You are here: ninemsn > Ralph > stuff

Monday, March 24, 2008

Stamina
People forget how important fitness is. A lot of people don’t get stopped from a knockout because of punishment to the head, but because their legs and arms are gone. They could probably get up but that big shot said to them, “Hang on, I’ve got nothing left.” I’ve been knocked down once in my career and I jumped up quicker than I went down, and that has got to do with fitness, not just heart. That on top of the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ gave me a tough chin to be able to take it (laughs). I think that helps too, because in boxing you either got it or you don’t.

Knocking people out
Knowing he’s out there trying to do the same to me, it doesn’t hurt (laughs). I pick the guy up after the fight and we go out and celebrate. We have a barbie at my house the next day. There’s been many fights I’ve had where I’ve knocked my opponent out or beaten him on points, and later we’ve gone out and had a good time. People think in boxing that these guys must hate each other. Not at all. It’s a sport – it’s all about hit and not get hit.

Toughest opponents
I defended my Commonwealth title in England against a guy called Howard Eastman. He’d only won two fights on points; he’d knocked everyone else out. If that guy gets a copy of RALPH, I want him to know it was an honour switching hands in the middle of the ring for 12 rounds. I never get headaches but after that fight I had a headache for two days. He was the hardest puncher I’ve ever come across.

Anthony Mundine
He’s more experienced than the last time we fought. I’ve had 21 fights since we last fought, for 20 wins and one loss – a controversial decision to Winky Wright. Mundine’s had 19 fights with three losses. We’ve both done really well for Australian boxing and I know that the best man on the night will win. I’ll do everything in my power to make sure this fight does not go to the decision, and that the decision will come by my gloves and not by points.

The first loss to Mundine
With 6000 people chanting “Sammy, Sammy” after the fight, and the phone call and messages I got from all over the place, it took a lot of the sting out of [the loss]. I’d rather that than get the decision and have a million people booing me while I’m putting my hands up pretending I won when I didn’t. I took the positive out of that. I realised not to leave it in the hands of the judges, and to do that I had to change my style. I worked out, if you throw 300 punches a round for 12 rounds, you can’t go wrong. It’s going to put a guy away or leave it in no doubt that I won. If anything I should be thanking Mundine, not be angry that he says what he says about me. So thanks, Mundine.