Boxing Life Stories - I'm calling it now

[THEBUTCH]

Try as he might, Dixon couldn't winkle too much out of Tony Simms regarding his past. What I like about Simms is that he likes to keep his boxers front and centre when it comes to exposure.

[Coco]

Try as he might, Dixon couldn't winkle too much out of Tony Simms regarding his past. What I like about Simms is that he likes to keep his boxers front and centre when it comes to exposure.

Simms has been in jail yeah?

[Deserter]

I'd imagine with a few fighters it's Sisyphean to get them to deviate off their well trodden path of stories/cliches/jokes. Can you imagine trying to get an inciteful, introspective interview out of Ricky Hatton, for example. It's like asking Khan to give you his innermost thoughts on anything or asking him to explain quantum mechanics to the lay person.

Yep, that's completely fair comment and in any interview it takes two to tango, but I just felt it was one of those rare occasions where Tris was too deferential and didn't want to probe Benn too much on a few things.

[orbtastic]

I'd imagine with a few fighters it's Sisyphean to get them to deviate off their well trodden path of stories/cliches/jokes. Can you imagine trying to get an inciteful, introspective interview out of Ricky Hatton, for example. It's like asking Khan to give you his innermost thoughts on anything or asking him to explain quantum mechanics to the lay person.

Yep, that's completely fair comment and in any interview it takes two to tango, but I just felt it was one of those rare occasions where Tris was too deferential and didn't want to probe Benn too much on a few things.

Maybe Benn had "gid im Scarborough warning" as they say up here.

People are weird folk, it's human nature to not want to go over personal or hurtful things. His book is a bit of the same really, you didn't really get a huge insight into a character who you feel had a lot of things going on.

Sometimes you have to read your room, so to speak and balance pushing difficult things with keeping the interview going.

This is how you do not interview a boxer:



The elephant in the room; where the hell are they recorded? They always sound like they are recorded in the corridor of a busy restaurant.

[JC]

I really liked the Ed Robinson one, can definitely relate to him as a character.

[mickey1975]

Well, I really respect Dalculmy, who wrote the Wharton book, and Tris, but I could say an awful lot more, people just won’t go ‘warts an all’, at all.

[mickey1975]

And the one consistent thing across every podcast, and Wharton was so impressed with this man he was going to name a child after him (turned out a she), was how respected Dennie Mancini was.

[Controversial]

This is how you do not interview a boxer:

The elephant in the room; where the hell are they recorded? They always sound like they are recorded in the corridor of a busy restaurant.

What a bizarre interview !!!

I think he said (Tris) he is looking to video them in future, I guess you need decent equipment and not just using a mobile phone to record them. I'm guessing it boils down to finances for him as needs money to travel, run the site, expenses etc.. He visits people in their homes or hotels, I think he interviewed Steve Collins in a coffee shop, so I guess the sound quality can vary.

[veriton]

He's a former public schoolboy so doubt he's eating beans on toast every night

[THEBUTCH]

Coco, I don't recall Simms mentioning that he had spent some time at Her Majesty's pleasure. It was put to him that him and his family had a fearsome reputation, which Tony dismissed. He said he was in a few fights but that was normal in the areas where he lived. Simms didn't seem to want to spend too long discussing this part of his life.

There was a good period during the interview when he recounted his amateur career and he sounded like he was a useful boxer himself.

He also spoke about becoming a born again christian.

[Coco]

Coco, I don't recall Simms mentioning that he had spent some time at Her Majesty's pleasure. It was put to him that him and his family had a fearsome reputation, which Tony dismissed. He said he was in a few fights but that was normal in the areas where he lived. Simms didn't seem to want to spend too long discussing this part of his life.

There was a good period during the interview when he recounted his amateur career and he sounded like he was a useful boxer himself.

He also spoke about becoming a born again christian.

I read somewhere that he was a good amateur but couldn't punch!

I think I read somewhere about his daughter that she had a difficult time when her dad was in nick, but I could easily be wrong.

A good few people in the boxing community with reps turned to God, Jimmy Tibbs, Chris Saniger

[THEBUTCH]

Yep, Simms said as much, that he was a skillful boxer (Repton, New enterprise and later Fitzroy Lodge) but not a hard puncher, so struggled with strong pressure fighters.

[THEBUTCH]

The Joe Hughes interview is another good one, although it may have gone on a bit longer than necessary.

Although I was aware of Hughes' condition, it's still amazing what he has achieved and how he has gone about doing it. If ever a boxer should be celebrated it's Joe Hughes.

From being told by doctors from an early age that he wouldn't even be able to run in a straight line to a very successful amateur to European champion, it's an incredible story.

[Controversial]

He's a former public schoolboy so doubt he's eating beans on toast every night

To be fair that doesn't make him wealthy

[veriton]

It means he's come from wealth, and has mixed in public schoolboy circles which often prove beneficial throughout life.

i find the over-representation of posh boys in boxing a bit strange, especially given the backgrounds of the people taking part in the sport. adam smith always struck me as a twerp desperate to hang around with the hard lads.

[Controversial]

It means he's come from wealth, and has mixed in public schoolboy circles which often prove beneficial throughout life.

Does he have wealthy family then? Not everyone who goes to public school has wealthy family, some kids get scholarships and some parents leave themselves skint to fund their kids education.

[veriton]

you're right, they actually have the toughest start in life and everything they go on to acheive is purely on merit.

[Controversial]

you're right, they actually have the toughest start in life and everything they go on to acheive is purely on merit.

Who are you talking about, public school kids? Some of the upper echelons of public school kids do find it helps them in life, especially the Eton, Harrow, Oxford etc set but there are well over 2 thousand private schools in the UK and some perform worse than state schools. I know a few people who went and their parents were just regular working class people. Some of them ended up in decent jobs but others ended up with regular jobs, you don't have to be rich to go and it's not always a golden ticket into living the highlife and earning fortunes.

[veriton]

nonsense. if it wasn't extremely beneficial then people wouldn't pay. of course, paying isn't going to turn a rich thicko into einstein but it does allow to create connections with a certain group of people.

is the public schoolboy brigade in boxing a plus for a sport that gives a path out of poverty? i'd say not.

[Controversial]

nonsense. if it wasn't extremely beneficial then people wouldn't pay. of course, paying isn't going to turn a rich thicko into einstein but it does allow to create connections with a certain group of people.

is the public schoolboy brigade in boxing a plus for a sport that gives a path out of poverty? i'd say not.

You are going off track, I never said it wasn't beneficial in some cases but not all private schools are brilliant either. The point is you stated he (Tris) wasn't struggling because he went to private school and then said he 'comes from wealth'. Why do you say that, do you know this or just assuming?

Going to private school doesn't automatically make you wealthy. I know this because I know people who went, I have friends who did, an ex-girlfriend went (and her brother went too), plus I dated someone who sends their daughter to a decent private school (and really struggles to pay for it), none of these were wealthy and have regular office jobs.

[veriton]

Our definitions of wealth seem to differ. I think public school fees are out of the reach of most people. The schools are there to enable the wealthy to seperate their children from the rest of us and the fact a few wannabees try and latch on too doesnt change that.

But you haven't answered my point - why does boxing have so many public schoolboys involved when i cant remember a single one ever being a pro boxer?

[Controversial]

Our definitions of wealth seem to differ. I think public school fees are out of the reach of most people. The schools are there to enable the wealthy to seperate their children from the rest of us and the fact a few wannabees try and latch on too doesnt change that.

But you haven't answered my point - why does boxing have so many public schoolboys involved when i cant remember a single one ever being a pro boxer?

No the point was you said he “came from wealth”, all I said was going to private school doesn't make him wealthy or his parents. Unless you know otherwise? Otherwise your statement is purely based on him going to private school and assuming he has loads of money.

The fact is some regular working class people also send their kids to private school and they aren’t wealthy. The fact they struggle to pay the fees is neither here or there, they aren’t wealthy. Unless your definition of wealthy is earning 30-40k a year? Some get scholarships too. I have no idea how many ex public school kids are involved in boxing so cannot comment on that.

.

[Deserter]

I listened to the Ed Robinson one yesterday and thought it was brilliant - came across as a fantastic guy who has properly grafted his way up yet remained incredibly unassuming and humble. I'm possibly biased because I'm in media as well, but I found it way more interesting than the Nigel Benn one, for example. Some great insights into what it was like working for the Maloneys and Warrens of this world, as well as candid comments about the likes of Naz and stories such as Howard Eastman sleeping on his floor for a while!

[mickey1975]

A friend of mine’s son got offered a scholarship at a good private school for his football. He also got offered a contract at Huddersfield Town. He chose the school. Incredible facilities.

[Controversial]

I listened to the Ed Robinson one yesterday and thought it was brilliant - came across as a fantastic guy who has properly grafted his way up yet remained incredibly unassuming and humble. I'm possibly biased because I'm in media as well, but I found it way more interesting than the Nigel Benn one, for example. Some great insights into what it was like working for the Maloneys and Warrens of this world, as well as candid comments about the likes of Naz and stories such as Howard Eastman sleeping on his floor for a while!

Ditto, he comes across very well, I also thought it was better than the Benn one. Interesting that he said Maloney wasn’t always that nice and a bit of a bully.