In another topic the question of Clifford taking a dive was brought up and I had asked him about it during an interview I did with him about 3-4 years ago. So I thought I would post the entire interview for the heck of it. I tried to set up an interview with Michael Nunn from prison as well, but apparently he was not interested as I never heard back from him.
The history of boxing is littered with tragic tales and even more tragic endings. It seems all too common that we hear of fighters, both current and retired, having troubles with the law. This year alone I could rattle off more names than I would care to, that have found themselves broke, jailed, or even worse…dead.
Sometimes from a life of hard knocks or even prison comes a tale of triumph like that of Bernard Hopkins. In 1998 Clifford Etienne made his professional boxing debut after having served time for armed robbery. He took up the sport in prison and won the state prison boxing championship, while reportedly having an unblemished record.
After having beaten Cliff Couser, future heavyweight champion Lamon Brewster, and unbeaten prospect Lawrence Clay Bey, he earned the title of “2000’s Most Exciting Fighter to Watch”, handed out by Ring Magazine.
In his first fight of 2001 he saw his unbeaten record come to an end as an undefeated Fres Oquendo stopped him in the eighth round of their fight. From that point on Etienne was never really able to live up to the tremendous expectations that were put upon him by the boxing media. From then on he was 10-3-2, 7 KO’s, and would lose or draw every time he would step up in class. He scored draws against Francois Botha and Gilbert Martinez, and was on the losing end against Calvin Brock, Nikolay Valuev, and most notably Mike Tyson.
Only three months after his loss to Valuev, Clifford Etienne, 29-4-2, 20 KO’s, ended his career for good with a crime spree one Wednesday in August. For no reason that would be comprehendible to any of us, Etienne robbed a local business, car-jacked a vehicle containing a woman and her children, and then pulled a gun on police officers.
A man who had seemingly turned his time in prison into a positive through boxing had come full circle and found himself back in prison in spite of boxing. Etienne will live out the rest of his days in Louisiana State Prison, inside of a cell for all but one hour of each day.
Through a letter I mailed him I was able to ask him some questions about his career and life in prison. He was kind enough to answer my questions and send them back to me.
JC: Were you a fan of boxing before you took it up in prison? Who were some of your favorite fighters?
Yeah, I always followed boxing on TV, but being from the country made it hard or nearly impossible to find a gym while going to school. I liked Joe Frazier-a small heavyweight that was always in shape. Marvin Hagler-pro debut as a middleweight and his last fight as a middleweight. I met him in Atlanta.
JC: Did you have any if you had any talent or were you just giving it a try?
I knew I could fight and I trained hard. If I could do that in prison while being oppressed, I knew it would give me an edge in society.
JC: You dominated future heavyweight champion Lamon Brewster who was undefeated at the time. Was it difficult to see a guy you had beaten so easily win a belt before you ever could?
No it didn’t bother me. Lamon’s a good guy that I really was happy for. We hung out after our fight. When business is over, real people are real people.
JC: Your fight with Lawrence Clay Bey was one of the best fights that year. What can you tell us about that fight?
Clay Bey had fast hands and was a very good counter-puncher. The momentum swung a few times that night with us bringing the best out of each other.
JC: You were considered one of boxing’s best prospects after that fight. Were there discussions of how soon you would look for a title shot?
To be honest, then I didn’t think about it too much because I knew there were more dues on my part to pay.
JC: A lot of casual fans will, of course, remember you for fighting Mike Tyson. Can you just talk a little bit about that fight? All of the trouble before the fight, your strategy, your mindset, and how you felt after?
I had a hard and problem-filled training camp for that fight, but was in excellent shape. My people and I got to the airport when the promoter met us and said, “No fight. Mike didn’t board the plane, but you can stay for the week free.” I wake up and put the tube on Sportscenter and someone says that the fight is back on. No one told or asked me anything. So I said, “Since it’s all about Tyson, let him fight himself.” Jay Larkin (from Showtime) told me I deserved that money and he was right. So I went out there and got it.
JC: You removed your mouthpiece and stood up pretty quick after being KO’d by Mike Tyson. Were you hurt truly badly or were you just not ready for the barrage that was to come?
(No answer)
JC: Your next two fights were against future champions Valuev and Brock. How do you see them as fighters/champions? Are either of them equipped to last as champions?
(No answer)
JC: How good is Valuev and how hard does a man his size hit?
He’s strong. Being 300 plus pounds he’s got to be. Once he hit me on the chin…no problem. BUT, when he hit me in the back of my head it felt like whiplash! Anyone who saw that fight could see that he wasn’t on my level of boxing ability.
JC: Do you have a chance to follow any boxing now or see any fights?
Yeah, I saw Floyd beat De La Hoya. I told everyone he would. I didn’t see Bernard Hopkins beat ‘Winky’ Wright, but I will.
JC: Do you have a chance to work out or fight right now?
Yeah, I work out. I had gotten up to 330 lbs…being that I was in a cell almost twenty-four hours per day. Now I am at 256 lbs.
JC: Do the inmates know about your boxing career?
Yes they do.
JC: What else do you do to keep busy?
I read a lot, airbrush, and teach.
JC: Do you receive any letters of support from fans now? Would you be interested in getting some if fans were to ask for your contact information?
Yeah, some people I’ve never met write me. I’d love for people to write me.
(I still have mailing information if anyone is interested for whatever reason)
...and I am not sure I could have got it out through the glass. The letter felt nice and safe.