm gonna-- I need to make some money.
And when you're mind, you knew people were gonna pay for...
It was a quick pay?
I knew nothing about boxing, you know...
Boxing came to me 'cause I had a friend in college and um...
At lunch, we used to always-- See, I'm a type of person that,
I plan things out.
I speak it, believe it, receive it.
You know, and I always say speak it, believe it...
See, the belief is the water that grows your plant. Mm-hmm.
Now you can say anything in life.
You can say you can be this. You're gonna have this and that.
But it's only your words.
No action is applied to that.
So, if it's just your words, it's just,
it's just what it is, your words.
You can--- everyone has greatness. Mmm.
But greatness, greatness is determined by service.
We can be great without even knowing it.
But then till we apply the service, that's when we discover we're great.
You know, so with me, it's like,
I wanted to show instead of just speaking all the time
and doing different things. So, when boxing came along,
I was ignorant to the sport.
I didn't know how they made-- Well, I knew you had to fight.
Prize fight, you make money.
But I was ignorant to the sport because I felt like every
fighter that stepped in the ring made a lot of money.
Or if you see them in magazines, they made a lot of money.
I didn't know it was a process to getting there.
And with my daughter and her condition,
condition needing money, fast, quick and in a hurry.
And in my position where I couldn't go to school no more
to, you know, play the sports. Hm.
To be a professional football player or basketball player.
I had to lean towards something else.
Did you play other sports? I did.
I played football, basketball, baseball.
So, the thing I get out of it
which is interesting is those are all--
everything you just said sports wise is team sports.
Hm. You picked a sport that's just you.
Yeah. What does that--
Like, to me-- what does that tell you about you?
I mean, that just tells me that
I'll do anything for my children.
I'll sacrifice my life for my kids, man.
You know? And that's exactly what I've been doing.
40 fights. I've sacrificed my body.
Where do you think that comes from?
It just, you know, just being raised here
down in the South, man.
You know, you-- you know, a lot of people get
the South misconstrued with racism and all that.
But racism everywhere.
I've traveled a lot of places. Racism is everywhere.
Just here, they're just more open. Yeah.
And I like a person that's gonna be, you know, that can tell me
straight up what they are instead of behind closed doors.
And with that being said, you build a stronger mentality.
You build a work ethic. Like, with my father,
he always had a strong work ethic.
And with me and my brothers growing up, we saw that.
He put us to work, every, you know--
And when we got older,
the work that he used to have to do,
he didn't have to do no more because he relied on us because
we was older now and we knew what to do, and if it wasn't...
Did your father support you in boxing?
You know, my--
I wanna do this. Yes, I support you. Yeah.
My-- you know...
And boxing, my father didn't want me to box, you know? Yeah.
He was one of those fathers that had his, uh, had things
planned out for his children.
And he was basket-- he was a basketball type of guy.
He played ball throughout college
and different things like that.
And that's what he wanted his sons to do.
But I didn't believe in just playing one sport.
I believed in playing multiples of sports.
So, when I got into boxing, you know, it's a brutal sport.
No parent really wants to see their children No.
getting hit in the face especially if they're not used to it.
He wasn't used to that atmosphere.
He wasn't used to watching boxing, you know?
So, I could understand how he would look at this.
But he didn't know my talent. He didn't know,
you know, what God had for me.
So, did you think you were gonna be a good boxer?
Not only did I think it, I knew it.
I spoke it, I believed it.
Why?
Because I wasn't fighting for myself.
Self is selfish.
I had this other little girl on the side of me, man
that was looking up to me. I had this little girl
that I looked into her eyes and I said,
"Daddy gonna be a world champion one day."
And I come from unfulfilled promises.
I know what it feel like
for somebody to promise you something.
And you wait year after year after year after year.
And it never happens.
Until finally you just come to realization
yeah, it ain't never gonna happen.
So you can't depend on people. Mmm.
With that being said, you have to go get it for yourself.
That's what I did. Did anybody--
Who was the first person from the boxing side who said,
"You know what, Deontay's got something here."
Who saw something in you to say
I'm gonna put some time in this guy?
Well, you know, when I went to the gym, you know,
it was still doubts, you know?
Like you said, boxing is a lonely sport.
It's a savage sport. It's a snake's business.
If you're not smart, you will get tooken advantage of, you know?
It's a dirty game but coming into boxing,
even just me and my trainer, at first, it was, you know--
He would tell you his self,
he said, the basketball court's down the street.
That's what he was thinking because
I'm coming in with a small frame.
Talking about when a fighter...
He see over 100 kids coming in
saying this is what they wanna do.
But they don't know what they're asking for.
Some people can get past sparring
but not the conditioning part. Hmm.
Some people can get past the condition, but don't,
but don't-- but can't see themself
getting hit in the ring, you know?
When I came in, you know, he didn't know what he had.
He didn't know what work ethic that I possessed.
He didn't know that I wasn't doing it for self.
This wasn't for self to be famous or make no money.
This was making money for my daughter, not for myself.
You know, and...
I remember sparring a professional, uh...
He's been in there-- he was up in there for over seven years, you know?
In four, four fights and you know,
had a little reputation going in and...
Uh, three months into my training,
I ended up dropping this guy in the first round.
Only thing you see him move was his head
and just to lift up to look at my trainer
and say keep this guy in, he's strong.
And from that point on,
the belief came even more real.
Really didn't what it was when I walked in.
And with my trainer, you know, when guys are working out
or doing anything intense and it become, you know,
when you see your stuff starting to, to reach a peak
where you're getting tired, fatigue and stuff like that.
People start to quit. Hmm.
But my trainer said he knew he had something in me
because not only was I working hard when he was looking,
but I was working even harder when he wasn't looking.
And that was a big deal for him.
Do you think, uh, where do you think that--
Your daughter's now, what, 13? Correct.
So, where does the drive exist over 13 years?
Well, you know, 13 years old.
She's still dealing with spina bifida.
You know, she beat the odds, though, because doctor says
she may not never be able to walk or maybe never
have a natural ability of learning.
But today, Naieya, not only is she walking, she's running.
She does flips, she does cheer type of things, you know?
She's one of the smartest little girl in her class.
She's very intelligent. Very smart and, very,
like, independent, very, and you know...
And a lot of things-- When I see her
and her going through the situations, the trials
and tribulations that she had to go through
just as a baby with spina bifida,
to see so many surgeries and...
things done to her, man...
That was all-- that was my motivation.
I'm, like, this little girl go through all this.
I ain't got no excuse to do what I gotta do. Yeah.
You know, I got a tattoo right now on me
that we holding hands, and I call it
the Road to Success because she strengthen me.
And I tell my daughter all the time, like, babe, I don't know
what I'd be doing if it wasn't for you. Hmm.
You know? You came in and, and, and changed my whole life.
My mindset, the things that I wanted to do, it was no more
because, you know, when I brought a life into this world,
what I wanted to do had to be put on hold
because it was all about her
with the condition that she made me a stronger person, you know?
It's just the love for my children, man.
But Deontay, I see...
I watch highlights of you
and your fights and I swear--
And I take everyone of these interviews, I take things away.
And the thing I took away from you is
I think you would have been good at anything
you put your mind to.
And it made me think about me, like, I think, no matter what I--
If I made a decision and I put all my focus
and I'm gonna be really good at this...
You just happened to choose boxing.
If you would have chosen basketball or football,
it would've been the same thing. Do you see that?
That boxing is just-- it happened to be the thing you chose.
It happened to be the thing
that you put your entire focus on.
Most definitely. I totally agree
with you on that, you know...
Like I say, I always talk about my father.
I give him a lot of credit, you know, because he been there
through the thicks and thins of our lives.
And he built us to have a strong work ethic.
And with that being said...
When me and my brothers, when we apply something,
our mindset is so strong that we get the job done
no matter what it is. Mmm.
And we love when people doubt us.
That makes us even stronger.
Because only thing that person can do,
they can only use action with their mouth. Hmm.
But we have the ability and the power to not only
use action with our mouth to reply
but we're the one that can apply real action
to the solution to solve this problem.
And now when people say you can't do something,
and then you take all of that
and you apply with what you have,
you show them, like, I did what you said I couldn't do.
So, in boxing, which is not necessarily a sport
that you can control the next step, right?
Correct. The next fight.
How do you keep how do you keep
the motivation, the intensity?
How does-- how do you keep that self, that drive?
Well, you know, I haven't accomplished my ultimate goals in boxing.
So, with that being said,
it still allows me to have this mindset that
this is just the beginning. Every time I...
take the next further step or the next opponent,
or the next big fight.
I'm always saying this is just the beginning, you know?
Because I don't never wanna see it where
I'm not learning no more, I'm not-- Hmm.
I can't get up in the morning because
I'm in silk pajamas and silk sheets, you know what I mean?
Making it hard to get up because you're slipping.
You know what I'm saying?
I never wanna get that mindset, you know,
to, to thinking that.
You know, with that work ethic and like I said that we have,
you know, I'm still providing for my kids.
I still have things that I wanna see.
I'm building for generation wealth. Mm-hmm.
And when you're building for generation wealth,
you know, you got a long, you got a long ways to go.
And it's a lot of work that you're gonna have to apply
to whatever your craft is.
So, with that being said,
I'm, I'm, I'm still not satisfied.
I'm still going and going. I'm a hungry champion.
So, in, in... uh, we're in Alabama.
We're where you grew up.
Why didn't you leave and go somewhere else?
To L.A., to New York, to Miami? Yeah.
Like, why stay?
You're the heavyweight champion of the world.
Why stay right here in the woods
on a lake where we're not near anything?
(laughing)
Man, when you're describing it,
that sound like peace to me, you know?
And the saying is there's no place like home.
And I made it from here.
Many people tried to get me away from here.
You know, at the Olympics, I had Russia.
Russia wanted me to come and say, "You!
Next heavyweight champion of the world."
And they wanted me to come to Russia but, you know...
I didn't, I didn't-- Russia was too cold for me, you know?
And we had other people gave me suggestions,
and, you know, drilling me on why I'm staying at home
and all the distraction and they have other gyms
in other states and cities.
But, you know, like I said,
the way I came up in boxing,
my name-- I wasn't, I had,
I had to write my name in the books. Hm.
Because people looked over me.
They looked over me, one, because I was from a state
that they didn't know...
They, they, they didn't see fighters come out of.
But if they did their history,
they'd see Holyfield is from Alabama.
They see Joe Louis is from Alabama.
And they'll see Earnie Shavers is from Alabama.
But they had to start their career elsewhere, you know?
But me going to the Olympics...
I made the Olympics in a year and a half.
No one in the history of boxing has ever made it as fast
as I've done it and guess where I've done it from?
Mm-hmm. Right here.
So, the saying also is if it's not broken, then why fix it?
So, every time I have camps, I come back home.
This is where I'm comfortable.
This is where I can meditate and visualize
what I wanna do when I'm in the ring or anything I do.
This is where I get my sanity and my peace.
And I never let that-- I'll always have something
going on in Alabama so I can come back home.
Is there anybody you listen to?
Meaning is, uh...
To me, everything I do is gut. Mmm.
So, uh, I'll take advice, but at the end of the day
I wanna feel my ass is on the line.
I wanna make that decision. Mmm.
Is there anybody that you're listening to?
Or is it falling always on you?
You know, I grew up in the church, you know?
My father was a minister at the time.
My grandma was the pastor of the church.
Now my father's a pastor so, you know, I was very
sheltered, you know, and to believing in Christianity
and different things like that.
So, you know, I'm big in religion, I'm big in faith, you know.
But I'm also big on energy feeling
is when I can feel energy sometimes emotion.
I got a true gift. My grandma said
I was anointed by God, you know?
That's why I was-- I knew I was destined to be something.
And like you said, you feel like I would be good at anything.
And that's so true.
Because my grandma said I'm anointed, she used to tell me.
When I got in trouble at school or get suspended and stuff,
she didn't discipline me. She was a teacher.
She taught like, she used to talk to me all the time.
And I couldn't comprehend because I was a child.
But when I became a man and put away childish ways
and started going through life... Hmm.
I started to understand bits and pieces.
Ah, I see now what she was saying.
I didn't understand about being anointed
and God trying to use you. Use me for what, you know?
But when you become a man
and when you've been put in positions,
you start to transform and you start to understand things,
and I understand it all now, you know.
When you think back to starting out the professional career,
what was the goal?
My main goal was to make money for my daughter, you know?
Pay for medical bills and...
Did you think or put...
I don't wanna lose. I wanna be...
What was each fight to you?
What, what, what did it mean to you?
Each fight was for my daughter. Yeah.
You know? I had a goal.
I had a... mission to accomplish.
I said, I told, I set out
to tell my daughter a promise
that was unfulfilled yet.
Like, I said, I come from promises that was unfulfilled
for me so I know what it feels like for somebody
to tell you something and it doesn't happen.
Nor do they even put effort into making it happen
because that was, that was, that was told
while back, years ago.
Maybe they forgot or maybe they moved on.
But the person that they told to, they don't really look back
and say, dang, I told that person, not knowing that they
holding this dear to their heart. Mm-hmm.
I told my daughter I'd be a world champion.
I told-- I looked her in the eyes
when she was one year old,
and I was gonna make sure that happened.
So every time I step in the ring with a fighter,
it's still to this day,
after-- with all my kids-- there's seven now.
I want a better life for them,
and the way I had to do it is with my hands.
Everything I have, everything I've done,
with them, with these.
Did...
I-I know what you're gonna say,
but did you think you'd be 40 and 0 today?
You know, I never had...
I never look at it...
or... how long can I go undefeated?
Or how many guys can I knocked out--
can I knock out?
I never think about my record.
I never think about knockouts.
I-I'm still surprised when I knock guys out.
You know what I mean? I'm still--
I get still surprised, you know?
Because I tell people I have two different personalities.
Outside of the ring, I'm Deontay;
I'm this loving, tall, giant gentleman.
Yeah. You know?
That loves people, you know?
Loves interacting with people, you know?
Because, I feel, you just never know
who you may be talking to.
No matter what they're from-- where they're from--
or no matter how they look,
you know, or what their skin color,
you just never know who you're talking to.
Sure. You know? So I like interacting.
But inside of the ring?
It's a whole 'nother possession come over me.
I'm the Bronze Bomber in the ring,
and the Bronze Bomber--
when I'm the Bronze Bomber, baby, he don't care.
He don't care who you are,
where you're from, what you're saying you're about to do.
I know what I say I'm about to do,
and I'm finna show you.
I got the opportunity to be able to show my actions.
Not with my mouth,
but with these right here.
And that means everything for me,
because when I look at my children,
and they're smiling and you say,
"Good morning, baby,"
and you got the youngest baby smiling
and, you know, all her teeth coming
and slob coming down
when she happy, you know?
And come and want to get on you
and kiss you automatically...
Man, that's the life.
That's a beautiful life.
Like I tell people: I have love, peace,
and I have great health in my life.
D-do you think-- Do you feel pressure
being every fight that you're undefeated?
'Cause some people say in sports,
whether it's-- I'm a Chicago Bears
1986-- 1985-- fan. Mm.
They lost one game.
Sometimes it's good. Yeah?
Like, the pressure's off.
I can go win this thing. I can get it over with.
Do you fee-- Does that ever...?
I don't think about-- I don't think about losing.
Yeah. It's a negative entity.
You know? I don't think about losing.
I don't think about nothing that's negative.
Yeah. You know what I mean?
I always think about winning.
And with that being said,
we are powerful.
Our words we speak are powerful.
It's just how we have to put it.
You have to be very specific about what you say
and how you put things in...
(chuckling) ...in line.
Because things will come true.
It's the Law of Attraction.
What we think, what we speak,
will be drawn to us.
That's why certain things can happen to us,
and we never know or understand why
it's happening to us.
We don't go back and resort on the things
that we've said, or whatever, the moment in time,
because it's just what it is.
It's a moment in time,
and we spoke something.
So, so what's the difference
between Deontay 33 years old today
and-- and 13 years ago
when he first started boxing?
I'm more in tune with myself.
Where does that-- like, where--
where does that come from?
I've learned a lot. I've seen a lot of things.
I've met a lot of people.
You know?
I've been introduced to a lot of things
that works with my life.
So would you say--
'cause...
Clearly, I couldn't get in the ring with you,
but I would say, when I think about--
'cause I-I take away something from every conversation,
and what I think about with you is,
as you describe your father,
and work ethic... Mm.
Like, work ethic. It's a constant.
It never goes away.
It's-- you can't teach that.
It's either in you or it's not.
You're not gonna stop boxing for two years
and start up again.
That's not you.
Is that c-- is that true?
That's very true. You know...
Like I said, certain things you're born with.
You're born with certain things.
You know? And...
You know? There's a lot of things I'm born with
that, you know, I don't have to train for,
I don't have to prepare for.
It's already instilled in me.
Only thing that I can do is make it stronger.
And I makes it stronger.
That's why people don't understand me.
They can't figure me out, especially in the boxing.
They can't figure me out.
They see I have an unorganized style,
an un-textbook style,
and my fundamentals is not 101.
You know?
And I never understand people when they always complain about
my style or how I-- you know.
If everyone has the same style,
then boxing wouldn't be as exciting as it is.
You know? Sure.
If everybody had the same fundamentals--
the jab, the right hand, left hook...
Sure. Everybody's doing it the same,
then what's so exciting about it? Sure.
And then boxing styles make fights.
So, with my style,
not only do I create excitement,
but I create thrilling knockouts.
Dramatic knockouts,
knockouts that you can only see
in the movies.
Do you think about the fans?
Do you think about the guys in the audience looking?
Not at all.
No, the way I was raised and stuff like that, man,
I hear...
(scoffing)
Certain things grows on deaf ears, man.
I don't-- I don't...
I'm so in tune with myself.
I'm so in tune with my... you know,
the things that I want to do in life,
the mission that's incomplete right now.
You know? I'm well on my way.
You know? 33 years old.
This is 33 years of my manifestation.
33 magic, you know?
I'm walking in my manifestation right now.
So, l-let me-- from a...
Your business is boxing,
so when I think of my business,
I have the luxury of entering the ring,
which is launching something,
and playing around.
I have an idea of what I'm gonna do...
Mmm. ...but I don't know what I'm gonna do
until I get it out there.
So in theory, with your match coming up
against Tyson,
you have an idea of what you're--
any, any bout--
you have an idea of what you're about to do...
Mm. ...but you have to adapt during that moment.
Most definitely. Is that correct?
That's very correct.
And every true champion knows how to adjust
to anyone,
no matter what they may see themselves doing,
because a fight--
I can visualize myself and meditate on it,
of me knocking this guy out in a certain way,
and there's been times where I've told fighters
that, "I'm gonna knock you out,"
and I've told them what position
their body would be in before I knock 'em out.
(laughing) And it happened.
You know? So it's very strong.
You know?
But sometimes you can get in a situation where
you miss things,
y-you can visualize things, but you don't...
You know, life is all about surprises.
You know? So you can have a surprise in life,
and if it comes... (snapping)
...if you are true to your words,
if you're a true person
that you're dedicated to your craft,
and you ain't worried about nothing,
you speaking all positive, thinking it,
surrounding yourself by positivity,
then the result's gonna be positive.
In the ring, I'm a true champion.
I'm a king.
So, with that being said,
any man that I face,
if they bring something that I ain't used to
or I haven't ever seen,
I will adjust.
And when I address and figure you out,
bam, baby, goodnight.
So has that changed from being--
from when you became a champion to prior?
Or is it the same mentality?
It's the same mentality.
I still got the same hunger,
and I think that's what continues to--
that's what keeps me continu--
continuing to win.
Not only just my children, but the mentality I have,
because, in boxing,
you know, for me, it's more--
96, 97% mental,
and the rest physical.
You know? If I can get in your head,
or if you can get in my head,
before we fight,
then you've already won.
You just have to show up. Yeah.
(chuckling) You-- and this--
and I can be way better than you.
I can be a great fighter
and you can be just average.
But if you can find a way to mentally get up in this,
all my "physicalalities" is gone.
Mmm. That's over.
All the weights and being athletic
and doing certain different things,
all that goes out the window
because my mindset ain't right.
So you were talking about--
earlier, we were talking about meditation.
Mmm. When did that-- why that?
Why did-- when did that kick in for you?
That kicked in in the Olympics.
You know, we used to-- every Wednesday, we used to...
deal with one of-- she was like a nutritionist
and slash, you know...
I don't know the term to call it,
but, um, she introduced us to, to meditation, you know?
It was just exercise.
She wanted us to lay down.
Or some of the guys, you know, being fighters,
you know,
they into all types of superstition
as is anyway, you know?
And, um, I remember this...
this situation as if it was yesterday.
Like, I can see it,
and how she had us on the mat.
Some guys participated--
well, they went along with the process of it
because they had to. Mm-hm.
But really just
tuning into it, zoning out,
who knows what they did?
But when I do something,
I take it seriously. Mm-hm.
You know, I want to get--
I wanna get-- give my best
so I can have the best results afterwards, you know?
No matter how silly or how crazy
it may look or seem, I wanna try it out.
Mm. So I tried it.
You know? And...
At first it was just almost like...
you just being in this quiet place
and you hearing a voice talk,
but you see yourself going through something.
You want-- you're trying to figure--
Like, I'm a great visualization type of person.
You know, even when people talk to me,
for me to understand them,
I picture in my head. Mm.
I play it in my head.
So that's why I'm easily to understand people,
you know, when others are not.
You know? And as she was, you know,
going through t-the process
and telling us, you know,
"Think about this," or...
Her voice would get soft,
and she'd get higher and start talking,
then it'd get back soft. Mm.
You know, we had no music at that time,
and stuff like that;
it was all about just focusing out.
But it worked for you. It worked.
But I find-- again, I find that interesting,
because you-- you have the ability to take--
if some things can affect you positively,
whether it's five years in,
ten years in, 13 years in,
you're gonna use that.
Oh, most definitely. I use it--
I use it all the time in my everyday life.
Not only just in my profession,
but in my everyday life.
It allows me to, to...
The sixth kid affected you.
The fifth kid affected you.
Yeah. Right?
Yeah. Yeah. It's a magical thing.
It's wonderful, you know?
And it allowed me to learn so much
about myself,
so much about this world,
just so much about just being just...
a positive person.
So what happens between now
and the Tyson fight?
You're, what, two weeks away.
Two weeks away. What, what's gonna happen?
Um, pertaining to what? Training?
Training, psychologically,
meditation... Yeah.
Well, and training,
um, I think I've got, like,
a week and a few days left,
or sparring,
and then I'll be finished.
I'll be finished, like, on the 21st.
That'll be my last day of sparring.
Thursday, um...
Thursday of this week
will be my last day of strength training. Thanksgiving.
Yeah. Yeah.
It'll be my last day
of strength training.
So, right now is just
the, the preparations of...
assembling everything up.
That's-- this long camp has been so been.
So we're putting all-- everything together,
sharpening and all that,
you know, make sure everything is a muscle memory
so when I get in the ring
it's no thinking. Yeah.
It's all action, it's all doing, you know?
We never wanna think in the ring what we gonna do.
Wait wait on-- we wait on the vision
that we sees,
and when he do what we been seeing,
my body reacts. Yeah.
That's how I knock these-- it's reaction.
I done knocked so many guys out with these hands,
it's pitiful.
It's cra-- it's like-- it's...
it's like second nature to me.
D-do you get pissed
that you're not 40 and 0 by knockout?
What's that?
Do you get pissed that you're not
40 and 0 by knockout? We're all--
I-- No, I'm not. You know?
Because, uh, the guy that I didn't knock out,
in the rematch I knocked him out
in a devastating fashion. Yep. Yep.
But the first time, it was a proving point
because a lot of people at that point in time--
Sure. I was 32 and 0 then.
And, at that point in time, I'm knocking everyone out.
And, you know, people--
you know, you're gonna get doubters.
It's a big world, so you can't please everyone
and I try not to, you know,
'cause that's a big task to do, when you're trying prease--
please everyone, and listening to everyone
when they don't know...
Only thing th-that should both--
bother you, or make you upset,
is the things that people say that is true.
But half the time it ain't true,
so if it don't apply to you,
then wh-why keep it in your head?
So, aside from your daughter, where is--
where do you look for your motivation?
Who out there--
whether it's a boxer
or someone in a different sport
or an industry--
who do you look for for inspiration?
I'm a family man.
It's all for my children.
Mm. Every bit of it.
Even-- You know, I like to grab nice things
along the way; I've got nice cars,
nice toys, and...
different things all over-- you know,
but that's just me in the moment of time.
All that is in the will that will go to them.
You know? Everything that I have.
Like, you know, I'm gonna grab things along the way.
But I do it all for my children.
I knew how hard it was for my father,
you know, and mother, to take care of us.
You know, you grew up poor, man.
And I didn't know the "severeness" of it
until one day me and my father
had a conversation. Sure.
You know. How old were you then?
I was... I'm 33 now.
Probably in my 30s-- 31.
Mm. Somewhere up in there.
You know, when he said he only got $600 a week,
and the rent was 550...
(laughing)
You know?
And that's always made me resort back to when
I had my daughter at 19,
and I had to work, and, and-- two jobs,
sometimes three jobs,
learned that if you don't work, you don't eat.
So, so-- as an example,
I have more people here than you do.
Is that normal?
Yes-- No.
No, it's not normal.
I don't carry a big entourage.
I have my brothers and stuff like that
running around all the time,
and that's my entertainment.
Family, you know?
When I'm here, or anywhere,
like, I'm the same whether I'm in Alabama,
whether I'm in California, whether I'm in Atlanta,
you know, I'm the same way.
Whether I go down in Miami-- I'm the same way.
Most of the time I go where
my designated spot where I need to be,
or whatever, and then I'm home.
Do people recognize you?
Oh, most definitely. Most definitely.
You know, and-- you know,
some people take it overboard,
you know, because I'm not the type of p--
I'm like, don't call me a celebrity.
Don't, don't look at me as a famous person.
I'm just something that my grandma spoke
that I was anointed in God,
he's using me,
and I'm allowing him to use me, you know?
And what he's given me, I'm gonna use it up.
Because if you're blessed
and have a talent,
that you know you're special...
Mm. ...amongst the rest,
and you don't use it,
it will be stripped from you.
Hmm. And given to another brave soul
that has no problem.
Do you ever think about after boxing?
Most definitely. What's that look like?
You know, my passion is acting.
I'd rather act like I'm getting hit
than get in the ring getting hit, baby.
Mm. (laughing)
And that's the day I'm looking forward to.
You know, I've done, um...
you know, I done been in the TV, you know,
on a reality show and stuff like that, whatever.
But my true passion is acting.
You know, I've been--
I've always done the church pl-- church plays
and stuff like that.
They used to give me the long scripts,
and I remember going into the bathroom
and I'd be in there for several hours
rehearsing my, my lines,
because I wanted to know them perfectly.
I wanted to be perfect when I'm acting, you know?
And then the lines that I can't remember...
(snapping) ...I make my own up... Mmm.
...in there, and it always works out
because I'm being myself.
Like, I like to take the script,
and what I can't remember,
I get into character...
Like, being from Deontay to b-- to the Bronze Bomber,
you gotta know how to get into char--
Mm. you gotta-- you know, it's that transformation.
And w-with acting, that--
because of my transformation and what I do in my career now,
the acting part is gonna be killer.
Another Denzel Washington. I-I have to say,
I think in-- in just in this--
from what I've known of you prior to this,
to having this conversation,
um, the inspiration I get form you
is this, this utter feeling
of no matter what you decide to do,
you're going to succeed in this.
Mm. No one just is good at this like you.
You've decided, "I'm gonna be great,"
and, to me, that's all about
what being self-made is. Most definitely.
You know, my mother, when I was, um,
11 or 12 years old,
she gave me this poster,
and it had this bear running a race
and the bear had a red bandana, uh,
a red, uh...
you know, headband on his head. Yeah.
And he was finna cross the finish.
He haven't crossed it yet,
and it had a little--
it's just a little bit of space between
the chest and the-- what's it named?
But you could tell he was finna finish.
And the saying said,
"You don't know what you can do,"
at the bottom, "...until you try." Yeah.
And that meant everything to me.
So, with that being said,
even in my adult life
I apply whatever I have to...
You know, I dedicate myself to what I'm doing.
I give it my all, no matter what it is,
because I want great results.
If I don't give it my all and I come up shorthanded,
or I get the short end of the stick by any chance,
I don't wanna have those doubts of, like,
"Damn. I could have did more."
Yeah. "I should have did this. I should have--"
I don't wonder woulda, shoulda, couldas. Yeah.
When you coulda done it the right time the first time.
My dad said, "You do it wrong, you do it long.
You do it right, you do it light."
And we always talk about that saying to this day.
And everything-- (coughing)
a lot of things stick with me in my head, you know.
So I'd rather apply whatever I gotta do,
whether it's working at Burger King,
or working at Mercedes,
I'm gonna give it my best the first time.
If I'm at a--
It's just like I used to work for Budweiser.
I was the helper, I was the assistant,
but I needed money,
I had a daughter I needed to take care of.
So I looked at it like, "How much the driver make?"
I need the next thing. So--
I need the next thing, yeah. Come on with it. Come on with it, now.
So I started studying that manual book
on how to drive them, them big 18-wheelers, man,
that carry them 54 inch trailers behind,
and be able to whip that thing back, too.
You know what I'm saying?
Because it was more money... Yeah.
...in that.
So, like, why settle for less
when I can have more?
And I could support my family like I want.
I told myself I'd never struggle in life,
for the simple fact that
I put everything into what I do.
I-I hope you kick Tyson's ass,
and I hope, uh,
the next fight, uh,
will be Joshua and you're gonna kick his ass.
There you go. 'Cause you deserve everything that comes your way.
My man. You've earned it.
Self-made is you,
so I appreciate it.
Blessings. Thank you.
Blessings so much. Thank you.
Thank you so much. Blessings.
♪♪
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