The Joe Rogan Experience - #875 - Shannon Briggs

Episode Date: November 21, 2016

Shannon Briggs is an American professional boxer. A twenty-year veteran of the sport, he held the lineal heavyweight title from 1997 to 1998, and the WBO heavyweight title from 2006 to 2007.

two one boom and we're live let's go champ the champ let's go champ if you said anything else other than let's go champ is the first thing you said in the podcast it would be a giant disappointment we had to start it off right it's the champ shannon the cannon let's go champ how did you get started doing this man that is the you would you would think that that something like as simple as let's go champ like that would catch on right how would that be so inspirational oh man i see your videos every day i get pumped up all right thank you brother thank you i appreciate it by the way pleasure meeting you finally you too man as well champ let's go champ i appreciate this

uh i made it i'm here with you your videos on instagram get me fired up. You're positive. They're exciting. They're fun. It's infectious. It's real. It's real. It is real. It's real me.

It's me. Dude, I've been a fan of yours as a boxer for a long time. Thank you, brother. But I love how you kind of reinvented yourself over the last few years. You know what I mean? Like you reinvented yourself with social media. Is this something you've always been doing privately? You've been talking like this privately? A hundred percent. Like, you know, you know, honestly, like this is the first time in my life.

I'm 44. I'll be 45 in December 4th in a few weeks. This is the first time in my life, honestly, that I'm really being myself. I'm not putting on a show for anybody. I'm just showing my real personality, which I'm really being myself I'm not putting on a show for anybody I'm just showing my real personality which I'm silly, I'm goofy I'm serious at times, I'm political at times I'm a family man I'm diverse, I love hip hop

but I don't like listening to rap lyrics so I just listen to beats so this is who I am thanks to social media I'm able to just show it to the world and I let my guard down to be honest with you I'm not trying to be a tough media. I'm able to just show it to the world and this is and I let my guard down I'd be honest with you. I'm finally being like I'm not trying to be a tough guy because I'm a boxer I'm just being who I am. Well, it's fun man. You know, you could tell because there's no other

Forum where you would just have a camera pointed at you. You're just saying You're like mixing smoothies and talking about organic blueberries and all the healthy shit you eat it's very exciting man I mean like you'll do like a video just telling people to drink water and you're like fuck man I'm gonna go out and drink some water you gotta stay hydrated champ you know I listen to you as well and you know

you have a war on sugar they say a war on sugar and I'm totally you know for that because it destroys you man it destroys you, man. It destroys you at every level, mentally, physically. It just takes away from you. So I try to tell people eating right and changing my diet changed my life. I was, like, finished.

I was, like, gone. I was 403 pounds. I was out of boxing. I was financially in ruin. And changing my diet just totally made my life different. Well, I love your story because I, I love a guy who, I love a success story, but almost more than a success story.

I love a success. Then fuck your life up. Then get it back together again story. I like that because there's like a, there's a certain amount of enthusiasm that you have that you, you, you know that you've seen dark days, but now you're back. Right. You know, and that's part of, like,

the fun of what you're doing. You know what I mean? Thanks, brother. Thank you, thank you. The sugar thing is a fucked up thing, isn't it? Totally. That most people don't know. That's what screwed me up.

I told you, I was like, every day, McDonald's, and this is after years of eating right and just letting myself go, and that's a whole other story, but I fell into, like, McDonald's. And this is after years of eating right and just letting myself go. And that's a whole other story. But I fell into, like, deep depression. I was just eating junk food all the time and Krispy Kreme and, you know, sugar was just part of my diet.

And it was making me crazy mentally. I was suffering from depression. I wanted to off myself for over two years. I was contemplating suicide, champ. I was just, like, to the point I didn't have a clue what to do, you know. Although financially I was doing well. I had got out of boxing. I had got a job.

But I had seen so much darkness in my life from a child. And it was overwhelming because what I did, Joe, was throughout my life I would store things and put them in the closet. I was told very young that you've got to be the man of the house. So you've got, get over it. So doing that when you're 11 years old, 12 years old, 8 years old, that becomes, you know, over time, I just, you know, it snapped. Like too much pressure.

Yeah, it was just too much pressure. And then, you know, I'm a kid, honestly, fighting guys like George Foreman, Lennox Lewis, with very little amateur experience. This was all happening fast, so it just became at a point when I got older that it was just like, hold on me. Well, when you were young, you were so hyped up. You had this crazy look with the dreadlocks and Teddy Atlas was behind you

and all these big names and everybody was like, Shannon the Cannon Briggs is the next big thing. And you had a lot of success, but there were some people that felt like you didn't live up to your full potential. And then you went away for a little bit, and then you came back, and you look better than ever. Right, right. This is like my third comeback. Maybe fourth, to be honest with you.

This is like my fourth comeback. Because I've always had a foot in boxing, but it was really something that I was really dedicated to or had the right team behind me. It was always something that was to get me by, to make a living. And it's finally come to the point now at 44, being 45, I think about three, four years ago, when I got to the point where I was like,

you know what, I know I'm good at this. This is something, this is a talent that I've had because I've had one foot in and one foot out and I've done great. You know, they say you can't cheat boxing. I won the heavyweight title twice. You know what I'm saying? Not that I cheated boxing, but I never had the stability and the deep backing.

I mean, I had a team behind me. Don't get me wrong, financially. But I wouldn't say they were for my best interest in a sense, whereas, like, it was a marketing. You know, I could bring in big money from investors and stuff like that. But then it got to the point where I was like, you know what, Shannon, I'm better than that. But I wasn't given the opportunity to have a real training situation.

I was on my own for a long time. I've really been on my own, if you look at it, since like 1995 when me and Teddy Atlas split. I've basically been on my own with different trainers and different promoters and really no management, just doing what I had to do to make a living. When you look back on your career and you look back, especially in the early days, when there was so much hype behind you, I mean, you were the next big thing out of Brownsville.

You were this guy that everybody was looking forward to. This is going to be the next big heavyweight. Is that too much pressure in a sense in a lot of ways? Do you almost like not train 100% to give yourself some excuses? Is that possible? It's possible. I guess for other people it wasn't for me, to be honest with you. What was going on for you back then?

Like what was that like to be that young, up-and-coming prospect with all those eyes on them? Right. That wasn't really—it was overwhelming in a sense. It was fun, don't get me wrong, but it was overwhelming in a sense where it's like i knew i wasn't ready i had a very limited amateur background from day one i was put on the you know top level i mean i had 10 amateur fights i was on the usa team i fought felix zavone who had 300 fights when i had 18 amateur fights on abc wild world of sports this was a little overwhelming for me now i mean 18 amateur fights and here i'm fighting a guy you know gold medalist right but you know it happened so i think i kind of'm fighting a guy, you know, a gold medalist. Right. But, you know, it happened. So I kind

of started out young, knowing that, you know what, you're going to be on the big screen. You're going to be out there, although you're not prepared. So you felt like you were always playing catch-up? Always. Until the last couple years, where I was home making videos, I had time to get in shape. You know, I haven't had a drink in over five years. I started

drinking when I was 13 years old. You know what I mean? I was 13 years old, I was drinking. I was homeless from when I was 13 to about 20 years old, living here and there. I've been on my own basically since I was a kid. When I was put on the amateur top level, I've

always been in a situation where besides paying ketchup, I'm on the big screen and I'm not ready. But I got to do the best I can. And I've always done that. And that's what I try to tell people. Do the best you can.

You know what I mean? Do the best you can, because you never know. But that I'm not ready thing seems to have been a constant theme. Like, that was always in the back of your head? Right, 100%. And that was confidence.

That's what confidence is. If you go into any fight saying, damn, I'm not ready, you're already half-defeated. And I was so talented that I could still overcome. I fought George Foreman basically on my own. I was in Wintelli. We had split. I met a guy down there, not a guy, a friend of mine.

He's now in Carlos Abuene. And we trained for about eight weeks. And here I was battling George Foreman and got a close decision, but here I was. I didn't get knocked out, and I was happy with that, and I became the linear heavyweight champion. I was like, wow. What is it like to beat George Foreman?

Unimaginable. There's a Mount Rushmore of boxing when it comes to the heavyweight division. For sure, George Foreman's on it. Yeah, yeah, definitely, definitely. Great guy, great guy. Great guy. It must have been a trip a trip too to just be looking at him on the other side of the ring yeah it was you know again i wasn't ready but i was there you know i wasn't ready um confidence wise you know i just met the trainer we you know got with him he spoke no english

um all he would tell me is give me a jump rope mistake jump i jump rope you know i mean he spoke no English. Spoke very little English. And I speak very little Spanish, but I understood work. And we just worked and I won the title. Wow. Yeah, it was cool. Vamos campeon.

Vamos campeon. Is that where it came from? Yeah, pretty much. Living in Miami, you know? Now, when you split with Teddy Atlas, that was a big deal, too, because Teddy Atlas is like a notorious hard ass. You know, I mean, he's the hardest of the hard. I mean, even when you look at him, that big scar across his face. And, you know, he talks very brutally. And he was like open publicly, like saying that he just didn't think that you were all in.

Yeah, yeah. That was a real down point in my life where I really felt like that was one of the times where suicide definitely kept and came into play. And I know that may sound crazy, but the reason why is because, you know, when I got with Teddy, I was like 19, 20 years old and he was very overbearing in a sense where it's like, you know, I wanted to make it. You know, I was homeless. I wanted to make it. And I was willing to do anything he said or what the management said to make it, because it was either that or die in prison. My dad was in prison at the time where he eventually died.

My mom was on drugs. She was on heroin and crack. So it was like, okay, I got a manager now, and I got an opportunity to have a trainer. I had Teddy Alice, who used to train Mike Tyson. So I gave myself to him in a sense where I was like, anything he says, I'm going to do. And in doing so, I felt like when we says I'm gonna do and in doing so um I felt like when we split and he went publicly and said that about me it hurt so bad Joe because I looked at him like a father figure because Teddy spent many days I think you know tearing me down

so he could control and you know my mind and that was cool you know whatever I knew I didn't come to him as a kid I came to him as a 1920--0. So when we split and he went publicly, I was just at a down point. Everyone, I was undefeated. I lost on HBO, Night of the Heavyweights. It was a big, you know, montage about me and everything. And I was the highlight of the show, and I got knocked out by Darryl Wilson in that third round. And when Teddy went out, I was just like, damn, you know, what happened to the days when it was like me and you? Like, you know, I was with him for three, four, five years almost.

And it was so much mental telling me that, you know, without me, you're nothing. And you don't have this, you don't have that. But then fight time, you can do it. So it was such a mental, you know, puppet type of thing. When we split, I contemplated committing suicide. I was in my management's basement. I had a shotgun. I was like, man, you type of thing. When we split, I contemplated committing suicide. I was in my management's basement. I had a shotgun. I was like, man, you know what?

Because, I mean, I was just in a bad place, and everyone turned their back on me. I mean, the newspapers ripped me apart. And Teddy's influence with the rioters and, you know, the New York City crowd was so strong, he had built a great relationship with, I don't want to put anybody out there, but he had built great relationships with certain writers

and they just, everybody assaulted me. I mean, it was crazy. It was Warren Shannon Briggs. So I survived that though. So that was part of me saying this is why I tell people I'm the champ. Because I've never spoken about this publicly. This is my first time. Let's go champ. Let's go champ. You know, but you could probably hear

the emotion in my voice, but I apologize. But, you know, the whole thing is like that was part of the reason why I call myself the champ. You know what I mean? Because although when I beat Foreman, you know, people say, oh, you really lost and that's in that third. I won the title. That wasn't winning. Winning was doing that when my mom had just died on my birthday. You know, that was to me why I'm the champ, you know, because I went out there with

you know, without a stable trainer and I still fought and went 12 rounds. That's why I'm the champ. Then you know, those type of moments in my life is why I say I'm the champ. Winning the title again with one second left on the clock with Lajakovic. That's not why I'm the champ. No.

Because I fought that fight with an asthma attack. You know, I was born asthmatic. The fact that I'm even boxing is unreal. You know, I spent my childhood in the hospitals. I hardly got an education. I dropped out of high school in the ninth grade, Joe. So, you know, part of my school, they used to go on trips, was to come visit me in school because of my asthma.

You know what I mean? So for me to become heavyweight champion in the world two times and about to be three very soon, this is an accomplishment for not only myself but for asthmatics my asthma you know i mean so for me to become heavyweight champion in the world two times and about to be three very soon this is an accomplishment for not only myself but for asthmatics and people who didn't give up because i wanted to give up when teddy left me i wanted to give up champ well people don't know boxing maybe don't know the legend of teddy atlas and how he directly connects to customato and the early hard days of the Tyson camp. And, you know, Teddy's a – he's like a famous motivator, I would say,

in a lot of ways. But I think there's a certain amount of intoxication that comes from people telling you you're a great motivator and you start to believe it and buy it into yourself. You remember the Tim Bradley fight? Yes. Where he's in Tim Bradley's corner and he's like, we're firemen. We fight fires.

We're the firemen, do? They fight the fire! I love Teddy. Listen, you know, it's hard for me to talk about this now because this is before the fame for Teddy. When we met Teddy, I think he was working in a liquor store. I'm not sure. No disrespect, but

that's just a fact. And he wasn't doing well financially and my manager was like, you know what? I spoke about earlier about he just a fact and he wasn't doing well financially and my manager was like you know what like i spoke about early about he was a guy can go out and raise capital and he had this young kid from the same neighborhood as mike tyson i had just won the uh national um excuse me the u.s Olympic championships 92 and uh 91 no 92 and he was able to go out and get guys he looked back my, my guy, you know, like a racehorse. You know, let's keep it real. And he got this famous trainer to train his racehorse, and it was Teddy Atlas.

And I submitted. I was like, hey, whatever. You were all in. I had to. Listen, it was this or jail. I said, Dad was in prison. My stepdad was in prison. Mom was in the streets.

And the manager was like, hey, you know what? Sign with me. I'm going to put your mom in rehab. And I was like, hell yeah, okay? He I'll put your mom in rehab and I was like hell yeah okay he did everything he said he was gonna do and he gave Ted he believed in Teddy and then I believed in Teddy and Teddy in the process I watched him say he told me I would never be a commentator because he doesn't feel is right to talk about fighters this is what he told me he said he would never

be a common never but of course he is a commentator this is before he told me he said he would never be a commentator but of course he is a commentator this was before he became a commentator a lot of things that were said basically when we split and he went on television New York 1 and said hey you know he didn't think I had this in the third I was like damn all the times that we were winning

it was we when I lost that one time it was me there's not an exact science to motivating people right All the times that we were winning, it was we. When I lost that one time, it was me. Yeah. So, you know, I just, you know. There's not an exact science to motivating people, right? There's not an exact science to training, and a lot of the relationship between a trainer and a fighter comes to, like, a perfect trainer for you might not be a perfect trainer for another guy.

It's just you've got to have that bond together, and whether you do or you don't, you don't find out until you're in there, right? Right, right, true. Now, looking back as a man now, as an accomplished man, and you look back on your days when you were 19 or 20, what do you think would have been different? Like, what would you have done to motivate yourself or to talk to yourself differently back then?

You know, what I'm doing now, to be honest with you, I honestly tell you, Joe, like, what I'm doing right now, being free. You know, everyone's not that type of fighter. You know, he worked great for, I guess, certain people. I'm not that type of guy. Look, I'm a funny guy. I like to have fun. I like to laugh.

I like to bug out. You know, I like to live. You know, I'm happy. I'm a happy guy. Teddy is not. We're different in that way. You know what I'm saying? And for a long time, look, for example, Ali.

Yeah, Ali trained to Archie Moore. He trained with other trainers before he got to Dundee. Dundee knew how to train Ali. Let him do him. And this is what I'm doing now. People say, you know, my guys who work with me, Jesse Robertson, Stacey McKinley, the great Stacey McKinley, the great Jesse Robertson, these guys know how to train me now. And although I'm 44, I'll be 45, I've learned later on in life how to just be me.

Be free. This works for Shannon Briggs. Win, lose, or draw, it works for Shannon Briggs. Opposed to being someone else because someone else said, and I've done a lot of that. And it became a syndrome where it's like, you know, I grew up in this with a manager, with a trainer, and an investor. It became like a process for me to go through it over and over and over again.

It's like to the point where you're a man, champ. Do you feel like all these people were trying to shape you and you were resisting it or you were confused by it? I was going along with the program, champ. You know, whatever, you know, survival. You know, go along with the program. The hardest thing for me in my life was being homeless. You know, being a homeless teenager and losing my home

because it wasn't like something that I was used to. I came home from school one day. I was going to bishop lachlan high school and i came home and we evicted and i looked in people and i looked in the house you know the apartment was empty and i was like i lived it all my life i was born and raised in atlantic towers you know so that was a turning point for me i i left home i left that building that day a homeless teen, homeless kid, and no more comic books, no more toys that I grew up, you know. And now people who look at me on the gram, they see my personality. You know what I'm saying? They see the comic book side of me.

They see the television side of me. Whereas I lost my childhood that day. When I went home and we were evicted, that day became like I had to become a man. That day. I took the bus to my aunt's house. And, you know, that night she kicked us out. So my life was no longer had a color TV in my room. And, you know, it was all about survival.

You know, I started getting in trouble and life took me to where I am now. Wow. And you were boxing at the time, too? No, I never boxed. When did you start boxing? I started boxing when I was like 16, 17. So you started boxing as you were homeless? Yeah.

Wow. Yeah. And how were you doing that? Like, where were you sleeping? Different places. Sometimes an aunt's house, a cousin's house, a friend's house. You know, sometimes a shelter. Wherever I could, champ, to be honest with you.

And so it wasn't until you started having some success as a boxer that you stopped being homeless. Yeah, well, I got an apartment. My rest in peace, Jimmy O'Farrell, my savior, I found his gym, Starrett City, when I was about 16 years old. And I slept there many nights, too. I would stay in the gym. And that's kind of what kept me.

It was funny because boxing always drew me back in because, you know, I might get in trouble, go to jail, get arrested or whatever as a teen. And if I wanted to get out of trouble, I'd have to go to get Jimmy O to hopefully sign for me for probation or something like that. And then I'd have to use the gym as my residence. I sleep in the gym, man. It was freezing many nights, but it's what I had to do. And so I was drawn back to boxing. You know, I wanted to.

I always had the talent. So, you know, like, for instance, let me tell you this. My first guy to ever give me some money was Shelly Finkel. Wow. The first guy, I was like 17 years old, 18 years old. He was looking for me. He was calling around gym to gym. They said, that kid's homeless.

It got back to me. And Shelly Finkel was looking for me. I couldn't believe it because Shelly Finkel was, you know, Shelly Finkel. Legendary boxing character. And I for me. I couldn't believe it because Shelly Finkle was, you know, Shelly Finkle. Legendary boxing character. And I'll never forget, I swear to God, I went to see him, Joe, and he gave me five grand. He was like, you're going to make it. He said, I want to, you know, send you with my team or whatever.

I was like, I can't believe it. And I leave this building. I leave this building. I'm in the train station, Joe, and I take out the money to get a token. This is when they had the token booth. And this had to be like 89, 90. And a guy seen me with the money. I was homeless at the time.

He seen me trying to get a token. I took out one of the hundreds. He tried to rob me on the train. He followed me. I couldn't believe it. I had never seen $5,000, let alone I had it in my pocket, right? And I'm thinking this, right? So he tries to rob me on the train.

Bro, I beat the crap out of him. It was crazy, Chad. Picked the wrong dude. Yeah. Now, when you went that long period of your life where you're boxing consistently and then you stopped for a while. Right. What was going on there in your life? Let me see.

How long did you stop for? Just three. How many years? A year here, two years here, three years here. I wasn't consistent. I wasn't consistent. Just like, again, man, it goes back to the confidence, you know? Just never really had the confidence to really want to do it,

to just really feel like I had my feet solid in the ground. And these last couple years gave me that. It gave me the opportunity to just, you know, train nonstop. Not that I'm making up for lost time, but I call it making up for lost time because I'm training every day nonstop. You know, I get my rest, of course, but I've dedicated my last four years to this. What made you decide to just clean everything up? Eat healthy, stop drinking. What was it like?

How did you make that decision to just stop and get it together? I was suicidal, champ. I was like, it's over. I had a daughter. I had my baby girl. I have two sons, Chan Briggs, my boy. I love him to death. Let's go, champ.

He's 19. My son, Caden Briggs, who's 10 years old. I love him, too. Let's go, champ. And my baby girl, Chloe, and she changed everything. She's four now, and it was four years ago. I always relate everything to four years. Four years ago, my life changed.

She came, and she was a spitting image of my mom. And I was just like, that was it. As soon as she came out, I could see my mom in her, and it was like my mom reincarnated. I'm the only child, and here I was. I was back with my mother again. I could see my mom in her. And it was like my mom reincarnated. You know, I'm the only child. And, you know, here it was. I was back with my mother again. I could see it. It was an ear. It was like a ghost.

And then I was fat. I was depressed. And I held it every day. I sat on the couch with it every day for one year straight. Like 364 days. I kid you not. I sat. My wife would, in the morning, I would just give it to my wife to breastfeed.

I held it every day. And then it was like 364 days. I was fat. I was a balloon. I'd get up only to get, like, food. You know, I'd eat a big bowl, a box of cereal. I kid you not. I'd put the milk in the fridge.

I'd put a whole box in a big, huge bowl. My friend called it the Unger Bunger Bowl. And I'd sit there and I'd eat a whole box, you know. And I would hold it all day. and then finally one day I said, you know what, bro, you're going to kill yourself. And I couldn't imagine her in this world, you know what I'm saying, having to do things to survive that some women have to do, you know what I mean? And just looking at her and the love for her,

I got up and I started walking, man. I started saying, let's go, champ. Let's go, champ, you know? I had no entourage, no more friends. My money was gone. You know, I had an entourage, no more friends. My money was gone. You know, I had an entourage at one point. I thought they jacked the show for me. You know, I had, you know, I had friends.

I had cars. I had a lot of that. And, you know, that all disappeared. And it was just me and my baby girl and my family, my wife. Alana, shout out to my babe. Let's go, champ. And, you know, it was just a lot of hurt and memories and anger. And I was like, you know, I got to fuel this, champ. You got to put this in the right place, you know. And shout out to Teddy Atlas.

No disrespect, I got nothing but love because I learned a lot from him, good and bad. You know, I don't want to say bad, but the bad things that I survived, those things made me who I am today, and that's why I have a family. That's why I'm able to, you know, be here with you today at 45 years old because I'm strong, you feel me? But one thing he told me, he told me a long time ago, 1992, he said, whatever your fuel is,

whether it's anger, love, whatever, use it. It may be, for some people may say, oh, it's wrong because anger, some people may say, you know, oh, use positivity, use what you gotta use. You know what I'm saying? Do what you gotta do to get what you got to get. And it was a lot of hurt and anger from my past, from that situation,

from other situations, other management. And, you know, I mean, I've been through so much, champ. You know, I've been heavily involved with some of the biggest deals in probably this country's history. I kid you not. Live Nation deal. I was involved with that. I mean, one of the first reality shows, you look at the contender,

I was involved at the top level of things, you know, disappointments, things not happening where I was heavily involved in, I got shagged. So I was like, damn, you know what? Four years ago, I was like, yo, you know what? You've done everything, Shannon. You've done business. You did well. You know, I didn't make money.

I haven't made much money in boxing. You know, I'm around guys like Britton Bowe and Holyfield every day. Guys who've made hundreds of millions of dollars. I'm lucky if I made $4 million, $5 million in boxing. The money I made, I've had... It wasn't given

to me, champ. I've been shagged. I'm going to keep it real with you. I've been shagged. For me to... I'm sorry I'm jumping around it real with you. I've been shagged. So, you know, for me to, I'm sorry, I'm jumping around, but, you know, I learned to use all that, the fuel from that, the anger from getting shagged so many times. Vernon Chan, you're not a businessman. You're a boxer. Every time you was homeless, every time you was down and out, boxing saved you. You ran back to boxing. You was doing business. You made this, you made that, but boxing. You know what I'm saying? Having peace with that balancing act, like the negative moments that you had in your life not defining you and figuring out how to use them for fuel,

figuring out how to look back on those negative moments and don't wallow in them, but say that's never going to happen again. Right. That's the great balancing act of the successful fighter because there's not a single successful fighter that hasn't come from some kind of conflict. 100%. There's no other way.

But, you know, I think we do this, some of us do this, in hopes there is a finish line. The finish line is you want to retire with money. You want to hopefully leave a name for yourself. You know what I'm saying? And you want to walk away with your brains. You know what I'm saying? So, for me, I'm trying to leave with my brains. I'm trying to leave with some money. You know what I'm saying? And you want to walk away with your brains. You know what I'm saying? So for me, I'm trying to leave with my brains. I'm trying to leave with some money.

You know what I'm saying? And I'm trying to leave with a name. And I'm using that fuel. I'm using my past and my present because I got to tell you the truth. Although there is some past hurt, and you can probably hear when I talk about certain things, there's so much positivity.

There's so much great things that's happening right now that's surpassing the disappointments. So much positivity is happening right now, champ, all around the world. People saying, let's go, champ. I couldn't imagine it, champ. I wanted to commit suicide.

And now I'm walking everywhere I go, people going, champ. Champ. Dude, I got texts from everybody. When we put on Instagram that you were coming on here, I got texts from everybody when when we put on instagram that you were coming on here i got texts from everybody uh michael bisping ufc middleweight champion he was like i love that guy let's go champ that's my man so many people love you man you are spreading so much fun and positivity that's the real fuel honestly champ two. There's the disappointments and the hurt, and then there's the reality that right now I'm alive. I survived bad food.

I survived myself drinking, champ. Champ, listen, at one point, Joe, they had me on Deprico, Seroquel, Xanax, Zoloft, and Paxil. All together? Not together, champ. But they gave them to me. Now, listen, I didn't take the Deprico and the in a circle because I was like, come on, champ. What is that stuff? It's like tranquilizers.

Jesus. That's how bad I was. They're trying to slow you down. They were trying to kill the champ. You know what I'm saying? Get this big killer and go to sleep. And I survived that. That's why I'm the champ.

That's why I'm the champ. Because I survived that. That's overcoming. It'd be like, you know what? I lost 160 pounds. Look at me, champ. You look great. Look at me, champ.

God damn. Look at me, champ. And you're 44. I'm 45. I'd be like, you know what? I lost 160 pounds. Look at me, champ. You look great. Look at me, champ. God damn. Look at me, champ. And you're 44. I'm almost 45. I'll be 45 in a week or two. And people are ducking you like crazy. Man, they don't want no piece of the champ. They don't want no piece of the champ.

David Hay said he was all in. Soft for the baby. He said he was all in. I'm sorry. I curse. I apologize. That's okay. Curse away.

Let's go, champ. David Hay was all in at one point. Yeah, soft. Saw too many left hooks in the liver. Soft fore was all in at one point. Yeah, soft. Saw too many left hooks in the liver. Soft as a biscuit. Soft as a biscuit, yeah. What happened? I went over to England, which I love.

Where's my UK hat? You went over there just to fuck with him? Man, totally. You got an apartment? Totally, totally. Champ, again, that's the feel. That's the feel. Honestly, I was down and out.

Champ, listen. So many days, I was like, man, you know what? I'm trying this thing, man, and no one's giving me a shot. I'm like, you know what, man? Maybe I should get a job. I'm like, you know what? Then I woke up one day, and guess what? Snoop Dogg said, let's go, champ.

Really? I swear to God. I remember that. He was smoking weed. He was like, I'm fucking with you, champ. Let's go, champ. Come on, champ. That was the night before. I was like, I'm fucking with you, champ. Let's go, champ. Come on, champ. That was the night before.

I was like, bro. The night before, I was like, yo, bro. You're really trying, champ. You have fights, man. And maybe it's never going to happen for you. You know what I mean? I was like, yo. And then I woke up like 4 or 5 in the morning.

Snoop Dogg was saying, let's go, champ. I said, I'm back. Let's go, champ. Let's go, champ. I said, I'm back. That was beautiful, man. Yeah, champ. Well, you've done some crazy shit too, though, man. Especially's go, champ. I said, I'm back. That was beautiful, man. Yeah, champ. Well, you've done some crazy shit, too, though, man.

Especially with the Klitschko. Yeah, soft. He's softening the biscuit. You've had a lot of fun videos, though. Showing up, drinking his water. Yes. Fucking with him. Yes.

You knocked him over when you were riding in a boat. He was on the paddleboard. I got his chump. Well, how long ago was the paddleboard incident? I don't even know. I lost track of time, champ. I was like two years maybe. But you couldn't get a fight with him?

No, no. He saw. I've been chasing Klitschko, honestly, since like 2005. I was supposed to fight him. Honestly, we were supposed to fight. He fought in New York City. He was supposed to fight Shannon Briggs. Everything was set to go.

And he wound up fighting Calvin Brock, who was from North Carolina. I couldn't understand it, where we had, you know, we literally had a contract. Yeah, it was a new deal. It was a great fight. It was going to sell out. A lot of fans. All the time. You know what I'm saying? Because I'm bringing that. That's what I come on. He didn't want it because I was dangerous. And that's what I'm going through right now.

They can say what they want about me, Joe. This and that. Oh, he's crazy. He's this. But guess what? I'm dangerous. I've got tons of emails. I'm not a snitch. Listen, I got tons of emails of guys with their managers saying, no, not right now. He's too dangerous. I've got Deontay Wilder backed out of a fight with me for $2 million.

He can't front. I got emails and everything. Let's go, champ. I'm getting excited, as you can tell. Once you started calling him Beyonce, I was like, uh-oh. Let's go, champ. I'm getting excited, as you can tell. Once you started calling him Beyonce, I was like, uh-oh. Let's go, champ. Champ went to Defcon 4. He started calling him Beyonce Wilder. As you can see, the meat is rising now, champ. The meat is rising now. Now we

talking about what I want to talk about, fights. Let's go, champ. Let's go, champ. Let's go, champ. Yeah. It's the champ and Joe Rogan. Oh, man. Yeah. The Klitschko one was particularly hilarious because he was on that paddleboard. There's nothing more humiliating than getting knocked over on a paddleboard when people are talking shit.

And he still wouldn't fight me. He still wouldn't fight me. Here it is right here. Look at him. First of all, what is he doing out there on a paddleboard by himself? Looking stupid. In the middle of nowhere. I mean, this is almost like a setup.

Nah, it's stupid. He does this every Wednesday. Does he? Yeah, he does this every Wednesday. Where? Where does he go? So everybody want to go knock him off. Go ahead.

Where does he go? I got mine. Where does he go? He's at Intercoastal somewhere. Where is that? Is it Miami? Yeah, Fort Lauderdale. That's Hollywood, champ.

Shout out to Hollywood, Florida. Best town in the world. Does he live down there? Yeah, he lived down there. I live down there? yeah he lived down there I lived down there we all lived down there and so he would stand on that paddle board

go out in the middle of the ocean and he'd just knock them over and he would just be paddling around yeah that's his exercise what a weird exercise yeah he you know

he's a weirdo he seems like a strange guy yeah he's weird that's how the beef started yo shout out to Chris Lawrence the Heavyweight Factory who's the greatest guy on earth, honestly.

Like, it wasn't for him. You know, this guy put the fuel, put the cash behind me. I was flat on my face. This guy came and was like, you know what? I believe in you. I was fat, depressed. He seen me in the fresh market. He was like, you know, damn.

I was like, you know, he seen me. I came back like seven, eight months later. I came to his office. I was like, yo, champ, what's up? He was like, damn. He called me, you know, a week later and was like, yo, we should do something. I came back like seven, eight months later. I came to his office. I was like, yo, champ, what's up? He was like, damn. He called me a week later and was like, yeah, we should do something. I was like, let's go, champ. And here we are today.

You know what I'm saying? I've been traveling the world. Thanks to Chris. And now I've actually been ordered. The WBA has ordered a fight between me and Lucas Brown. And hopefully we can make that happen very, very soon. I was seeing something on your Instagram that it's still not signed yet, though. No. You're disappointed in that.

Very disappointed. Now, is Lucas Brown trying to avoid it? Or what's happening? Is there complications? You know what, Joe? Honestly, I've been through so much in the last couple of years with Wilder, with Klitschko, with Hay. I fought on Hay's undercard.

I went over to England. Shout out to the UK. I love it. My second home. It was a big fuel injection behind what I'm doing right now because I went over to England. Shout out to the UK. I love it. My second home was a big fuel injection behind what I'm doing right now because I went over there and I've never felt that type of love anywhere in the world. Like for myself to go where, you know, we speak the same language. We speak their language.

And just to have the love, man, it's just incredible. Everywhere I go, let's go, champ. You know, it's just amazing, man. That really put a lot into what I'm doing right now. But you decided to go over there and get an apartment. Yeah, I had to. I had to because I was flat on my ass, champ. And I was like, you know, trying to move up in the rankings.

I gave everybody a call. Al Heyman, every LaBella, everybody. Everybody, the Cubists. I gave everybody a call. I was like, yo, I'm trying to get back in the game. Nobody believed in me. Chris Lawrence called me and was like, yo, I believe in you. And I was like, you know what, Chris?

He said, yo, you're a little crazy. I said, I am. I've been diagnosed a little crazy. I believed in me. Chris Lawrence Coleman was like, yo, I believe in you. And I was like, you know what, Chris? He said, yo, you're a little crazy. I said, I am. I've been diagnosed a little crazy. I suffer from PTSD. This is true. You know what I'm saying? But I'm exciting. And I'm gonna make it happen. Because I'm a believer. Nothing can stop me, champ. You look at me. Nothing can stop me. I don't care who you get. Whoever say they can beat me, they lying. Because

when we put you in the bell ring, champ, I'm a whole different person. Because I'm charged. Look the bell ring, champ, I'm a whole different person because I'm charged. Look at me. Look at what I've been through. Look what I'm telling you. You can hear the emotion in my voice. The pain's still there, champ. I'm in.

Let's go, champ. I'm in. Let's go, champ. Let's go, champ. I don't understand why it's so hard to get you fights. Because I'm dangerous, champ. Look at me. Look at me.

And I'm crazy. I believe that. I'm here. I don't care. I don't care. I don't care who I fight. They can say what they want. And I'm crazy. I believe that. Yeah, I don't care. I don't care. I don't care who I fight. They can say what they want. And I'm also not stupid.

I'm not going to fight fights for guys, for pennies. That's meaningless. That's going to beat me up. I'm 44. I'll be 45. I already got so much limit on this body. I'm a heavyweight. I fought George Foreman, champ.

I fought Vitaly Klitschko, champ, for free, by the way. We'll talk about that later. How was that free? for no money down okay we'll get back to it I fought Francois Botha Ray Mercer you feel me?

I fought some big punches George Foreman so for me I'm not gonna go down I'm not gonna fight every guy out there just to try to build myself

I'm a former two time heavyweight champion in the world that alone should get me a title fight that alone that's how it used to be. Guys have come out of retirement from

the beginning, from the Sullivan days and came out, no fights, and got a title fight. What drives me crazy is you're so marketable. That's what drives me crazy. The best ever. If you were in the UFC. No promoter. The best ever. They would be lining up fights for you left and right if you were in the UFC. Listen, champ. I know. I know Dana. Dana's my boy.

Now that's another story in itself. 1993 or 4, Meyerowitz is his name, right? Bob Meyerowitz. He sold the UFC to Dana and them, right? Yeah, in 2001. Call Rob right now. He tell you who his boy is, Shannon Briggs. He was sitting on the couch with me waiting for

Mark Roberts to come home to try to get Mark to go in with him with the UFC. Wow. Let's go, champ. Let's go, champ. Sitting on the couch with Rob. Well, boxing is hard to get fights lined up because there's so many different conflicting

promoters and different, you know, everybody wants their piece of the pie. And then it's hard to get fighters to agree to fight someone like you who's dangerous. Yeah, I'm dangerous. I'm, you know, I'm fast. I punch hard and I got a chin. So, you know, they only count on one thing. That I run out of gas. And I say this

all the time, champ. If your biggest asset is hoping that I run out of gas, you fucked up. Excuse me, I apologize. I apologize, boys and girls. You messed up. Excuse me, I apologize, boys and girls. You messed up. If you're relying Excuse me. I apologize, boys and girls. You messed up. If you're relying on me running out of gas, that's your big—

If you're going into a fight, talk about, man, I just hope he run out of gas. You already lost, champ. You already lost. Now, why are they worried that you're running out of gas? Because I know that you've concentrated a lot on your cardio. Yes. And it's one of the things you put on your Instagram. You're always doing cardio.

You're constantly doing cardio. I'm cardio. I was born with underdeveloped lungs. I was born less than two pounds at birth. My mom was on heroin when I was born. Jesus. Yeah, so I was, I was, I came out, I came out the womb fighting to survive. I didn't go home for seven, eight, nine months before

when I was born. So, look at me now. That's why I'm the champ, Joe. That's why I'm the champ. Because. That's why I'm the champ. Because if you can overcome, you're already the champ. You had underdeveloped lungs and asthma. Yes. All my life. You can ask anybody I went to school with.

I went to Risen Christ Lutheran School in Brownsville, Brooklyn for seven years. Then I went to IS55. Then I went to Bishop Lachlan High School. Then I went to George Wingate where I got dropped out. Now what causes asthma? People like me who don't have it, what causes asthma? Like, what exactly? Like, people like me who don't have it, you know it's bad, but you don't know much about it. What is it?

I don't know, champ. But, you know, looking back, like, we lived, you know, my mom lived in the towers, but, like, you know, where my grandmom lived on Pennsylvania Avenue in East New York. You know, looking back, it was an abandoned building that my aunt bought from the city for, like, $7. And they constructed it. I'm sure it had asbestos in it and that type of shit, looking back. But I grew up manning a hood, champ. I grew up in a poor New York City, 1970s. I remember everything, the blackout. I was on the train by myself when I was nine years old.

I grew up hard. So when you get an asthma attack, what does it feel like? I would have to say asthma is really in the city, in the cities like that. It's worse in the inner cities. In the cities. Chicago, L.A., I mean, you know, New York, shit like that. So you think it might be related to environmental stuff? Definitely.

100%. Now, what does it feel like when you get an asthma attack? Oh, it's the worst thing in the world. It's like nothing you can ever imagine. Because we take it for granted because we take oxygen for granted because it's just here for us. But, you know, you can go without food and water. I say it all the time for, you know, days to weeks. But you can't go without oxygen for five minutes, four minutes, three minutes.

And that's what it's like. It's just really you're dying. That's the bottom line. You're dying. A friend of mine described it as he said it's like trying to breathe through a straw. It's like all of a sudden all you got is like a little straw. That's it. That's it.

That's it. Have you ever had that happen in a fight? A hundred times. Really? Yes. Whoa. Yeah. What does that feel like?

The worst. It's like fear, panicking, and you start talking and coming up with things and believing and doing anything you can do. You know, that's why a lot of people are religious and a lot of people go to different things for something outside of themselves that they can hold on to or ask for help for. I'm a little different. I know it's just me.

I got to deal with these lungs and I got to do what I got to do to expand them. When I'm in a fight, if that fear or anything comes, overcome, so what? Let's go champ. When you have an attack, does it just take a while before it relaxes and comes back? What, what is the feeling? Man.

I mean, I know people take inhalers. I guess inhalers dilate your lungs. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like being in the water, you know, drowning almost, I guess. You know what I'm saying? You're panicking, I guess. You know, you're suffering. You're trying to get that oxygen in.

But, you know, it's something that I really, thanks to, you know, things that I'm doing now, my diet of first. And I really feel like, you know, I've overcome it. So the diet, cutting out the sugar, eating really healthy. No dairy. No, nothing that causes inflammation. Yes. That made a big factor. Inflammation is key.

Inflammation is key. CBD, shout out. Yeah, CBD is amazing, right? CBD is amazing. Inflammation is key. CBD, shout out. Yeah, CBD's amazing, right? CBD's amazing. Unreal. Now, from doing that, you don't have any asthma attacks anymore?

No. Wow, that's amazing. I feel great, champ. I feel like man of steel. I honestly do, you know? I feel like I'm in the best shape of my life, literally.

Have you ever done any breathing exercises? You ever gotten... I have to. I have to. You know, and it's hard, Joe, because I'm a family man. I got, you know, it's hard, Joe, because I'm a family man. I got, you know, kids and no excuse, but I have a family to take care of, provide for, and I have a career.

So that's a lot of things people don't understand. Like, I've always juggled both, you know, taking care of my family and myself and a boxing career. And it's been crazy, but it's been an amazing ride, champ. And where I'm at right now, ooh, let me tell you, boy, everywhere I go, champ. Well, when did the social media thing kick in? When did you start doing it? My nephew Craig.

Shout out to Craig Brown. Let's go, champ. My nephew Craig came about four years ago. I had my first Instagram account. It was just photos then. And I was like, you know what, man? I'm going to lose this weight. And it sounds like a corny thing to do.

Everyone's doing little blogs. But I'm going to just do my own, even for myself. And I put it up. I had nine followers, champ. And it built to 2,000. I was like, man, if I could ever get to 5,000, man, I'll be there. And I never paid for the followers. And they went through this whole thing where they dropped everybody who would pay for the followers.

And I wound up being like 5,000. I was like, man, if I could ever get to 10,000. And then they came up with the video and Craig came to town. I was like, yo, Craig, I'm gonna work out every day and I want you to film it and we're gonna put it on Instagram and see how it goes and it just took off.

But it's just hilarious how much it's taken off. It's too much, man. When I tell people that you were going to be on, man, I'm telling you, not like anybody else that's ever been on. They got a wave of people that got excited about it. I appreciate that. Because they don't have a publicist, champ. I do everything.

We do everything in-house, champ, which is just me and Craig and my family. We do everything. We don't have any marketing behind us, nothing. We just out here grinding. And fortunately, we've got this shot now for this WBA Heavyweight Championship. It's been ordered. As far as Brown and their team, they've been delaying.

I'm not sure if he's going to drop out and just give me the belt. I'm not sure what's happening because we've been waiting for them to pull the trigger. They said they were going to find a venue and everything. We talked about Australia. They talked about China. Who's the promoter? His management team and his lawyer, Leon Michaelis,

are handling most of it. But if they don't come up with a deal, champ, but basically I already feel like everybody's scared of me. So I think they can just give me the belt because I just want to fight Klitschko, to be honest with you, because I want to prove to the world that he's soft and in a biscuit because he really is. I fought his brother with one arm for 12 rounds.

One arm for 12 rounds. This happened in the first round, Joe. You tore your bicep. In the first round, yeah, in the first round. Not only tore the bicep, the tendon popped. They had to go through both sides. This was in the first round. I took unreal punches to the head.

I forgot how many number it was, but I took unreal punches to the head. They left me for dead. I didn't even get paid for the fight, champ. Now, what happened there? How did you not get paid? I started a promotional company called Golden Empire. It was basically backdoor

to change to the empire. We fought. The company felt as though certain things that were allotted to me, I don't know. They said I had a tab. I don't know. It was crazy, but the tab was never produced. The company that I started basically

wasn't my company anymore. I was supposed to be giving shares. This company wound up trying to purchase EDC, Electric Daisy Carnival, through my introduction. It got crazy. It went public. The night before my fight, the stock was up.

I had no shares. I said, I'm not signing nothing until I know I'm guaranteed a purse. It was crazy, champ. This is what led to my depression. This is why I went home after the fight. I was like, yo, what happened here? I fought Vitality Klitschko for 12 rounds. I took an ass and I didn't even get paid.

That's crazy. And I was in court with them for eight months before I settled out on pennies on the dollar because I had to. Take care of my family, champ. And this is what drove me to pure depression. But then I overcame that, and now I'm here with you. How much did they fuck you out of? Champ, who knows?

Who knows? I mean, the fight, and this is facts. This is facts, champ. Like they say in New York, facts. You feel me? Listen, it was the highest grossing fight as far as TV coverage in history. Either one or two in German history, Shannon Briggs versus Vitaly Klitschko.

Well, he's a huge star in Germany. And I went over there and I bought action. And the people was like, yo, listen, this guy can sell. We want to see this fight. The ratings were unreal. It was like the highest rating in history. Champ, I didn't get $1. That's so crazy.

Not $1, champ. How could I not fall into depression? But how could I not come out of it? I've been fighting since day one, champ. Fight to breathe. I've been fighting to breathe, champ. So that was the last big bad moment. Yeah, that was harsh.

Yeah, I'm back to normal, yeah. That was harsh. But you came out of it, man. That's the beautiful thing about it. You came out of it. Yeah, yeah, harsh. Yeah, I'm back to normal, yeah, that was harsh. But you came out of it, man. That's the beautiful thing about it. You came out of it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, no doubt. Now, at 44, almost 45 years old, how much— Sagittarius, December 4th.

How much have you had to, like, alter your training? Like, as you've gotten older, you've gotten wiser with it? Because I remember there was something that Larry Holmes talked about a lot when he got older. He's like, what he did that was smarter, he goes uh I don't I'm not training seven days a week anymore six days a week he goes I'll train four or five he goes and I won't do three hours I'll do an hour and a half you know and he just he still was able to maintain a very high level by but understanding the limitations of his body yeah shout out to Larry Holmes who's always giving me nothing but great advice. He's an assassin.

The man, one of the greatest of all times, if not the greatest heavyweight of all time. He just had the unfortunate of being right after Muhammad Ali. 100%. People just didn't appreciate him or love him. 100%, but he could definitely get busy. Oh, yeah. He was a great boxer. He's been giving me advice since the 90s, I mean early

90s. He told me recently, he said, don't stop fighting. He told me, don't stop fighting. He told me, don't stop fighting. Whatever you do, don't stop. He said, keep fighting. I don't care what they tell you, win, lose, or draw. He said, don't stop fighting. I was like, really? He was like, I'm telling you. Don't fight to the end. That's what we do. He said, if I could have, I would have stayed fighting to the

end. I remember when Larry came back when Mike Tyson went to jail. He's like, fuck it. I'm coming back. Mike Tyson's locked up. And he came back and outboxed Ray Mercer. And I was like, wow, look at Larry, man. That's right. Just skill and talent and that jab. He had like one of the most underrated jabs ever.

The best. The best. So when you are now at 44 years age, you're healthier than ever before. You take care of yourself better than ever before. You look fantastic. Thank you, Jack. Have you altered your training at all?

Like, what have you done to make sure that everything is, you know, going smooth? Yeah, when I first came back, I was ODing, of course. I was, like, again, trying to make up for lost time. So I was, like, training every day, every day. And the injuries were just coming in, you know what I mean? Achilles, this one, that one, elbows. Just going too hard. Yeah, I was going too hard.

I met Dr. Buck at Whole Foods one day. Shout out to Dr. Buck. And he was like... Who's Dr. Buck? He's a nice guy, man. He's a... What is he? Chinese doctor, Chinese medicine doctor.

And he gave me a great plan. He was like, you know, champ, you should train three days, take a day off, train two days, take two days off, train four days, take three days off. And I was like, wow. He was like, trust me, it'll work for you. He was like, the body needs rest. And I started doing that, champ, and it's been working for me great.

I feel better than ever, honestly. I've never felt this strong. I've just sparred day four yesterday. Shout out to Trevor Bryant. I've been coming heavyweight. He gives me great work. It wasn't for him. I'm where I'm at thanks to him.

He's been training with me for the last three years. I've been watching him train, sparring. We sparred the other day. I'm going to get you because he put me in the eye, by the way. But I'm still pretty. Let's go, champ. I've been training. I've been sparring. I'm the fastest I've ever been. I'm stronger than I've ever been. I see

everything. In the ring, when I was young, man, again, I was battling with I'm not supposed to be here. Now I'm in there like, you're not supposed to be here right now I'm in there like you're not supposed to be here you feel me you're not supposed to be here you know what I'm saying

y'all feel good champ I get it now man let's go champ I get it but it's all about getting yourself prepared for the moment

where you can perform right and I think so many guys leave too much in the gym because they have this thing in their head that you can't do too much.

Train smarter, not harder. That is it, right? And it's a balancing act. Train smarter, not harder. Trying to find that balance between the correct, like you don't want to sell yourself short. You don't want to not push hard enough to reach your potential. But how do you figure out like when you're in and when you're out? How do you figure out how to reach that perfect potential because only you know you know i was working with

a guy and i love him shout out to billy beck and billy beck told me he said you know what you got to once in a while push yourself to see how far you can go he said you know you can run 15 miles but can you run 20 and i was like damn you know so once in a while i do give my myself that you know what what can you do? I'm going to try to make it up and down these stairs 100 times. You know what I mean? I'm going to do the best I can. Just once in a blue.

And then I give it, you know, and I might do that again in three months or two months. You got to know your body too, champ. You got to be honest with yourself because I wasn't always honest with myself. Because of asthma, I was having high anxiety when it came to running and when it came to like pushing my lungs because this is something I've experienced all my life since birth. I can't remember, you know, finishing school because I was always in the hospital. I grew up in St. Mary's in Brooklyn, St. John's in Brooklyn, Kings County in Brooklyn. I grew up in the hospital. I can tell you what the children's playrooms look like.

You know what I'm saying? I mean, kids would. So I grew up in the hospitals. I can tell you what the children's playrooms look like. You know what I'm saying? I mean, kids' wards. So I grew up in these places. So for me to become a boxer and have to use so much breathing, it's amazing. You know what I'm saying? I'm not trying to give myself a blowjob, but it's just the truth. Right, right. I mean, what other heavyweight and champion in history can honestly say they suffered from something with underdeveloped lungs and became a champion in it?

Am I the greatest champion? Hell no. But could I be? Possibly. Because if I had the lungs that some of these guys had, who knows how good I might be. I'm fast. I hit hard. I'm crazy.

I'm whatever. I'm whatever, champ. You know what I'm saying? Joe, they haven't seen the best of me, to be honest with you, champ. They've never seen the best of me. No one has. And that's why I'm back. Because I don't want to leave this earth or wherever

I'm going, the next level, the next dimension. I don't want to go saying, man, I wish they had seen me. Because I'm nice, Joe. Honestly, those who really know me, I'm really good at this boxing thing. I'm self-taught. I watched Muhammad Ali and Ray Robertson until I was blue in the face as a kid. And I mimicked them as

a heavyweight. You got one of the best left hooks to the liver. I got that from Chavez. There you go. Let's go, Chad. Shout out to Geraldo Gomez. Geraldo Gomez. Part of this comeback, my brother.

It's a stabbing left hook. I got it. I reach around. I reach around. I reach around and I snatch it. Shout, I go around here. You get in there. I reach around. Yeah, you get in there. You get in there. I reach around. I reach around. I snatch it. Shout out to, you know black people with our shout outs. Mike McCallum. Mike McCallum.

I got that from him. Oh, yeah. I met Mike when I was like 18 years old in Prospect Park. Oh, wow. I remember when he knocked out Donald Curry. I was a huge Donald Curry fan. I got so depressed, I had to go running. I shut the TV off.

I was like, fuck. I went running. He hit him with a left hook to the body and went upstairs. Boom. Knocked him out cold. Shout out to Terry. Shit. And I had to go running.

I ran, and I said to myself, I'm never going to get depressed out of somebody else's loss ever again. I was a kid. I was so bummed out. Yeah, yeah. I was a huge Donald Curry fan. Mike taught me to have, but I watched Chavez so much. Body snatcher.

I watched Chavez so much that I feel like if I'm heavyweight, I've got to perfect. If I get you there, you can call it goodnight. It might catch up to you later, though. It might be chilling for a minute. Round, next round, you'll be like, oh, shit. Gotcha. In there. Let's go, champ.

Now, do you follow a strength and conditioning program? Do you have a trainer that you work with for strength and conditioning? Yes, I work with different guys. What kind of shit do you do? All type of shit, champ. Now, do you follow a strength and conditioning program? Do you have a trainer that you work with for strength and conditioning? Yes. I work with different guys. What kind of shit do you do? All type of shit, champ. You name it. I've been doing this for years.

I worked with Mackie Shillstone, champ. Oh, Mackie. Back in the days before this was popular. I mean, it was back. He worked with Spinks. Don't get me wrong. But I worked with Shillstone. I've worked with guys.

This ain't nothing new to the champ. You feel me? Well, Shillstone was the first guy that really became prominent as a strength conditioning coach for boxing. Yeah, Tom Shaw. I worked with the great Tom Shaw. Tom Shaw is the man. I worked with Duke Roos, man. You know Duke Roos?

I know the name. Duke Roos. I worked with Duke Roos out of New Orleans. He's the best in the world. Rod Gillis. I worked with everybody, champ. And Maggie Shillstone was the guy that pumped Spinks up when he fought Larry Holmes. That's right.

That's right. He bulked him up a little bit, but didn't slow him down. That's right. He had that speed, boy. Didn't he work with Holyfield, too? He worked with Holyfield as well, I think. No, I think he worked with Haney. Oh, okay.

He might have worked with Holy, though. Holy's the man. Holy worked with everybody, too. Holy was the real guy who brought that into prominence as far as strength and conditioning. And boxing, especially in boxing. You know what I mean? know brought that into prominence as far as you know strength and conditioning and boxing especially in boxing you know i mean well he was the first one of the first guys where weight lifting became accepted because for the longest time boxing trainers would tell you that weight lifting slows you down which it kind of does because it makes you sore and then you don't perform as well in the gym but once you recover then you're fast again yes so holyfield was like one of the first

guys to make that leap to understand, like, look, he's going to go from a cruiserweight to a heavyweight. And he became a legit heavyweight. One of the best ever. One of the best ever. I mean, his performances against Mike Tyson. Unreal. Come on, man.

That first fight in particular. How about him and Bo? Oh, what? Sheesh. Him and Doakes. Him and Doakes. Yes. Come on, man.

That Doakes fight was crazy. You ain't seen me and him move another day? Me and Holy? No. On Instagram? Yeah. He still got it. Come on, man. Holy gets busy. You ain't seen me and him move another day? Me and Holy? On Instagram? Yeah, he still got it. He's still training? He's still got it. Holy's like 50-something, but he got it. Is he still fighting? No, he ain't fighting. He stopped? No, but he still got it, champ.

I was moving with him the other day. Wow. He still got it. Wow. Bo still, Bo too. Riddick Bo. He in the gym with me every day. Really? Every day. Wow. Yep, he live in Florida. He's a great guy. Is Holyfield in Florida too. Riddick Bo. He in the gym with me every day. Really? Every day. Every day. Wow. Yep.

He live in Florida. He's a great guy. Is he on the field in Florida, too? Yes, he is. Wow. So he still trains all the time? Every day. How come he doesn't fight anymore?

He chilling. He like, yo. Just said enough is enough? He chilling. We're good? Yeah, I'm chilling. Wow. So when you work with a strength and conditioning coach, like what is like a week in the life

of Shannon Briggs when it comes to training? Say if this fight gets signed and you know you're going to get started, how do you organize your weeks? I've already started, but what I'm doing is basically I'm using a strength and conditioning day with boxing,

a running day with boxing, a rest day, a strength and conditioning day with boxing, a run day, then another run day. Do you ever fuck with yoga? The best, yes.

Do you? Christine. Yeah, Christine's great. Yeah. So you got all kinds of stuff going on. Flexibility. I have to, I have to,

Chamber. I'm doing everything I can do possibly. Cryo machine, you name it, hyperbaric chambers, everything I can do, I'm looking for the edge

because everyone's, they got it, Chamber. I'm broke. They got money. So imagine what they got. And now I'm scrambling to get everything I can get. You know what I mean, to get to the next level. I know.

I know. I see it. I see it. I see it in you, man. And me, like many other people, rooting for you. Thank you, champ. It's frustrating when I see you getting close to these fights with guys like David Hay. And then it falls apart.

He is such a sucker. What happened with him? He said he was going to fight you. I went over to England, champ, and they showed me nothing but love. They seen the true character of who he really is. And he ain't really a good dude, man. Sucker. What happened with him? He said he was going to fight you. I went over to England Champ, and they showed me nothing but love. They seen the true character of who he really is, and that he ain't really a good dude, man. He's a businessman, but he's also like a, you know, he's a weird dude, man. You know what I mean?

You know, I shook his hand. We said we had to go. It was a great fight. Win, lose, or draw for either one of us. And everything was set. I did everything they need me to do and then he just dead dead it he felt he was looking for another deal and the truth of the matter is I heard this from inside that he was like he's too dangerous you know that's just the bottom line which is what they all he's

a fairly small heavyweight yeah I smash him up that was an easy win for me that was a layup I was like oh look at him I'm gonna smash and he was scared I let's see him in his eyes I'm from Brownsville. I got one thing. I can smell when you're scared. I'm from the same neighborhood as Mike Tyson and Riddick Bowe. I know when a man's scared. I went up on him, Joe. I looked in his eyes. I seen his lips. He was trembling. He was scared.

I could smell it. I was like, oh. I said, this is a layup. This is a layup, champ. This is an easy one, champ. Yeah! What does he weigh? He's not only a heavy guy i had that one chair i could see me just snatching him he went vegan too he went vegan so he lost even more weight probably yeah exactly i'm eating bowls and cows and all types of dinosaurs i'm straight animal what is your diet like like what how do you organize your diet? Organic everything, you know what I'm saying?

Just to try to, you know, if it's meant to be meant to. Camp it out at Whole Foods. I camp out. They know me well, you know what I'm saying? You know, they should be sponsoring me. Shout out to Whole Foods. I'm there every day. It's $150 to $200 a day for the family.

Yeah, it's every day. Every day for the last four years we've been eating from Whole Foods. Whole Foods is not cheap. It's not cheap. $150 to $200 every day is bad. And I'm not bragging. I'm actually complaining because,

but that's what it took because no sugar. I'm eating right. I use coconut sugar. You know what I'm saying? I just tried to do the best I can considering I'm not

a nutritionist. I live on my iPhone. As you can tell, I'm always posting. I'm always looking for new recipes or new, the next edge.

You know what I'm saying? The best I can for myself. So I eat fairly well. All organic meats. I don't eat pork. I don't eat shellfish. No dairy. You know what I mean? I'm just keeping it as best I can. Do you get your blood work monitored or anything like that? I do that as well, yeah. I try to keep my levels

where they need to be. Do you supplement? No, unfortunately not right now. Not right now. Some CBD that I've been, you know, and I was ahead of the game with that too, champ, and I'm not trying to give myself a blowjob, but I was suffering from depression, champ, and I was fortunate to, I went and got like 10 different MRIs

and I was like, what's wrong with me? I'm always depressed. I'm always feeling like, you know, I feel anxiety overcoming me and I was given this and that and then I was pipped to CBD five years ago, four years ago, and a life-changing experience, you know what I mean? But I'm here, champ.

I'm here. Well, CBD, it's an interesting thing because it's a part of marijuana, but it's not psychoactive. Not at all. So a lot of people, they hear about it and they get worried about it. Right. They feel like it's drugs. Yes, yes. But it has nothing to do about it. They feel like it's drugs.

But it has nothing to do with that. It's like one of the beneficial parts of the plant. It just eliminates inflammation. And for people that have arthritis or all kinds of other injuries or just hard training like you're doing. And I was drinking since I was a kid, you know what I mean, honestly. And I had a family member that was a marijuana smoker. And this person was abusive to me, very abusive physically and mentally. And so the smell of marijuana was something that always reminded me of those times as a child, you know what I mean, growing up. So I never was attracted to weed ever, but drinking was my game, which was worse.

I was drinking since I was a kid, and I shouldn't have been. They let me down some dark days. Were you drinking during training camps? Not really. I was never that type of drinker. But after a fight, you know, celebration, Heineken and Hennessy was, you know, chasing and just being, you know, a kid. Being an idiot. Not a kid.

Being an idiot. And how did you get off it? My daughter, man, you know. My daughter. not a kid been an idiot and how did you get off it uh my daughter man you know my daughter you know i was taking like i said i was taking um the different uh antidepressants and they gave me xanax as well and my mom was a heroin addict like i told you and crack and you know she died on my birthday of overdose and i said if i was ever hooked on drugs i'd rather die than you know i'm saying be a slave or hooked on something i remember not taking the Xanax for a couple of days and just having like the jitters. And I was like, yo, this is horrible.

And that happened. That went on for like six months. And I was blessed when I was introduced to CBD because my life changed. I went from not knowing what I was going to do and fearful to calming down. And this was all from my past. So many things happened to me as a kid. I don't need to harp on, but my childhood was rough. And people don't realize how much kids internalize and become adults.

A broken kid is the worst adult. It forms you. Yeah, it forms you. And when I got money, champ, I was 20 years old. My manager moved me out to Jersey. I was living in South Orange first. West Orange, big mansion. You know what I'm saying? Always living in a nice house. I had money, champ. I was 20 years old. My manager, you know, moved me out to Jersey. I was living in South Orange first. West Orange, big mansion. You know what I'm saying?

Always living in a nice house. I had a car. It was, but I had no money. But I had the things that, you know what I'm saying? To me, I made it. I had a credit card to get clothes. All I had to do was fight. So I had a nice thing going.

But I wasn't really dealing with the fact that my mom was on drugs. My dad was in jail. You know what I'm saying? You weren't at peace. I wasn't really dealing with the fact that my mom was on drugs. My dad was in jail. You know what I'm saying? You weren't at peace. I wasn't. Nowhere near peace. And that's what yoga has done for me. Yoga has done that for me.

People, you know, they see the crazy side of me. Like, I'm like the spiritual crazy warrior. Don't even say spiritual because I'm not even spiritual. I'm just like the crazy warrior. But I get centered when I have to. And that's what I'm learning. Like, I never knew how to turn on the let's go champ. I tell everyone, listen, there is a champion with all of us.

People see me hype how I go from, that's me turning on the champ. Champ. That's me turning on the champ because I didn't know how to do that. That's why I said I'm in the best shape ever because now I can zone out. I was on my way over here, champ, in the car. And I was like, damn, I'm nervous. And let me tell you why. When I was fat and depressed and down and out, I was zone out. I was on my way over here, champ, in the car. And I was like, damn, I'm nervous. And let me tell you why. When I was fat and depressed and down and out, I was watching you.

And I said, damn, I need to get my shit together. And to do that, one day I'll be on Joe Rogan's show. And I'm not bullshitting you. Anybody can say whatever they want to say. I'm sitting behind with you. So on the way over here, I was mad nervous. But I was like, let's go, champ. No need to be nervous, man.

You know one of the things I love about you, too? You push that positivity on other people, and you want them to be positive, too. It's not just about you. You call everybody champ. Everybody's a champ. They're all smiling. You look at your videos. That's real. That's a real thing. I'm happy, man, because I'm happy to be alive, Joe. I wanted to kill myself.

So many kids commit suicide around the world, Champ. I've got thousands of emails and texts. Kid you not. I can show you on my phone. Thousands of emails and texts from people around the world. I said, Champ, I was suffering from depression, and I wanted to kill myself. But thanks to you watching your videos, I'm motivated. And I'm not BSing you.

Thousands, over 15,000 of people telling me, Champ, thank you. Champ, thank you. So this, for me, Champ, thank you, Champ, thank you. So this, for me, is amazing. No publicist, no company behind me. This is just me and Craig. That's all you need, though. That's the beautiful thing. You feel me?

But that's why I feel good, Champ. Yeah. Because I'm like, damn, if this was not real, organic, I'd be like, okay, I could be like, oh, you know. But this is just real. Right. It's not like a marketing gift. No, it's me, Champ.

And I'm either going to win, lose, or draw, and ain't going to be no loser being who I'm'm gonna be for once in my life well that's the beautiful thing about social media is it lets you be you 100 like there's no director going let's go champ yeah there's no director going shannon i see what you're saying but now i want i want something different from you we've got the let's go champ right right right i'm sticking i tell people when it comes to that people say oh it's boring know, you do the same thing on Thomas. It's just me, champ. Yeah, I'm like, you know what?

You watch it too much. Come back later. Yes, yes. Come back later, champ. That's exactly. Look, I tell people that about my podcast. You know, they go, man, I'm tired of listening to you. Good.

Take some time off. I get tired of me, too. Let's go, champ. Let's go, champ. Take some time off. That's right. I'm not changing shit. Just relax. Man, Joe, I'm happy to be here. I ain't gonna lie to you, champ. I'm happy'm not changing shit Man Joe I'm happy to be here

I ain't gonna lie to you I'm happy to have you man Man this feels good man For real I needed to vent too As you can hear You know what I mean I needed to vent a little bit

About the Alex thing And not that you know what I mean I held it in all this time Cause it's fuel It's fuel I ain't gonna lie You know I watched it many days And said damn man

Like you know Why you threw me under the bus like that And you know what I mean It hurt So now I spoke about it He's a hard man He's a hard man. He's a hard man. By the way, I got a huge article coming out for ESPN by Brent Jonathan Butler.

It's unreal. For him to do this piece, he's the guy who's done like, he's done some amazing pieces, champ. Mike Tyson, Tupac. He's done some amazing pieces. He's got a piece coming out that's going to be unreal. Not that I'm plugging him, but I just want you to know this is going to be unreal. Beautiful.

It's going to be on ESPN? Yeah, ESPN. It's going to be sick. Wow. Yeah, it's going to be sick. That's giant. Well, there's a lot of momentum in your side. It's just a matter of getting a fight signed.

Yeah, yeah. You know, and the heavyweight division right now is pretty exciting. Yeah. It's done. The fight's done. The fight's done. I'm just saying, for Brown and those people to act like they were going to grab the bull

by the horn and not be able to come with a deal, you know, they had to. I think they have a couple days until we go to purse bid. Like, if that was the case, we should have just went to purse bid. I'm ready now. I'm ready now. I don't want no more delays. I don't want to play with this boy. I'm not going to call him a boy. I don't want to play with this man, this young man

or the family. I don't want to play with him. I want the calling him a boy i don't want to play with this man he's a young man with a family i don't want to play with him i want the bell to ring because he in my way that's right i understand but he's in my way right and there's nothing like people don't understand like i'm you could call me crazy but that's what that's okay look i my mind in my mind this is like uh already written destiny i was out of shape i was down and out i wanted to kill myself and now i came back with nothing behind me but the people. The people's chair. Everywhere I go. He's in my way.

He's just like a tornado coming. He's the road. I'm going to tear him apart. He's just in my way because I got a bigger picture, champ. All the belts. I want the people around the world. Yeah, all the belts, champ. I want people all around the world to be like, yo, hear my story.

I don't have a great record. I've got like six or seven, five, six losses. Who knows? I had ups and downs. I've never been considered a great. But I fought guys who will tell you on the low, man, he get busy. Ask Lennox Lewis. They'll tell you guys who know me or who box.

Ask Chris Bird. They say, you know what? I never really seen Shannon. They never really seen Shannon. I'm honest. I'm really seen Shannon. They never really seen Shannon. I'm honest. I'm keeping it real. They never see me. They're going to see me when this fight gets done.

They're going to see me. They're going to see the real Shannon. They're going to say, wow, we didn't know you had all that talent. We didn't know. Let's go, champ. Yeah. They're going to see it, champ. They're going to see it for real.

This is a lot of suffering and pain, champ. And a lot of love, too. Because all around the world, they're saying, let's go, champ. And they feeling the positivity. And they say, you know what, champ? We behind you, man suffering and pain, champ. I believe it. And a lot of love, too, because they're all around the world. They're saying, let's go, champ. And they're feeling the positivity. And they're saying, you know what, champ? We're behind you, man. The people, champ. That's not happening in boxing, champ.

And that is another reason that's fueling me. Look at the boxing. Look at the state of the heavyweight division. It was flat before me, champ. Chris Goode was doing nothing but stinking up division for years. Grab hold. Grab hold. Yeah.

Come on, champ. You're the heavyweight champion of the world. You're supposed to be the biggest prize in sports. You're supposed to be out there doing interviews. You're supposed to be Muhammad Ali of the state. Kids around the world are supposed to know who the heavyweight champion of the world. When I was out there trying to campaign, and even to this day, you

ask somebody who's the heavyweight champion of the world, they don't even know. Nobody knows. Nobody knows now. And he was a white guy. Yeah, but ask them now who's, they don't even know. Nobody knows. now and he was a white guy yeah but ask them now who's they don't even know nobody knows nobody knows now you go around and i keep people call me one thing champ yeah they say champ when you're fighting exactly so that's what that's what i'm talking about bringing back the energy to the game listen people told me all the time the people in the game and i hear people you know rag you i see one on the comments, rag me to you, and this, that, and third. And I appreciate you, champ, for, you know, holding me down.

But listen to this, champ. Listen to this, champ. The people inside of boxing is one thing. Inside of contact sports is one thing. But when you got people who don't watch boxing, who don't never watch boxing and say, hey, champ, I watch you, champ. It's social media. It's social media. You feel me? 100%. That's what's you, champ. It's social media. It's social media.

You feel me? 100%. That's what's doing it. So that's my goal. That's my point. The boxing people cool. Not that I don't want them to know me. I'm not trying to alienate them and say, oh, no, fuck them.

I'm saying, that's cool. I love y'all. Oh, you don't like me. I know I suck. I'm this and the third. But the outside people all around the world who don't watch boxing, the ladies, the kids, it's the champ, Shannon the Cannon, the kids. It's the champ. Shannon the Cannon. The kids. That's who

I want. That's what I have right now. Kids everywhere. I came out of a place the other day and a kid, I know he wasn't a boxing fan. He said, hey champ. I said, wow. I felt good, champ. I felt good, bro. That was like a Wheaties moment, champ. You feel me? I felt like a Wheaties moment.

Hey, champ. You know what I mean? That a Wheaties moment. Like, hey, champ. You know what I mean? And that's what I want, man. I want people to be excited about boxing because boxing saved my life. Every time I left the game, champ, my life fell down. Well, there was a long period of time while Klitschko was the heavyweight champion where literally no one could tell you outside of real hardcore boxing fans who the heavyweight champ was. In America, right.

That was never the case. You would ask people who's the heavyweight champion, and they would, oh, tyson it's lennox lewis it's evander holyfield whoever it was but for a long period no one cared it was just a such a boring style yeah he didn't want to he didn't want to mix it up and put him on he was more concerned with uh his legacy i guess and playing it safe and you know i mean i think it's like if you look at wrestling or uh even like mma like you guys come back you guys fight and you lose okay you come back mean I think it's like you look at wrestling or even like MMA like you guys come back you guys fight and you lose okay you come back you fight again there's no set schedule one with these guys with boxing and then guys don't want to lose you know and then they fighting guys they fighting

what I call pies you know they call it fighting pies just to stack up their record right I mean so they got great records and we all do it you gotta pad just the game unfortunately it's the game. But if you were telling me, look, you can fight Klitschko, and win, lose, or draw, you're guaranteed going to fight another fight for $3 million. You'd fight this guy all the time. Right. But what happens is when you lose, now you go back to making $500 a fight,

$5,000 a fight. So guys don't want to lose. Right. It's just part of the game. In boxing, the record, the winning record is so much more important than MMA. In MMA,'t want to lose. Right. It's just part of the game. In boxing, the winning record is so much more important than in MMA. In MMA, it's just about being exciting. If a guy has some losses, nobody gives a shit.

You know I 4K'd one, right? Yeah. Yeah, you did, right? What was that like? Getting leg kicked? The worst thing ever. Never again. The worst thing ever. Who did you fight? Erickson? Tom Erickson. Tom Erickson. Tom Erickson.

Let's go, champ. He kicked the shit out of me, champ. I think I'm the first guy ever to scream in the history. Did you train at all leg kicks? I did. I did. I did. And shit, it was for nothing because he kicked the hell out of me, champ.

He's a big fella. Oh, man, I couldn't believe it. It felt like it sounded like two bats hitting together. Pop, pop, pop. I said, if he kicked me one more time, I got to go down. I can't take it. I don't care. I don't care.

I said, I can't take it. If he, one more, he kicked me again. Pow. I said, that's it. And I jabbed him to the body. Boof. And he looked at me because I'm able to read fast. You got to be able to read within tenths of a second, milliseconds in boxing.

I read in his eyes that that wasn't that bad. Like he must have felt like it wasn't that strong of a punch. And he could come in. He came in to punch at that point. And when he came in to punch, I let the cannon go. Left, right. Poof. Hit him, champ.

Got him on top of the head. Sheesh. Let's go, champ. Got him, champ. I get excited because I know the cannon go. Left, right. Poof. Hit him, champ. Got him on top of the head. Sheesh. Let's go, champ. Got him, champ. I get excited because I know the feeling now. I've tapped in. All these years I was playing with the game. Now I finally tapped in because I've focused and concentrated on just doing this.

That now I know how to put it there. I know how. This is my gift. This has been my gift. I've had a rough life, but my gift is that I have a talent in something that I've always kind of ran from. I've had my own reasons, but now I've got it. I've channeled this shit.

How did the K-1 thing come about? Oh, man. Herman Caicedo. Shout out to Herman. Me in the hustle. Me in the struggle. Trying to make some bread, man. I'm a businessman. I'm a working man. Not a businessman. I'm a working man. And it's work. I know, I'm a working man. Not a businessman. I'm a working man. And it's work. You know what I mean?

I was going to fight in UFC. I came out to Vegas, champ. Dana put me up at the Palmer somewhere. He put me up in the suite. He was talking about me fighting. What's my boy name? The big white dude. Back in the days.

I'm going to say around 2005, 2006. Randy Couture? No. No? Big white dude. Tall, tall, tall. Tall white dude. Tim Sylvia? No. Give me one more. Stefan Struve? No. How highly ranked was the guy? He was the one. He became the champ.

Okay. He wanted me to fight him. They flew me in, put me in. Dana know me well. It wasn't Tim Sylvia? Not Tim Sylvia. Was it Tim Sylvia? It was before Tim Sylvia, probably. It was a tall dude. Real tall.

Or after other Tim Sylvia left. Tall white dude. He wound up fighting. Tim Sylvia fought Ray Mercer. That's him. Ray Mercer knocked him out with one punch. He fought Ray. Oh, okay.

That's him. Wait a minute. Ray Mercer also fought. Ray Mercer didn't beat him. No, Ray Mercer fought Kimbo Slice and Kimbo guillotined him. And then Ray Mercer fought Tim Sylvia. And it was supposed to be a boxing match, but the Athletic Commission wouldn't sanction it for a boxing match

because Tim Sylvia didn't have any boxing matches. Right. I have to see his picture, though. If I see a picture of him, I can tell you. Tall and his hair was hanging down, like, lying along. He could box, though. Andrei Arlovsky? He could box, though.

The kid could box. He had some good shit, though, with his hands. I don't know of his name, but dude could get busy. I was going to fight him. He asked me to fight him. We were like, look. Herman was negotiating for me again. He was like, yo, give us somebody a little easier.

Because they wanted me to fight, what's his name? Not Mark Hunt. The Black Brother. what's his name? Not Mark Hunt. The Black Brother. What's his name? He was fighting K-1 for a while. He fought UFC 2. Gary Goodridge? Gary Goodridge.

Let's go, champ. Big daddy. They wanted me to fight Goodridge, champ. Yup. Yup. Yeah, champ. I've been in the game, champ. So did you take any wrestling classes or anything?

I did. Listen, you ready for this? Yeah. You ready for this? I'm ready. Let's go, champ. American Top Team, Dan Lambert. That's my boy. Dan is my boy. Dan is my boy, man. Dan is my homie.

When they were in a storefront in Boca, no gym, a storefront in Boca, I went down there because they wanted me to teach them boxing. That was like 2001. Wow. And I started messing teach them boxing. That was like 2001. Wow. And I started messing with them, and I was doing some Taekwondo, and I was doing MMA,

you know, jiu-jitsu and all that, and it was kicking my ass, but I was loving it. I was getting strong. I was like, yo, this may be a great type of thing to cross up with the boxing because of when I'm in the clinches, you know what I'm saying? Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Big difference in the clinches, right? Huge, man. That's why strength training is important.

Yeah. It's important for boxers now and these days. So what happened? How come you never wound up doing an MMA fight? Besides not wanting to get my ass kicked. You know, just so... Wrestling's hard on the body. Hard. Brutal. Brutal. Brutal. On the joints, the neck, the back.

Brutal. Yeah. It'd be like me playing basketball. I can't dribble. I'm like the only black man Yeah. It'd be like me playing basketball. I can't dribble. I'm like the only black man in the world who can't dribble basketball. I can't catch a football, you know? Wow. So you just decided it's just not for you. Not safe.

After that K-1 experience, man, I tell you, Jim, I was like, man. You know what's funny? Because I went back to the hotel, and I was chilling. I was laying in bed, and I went to sleep. I just had a little cup of bruises. And when I woke up, my entire both legs were black and blue I was like I panicked I was

like oh I was like oh shit I was like yo Herman just get me out of here they paid me well champ I might have made like in in over two years I mean I made a good chunk of change over there I don't want the IRS chasing me down I've got no bread let Let's go, champ! I mean, it was fun. It was fun. It was fun. It was fun. Let's go, champ. So you decided one and done with K-1.

Yeah, K-1 wasn't a thing for me. But I love it. I love watching it. And I think that the training was tremendous for me. I was in a gym the other day with Tyrone Sponge. That's the champ, for real.

Tyrone Sponge is a bad motherfucker. Yeah, he's the man, for real. Let's go, champ. He said he's going to help me out with my kickboxing, because I think he's definitely going to help my boxing. Yeah, he's in the border real. Let's go, champ. He said he's going to help me out with my kickboxing, you know what I mean? Because I think he's definitely going to help my boxing. Yeah, he's in the borderline. He's been doing a lot of boxing matches and not exactly sure if he's going back to kickboxing.

He'll fight anybody, anywhere, anytime, though. I mean, he's just waiting for the right contract. Yeah, yeah. Whether it's MMA or anything. He a beast. He a beast. He's very talented. He's a beast.

Very smart dude, too. He's on the ball. Yeah, I'm going to be working with him for this fight as well. Oh, beautiful. Yeah. Very smart dude, too. He's on the ball. Yeah, I'm going to be working with him for this fight as well. Oh, beautiful. Yeah. So you said you're very close to purse bids. So it's happening 100% whether this guy is in or not.

If they give me the belt and the box, I'll take it. I'd rather win it in the ring. Right. But I'm frustrated. I ain't going to lie to you, champ. I'm very frustrated. I'm trying to be happy about my situation because I am getting in a fight. But, again, the politics of boxing where the ups and downs, these managers are shifty and they're saying one thing and they're telling me the way. I don't know why.

See, the whole thing with me is like what happened with Hayden has happened to me so many times. I live in fear that I'm going to get shagged. Like, okay, what are they going to shag me with now? Because they're delaying. So what's next? You know what I mean? I'm expecting something. If nothing happens, I hope it's for the best, but I'm ready.

It's got to be a weird situation for you, right? Yeah, it's all good, champ. I'm the champ, and this is what they got to do to try to keep me down. Well, the heavyweight division right now is exciting, though. Yeah, it's pumping now, thanks to the champ. Yeah, that's a big part of it. Yeah. But there's a lot of good stuff happening right yeah and what did you think about ortiz's fight the other night uh it was it was shocking that he went to the distance right no not at all no not at all because he fought malik scott who was a guy who's in top shape

look at his instagram always training always training um fought very very defensively very defensive which is hard to beat a guy like that. It's hard to knock out a guy who don't want to get knocked out, champ. You feel me? A guy say,

I'm not getting knocked out, he gonna do whatever he can not to get knocked out. Doesn't mean he gonna fight you back and it means he

didn't get knocked out and that's what he did. No knock to Ortiz, but you know, he did what he had to do. It just happens.

There was once on Instagram where you're mocking Deontay Wilder's technique with his legs coming up off the ground when he was punching. I actually like him Instagram where you're mocking Deontay Wilder's technique, with his legs coming up off the ground when he was punching. I actually like him, but you know what? You gotta do what you gotta do. Yeah, that, for real, I like him

actually. I think he can fight. I think he's very talented. I think he's dangerous to anybody, including myself. He's a vicious puncher. He's a wild puncher. He's one of those bony strong, you know, those bony dudes hit you, boy, woo! You're finished, you know what I mean? So, he's dangerous. Heony strong, you know, those bony dudes hit you, boy, whoo, you're finished. You know what I mean? So he's dangerous.

He can punch. You know, he kind of like, you know, not that he offended me because I don't give a shit, you know what I'm saying? But he kind of took it like personal that I was coming after him. And I wasn't, you know, I'm a jokester, man. I like to have fun and bug out. He kind of took it like a little bit like, oh, you know, this and that. I'm like, champ, I ain't like that. You know what, I'm not a street dude,

but I really am, could be whatever you want me to be because I'm from the streets, you know what I'm saying? But I was like, don't do that, you know what I mean? Try to hype up a fight.

Yeah, yeah, that's what I do, I do, but I get busy. If you touch me, if you put me to that point in the street anywhere, I'm known.

I don't want to be, I'm not that type of person, but I'll defend the champ because I got to make it home to my babies. I love them, you feel me? So I ain't going to let nobody ever hurt hurt the champ Did you ever see that video with Deontay Wilder box some internet troll? That guy's fucking crazy. Yeah. Yeah. I'm gonna knock Deontay wild out

He gonna get I'm gonna I'm gonna knock out Lucas Brown and then I'm gonna let Deontay Beyonce wilder beyonce. I'm gonna let beyonce You know I'm saying put up his BC belt and I'm going to knock him flat, starch out. Starch. I would like to see that. I would like to see the fight for sure. Yeah, let's go champ. Yeah, let's go champ. The hat is out.

Yeah, exactly. Now, when you're 45 years old in December, realistically, how much more time do you think you're going to old in December. Yes, December 4th. Realistically, how much more time do you think you're going to be fighting? After I knock out Brown, and hopefully I'll get the winner of Klitschko and Joshua, Anthony Joshua, who's a tremendous talent. After that, you know, I'll go after whoever has the belt, man.

I'm going to keep it. Like Larry Holmes said, don't stop. Larry told me don't stop. He said, keep fighting. It's what you do. Make money. I'm going to keep it. Larry Holmes said, don't stop. Larry told me, don't stop. He said, keep fighting. It's what you do. Make money. Have fun. Enjoy your life.

And who's having more fun than me? Everywhere I go, champ, people will be all saying, you're happy, they're motivated. And that's, to me, for the first time in my life, giving me some purpose. Other than making money, I've been struggling to make money since I came home from school and didn't have a place to live. For once in my life, for once in my life, I'm doing something that's not involved,

like me using the money from a fight to buy a car and look fancy and, you know, hang out. I'm just being myself. I'm a bum. Champ's a bum. I don't have clothes, you know what I'm saying? I don't buy, I refuse, because that was part of my downfall, you know, wanting things,

wanting material things, finding power and things like that to make myself feel good. I'm going to go buy a new car. I'm going to buy a chain. I'm going to buy a hat. I'm going to buy this expensive Fendi sweater. Nah, the champ don't do none of that shit. The champ dress like a bum. This is me, you know what I'm saying? Because I'm not putting value in that anymore.

What I'm finding so amazing is that everywhere I go, people are saying, hey champ, thanks for the videos, man. We love you, man. Can I get a picture? Can I get a video? Nothing can nothing can outdo that champ because I've had a little bit of money never made a lot of money like those guys were hundreds of millions of dollars but I made a little bit of money for me to feel good you know I'm saying but I never felt love you know my mom was in the streets trying to you know put a roof over my head I never had a dad you know I'm saying I never had a brother and sister I was basically on my own you know if you look at my personality you can tell i watched a

lot of television i grew up reading comic books you know cartoons so i never had love and to have what i feel is love from people who genuinely don't know me and just see me and say man thank you the emails that's that's more fulfilling than anything i've ever felt you feel me i do feel you i think it's important, man. I think your message is important. And what you're saying about having all that bullshit, all the material possessions and counting on it. I remember Chuck D talking about that once. It was during the height of when people had giant wheels on their fucking cars.

The ball and error. The ball and error. And he was like, I drive a Ford Explorer. And he's like, I don't put any power in that shit at all. I felt so sad that I was a slave to it. I feel so miserable when I think about the days that I spent money on sweaters, cars, jewelry, bottles at the club. I'm just like, damn, what was I doing? A lot of athletes go broke trying to keep up with the Joneses.

It's a big thing. It's part of our culture because we never had shit. Right. So, you know, now we're like, you're feeling good

because someone's admiring you for anything. The admiration is what becomes intoxication. You know what I'm saying? Intoxifying. And for me, it was that as well.

You know, I'm finding gratitude in things that, you know, I was smart though because I always wanted to keep a place, a roof over my head and I'll put value in that as well. But, you know, I was smart, though, because I always wanted to keep a place, a roof over my head, and I'll put value in that as well.

But, you know, a lot of things, too, was for the show and all, for other people. And once I was able to get past that, and that was, you know, part of me was cutting my hair, you know, having locks for 27 years. And people, when I cut my hair, man, just the response from people was just, it was amazing. Just the people looked at me like wow look at you you cut your hair you finish you'll never get you'll never be nothing or

boxing's over for you why do they think you it was over because you cut your hair that didn't make any sense at all it was the sickest thing it was like the most eye-opening thing and people were literally like i could they were telling me but i could also see deeper into what they were saying like you're finished you'll never be make another movie you'll never fight you're just like that was your marketing tool that you were just you're here i was like no no i can really fight i was like no i really got hands and they were like you know and no one believed in me so that's what makes this thing even more powerful that the fact that I got rid of that hair and I'm still doing my thing. I'm still a champ. What a weird thing

for people to focus on. Dreadlocks. Marketing. They looked at it like it was marketing. What it was back in the day, that was a big part of who you were. They always marketed your hair. The crazy dreadlocks. Right, right, right. I understand, but I don't understand because if you know me, you really know me that that's

just nothing. And again, the hair was blocking me. The hair was blocking my vibe because I was like, yo, the hair had its own personality. You feel me? The hair had its own personality. And then it's really Shannon and cutting the hair and seeing how people treated me. I was like, you know what? It's cool.

I'm just going to be me. I'm not going to try to talk correct or, you know what? It's cool. I'm just going to be me. You know, I'm not going to try to talk correct or, you know what I'm saying? My diction's going to be what it's going to be. People tell me, oh, Shannon, why don't you do movies?

Why don't you do this challenge? Listen, I don't speak well, champ. I'm hardcore ghetto. You speak great. I understand every word you're saying.

Thank you, champ. But listen, you know what I mean? I'm not the type, you feel me? I'm just keeping it real. Right. I've learned one thing,

and shout out to Chris Lawrence, stay in your lane. You know, and that's one of his best sayings, and I hear him say it all the time. But it's true. I've learned that. Stay in my lane, champ. You know what you're really good at? What's that, champ? You're really good at being Shannon.

Let's go, champ. That's what you're really good at. You're really good at being you. That's it. And that took me, and thank you again, one more time. And I mean that because that's what I didn't know who I was. I didn't know who I was. didn't know who I was I grew up overnight what's understandable

I mean it takes a long time for everybody if everything's worked out perfectly really yeah man everybody everybody every person has ever lived no one ever if you do you're full you're full I mean if you're like 18 years old you got it all figured out get the fuck out of here

I had my own apartment when I was like 15 right so I was like you know not my own but I had an apartment when I was 15

it was like a I was uh what do you call it when you uh living in a place where you're squatting in a sense but you know

I was like I've been on my own all my life a friend of mine Jesse Robertson said to me one day he said you know champ you've basically been

making your own decisions since you was a kid but now you understand yourself better yeah i didn't know who the fuck i was champ right i didn't know who i was i just knew that i was living well going through all the bad times i think is probably what has made your character so strong today and now that everything's good you you understand the importance of keeping it good. That's why this positive message that you keep pumping out. And that's why this, let's go, Chad. I'm one sip away from fruit punch from not feeling good. I went to Roscoe's yesterday.

You know, great food, I guess. Chicken and waffles. Yeah, and I took a sip of the, what's it called? The lemonade sunrise, I don't know, the fruit punch. And the sugar got me thinking bad. I was like, oh, man, I feel terrible. So, again, I say that. You say I'm on the path, and that's the great path,

but it's so crucial. Diet's important. Who I'm around is important. You feel what I'm saying? Because that's the energy. You feel me? If I'm around somebody doing some negative shit, I'm not on that.

So I don't need to be on that yeah so i don't need to be around this person i don't even listen to like that much hip-hop i listen to beats i don't even because i don't want to hear you drinking you smoking you want to screw this girl you this you that you got this you got this car i got the watch i don't need that champ i already went through that and that was a bad portion of my life the 90s is something I wish never happened that I can remember. The 90s and until four years ago, I don't feel like I was alive. Wow. Yeah, I don't feel like I was alive, and that's credit to my family,

man, my wife and kids, man. They really held me down. I'm crazy, champ. This ain't no act. I've been through some shit. I believe you. Yeah, I've been through some shit, man, you know? What is all that crazy music you play in the background when you do your videos? What is that? That's just beats, champ. Shout out to the Loud Lord OG Tags. These are just beats.

Raisy K, all the people, man, you know what I'm saying? Courtney Scott, all the people. She's a female from LA, makes beats. She's amazing. I mean, this is these, I had to like do a detox. Like, I don't watch certain things television. You know, you flick in the channel, what you got? First 48. Lockup. You got

negativity news. I don't, I had to, I had to do a detox, first 48, lock up. You got negativity, news. I had to do a detox for the news lately. I don't watch any more news. The presidential election, all this shit is going crazy. I don't want to be involved no more because I'm involved with something else. Boxing. I'm focused on Lucas Brown. I can't focus on Trump and Hillary.

I got to focus on Shannon Briggs and me and Lucas locking ass whenever we get a date. You feel me? So I've learned to like put things in perspective. Shannon, this ain't for you. I can't watch the internet and watch so much brutal knockout videos and this girl's doing that and this guy. I don't need to be involved with that. And that's what a lot of people need to learn.

And a lot of people follow me on kids and they say, thanks champ. Because I see the most damaging thing right now in America, around the world, forget that, around the world, is that kids don't have guidance. You know what I mean? So they got Uncle Champ. You feel me?

Some kids, thousands of kids hit me like, you're like a dad to me, man. You know what I mean? I didn't have a dad. I didn't have a role model. I didn't have nothing. So they're looking at my videos. With days I don't want to make videos, Joe, I get texts, champ, you okay? You okay, champ? We haven't heard from you in a couple of days. So I have a responsibility now to help others, make them feel happy by being happy sometimes when I

don't even feel happy. Well, I think one of the things you're saying that's really important is you're talking about a mental diet as well as a physical diet. And I think you really do have a mental diet. And if you just take in nothing but negative things all day and around negative people, and especially when you just expose yourself to seven billion people's worth of news, and the only stuff that gets popular is the stuff that's fucked up. Nasty shit, bro. And it'll fuck with your head. Nasty.

I mean, it really, not forget your head, because then it physically starts feeling like I felt so crazy with this election. You know what I'm saying? Like physically, I was like, man, that's when I was like, you know what? That's it.'m saying like physically i was like man that's when i was like you know what that's it i came home i was like that's it no more i said i told my wife i said no i said no i said please do me a favor if you want to watch this stuff do me a favor please just tivo it and watch it when the champs not around because i can't it's really affecting me because i gotta worry about training i gotta think i gotta think about that i don't want to be worried about what they do. What they do is going to happen.

You know what I mean? It's going to affect me or it's not going to affect me. I'm going to deal with that then. But right now, I got to focus on me. And that's what I couldn't do, champ. And I don't blame anybody. But if you're out there on prescription drugs, I was taking all types of inhalers all my life. Since I was a promatine from early days.

Kids, that stuff is bad for you mentally, champ. Is it? Bad for you mentally, man. Is it? Bad for you mentally, man. What does it do for you? Oh, man, the anxiety, the jitters, the brain, the chemistry, what it does to your brain, man, it alters it, champ. All of you got to be careful. I'm not telling you to take your medicine and follow your doctors.

I'm not telling anyone to don't listen to your doctors. But me personally, I had to go on a journey to find out how to save me because I went to every doctor. They don't know anything about hormones and this and that. They don't know anything. They don't know. I heard you once say, you want to find out about your hormones, find a super older doctor that looks great, that knows about this type of shit. Because when you're feeling depressed and your testosterone is like 80 or 20, you feel like killing yourself, champ. You've got to do something.

People can't give you, hand you a bunch of pills and say, this is going to make you feel better. You're still going to have low tests, which for a man is going to make you feel like a bitch. Yeah. Excuse my language, but it's just a fact. So all these different factors play a role.

And also, again, back to what you're saying, what you're watching, the mental diet. If you're watching people getting killed all day, you're going to feel a certain way. All this shit is going in your brain and your mental storage. You feel me? And now you're just wondering why. And then you're eating sugar. You're eating cookies and donuts and fast food and Chinese food.

This shit ain't helping you either, champ. Yeah. You know what I mean? And that's what I'm telling people every day. Champ, leave it alone. It's too tempting. Everywhere you go, you see fast food. Take the food home and

cook it yourself. We've got to try to and the problem is, it's not cheap. Who can afford to go to Whole Foods every day? You know what I'm saying? It's hard. I'm struggling. Who can afford every day to spend $150, $200 for their family every day? That shit is hard, champ. I think what you're

saying is very important. It's very important about a mental and a physical diet. It's the same thing. When you're watching all the violence on television or all the negative news, it's like sugar. Yeah. It's very compelling and easy to take in and not do it for you. Terrible. I had that sugar drink last night, man, and three sips in.

I was like, because I'm not used to it. Right. And I was feeling it. I was like, yo, champ, this is what people drink in every day. All day, every day. Like there's nothing. And I was that pee. I was dumb. Yeah. feeling, I was like, yo, chill. This is what people drinking every day. All day, every day. Like there's nothing. And I was that pee, I was dumb. How was I able to do it?

Now I can't take a sip. It's crazy how your body adjusts. Amazing. Your body adapts to not having sugar and feeling healthy. And then when you do have something that's unhealthy, you feel it, like you really feel it deep in your body. And your mood change. You feel me? I crash.

Yeah, man. really feel like deep in your body and your mood change you feel me i crash yeah i had a cheeseburger and a milkshake man and it was like somebody hit me with a tranquilizer i felt terrible i'm telling you bro it's crazy before i would eat that and it'd be nothing crazy but i think what you're saying i think is is very important for people to take in you know and having a person like you who's experienced these great highs and lows and then come out of it with this positive energy, that is so powerful for people. That's such an important and motivational thing for other people, though, man. There's no other way. Yeah.

As much as you are helping yourself, and I know you're helping yourself, you're helping a lot of people, man. You really are. We're helping each other. No, no, we're helping each other. I mean, honestly, there's nothing. I said from the beginning that this ain't mine. You know, I patented, I trademarked the name. I mean, I trademarked the saying and everything.

You trademarked Let's Go Champ? I had to, champ. Go to letsgochamp.com. Yeah, I had to, you know. I had so many ups and downs. Like I told you, when I tell you no lie, bro, I got nothing to lie to you about. I was involved with some major deals.

When I'm talking about from at the top, in the beginning, in business and entertainment, and the champ didn't come out on a good side. So a lot of times, a lot of times enough to say, damn, am I stupid or something? But, you know, just trust and belief and getting shagged, champ. It's a dirty business. It's a dirty game, champ. Boxing is dirty, and it's been dirty forever.

Business is dirty. All business. All business is dirty. So that's what I learned. And, you know, coming out where I am now and, you know, I trademarked it because I said, you know what, it was starting to like, you know, fizzle when I was like,

I was really passionate about it because it's something that I was saying. Again, I didn't have nobody around me. I used to have friends with me all the time. I'm training, whatever, whatever. They all left. It was all moved on. So for me, I was like, no entourage, nobody to push me I gotta push myself so I started talking to myself something that I never did and that's a whole nother story I'm gonna tell you in the book why I refuse to talk to myself why did you tell me I

was saving it for book fuck it will sell the book man let me know I put up links I'll buy it myself if we go let people know. All right, well. I'll buy it myself. If we're going that route then, all right. Come on. No, no. But the reason why is because I had an uncle. My mother's brother, Anthony Parham, he was her only brother.

He went to the military. He went to the Vietnam War as a child, as a young man, 18 years old, when he left high school. He didn't have to because it was all sisters. And he wanted to go because everyone around the town, Petersburg, excuse me me jarrett virginia everybody from his town the young men were going his cousins and everybody so he went he came back um disturbed he came back you know different than when he went in he was actually missing for quite a time they were they were going to declare him dead when he showed up one day um a trench coat on, army boots,

and naked in Halsey Street in Brooklyn. So this led to him being mentally disturbed all my life. He would talk to himself. He lived with us. I slept in a twin bed here, and he slept in the bed there. And he was, you know, when alcohol, when he drank, he became very violent. You know, he beat my mom up one time really bad, closed her eyes up. And him talking to himself was something I grew up all my life watching.

And I'm like, ain't me crazy. He called me, ain't me. Ain't me, you crazy. You crazy talking to yourself. So, and I got older, I would just refuse to even have a conversation with myself. Oh, you crazy. And four years ago, I started having conversations with myself, champ. I was like, yo, you know what, champ?

You got to go. And I started saying, let's go, champ. And I was like, man, I asked my wife, I said, you think I'm crazy because I spoke? She was like, yeah, we already know you're crazy. You know what I mean? So I'm like, let's go, champ. And that was my mantra.

It became my mantra. You know, my friend told me one of his mantras was to be the man, you got to be the man. When he was tired, he was running mile 18. To be the man, you got to be the man. To be the man, you got to be the man. And he used to say it to himself. Yeah, and I was like, you know what?

I need a mantra. And I was hitting the bag one day, and I was tired. I was like 400 pounds. I was like, let's go, champ. Let's go, champ. Let's go, champ. Let's go, champ. Let's go, champ. Let's go, champ. In the head, champ. When I'm feeling

pain, you feeling pain, you feeling down, tell yourself, let's go, champ. Let's go, champ. Dude, I hear you when I work out sometimes. It's yours. Pushing through a set. Let's go, champ. It's yours. It's everybody's. It's the people's, man. The people gave me this. The universe gave me this.

The people linked into it. It's not mine. It's ours., man. The people gave me this. The universe gave me this. The people linked into it. And it's not mine. It's ours. We just want to give each other positivity and love. I meet people from everywhere, champ. I'm a little nuts because I go to every city or country and people say, champ, I'm in the lobby or I'm in this town. Can I meet you? And I say, come over to the hotel.

And they come. You know what I mean? They come. You might have to stop that when you win the title. It might get a little crazy. No, I'm the people's champ. I'm here for the people. Wow, man, that's strong.

But listen, if you can motivate yourself, I mean, you motivate other people, you should definitely be able to motivate yourself as well. I'm not trying, no, I'm going to be honest with you. I'm not trying to, like, say I'm a guru, I'm a motivator. I'm just a dude who is showing people that I was down and out, I was flat on my face. I wanted to kill myself. And I didn't give up for the love of my family and now the love of the people that's saying,

let's go, champ, that believe in me. I want to do it for them. You need a reason. You need a purpose. Scott Hirsch, shout out to Scott Hirsch. He told me a long time ago, he said, you know, Shannon, I think the family thing, environment, is just out of the blue in the conversation.

He just said, you know, Shannon, we weren't even talking about anything. He said, you know, I just think the family thing, environment is, just out of the blue in the conversation, he just said, you know, Shannon, we weren't even talking about anything. He said, you know, I just think the family plays a huge part of our development. I said, why you say that, Scott? He said, because it gives you a reason to go home at night. And I was like, damn, you know, we all need a reason, you know what I mean? It gives you a reason. And my family gives me a reason, and

you give me a reason, because when, and Snoop Dogg gave me a reason, and Cam'ron gave me a reason. Every popular rapper and unpopular rapper, and guys who make beats, they gave me a reason, when a Snoop Dogg gave me a reason the camera gave me a reason every popular rapper and unpopular rapper And guys who may be they gave me a reason because champagne feel good, man I'm gonna keep it real with you a lot of days I feel good but when I got up and seen you would Snoop or Cameron or reels or

I'm not chance or anybody out there that I know that was Gave me a shout out or the pump that you know act this to someone else I was like they gave me a reason and the reason became you know, act this to someone else, I was like, they gave me a reason and the reason became more and more. So I felt like I was taking in the energy from the people around the world.

Every text, every meme, every DM, I feel like I'm getting stronger because now the people behind me, I never had nothing, Joe. I was on my own. I was a kid by myself

and now I got the world behind me. That's all I needed, Chase. You got a lot of people behind you. I got the world behind me. That's all I need. You got a lot of people I got the world I got 150 thanks to you as well And then everybody who promotes me and those are my promoters by the way the people promote me. Thanks to you guys I got like a hundred and fifty something thousand people hundred fifty six thousand people following me right that to me is unreal I started out with nine I remember when you talked about me on your Instagram because we were talking about you and how much I love your videos. And I was like,

oh shit, Shannon's listening. I love it. It got me excited, man. This is excitement for me because I've never had this. I've never had no momentum. I've never had nobody behind me. I got a reason. I feel like Rocky. You know what I'm saying? Keep fighting. You know what I'm saying? Adrian!

I got a reason. You know what I mean? I got a reason. I never had a reason except to try to make some money, to feed myself and my family, or to show off, or get some shit. You know what I'm saying? Some Nevo Reach type of situation. Now, I don't care about the money. Of course I got to have the money.

Don't get me wrong. And I want to be paid accordingly. I'm bringing non-boxing fans to boxing. That deserves something. Now, I told you when I fought Vitaly Klitschko, they did the highest ratings ever. Not because of Klitschko, because of Shannon Briggs. He fought many people.

Why so many with me? When I fought Lennox Lewis, highest ratings. When I fought George Foreman, highest ratings. I sell, champ. Now, I want to be paid for that, champ. This is a job. You know what I mean? I'm a mailman.

I get up every day and go to work, do my job. But I want to be paid. I didn't get paid when I fought Klitschko, champ. I want to be paid for that, champ. This is a job. You know what I mean? I'm a mailman. I get up every day and go to work, do my job. But I want to be paid. I didn't get paid when I fought Klitschko, champ. I want to make money. I'm not stupid. You feel me? I was, but I'm not anymore. But that's not your primary motivation.

No. My primary motivation is the people are behind me, and I want to do something that's never been done. I want to bring all these non-boxer fans like Muhammad Ali did. I want a Muhammad Ali moment. Not for me and for my ego, because I don't have, I cut the heel already. I got a girl already.

I got a wife. I don't care. You know what I'm saying? I don't care about clothes. I don't want a Bentley. I don't want to, I don't care about that no more. I don't want none of that. I just want the people to say,

champ, champ, champ. That'd make me feel good, champ. That would make me feel good, champ. That would make me feel good, man. That would make me feel like, you know what? My mom looking at me, and she could say I'm proud of my boy. You feel me? He made something out of nothing. You know, we was homeless.

People turned their back on us, champ. They wouldn't let us come in their place. Many nights we sat on the train, and many nights I didn't know if she was alive or dead. You know, and I was hoping and just and it was rough man and I want her to look at me and say man my boy made it you know I mean and she said something before she died she said Shannon when we lost everything people said you know she said she was like the big person in my family was supposed to do something this is all in the book but she was supposed to be something and And she came to New York, and she was living the life, and she was making it, got a job, and she got on drugs.

And she went from a beautiful woman to a woman who lost everything, but she had a son. And she took me sickly and all and stuck by my side, so I said, I'm going to make it. And she instilled in me, make it, Shannon. Regardless of what you got to do, make it. And when people turned their back on us, and we had joe she said shannon one day we're gonna have something and they're gonna look at us different you feel me and she said to me before she died

she said i didn't make it but i made it through you and that's what i'm doing this for because she made it because she did make it she made it to her son and she wouldn't want me to give up asthma ain't no excuse no manager ain't no excuse. No manager ain't no excuse. No promoter ain't no excuse. Make it. And then I came out with social media. They came out with social media and I'm making it, champ. Well, you're making a lot of people happy too, man. Thank you, champ. A lot of excitement.

You provide a lot of motivation, a lot of enthusiasm. Let me loose! I'm in your corner, brother. I'm in your corner. Thank you, champ. Thank you for being here, man. I really appreciate it. This is a great fucking time. I'm sorry to cut you off. Go ahead, brother. No, champ. Thank you for being here, man. I really appreciate it. I'm sorry to cut you off. No, nothing. I'm just saying I had a great fucking time talking to you. Yeah, this has been

therapeutic for me, more importantly, because I needed to vent because no one's been able to give me an outlet, especially no one this big has given me an opportunity to talk to so many people and I wish I could have done this totally different now. Wow,

it's perfect. Nah, I'm just keeping, you know, this is perfect. I started out a little, you know, tripping up,

but it's all good, champ. You know, this is a moment for me in life because forget the past. I don't even remember shit. I got some type of damage. I don't even care

and remember this shit. This right, this moment right now is the moment, man. I'm in the moment, man. I'm in the moment

and I appreciate it because it means a lot to me, man, because I was flat. Nobody wanted to give me nothing. Nobody gave me a shot. I couldn't get a T-shirt. I called Everlast and said, man, let me get a T-shirt. They said, don't call back, man. Don't go here with that shit, shit.

I couldn't get nothing from nobody, man. I don't want nothing from nobody. You know what I'm saying? All I want to do is be successful, you know, have something for my family when I'm gone. You know what I'm saying? So they don't have to suffer the way I did. And I want to do is be successful, have something for my family when I'm gone, so they don't have to suffer the way I did, and I want to make people laugh and make people have fun and leave my fights and say, man, he did it. Then I'm going to do it again. That's another thing.

Before I go, I want to say this. I want to fight a lot. I want the heavyweight championship fight three, four, five times a year. I don't believe in this fight two years. He should fight every six weeks the heavyweight champion. Yes. That's what should be happening. And that's what I want to be. I want to be an active

campaign. And I'll give that to Wilder. They did keep him busy before he hurt his arm. They kept him busy. But that's how you're supposed to fight the game. Be busy. Be busy. Have fun. Bring more people to the sport. And then walk away. Follow this man on Instagram.

It will make your life happier. Let's go, Champ. Give people the address. Give people the Instagram address. My Instagram is canon underscore Briggs. Let's go. That's my Instagram. And my Facebook is what?

Shannon Briggs? Shannon Briggs. And Twitter is the canon? The canon Briggs on Twitter, man. And my website is letsgochamp.com. Letsgochamp.com. LetsGoChamp.com. Yeah, buy a t-shirt, man. I'm on my own, champ.

I appreciate y'all. I'm not, you know, using the money for nothing. That's for you, champ. That's for you. I'm wearing this. You know what I mean? Shout out to my baby girl, Chloe, Moo Moo Fat, Chan, and Kaden, and my wife, Alana. I love you, babe.

Shout out to everybody. If you don't mind me giving shout outs. Please, shout out. Shout it out. You know black people without shout-outs. Shout-out. Chris Lawrence, Chris Jr., Stacey, Amir Iman, everybody from Brooklyn, Brownsville. I love y'all around the world.

L.A., Compton, Watts. Everybody, my man. Oh, Paulo out there. Jamal, Jameezy. Everybody in the crew. There's so many to thank, but I really want to thank you because bro i i made it i made it again i made it before but i made it again this this is a sign that i'm back you're back i'm back let's go champ let's go champ thank you everybody that was beautiful thank you champ you're the best. Please, please shake your hand. Please.