Sonny Liston Ali.. Yes, That's My Name!

This Week On The BE FIRST Podcast, We Welcome Our Good Friend & Former Employee! Professional Boxer - Sonny Liston Ali 

From His Early Start, to Losing 8 out his first 10 Amateurs To Going Onto Being Unbeaten On English Soil for Over 40 Bouts! 

The Pressures of Amateur Boxing, The Dark Side Of Professional Boxer & Finally Finding His Happy Balance of Life & Love of The Sport. 

This is Another NOT To Be Missed Episode! So Be Prepared To Step Into The Ring & BE FIRST! 

(00:00) That Name 

(02:35) Amateur Beginnings 

(07:30) Loss After 30-0 

(10:20) Fight The Amateurs Wanted 

(12:40) Falling Out of Love 

(16:15) Being a Kid

(21:20) Boxing Is All I Know 

(26:45) Working at Boxfit 

(33:40) Turning Pro 

(40:05) Calling It a Day & The Return

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

My amateur crew is always like, I wonder what happened to M24, I wonder what happened to Mboxin because boxing is all I know, even to this day. Like Duncan, me and Craig know each other. Well we take them back to when I was working here. Nah, come on, just not me too. What's your real name? I don't know what's my name, but I just send in my boxing poster and that. Yeah, I just lost a lot for boxing after that. I don't know, I don't know. It's like so small, but it's like why have they told me this? Because now I'm just wanted to rage mate. I'm trying to have two, box Wembley, uh Copperbox, box the UCall. Boxing now because I love boxing. I love boxing.

SPEAKER_01 0:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 0:41

So I've got that love back for it.

SPEAKER_00 0:43

That and welcome back to the Beat First Podcast. Today's guest, we got former Leeds Amateur and now professional boxer, Sunny Liston Ali. How are we lads? All good, lad. Sweet, lads, sweet. So lads, thanks for taking your time out, your busy schedule to come on a podcast. Really appreciate it, lads.

SPEAKER_02 1:05

No, thank you for bringing me on, bruv.

SPEAKER_00 1:06

Yeah, it's a pleasure, lad, it's a pleasure. So, well, normally doing my guest, normally taking back to the start, a little bit about how they grow up. How do you got the sport they love? But for you, I think we need to address the elephant in the room to our listeners and viewers, and Sonny List and Ali, that is your real name.

SPEAKER_02 1:21

It's my real name, yeah. So my passport and that.

SPEAKER_00 1:23

It's on your passport, what lad?

SPEAKER_02 1:24

On my passport, bro.

SPEAKER_00 1:26

That you just used because you're all bronze. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:29

Just got back from holiday two weeks ago.

SPEAKER_00 1:31

Yeah. So where does your name come from? Who chose your name?

SPEAKER_02 1:34

Um, so basically, obviously, my mum called me Sonny. Um, my granddad chose Sunny. Um, and then Liston, my mum's a big fan of boxing, and then Ali is my surname. That's surname.

SPEAKER_00 1:49

There you go. Do you ever get people who call you that? That's not even your name.

SPEAKER_02 1:52

Do you know what? Funny enough, obviously, I've done a job the other day. Um, and the geezer asked me for what my name is for the invoice or for the reference or something, and uh I said to sign this now. He went, nah, come on. He said, Well, let's not be saying what's what's your real name? I said that's my name. I had to send him my boxing poster and that just to prove to us my name.

SPEAKER_00 2:11

At least he'll buy a ticket.

SPEAKER_02 2:12

Yeah, that's hopefully. I was getting at that by sending him the poster and that, but no, he didn't come before getting another 40 quid or so.

SPEAKER_00 2:22

So, lads, you know, you're back on the professional circuit now. You're due to have your second comeback fight, if you like. Uh, when when when and where is that?

SPEAKER_02 2:32

Uh my next fight is September 26th. I've been told this is what I've been told. Um, it's either gonna be your call or Camden. Okay, where the last one was, I can't think what the place is called now.

SPEAKER_00 2:46

Yeah, Warren.

SPEAKER_02 2:49

Warren Boxing Management, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:51

Who heads that up?

SPEAKER_02 2:52

If France is if you Alfie Warren's my manager, that's the manager. Yeah, Alfie's my manager, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:56

Yeah, sweet lads. Well, that's present day, but in order to understand how you got there, I need to take you back to the start, a little bit more where you grew up.

SPEAKER_02 3:04

I'll tell you what, we can take them back to. Obviously, me and Craig know each other, don't we? What we take them back to when I was working here all those years ago.

SPEAKER_00 3:10

We'll we'll get to that bit, right? We'll get to that bit. We'll get to that bit, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:14

So obviously, yeah, amateurs. I was uh first started boxing when I was about nine, about nine years old. Um Box Horn Church and Elm Park had like 76 amateur fights, I think, same like that. 70 something, had a lot of amateur fights. I was fighting like every week, basically. Um, championships. I used to turn up to shows as a spare. What as a spare? That's uh I don't know. I don't even know I don't even know if they do that anymore. Like you just I'd go there, bring my kit, obviously get a free ticket as well. We don't have to pay paid to get in, so you come in as a spare, get a free meal deal as well. Touch. Touch it's got to be done. Um and yeah, potentially get a fight out of it. Um, so yeah, we saw you turn up to shows as a spare, so that way if anyone pulls out or anything and they're around my way, I get to fight. Um I was at all the home shows, all the championships, uh, won two school boys, two juniors, uh two GBs, um loads of international box cups and things like that. Yeah, used to really, really love boxing, be obsessed with boxing. Um grew up thinking that was that was it, that was the life, that's what I was gonna do for the rest of my life. Uh yeah, and then end up working here somehow for a bit, didn't I?

SPEAKER_00 4:39

Like I said, yeah, but but um guess that bit because that's a good party.

SPEAKER_02 4:43

That's that's a big part of it.

SPEAKER_00 4:44

Your story, and it's a big part of your life as well when we look back at it. Yeah, but um taking you back to your boxing, you start over horn shirts in Elm Park. Was that when people like Colin Lyons was there coaching?

SPEAKER_02 4:55

And who was Colin Lyons weren't coaching there at the time, it was um so I started with a skeezer called Wayne. Um I don't think I don't even know if he if he trains coaches anymore or does anything like that, but he was like he'd do like the beginner's class basically, and then like you work your way through his class if you start looking like you're doing decent, you like you can potentially fight, and then you get moved up to like the the fighter side of it, sort of thing. Yeah. So I started off with him. Um yeah, and I jumped in within about three months of being with him, four months, maybe even maybe even more than that. Um I got put up to the other one, and then got a fight date, lost my first four fights, lost my first four on a spin.

SPEAKER_00 5:40

Uh what did you think then when you lost your first four? Um clap at this.

SPEAKER_02 5:44

I'll be real, like I just can't lie, I just used to like boxing, I used to like fighting. So I didn't really like I didn't really deep it too much. Obviously, I used to have a little tear up and that afterwards, like one ways get beat up and that, but it happens, sort of thing. Like, I used to get beat up in sparring all the time anyway, so it was that it was normal. I just enjoyed fighting, enjoyed boxing. Um, and then yeah, after them four, I sort of got in my head, like my mum would talk to me and say, Look, like, do you really want to do this? Like, blah blah blah. At the time I was playing football as well, and I was uh really good goalkeeper. And uh I wish I would have fucking, I wish I'd carried on uh playing goal. Could have made it, could have been a lot more money right now, but yeah, I've uh I had to kind of you get to like the point where it's like you're gonna pick one or the other, and me being stupid and young, I picked boxing. And uh yeah, literally like bearing in mind I've lost four on a spin now. My mum was like, You sure? Like, you sure? I was like, Yeah, I want to I wanna do boxing. And uh mum was like, right, well if you're gonna do this, you better start doing it properly, like training properly, do like doing it like it locked in with it, and uh so I did, and then I won one, lost one, won one, lost one. And after the so that would have been loss four, loss six. So I had eight, eight, one, two, and from there, but eight one two, yeah. That's like you look at that and probably think, ah, he's like not all that type of thing, like, but I knew like I don't know why, I just knew I had something there, like I knew I enjoyed it. I knew I had something when I was in the gym. I was doing really well. My coaches always always say to me, right, you're doing well, like you can do sync out of this, blah blah blah. Um, obviously, I'm only young at the time, I must have been about 10, so I went really deep in it too too much, but yeah, and then I went into Essex Championships and I won that. That was straight after. So it was eight and two. People were pretty fighting, like in the championships, you can have any amount of fights or whatever, you just go put in. So people asked pretty fighting thinking, oh, it's gonna be a walk in the park, eight and two, where like and then yeah, I ended up winning it. And uh from there I won like 30, I think like 33 like winning streak, didn't lose for like 33 fights. Like Saint Switch, I don't know where it was. Like, yeah, when I had uh 33 wins. Um and I lost in Ireland against the Irish boy, and it was it was it's a madness. I was I remember I was gutted because where it was we were at Team England, we had to do like trials for it. Um done the trials, passed it, blah blah blah, done that, got put on the England team for it, and then how they done it, they made us fly out. So I got to the airport like four in the morning. So bear in my house, that means I've been up since like two, three. Got to the airport four in the morning, flew out there, and we're fighting the same day. Ryan Garner was out there, uh Daniel Dubois was out there, and they were the only two that won. Ryan Garner and Daniel Dubois, the only two out of all the English boys that won. I'll tell you why, because they was clever about it, they slept. As soon as they got back to the hotel room, they went and they went in and rested when I had a and had a had a bit of a sleep. But me and all the other boys, we're all lively, we're out in Ireland, like we all go out shopping, running around the shops, like we've had about two hours sleep, all of us. Running round shopping, blah blah blah. We got a fight, like big fight. The Irish boys probably raring to go, we're all out having a laugh, like yeah, and uh yeah, ended up getting picked to pieces. I remember I was just coming, I was so sluggish, like so like tired. I remember I was coming through trying to throw a punch, I'm like, I'm stepping and he's just going ping, ping, just making me fall into the ropes. Also, I thought this is so embarrassing. And my boxing coach at the time flew out there to watch me as well. Yeah, because you'd be that kids if you're that sleep. I reckon so, yeah. I reckon I would have thought I'd I'd hope so, yeah. But it is what it is, it's learning it. Like you look at that. That's that's when you get that. See things like that you look at, and it's like, right, I know now. Next time I'm gonna make sure I rest properly, and that like when you're when you're that young, like you don't really deep, like rest is so important, like being disciplined with it. We're still young, we're like all the other boys, we're out having fun, having a laugh, like we're seeing as a little get out, like a little getaway with the boys, like yeah, having a bit of fun, being kids, yeah, literally being kids, and uh yeah, like little did we know we're out there to do a job, to like in in a way, sort of thing that and uh yeah, it's one of them. You learn from it. Like lost that one, come back, and I was like, right. We know now, right? We've just lost one. I haven't tasted the feet in like 33 fights.

SPEAKER_00 10:34

So, how long did that stretch for? A couple of years, that must have been a couple of years.

SPEAKER_02 10:37

No, only literally probably like a year and a half, two years, yeah. But I did maintain that I was unbeaten for like 40 cent on English soil, so like technically I did still count it, you know what I mean? So I'll come back and then win another little winning streak. Um and then as you know, because obviously you you'd know because we spoke about that before. There was another kid out there, and we'd always been around the same weight, and he was another elite fighter, and we was always like, he'd be a weight below me, or I'd be a weight below him, and the whole way through the rank, the whole way through my amateur career, it was always like, Oh, I wonder what happened if them two fight. I wonder what happened if them two fight. Finan was a nice Charles Franklin, really good boxer. Um, and yeah, it was always like, Oh, I wonder what happened if them two fight, that blah blah blah. And uh, yeah, one of them, what was it? I think it must have been juniors, I think, junior championships. He was in my weight, and then it was like the biggest fight of like all the like everyone was talking about it, the whole country's like half talking about it. It was only amateur fight, but it was like big, big. Like, I remember I turned up to the venue, like people come like, oh you're like how you feeling, that blah blah blah. And like it's the first time that I really felt that pressure of like, God, I'm in like proper fight here, like this is this is big. Like, and uh yeah, so obviously, yes, it's been one of them like always talked about, always thought about, always like we sparred so many times. I was always on uh England camps together, we was in GB camps together. Um and then yeah, obviously we drew each other in the set, I think it's the semi-finals, and uh yeah, that was like the downfall of my career, my amateur career, from there it all went left. Uh um, yeah. Literally, I got to the venue, everyone's talking about it, blah blah. I remember the first fight that I was like, bro, I'd be real shit in it, but I was I was I was shit like feeling the nerves for this one. I was like, right, this is a big one I need to win this one. This is like big hype, big hype. And he went out and uh obviously we're both technical boxers, both really like picking our shots, and we went in there and had a hug fest. We was just grabbing each other, throwing each other away, like all tech like yeah, weren't weren't the best, like for what a big hype it was like made out to me. Like we both, I think we feel like we both probably lost our heads a bit, and uh yeah, he got the decision.

SPEAKER_00 13:05

It was a three-two split, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_02 13:07

I think so. Yeah, I can't I don't I can't remember that's that's at the back of my mind. So forget about that one, and then yeah, and then uh I sort of lost the love a bit for the sport after that.

SPEAKER_00 13:20

Um why because of how you performed that night or how I performed how you said the pressure got to you then, not even just that.

SPEAKER_02 13:28

Like I he won, yeah, he won fair and square. I'm not saying nothing, like he won fair and square, but at the time I thought I won. I thought I thought I'd done enough to win it. And um people telling me after now I was getting all in my head and my feelings and that, and yeah, I was just like fuming that and uh yeah, I just sort of lost a love for boxing after that. I don't know, I don't know, I I it sank so small, but it's like yeah, I just in the end I was just ticking over with boxing. Like I was still boxing, still there, still about, but I didn't really have that hunger no more. I didn't like I feel like I got to that age as well. Like I was bearing my mind I've been doing it since I was nine years old. Um got to that age, I think it must have been about 16, 17 when I first started working here. It was just after it was that fight happened just before I started working here. I can't I went there on my work experience. Come here on my work experience the first time. So yeah, it would have been would have been just before I come here. So it was just coming into like being a grown-up. And uh yeah, so I'll yeah, I ended up changing gyms, not because of that fight, but this was like this was probably like six months a year after. I ended up losing a couple more fights after that. Weren't training properly. I ended up losing to people that like I should never have lost to as well, like people that I've like I'm anytime before that I would have beat.

SPEAKER_00 14:55

Is that just because you just went off for that anyway?

SPEAKER_02 14:58

Yeah, I just lost that hunger for lost that buzz a little bit.

SPEAKER_00 15:00

Um, because you like you like you say that thing it's such a small thing, isn't it? But it doesn't know where it's a small thing, but going back to the switch turning on, and you went on you won 30 fights in a row, yeah. So you had that hunger there, and then you obviously yeah, I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 15:23

It's like the Irish thing, sort of I feel that was such a big hype to fight, big hype, like yeah, I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 15:31

Yeah, yeah, the hunger just went a little bit like well to put it in context for people your fight with Charles, everybody knows your Jaden Price is and and when he when he boxes no matter what he's boxing exhibition, whatever, everyone talks about him and how hyped he is, and that's that was the level of your fight back in the day with Charles Frankham. Everyone in the shop was like, Sonny's gonna finally meet each other. What do you think? And obviously, you you were there, your own way experience, Charles and his family, he'd obviously shot with us for years.

SPEAKER_02 16:04

So yeah, as a matter of you know, for such a it it's it's it's it's one of them. Like I look, I still look back and I think, what it's just it is good, it's it's just it's amazing like amateurs that we could make such a big scene out of it. Like, yeah, so I think like it's an it's it's uh it was something I'd never heard of before. Especially back then nowadays I think the amateurs are a bit more like that, but yeah, it's a lot more well, social media, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:28

So yeah, back day it was it weren't really that thing like that, but then it's starting to pop off, wasn't it? Yeah, social media, whereas nowadays it's everything. Yeah, social media's everything, it's everything. Podcast. Yeah, like yeah, I don't remember listening to a podcast back then. Back then did you have all them fights, including one with Charles for horn church?

SPEAKER_02 16:52

Yeah, so it was horn church till about nine to sixteen, and then you went five star, then I went five star. Yeah, I went straight to five star. Um even that had that come about, it was just all like so. I started like this was at the point where I started like so bearing in mind I've been in the gym since I was nine years old as a kid, uh nine years old, never used to go out, never used to like was never allowed to, like never done partying, never done never done any of that sort of thing. Like I'd I'd literally go out, so let's say like on the way home from school, finish school, I'd have to be straight on the bus, straight home. My mum, my mum would be belling me off, where are you? Where are you? I don't need until you get home, you've got training, you've got training. I remember sometimes I used to get off the bus at Romford just so I could chill with everyone for a bit, like um, and that was my like going out, but I'd be at I'd literally be in Romford for about 10 minutes and my phone would be in, where are you? I'm just jumping out of Romford quickly to see like, see the boy where get your fucking ass back home, what the fuck, blah blah blah, and I'm like that. And obviously, I'll yeah, used to have to listen to my mum. Um straight back home, uh, do as I'm told. Um, my going out back day was boxing shows. That was my that was my going out. Obviously, don't get like don't get me wrong, I'll never change anything about that because I've had some amazing experiences through boxing. One of the best times of my life is amateur days. We used to go like up north to go watch someone fight, like all the boys on the minibus. Um I've had some some really good times um in the amateur days. We used to do like Stubbers trips, like we go like Stubbers is like a uh how do I explain it, like camping sort of thing, innit? Yeah, like camping and activities, yeah, war sports, idols, and all yeah, all that fun stuff. Um so yeah, we've done all that, good times. Um but obviously, yeah, I've never I've never really had that life experience of going out. And I got to 16, I was still boxing on church, but then I started getting a bit old, like a bit big for my boots, and I'd be like, nah, I'm going out tonight. I'm going I'm going to meet the buzzer, we're going out like a little house party or something like that. Um so yeah, like we'd be going out part, like the first time experiences I've had my whole life. I didn't even go to people's birthday parties or nothing. Like, we didn't do any of that, didn't have birthday parties myself. So I did that, like I got 16, and this was me first, like, right, I'm going to see what life's all about now. Now you're older, you look back and it's like, no, that's not the life. Like, but obviously, I've not had it, and then you're going out and it is fun. You do some fun stuff, like you get up to some silly stuff, and it's fun. But um, yeah, so uh started going out, and then one of the boys I used to go out uh go out with used to box down five-star. So I've started hanging about with him a bit. We start used to going out, going for doing all that, just going out having fun, blah blah blah. And uh he was like, Oh, you should come down my gym, like bro, five star, this and that. So I was like, Do you know what? Like, yeah, like I'm still not in my head, I ain't really into like boxing a lot, like it's some one of them things now. At this point in my life, it was like I'm good at it, I might as well just carry on doing it for a bit. Like, I might as well just carry on doing it. I weren't doing it because I loved boxing, I was doing it because it's all I know, it's just something I'm good at. So uh yeah, ended up going five star for a bit. Same again with them, got through to like the finals of championships, lost in the finals. Um that's what I'm saying. Even with that headspace I was in where I weren't really too bothered, I was like, I was still getting through and nearly winning championships, nearly like, and then yeah, then it all changed when I was 17, 17, 18, when I first started driving. That's when the real freedom came. Like I've started driving now. So I've got wheels, I'm going about, I'm meeting birds, I'm like going parties, I'm I'm just I'm active, I've got my got my own motor, so yeah, I started going about, uh chilling with the wrong people, um, getting up to no good, silly stuff, and that's when the boxing was like amateurs that at this point in my life I was thinking money-wise as well. Like obviously I'm 16, 17 now. Girls want to geeze with the money, I'm thinking about I need to get rich, that blah blah blah. Um so yeah, I started uh just I thought jump boxing for wasting all my time in the gym. Like, why am I doing that? So I called it a day. And uh before that I went Dagnum actually for a bit as well, Dagnum Boxing Club. Um yeah, yeah, I called it a day after that, called it a day. Um something like yeah, going out got a little laugh, like I got a little little what I thought was a laugh sort of thing. Um yeah that's the boxing took a back burner throughout this amateur journey like most amateurs and good amateurs like yourself did did you have that aspiration of gonna turn pro when I when I when I up until probably up until the the Franken fight probably up until then like you're saying in school it was like I don't need to try I don't need to learn I don't need to do any of this school stuff like I'm gonna be a professional boxer I'm gonna I'm gonna be world champion I'm gonna like do you know what I mean so it during school I never really had that it was just that it was boxing boxing was boxing was all I know even to this day like the amount of jobs I've had boxing's all I know like it's as sad as it is yeah didn't listen in school didn't do like nothing in school um yeah boxing's all I know so he's like one of them when I was younger was everything I was gonna be world champion I was gonna like I had no other I've no other nothing else in my mind but being a professional boxer being like get through these amateurs professional boxer professional boxer and I think if you if you were boxing if you were the age you was back then to in today's day you probably would have been a pro you probably would have turned over a lot a lot earlier because back I keep saying back in your day like your fucking 500 but um when when you were an amateur um amateurs weren't turning over pro when they were 18 17 it's like you say with the social media as well social media master now some amateurs now would turn over pro without having one senior fight yeah because they're like well they had guards coming off I mean might as well turn over might as well turn over and get paid to get punched in the face yeah I get that but yeah it's I I'll be honest I I I to the even to this day I still look at it like I see a lot of amateurs like seniors um and I think like why are they not just turning over at that like I get that like they're doing it for the loveless but I just think like taking red damage to the head like get paid for it bro like yeah not telling anyone to turn over and not pursue their dreams as amateurs or whatever but I do like for me like I couldn't do it now I couldn't go and fight for free. Do you know what I mean? Like I just started like did you have anyone around you at the time saying like just stay stick with it stick with it if you're gonna turn pro we'll get you over turning pro or was it just amateurs amateurs amateurs you know what it was I'll be real so my that my first coach Dean Smith my my amateur coach when he brung me all them wins all them titles everything was with him and he was that person he was that person that was that right he's gonna take me there he was like he he I I bro I Joe I owe that geezer a lot for what he'd done for me boxing and in life in general and everything we didn't we didn't have a fallout or anything we weren't like a fallout we didn't like we just went separate ways obviously like I said I I I was young dumb I wanted to go out and do live life be friends and he when I was friends with that other guy and went to five star it was a bit of a I'll be real it was a bit of a scum move for me like I I sort of like banned like left him and we went to five star was like I'm gonna go to five star at the time obviously I'm young I didn't really think too much of it I didn't really think too much of it I didn't really think it was that deep like I'm just moving clubs I'm just changing clubs I whatever whatever like we'll still be sweet but obviously now he as I'm older and I can see it it's really like he's took me from where I was at the start brought me all the way there and then for me to just go and go I'm gonna go a different club he probably he felt the type of way about it so but he was the guy that would have kept me on that that right path and kept me doing the right things and all done it that he literally done it my whole childhood basically he was there for me to tell me what to do like taking me out um taking me to the shows keeping me invested in boxing keeping my mind right and uh yeah that's that's half the reason I think with the boxing the boxing sort of took a backbone is when when I left him as well because he was a big part of my whole love for boxing and yeah he was a big big part of my my boxing type thing that it was it was always me and him um it's quite sad really it's quite it's quite peak in it a little bit yeah it's a bit peak but I think like that part of your life had to happen to put you where you are now and the man you are and do you know what I mean so realise some stuff and you didn't have that part of your life and and working here and being the the lad that you was you know might not have moulded you into the man you are today.

SPEAKER_00 27:00

No of course of course that's it like you say like it's just childhood I'm young like I didn't really like was young didn't be the first person to go through it.

SPEAKER_02 27:10

That's what I'm saying the amount of people I've seen moving clubs changing clubs I didn't think it was a deep thing and then obviously as you get older you like you can see it through his perspective and certain like he's what he thinking what like yeah but again in in life we all make mistakes but it's how we we we learn from them that's how we learn learn from them and understand that yeah we we did make a mistake yeah so working here I know you want to touch on it lads so you you mentioned it briefly there you you you got the job doing work experience and then we what did we keep you on and no I've done a week's work experience here and then I'd done a Saturday job here. Yeah what working in the shop with Doug and that um in the shop yeah in the shop yeah um yeah so basically during the Saturday job I was always here blah blah blah just helping I going up getting the stock out whatever just grafting basically that little uh I'm maybe discussed the payments like side of it we spoke about this earlier Ken listens to these lads this is your chance this is your chance no Ken really helped me out that um yeah I uh yeah I enjoyed it here and obviously boxing same again now I love boxing at the time still still into my boxing boxing's all I know so I thought I'll go work in a shop that sells boxing stuff and uh and then when we when I was doing my satellite job we was talking about getting like full time here and uh this was when Craig first this was before Craig was a southerner this is like when Craig used this this is before he was southern uh this is when he used like a fresh northerner fresh scars so obviously I'm working a satellite job and uh there's like oh yeah get you in get you in full time and uh I was like yeah I can do to be fair rather might as well and uh there's like but look like crazy like look at this point everyone in it was shook of him everyone in it was shook they was like look crazy like just keep out of his way like blah blah blah why have they told me this because now I'm just wanting to rage bait him I'm trying like I'm yeah I'm thinking yeah like I'm gonna this key I'm on him I'm on him and uh yeah so they've told everybody like everyone's like sort of pussy fitting around him and like that yeah and I've come and like so it like just blah blah blah like like he was an alien or say like just be careful just like stay away from him type shit and uh yeah I was probably his worst nightmare I just got like I was probably bare annoying full ADHD full like childish like immature no you you you was fucking annoying at times you was some funny times to think of the there'd be times I remember when we was up that so I used to rage bait him all the time yeah so I used to do in the end I used to do the printing like they I print the t-shirts and uh how you print the t-shirts it comes on like a vinyl and you you heat press it on the t-shirts and uh I used to print off big quarries like big cocks and then stick them on his back and I remember I'd done it I stuck it on there in front go get the fuck away from me lad stuck it on again and I remember the last time I stuck it on he just turned around the switch it chased me the whole way up into the warehouse and then just started battering me on the floor and all of a sudden the boss kind of bowed out and gone what the fuck are you doing I'm on the floor I was gonna say to you like say sorry no say sorry he said you still mad mad Liverpool fan of course I am that's always all big Liverpool fans used to have his Liverpool poster out there hello graffiti on that yeah yeah I thought I'd remember that Oli used to go do it and then he'd Oli would shit himself he'd go yeah draw a cock on it or say yeah I'd draw on the bird I'd draw like a cock on the bird and wait for him to come out of the scene and go oh the fuck's done this he knew it was me though obviously yeah I knew it was you all along Rats all along but do you know what to people probably listening and that they probably think oh I couldn't work with him but it was brilliant I was working with you in them times like you look back on it it's funny in it yeah at the time obviously at the time because you always bring that video up and putting the fucking dick on me because the last one had to be the face and that's gonna switch it changed yeah but at the time yeah it was oh used to get me so angry but looking back it was fucking brilliant it made and and just the phases you went through as well not just how you used to fucking rage bait me but the you just didn't be the phase yeah you sort of are seeing me come from like I come here as a kid yeah I still left you as a kid I'd say but like you see me sort of like finding myself yeah mostly because and because you were going through different things trying different things like you said going out I remember you driving around my smart car in the in your car I think no I think it was little then Clio Cleo Cleo then Clio is the first one because even I wasn't driving then and I remember whipping your little car round in your state and that I remember your little car but I loved I loved you working in totally drug and I know all he did and we loved having you here maybe not some other people but it was like that it was it was nice to be a part as strange as it sounds it was nice to be a part of it to be a part of your life sort of growing up and and also me as well you know like you said people were like all can stay away from him yeah I'll be like if you've changed massively when you first come you was like a scary northern art well yeah that I've nearly been here um I've nearly been here this longer I've nearly lived here longer than I've lived in the I'm not I'm not coming holidays on you're just having fairy don't let me punch you up on the podcast don't start you turned into one yeah I haven't I haven't I've just turned off I've just mellow because you get to a certain point in your life and and you're going through it now is you're just like just not asked well yeah literally because you've been through that phase I've been through the angry phase you come in you was yeah you was angry just on it like angry just fuck it like on job yeah people would come in and get out of fuck yeah literally oh yeah look just I've still I still have days like that but yeah master mastery have changed mastery change now as well in it it's changed married dad kids that that all that all changes yeah that all changes yeah but um nah lads I I loved I loved working here and we always wanted what was the best for you because we always wanted you to fulfil your dreams of being a pro yeah and seeing you turn over pro and doing it lads it made us made us all proper happy and and proud yeah for you know having that part of your life of messing around and then yeah yeah switching over so what made you go ride someone I do pro now because I don't remember after no it was lockdown it was lockdown so obviously before lockdown um obviously I'm still mucking about still doing silly stuff still getting up to no good um and then lockdown happened and you know like everything's free like even I was working I got uh the job got pulled and then everyone was like getting paid still to stay at home yeah and uh obviously yeah I was getting paid still to stay at home a few days and uh I don't know why I just thought let me go let's go to the gym um where I met Will Jones um Danny's gym in Edge at the time and uh yeah I thought I just started hitting pads and that with him and I thought oh I still I've still half got it that I've still half got it and uh got the buzz back a little bit well do you know what I'll be real like it sort of just happened that I was training just to like keep fit I bro I went in the jail I was a little bit chubby I was um my lungs weren't that good let's just say that my lungs weren't the best um and yeah I was just ticking over in the gym like just went into went into the gym to train just to just to try to kick get a bit of fitness um and yeah I don't know like we was training for a bit pads started sparring and then it just come I think my old manager at the time he was like with Frank Warren must have seen me on my Facebook like must have seen a Facebook post or think or whatever about back in the gym and he messaged me as I see you're back in the gym like you turning over and I must have said this to Will I was at the time like I'm just training that and uh was like yeah let's turn you over let's turn you over I was like what really like should I like turn over and he's like yeah yeah turn over turn over and it all happened a bit quick like it's just like bang before you know I'm turned over and have my pro debut and I'm like oh like it just happened sort of thing um and yeah like just madness really like and then all of a sudden like we all started getting these stable had Ohara down there had some big names down the gym um like Ohara was one of my main sparring partners um yeah started like enjoying boxing again fighting on some big big shows um like even even to this day like I can always say now I've boxed O2 I've boxed Wembley uh Copper Box obviously your call um yeah somehow I was just somehow black my way on all these big shows and like T8 it must have been the name oh his name's good it's the name yeah it must have been the name and yeah uh end up turning over and then after eight fights so I was proper dedicated proper on it was looking to like try and get some titles trying to earn some money out of it obviously boxing is the dark side of boxing is there's not a lot of money in it when you're starting off like even me like I say I'm boxing all these big shows I weren't earning enough to live type thing like obviously sponsors and that help um I weren't earning enough to live and uh yeah I got to like 8 0 was still like raring this is so at this point I was at Peacock as well and I loved it down Peacock uh Martin Bowers Eric all the other coaches down there great coaches great like great sparring and like yeah the there there would have been where like that's that's the gym to be at I'd say in England like you've got the best sparring um yeah my last fight so before the fight I was sort of we I was weighing out the pros and cons of it I'm like look I want I I need to get a house I need to get a house I'm lit at the minute I'm renting I need to I need to move out of it and uh it's just not enough money the money money's terrible and I was trying to work out if I can work handbox but um it wouldn't suit the training because Peacock train in the mornings they do nine uh 930 starts and I did at the time I I was like I'm not going to gym like this is my gym now this is where I'm staying it's either give up or or um I don't know I don't know find a night job or something um and it got to the point and then so my eighth fight I thought I'm gonna go all out in this fight went all out got the knockout was live on my first fight live on BT Sports um so you knew on your leave fight that was it so I before that I was like right I'm going all out I need this something needs to change something needs to happen I need to win this fight yeah I need to like show myself and I did that I think got a second round knockout and this guy's the geezer fool like he's been in against some good fighters and not been stopped like and I stopped him I thought right this is going to change things um I might get some good opportunities come up come from this now live on BT Sports and I think like three months went by four months went by after that and I still ain't heard nothing and then there was an O2 fight O2 show and a few of the boys from the gym like Denzel Bentley and that was getting put on it and there was talks of me being on that show and I thought right this is it this is where the big shot's gonna come in and they all their fights got announced mine didn't so I messaged my manager I'm like um I thought I was fighting on this card and he's like oh no no no we're gonna get you out this time blah blah blah and I'm like my head's gone I'm like bro it's just looking long bruv what do I do um yeah I needed money I needed money needed to get like I can't like I need to get a job um so he ended up like calling it a day nothing changed and obviously at the time as well also my manager messaged me he had a fallout with another fighter and he just randomly messaged me and was like right I'm no longer managing fighters no more um I'm gonna put you onto this person instead and in my eyes I was like right that's my sign like I'm calling it a day like I'm calling it a day that type like so I called it a day and uh went went to work star graft him yeah started grafting getting on the tools this and that and then so that switch went off because you know the switch never goes off it's the thing like I say with the amateurs it's always don't get twisted it's always there you always have that thought of like what if what if and the whole time between me giving up that time after after that fight the whole time from there to now it's always in my head I'm always thinking oh what if like what if like I've done all that training this is all I know like since I was a kid nine years old um yeah so I I I hadn't boxed for like a year and a half and um my coach now Billy Douglas his gym um elite boxing Billy Douglas by the way what a guy he's done so much for me um I ended up moving into his house uh moving in with him and he's got a gym so bearing in mind right now I'm I'm fat I'm not really trained I couldn't bring myself to the gym because I thought like yeah I don't know what it was like I'd I when I when I give up that time I was I'm never punching a bag again I told myself like I'm never doing it no more like if I'm like I'm calling it a day properly um boxing's never gonna get me nowhere that's all I was thinking like I've tried so hard I've had eight fights now I'm beating this obvious got me nowhere um blah blah so I sort of fell out of love with boxing again and uh yeah so I was blah blah and then anyway I moved into Bill's Bill's got a Bill's got a boxing gym and he was like oh look why don't you come down and start helping train the kids and that so I was like sweet went down there started doing pads with the kids but these kids the way they sort of looked up to me in a way they was looking at me like and they like they was giving me this look as like like as if I'm not a celebrity but like like they're looking up to me. Yeah and I'm chubby I'm chubby I'm I'm fear I probably couldn't even do three rounds on a bag nothing and I'm looking at them I'm like why these kids looking up to me like and the thing in me was like you need to like don't do this to these kids like these kids are looking up to you like and you're just bum like you just you ain't even bought like you you couldn't do three rounds on the bag it's the same in me's clicked and then uh I thought you know what I'm gonna start getting fit again I need to get fit like just gonna start getting fit um start getting fit so the kids can look at me like in a bit of a better light. Started getting fit first day I went back done three rounds on the bag absolutely blowing out my ass three rounds three rounds but I was blowing the next day I was around but I was locked in at this point I'm locked in I'm like right nah I'm not I'm getting fit next day uh five rounds day after that eight rounds and every day was I was just getting fitter and fitter and fitter and I started doing pads and I started And I was looking at myself, I'm like, I feel good. Like, I feel really like I feel better now than I did when I was full-time pro. But I'm still working, I'm still grafting, I'm still like on the tools every day. So I'd go work in the morning, come home, and I'd be down the gym. Go work, come home, down the gym. Go work, come home, down it every day. That was my life. And uh yeah, I was like, I was hitting bad even to this day, to this, even now, to this day, I feel better now, boxing-wise, than I did when I was doing it full-time, like, and it was my everything. I think now I've got that sort of laid-back mindset about it where I've got my income, I've got money coming in. Boxing isn't my everything. I'll do it, I'm doing it now because I love boxing. Yeah, I've got the like, I'm doing it now because I enjoy boxing, I love boxing, and whatever happens, happens to happen.

SPEAKER_00 44:51

Yeah, it just sounds like you just find that balance in your life that you needed. Like you said, you got the income coming.

SPEAKER_02 44:58

Before it was still doing what you love. Boxing, I have to make it. I have to make it. Like I said, even in that last, I went into the last time I need to put on a show in, I need to like something needs to change. Somebody like boxing, boxing, boxing, and yeah. Boxing sadly isn't that type. Like, I feel like nowadays, especially, it's I know a lot of elite level, like great boxers that are still on ticket deals, still like struggling to sell tickets so they don't make it. For instance, that give that that guy, that guy just the last vault. He's he's a great boxer, great boxer, but he couldn't sell a ticket, so he's had to go down the journeyman route, like the journeyman side of it. And it's it's one of them, like it's boxing, it's it's a tough game. Nowadays, it's you gotta be clouted. You gotta have a bit of clout about you, you gotta have loads of followers on Instagram. Um, like I know fighters that are not even that that great of a fighter, but they're making it and earning ten times what these elite fighters on the ticket deals are because they've got a bit of a name for themselves.

SPEAKER_00 46:03

Yeah, mostly.

SPEAKER_02 46:04

Do you know what I mean? And it happens, it's happening quite a lot. At the end of the day, I hear it because it's like promoters are looking at us like a um like a product. What can earn them the most money? Well, like he brings this, he brings this to the table, he's got all these following, he's got all these, they're gonna come watch him, blah blah blah. That's that that's that that's that's the game. So it is like one thing I'd say to all the amateurs, get a social media following as well. Get a social, get, get your socials popping as well. Because even for me to this day, like I'm not a social, like social media person. I I rarely post, only post I post is boxing like when my fights are in the gym. Um, I'm trying to get better at it. But I just I just don't be taking pictures really. I don't really do the whole uh posing for pictures and all that. But that's part of the game now. Yeah, like you say, social media, it's part of the game now.

SPEAKER_00 46:58

Yeah, social media is just popping and you are right, yeah. These amateurs coming through sometimes it's you could be the best boxer, but if you're not got the followers to buy a ticket, promoters are not interested. Not interesting, it's sad really, because yes, and you and you hit the nail on the head. We always talk about boxing as a business, but you you hit the nail on the head perfect. You're you're a product of these promoters, and like you said, which product's gonna sit better on the shelf. It is business, but they're playing with people's lives, and yeah, you know, this is a this is a sport, you know, it doesn't happen in football, it doesn't happen in any sport other than boxing, and that's the sad sad thing about it. You know, I can't stand these misfits and all stuff like that. I can't see I love the misfits.

SPEAKER_02 47:42

I love the missfits, the old Sonny in you, definitely misfits is I love the misfits, but it's not boxing, is it?

SPEAKER_00 47:49

Do you know what I mean? It's like it's even worse than WWE.

SPEAKER_02 47:54

Some of them, some of them, some of them, some of them can have it. Some of them some of them are good boxes.

SPEAKER_00 47:59

Some they're alright. They're all right.

SPEAKER_02 48:02

Some of them are good boxes, though.

SPEAKER_00 48:03

They're alright, but it's just business.

SPEAKER_02 48:06

It's business, yeah. Like you said, they've seen the gap in the market, right? They've seen the gap in the market in a sense of like you said there, if you've got a social media full and you're gonna bring attention. All these YouTubers, what is one thing they have got social media following, and they've got attention. So you get two of them and two of them to have a scrap.

SPEAKER_00 48:27

Let's say you and Charles Franken collided in the pro game. Obviously, I know he's retired now. So you collide in the pro game, that's massive to box them, but that's huge. But you should probably take home a bag of sands each, yeah, but um Mr. I do YouTube and Mr. I do TikTok fight each other, and they're getting 50, 60 grand each just for that fight, and that's what I can't stand. That's what I can't stand. And you've done it your whole life, and these people come along, go ahead and have a bit of that. It shouldn't be allowed, like, but it's business, it's business, that's the thing.

SPEAKER_02 49:04

You can't deal like you can't, it's one of them where you have to laugh for your crack, it's like I hear it. Like, I hear that at the end of the day, they've seen the gap in the market, they've seen right we can make money, yeah. Like you say, even Eddie uh Eddie Earn, when he first came about, he was slating it, jumped on it, jumped straight on it. You see the red, you see his eyes lit oh, he went, yeah, I'll tell you what. Let's have a go on that, yeah. Lad it is that's what it's all about now, it's clut. It's all about clout, it's all about social media. It's very important. Yeah, very important.

SPEAKER_00 49:40

It's just sad reality, sad reality. So, lads, what does the next couple of years hold for you? A few more pro pro fights, maybe a little belt, your first project.

SPEAKER_02 49:51

Hopefully, yeah, hopefully a belt. Um like I say, I'm just enjoying boxing. I'm going down to the gym, I'm training. That's how I looked at the comeback. I was like, I'm in the gym, I'm training. I feel better than I've ever felt, I feel good. I'm at a lot of bigger weight now, uh middleweight now. Before I was fighting at like super lightweight, welterweight, I'm at comfy weight. Um, I've got my main source of income coming in. This is just now uh I don't want to say a hobby because that's belittling it, but it's this is uh I'm I'm doing boxing now because I love boxing, because it's all I know and I I love boxing. Yeah, so I've got that love back for it, that desire to do it, I'm enjoying it. I can go in there now, fight and enjoy it. Like whereas before it was pressure, pressure, I need to win. If I don't win this and that's gonna throw me back, I'm never gonna make money, blah blah blah. Like nah, my money's there. Now it's just right, I'm in I can enjoy this. I can enjoy this. And if if any opportunities come, I'm happy to take them. I hope like off other, which is what it's looking like. As far as my manager, we've we've got some uh some good plans, plans ahead.

SPEAKER_00 51:03

Yeah, well, I hope that's services, and it's nice to hear you've got that balance, and lads, it's been an absolute pleasure, haven't you? Thank you. You know, it's been great going down memory lane and and listening to yeah, some of the set us in the past, but it's more importantly, it's nice to hear you've got that love back for the sport and you're doing it for the right reasons, 100% and on your teams.

SPEAKER_02 51:25

That's the thing. Like, listen, the end of the day, uh um there's a good saying, like happy fighters, a dangerous fighter. Before I I didn't want to box, I wanted that coming to the end of the pro career. I was like, oh, this is just long. I'm all that even just like struggling financially puts a downer on boxing. So when you've got that money there like in the back, and you can just concentrate just to send the gym, yeah. You can just concentrate on the craft, get it all worked out, you ain't gotta worry about because boxing's expensive, not only you don't earn nothing from it, it's fucking expensive. So you you sell product, you know, you know it's expensive, and uh yeah that and I've got that little little little bit of dough there to if I want if I want a pair of gloves, them ones ain't gotta stress about anything. I'm not fighting for a few months, uh I can't get them now. Like I can just love boxing, enjoy it, and just hopefully see where it takes me.

SPEAKER_00 52:22

Yeah, upbringing lads. Well, as always, we'll be there watching and lads, so thanks again, lads. Appreciate it. Thank you, bro. Sweet lads, and guys, do you hope you enjoyed that episode just as much as I did. Make sure you give us uh a nice rating whenever you pick up your podcast. Like and subscribe to our YouTube channel and give Sonny Ali a follow there on his Instagram page. Uh you know, stick up with his keep up, stick up, keep up with his rise back in the professional professional game. And as always, be prepared to step into the ring and be first.