AIR DATE:
EPISODE: Episode 3
Today David speaks with Chris Thompson, a pro boxer out of Kansas City Missouri. He has a professional record of 7-0 5KO.
Watch live on TalkinFight.com and more episodes on YouTube.com/c/TalkinFight
#TalkinFight #RingsideTalk #SouthAfrica
Transcribed:
I’M the former wbf international superfeatherweight champion and former wpf all africa lightweight champion [ Music ] good afternoon.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another episode on ringside talk show rolling, um rolling, with the punches with your host david ritchie.
Today, we’ve got a special guest, guys um a heavyweight prospect all the way from south africa.
He has 12 fights two losses and one draw he’s.
The current south african heavyweight champion he’s the current abu africa heavyweight champion and he will be fighting for the wbc international bridge weight in the next two months, all the way from south africa.
I’Ve got my one of my friends very good and talented hard hitting fighter.
Chris, the wolf thompson: what’s up guys, good thanks yourself.
Thank you very much for having me on the show, no problem.
Brother, no problem.
Thank you for taking this time to sit with us.
I know uh as an athlete and as a fighter you know your day’s busy with the training and all of that so chris welcome to ringside talk show.
As i told you before, we start we’re just gon na kick back brother uh talk to the fans, mainly from the united states and around the world.
Just let them know who you are and all um.
As i started chris uh, i told the people you have 12 fights two losses: one draw you’re the current; yes, thirteen fights, thirsty twelve win, two losses, one two three is one rule; yes, yes, yes and the current is a heavyweight champion.
The current abu africa heavyweight champion and wbc bridgeweight international contender will get to all of that soon.
Chris tell us who you are brother.
We start in the beginning where you grew up um, who are you uh, yeah man? Let us know yeah, so obviously my name is chris thompson: uh, i’m a professional boxer from south africa, johannesburg, i’m currently 27 years old.
I grew up in the northern suburbs of johannesburg, mainly in round berg in north cliff.
I went to school in that area.
I went to norfolk primary and then i did my senior high school at king school, robin hills uh.
I wasn’t always a professional boxer.
I wasn’t really always into boxing at all in school.
I started to south africa up until the age of 18 then decided overnight.
I didn’t enjoy swimming anymore.
It was just too much in the pool.
I started playing rugby.
A bit played rugby professionally here in south africa.
I played for schwarz played for the balls, then uh broke.
My left knee had a knee replacement at the age of 21 and at the age of 22 i decided to take up boxing.
You know and uh.
You know the rest is history wow brother uh, it sounds like you grew up in a very athletic lifestyle from swimming all the way to rugby and then finding uh your footsteps in the boxing.
It sounds like you know, your childhood.
You were drawn in yes, athletics and keeping foot, you know also swimming.
I know as a sport, it’s you you always keeping foot and all of that.
So how was that growing up? You know um.
It sounds like yeah.
You were always in in in sports.
As a as a child, they um run us through that uh sound, like your parents, were also very supportive in that in that yeah.
To be honest, with you, uh from a very tender age, probably from five or six years old, a new sport was what i wanted to do.
If you had asked me at the young age, what what was i going to do professionally? I would have told you swimming, i represented south africa.
I went to the glasgow commonwealth games in 2012, um and uh.
Then literally just overnight decided i didn’t enjoy swimming anymore.
I think it was just too much.
You know from the age of six.
I was in a pool twice a day spending six hours in the pool a day, and then i just you know i got over the sport of swimming and uh.
I started to pursue rugby yeah, so yeah sport has always been my background.
I always knew from a very young age that i would be a sportsman and and not sit in a nine-to-five or or do a conventional job.
Uh then play drug professionally uh played for two very big unions in south africa, the strokes and the blue balls and then uh.
My left, knee uh playing for the bulls, did my rehab with the bulls uh and the year later i was obviously in a stuck place.
Just broke my knee playing rugby.
I didn’t really have the passion to play rugby anymore.
After breaking my knee, i had a very severe break.
I did everything in my knee my mcl pcl, my meniscus, my patella, my patellar tendon, my tibia and my fibula, and so i had to have a knee replacement and the top of my tibia amphibia had to be built up by titanium pieces.
And so i just uh, i tried to go back to rugby, but to be honest with you psychologically, i just wasn’t there.
I was a bit afraid of the knee and then you know i started boxing understand stratum uh in 2017.
I was 22 years old uh.
Now i’m now 27.
, so i’ve been doing a profession for five years and uh.
You know grades were blessed uh that you know the pause led me this way.
Obviously, as i said, it could have been a number of sports.
You know, but that’s uh, very amazing brother.
I think when i met you um you were playing rugby and all uh [ __ ].
I don’t think uh any of us thought we would see you boxing and all because, as i’m saying when i met you, you know it was all rugby um [, Music ], you know and uh to see what you’ve you’ve gone.
You’Ve done in the sport, especially in south africa.
It’S very tremendous.
Let’S talk about your moving into the from rugby into boxing.
You know it’s two different types of spots, uh, two different types of training – um.
You know you could say you have you.
You can’t just play you played in the top teens of rugby in south africa.
As for those that don’t know, rugby is a 15-man team.
Sport um, you know it’s, it’s very physical, it’s very! It’S a lot of contact and uh for for for you to play in the teams that chris has mentioned, you have to start in amateur level to get to those teams.
You know you get chosen by selectors and all in south africa, not a lot of people.
Actually make those teams, so chris, it sounds like you were playing rugby also from a young age to make those teams.
Now your change from rugby into into boxing.
How was that? Because you had no boxing experience in the in the past as an amateur as okay? We don’t know if you had been into boxing gyms, but it sounds like you were more in the swimming and on the rugby field, um.
How did uh a change like you say overnight? If that happened with your boxing, how would the difference changing? Did this training that you have from rugby to boxing? Did you find this uh? It’S i’m i’m i’m finding it hard to just you know to grasp like one minute directly next minute in a boxing gym how in the world would you be yeah to be honest with you, i never had any um experience never never had been in an opponent.
Never laced up a pair of clubs.
I’D actually never been inside a boxing gym to be very honest until the age of 22.
um.
The training styles are completely different, obviously playing rugby.
As you said, it’s a very physical sport, so i knew i enjoyed the physical aspect of all of sports.
I enjoyed contact, i enjoyed dominating people in contact, and so when i broke my knee, i was kind of left in a difficult place to say.
Well, you know: where am i going to go? I wasn’t prepared to start working a conventional nine-to-five job and working in corporate.
I wasn’t happy with that.
So i actually went to lunch with my current wife.
She was my girlfriend at the time and we went for lunch at a shopping.
Mall called cresta and you know i was just discussing with her.
You know i don’t know what i’m gon na do now.
Obviously i tried to go back to rugby.
Wasn’T the player that i was before obviously psychologically? I was worried about my knee going into contact and things like that, and so she said to me.
Well, you know you’re quite notorious for fighting.
You know everybody on the street doesn’t really want to mess with you.
Why don’t you try boxing? So i said to you, you know finding on the streets and unboxing are two very different things, but you know i’m prepared to have a go so went on to google, google.
The boxing jumps near me and uh straight into jim, came up and i drove straight from that lunch.
I drove to the gym and i walked in and i told the trainer hey i want to.
I want a box and he said to me: okay, cool.
This is what the class is all this that the next thing, so i said to him: no, i don’t want to join the classes.
I want to fight professionally, so obviously being australian in south america is quite a big name as a trainer.
He didn’t know who i was so he said to me: have you had any like degree? Have you boxed before so i said to not never box before but of course, a couple times in the street.
You know played rugby, you think, i’m quite tough, so he said to america cool come back tomorrow and bring your gun god and bring some gloves.
So i said someone i don’t have gloves: i’ve got a cam going from playing rugby, but i don’t have gloves like that.
So i rocked up the next morning at 9 o’clock.
I didn’t know anything about boxing to be honest, and he put me in the ring with tommy wesley for those who don’t know he’s the same entire world.
Obviously i don’t champion who he was because i didn’t know the sport of boxing got into the ring and in like four rounds, tommy put me in the hospital broke, my nose gave me a concussion, you know i just i really wasn’t prepared for what he your First time in the boxing ring first ever so recovering from that went back then uh kevin said to me: okay well get back in the ring tommy, and this happened about three times: he’d been to hospital about three times kept coming back, kept coming back and then, Like after six months to eight months, you know the time started, changing and uh, he stopped beating me up and then said to me: okay, you’re, ready for your pro debut and uh after six months of being a boxer of some sort.
I had my pro debut in durban: oh wow, that’s very amazing brother um.
It’S actually quite an amazing story that you know a lot of fighters have these kind of stories how they got into fighters.
If some have been going into prison.
Some have left the gang life.
Some have come from dark places.
You know you have all these stories how people have found boxing, and yours is also one of those i will say a very epic story.
You know just hearing it.
To be honest, i didn’t know it went down like this, but to hear this and to to see where you’ve come in your career and where you are today and we’ll get to that just now.
It’S very amazing brother uh, amazing, amazing, stuff um.
It sounds like you had a lot of sharewool and determination, always going back to the to the gym all the time uh you spawned with tommy all stays in for yours.
That don’t know as well, like chris said, tommy seven time, ibo super metal, middleweight champion of the world um.
So even that you know uh.
I remember for me uh my fault.
First time i spot damn.
It was like, after three months of learning, how to throw the double jab straight right and we weren’t scoring no world champions and [ __ ].
We were just following the amateur lighties and stuff like this, so brother, my head’s off to you for always coming back and for for for for you’re, not showing your heart will and your determination, and i think that’s what coach craig saw in you.
So yeah man run us through your your your your career, um, your your your pro career with coach uh, you say your first fight was in durban.
Um run us through that tag.
You know um.
How was that for you um yeah, i actually uh before josh victorious, the guy that i beat for the south african african heavyweight titles uh some 14 fights later.
But you know to be honest with you when i went to the fight with cats and for josh, like i said i was a novice.
All he said to me is: keep your left hand tight and just jab you can win the fight with one hand.
You’Ve got long, reach, you’ve got speed, just jab it and he didn’t allow me to throw any other punch.
He said to me: if you’ve got another punch, when you come to the corner, i’m gon na slap you so obviously i was more afraid of him slapping with him else.
So take the fight.
Uh won the fights on a jab one by unanimous decision.
We fought five right four rounds.
I fight 1436 on all judges, scorecards then uh moved on.
You know i had two pro fights after that and then i was uh in my fourth fighter and the toughest fight i’ve ever had.
Still today i bought the county [ __ ], the only guy to beat me twice the first one.
To be honestly, i beat him, we fought in a six round fight and he got a point deduction.
A full team on his promotive show.
So you know how it is promoted.
They always get the favor on the judges and uh yeah.
To be honest with you uh, i believe i beat him and i still believe i beat him in that fight in the first fight um, but it is what it is you know moved on, took the loss came back, had another two fights and i thought to Kanye again uh when i thought of connie the second time he caught me with a very good punch in the second round, and he actually knocked me out um.
I took my time off from boxing.
I came back and uh.
You know i persevered and uh now.
I’M on a night five winning streak haven’t lost the fight to nine fights, as you said.
Currently, it’s gon na be a current african-american champion and you know we moved on.
I learned my lessons.
As i said, uh, i thought zakarni for those who don’t know he’s a very decorated amateur uh.
He won bronze, also at the commonwealth games.
He said he did really well for himself as a and like i said, obviously knowing nothing about the score of boxing thought.
I could beat anybody, you know and uh super far to the very experience and uh i paid the lesson you know.
I want to ask you something brother, very interesting what you said there.
You know we’re speaking about [ __ ], the guy you, the only loss you’ve had on your record.
You lost to him twice, um, just a quick one.
Maybe you can explain.
Maybe it’s the the mental from your old sports uh, swimming, tortures or or rugby torture.
This you know um going through defeat, especially in the sports like boxing it’s one of the hardest sports to to to handle defeat.
I’Ve had a few losses almighty on my cards i lost before in the amateurs.
It was the amateurs that taught you how to fight how to lose.
How to win.
You know uh, you you lose, the coach will tell you, don’t worry, we’re not losing we’re actually learning before you become a professional and you get some fighters that they’re going to the the the pro ranks and they win win, win, win win when hit the first Loss they hit the plot, they don’t know what to do anymore, not just in south africa all around the world fighters.
They got depressed, they they don’t know what to do with themselves, because they’ve had that first loss in a fight.
You know you never had that.
That amateur experience to help you with such things, you never had that.
How did you come back from that? How did you? How did you find the will, like you did when the coach put you up with tommy to say you know what i ain’t giving up here? Yes, i didn’t have an amateur career.
Yes, this is my third fourth fight.
I’M lu.
I’Ve lost, but i know there’s something bigger out there.
That’S i want more and stuff.
How did you? How did you get that brother? If you understand me, you know uh and to be very honest with you.
I think it was something that put that in me.
You know it’s really a very tough sport, mentally very tough sport.
It’S you um, and you know to honest.
I faced defeat in my life before uh.
You know last week when i was supposed to meddle at certain games lost uh in rugby games broke.
My knee.
You know i’ve experienced hardship, you know, but um i’ve always known that you know life is bigger than just hardship.
You know this is an avenue that i’ve chose to make money from which is the sport of boxing and uh.
To be honest with you, it’s actually something alex or will uh told me.
He said you know you don’t judge a fighter on their record as it stands.
Currently you judge a fighter at the record at the end of their career.
What do they achieve at the end of their career? What do they do? It was probably floyd mayweather that changed the whole concept about losing and everybody’s so afraid to use their their own, but fought the best zero having a zero doesn’t really make you a true champion, having lost coming back and fighting champions and being the champion still that Makes you a true champion in my eyes knowing how to lose and picking yourself up, and you know, raising the bar on yourself and in in your in your in your in your tools and your task.
That’S what makes a two champion in my eyes uh.
So 100 and hey brother, you on one uh, let’s be honest, you’re on a road that probably when you started on the odds you’re a hundred to one.
Probably everybody looked at you who’s this chris guy right.
We play a uh swimmer hundred to one look at you now, uh 14 fights later you the hardest hitter in africa.
Your sa champion you’re, going now to a big big fight that we’re gon na speak about.
You know it’s just! This is a little for me.
He shows a lot of um of the champion when you say champion the champion ship inside of you bro and uh big things coming your way.
I really believe this brother, thank you, god yeah man.
So let’s touch a bit on your on your career bro.
We spoke about [ __, ] um.
You said that was your tuesday hardest fight.
What would you say? Um has been you the most exciting fights and uh so far in your career and uh, while you’re at that.
Can you just run us down to? I know you left cracked, just uh put on your journey there in south africa, with your trainers, uh your managers, your little bit of your team, just run us down on that.
Please bro um.
To be honest with you, my most exciting fight was probably my legs as far too far from the south african and african heavyweight titles, just because of the titles on the line, just because of the work that i’ve done over the last five years.
You know people doubting me, people, not thinking that i would ever win a championship.
Uh and to be honest with you the whole time in the camp, i knew i was going to win the fight um.
I knew that i would become the new south african heavyweight champion and i knew that i would put my name among some greats that have held that title.
You know and uh to be honest with you.
The reason why i box everybody has their own motivation.
Is.
I want to make history, you know i want my name to be remembered in the sport of boxing and you know i don’t really fight for money.
I don’t fight for other things.
I want people to remember me who i am, and i want them to remember who i was in on boxing ring um.
So my most exciting fight was definitely my neighbor’s father’s josh.
I probably beat him in the best performance that heavyweight he’s ever had in our country.
I beat him on twenty one: okay, one on eight shut up on all three judges, four cards, so i won all 12 rounds on all three judges.
Scorecards in the sa title.
Fights which was quite exciting for me, you know um, as you said, yeah man just can i stop you there? I just i wan na touch on something you were cruiserweights before you went into the heavyweights.
Now that change were your cruiserweights coming down into the weights, or are you naturally a cruiserweight? Now you going up into the heavies and the pretty weight? No, so i’ve always i’ve always walked around at about 100 and 405 kilos.
So i used to drop 14 kilos to go to cruiser.
Okay, i didn’t decided uh, it was too much.
I felt i was doing my own performance to come down to the cruiserweight division and uh.
You know obviously using 14 kilos and trying to pile it back on is is not really clever, it’s not intelligent, and you honestly, i hated the word cut.
I i like to, i think everyone does it yeah from the lying in the past, and you know for me to make a crucial division that last week, on five weeks, i was eating one meal a day wasn’t eating breakfast.
I used to eat lunch and not eat dinner for like a week, then i decided you know what am i doing, i’m not even tuning my body uh just to make cruise away division.
You know it’s not very intelligent, so i made the move up to heavyweights.
Put all the heavyweights on it.
Just when i moved up, i i said to them: um in the next three fights, i’m winning this episode, no matter what you guys have to say about it and uh, you know that’s what we did so yeah.
I was always the natural heavyweights fighting okay, nice, bro, nice bro.
So tell us a bit about your team.
Now you know you touched that you started with uh uncle hacks freedom um.
I also know uncle heck.
I did some training with him in south africa um.
I know his son very well um run us through your team and uh how you went from this place to this place because um i find that in south africa in the boxing, if you you need the right team with the right team, you can go very Forward you can go for break us down about your team and how everything worked on and has been playing.
So far, look i’ll, be honest with you.
I’Ve always had a place.
I’Ve had uh three, really good coaches uh.
I never left any of them on bad terms.
Uh just left them for business purposes.
You know um.
I started my career in concentrating.
I had a great career with that.
I had four fights um then uh after my last ocarina obviously went back to the drawing board and decided you know what i’m going to do from here and one of those things that i decided was to move gyms and then and i moved to schwann smith.
Uh everybody knows in slovakia, the smith camp has produced many many characters and the main reason why i moved was for sparring uh at the time when it’s cactus, i didn’t really have any sparring.
I was borrowing with some very small guys.
I was actually spoiling my main inspiring partner was alfonzo tissen, who was the middleweight uh champion, he’s too small? You know um and obviously at sean there had to be some children who, at the time or he’s currently still in the top 10.
You know, obviously just for karma for the wbc world title he’s the current wbc world silver champion um, and so that was my reason to go through to sean was obviously for exploring uh.
Just by with tabs and uh.
You know just to get some experience in the ring and uh.
Then i moved on to uh winston’s kind of training with sean had a great career with sean, had no losses and strong five fights.
Five wins uh.
I had a great career with this.
One learned a lot from esau uh learned a lot of drawing.
Also honestly, you honed my skills.
You made me a really slick.
Boxer taught me about the order box.
A little bit more had made me very tough uh.
I would say that was the principal had taught me: is he made me tough? Obviously i always say you, you don’t get in the shower and not get wet.
You don’t get enough boxing and you’re not getting it so somebody’s there.
I was with him for four years uh and then always at the time.
While i was a strong, there was a second charge, shannon stratum actually fat’s son, then shannon decided to leave smith’s and uh.
Always paul chan was my trainer.
He was the second in charge, but he did a lot of the work with me.
A lot of the game plans with me and uh.
So when shannon left, i went with him and uh shannon and i have been working together now, just the two of us.
For closer than two years now, we’ve had six fights, six wins we’re unbeaten uh.
We gained the essay title along the way.
Kinda african heavyweight along the way and, like you said now, we uh we searching for the international thing on those scenes.
You know looking to win some of the big titles: nice bro, nice bro.
It sounds like you you’ve.
Yes, you’ve been blessed with the right people.
Um, just that the smiths, the schmutz are one of the best trainers.
You could say actually all the best trainers in south africa at the moment, with some champions in the stable, then you went back to shannon you could say, and i know shannon very well very.
I want to get him on my show as well have a few words with him, but yeah yeah brother uh.
It sounds like yes, you’re on a your train is going nice and smoothly going straight.
Uh talk to us about your next fight.
Now uh you’re moving upward division just to be too.
If i’m not moving forward division.
Okay, is it not so it’s cruiserweight bridgewater and then heavyweights yeah, okay, so the type of britain is 101 kilos.
I’M currently six so about five kilos to cut down to make that bridge weight will our campaign individually.
Maybe it does make sense.
The winner of this title gets to fight uh and a damage for world title.
So obviously i’ll win that and uh you know that’ll be the the path we would go for.
You know to to win a world title nice bro, and will this be the first fight to out of south africa? Is it in itself? That’S one of my favorite parts of fourth out of south africa over 43 towns out of the country uh i’ve enjoyed all three outings.
I enjoy the hostility to be honest with you.
Obviously, when you go away, you know it is the hometown.
Guy gets all the support they get all the pressure.
You know they try and do ugly things to you like play other for twice a week in kenya, you’re right bro.
For those who don’t know you know africa’s opportunity right, yeah, it’s true bro, it’s true bro.
So run us to your next fight.
My brother you’ve got a very, very exciting fight, um, a very, very, very tough opponent.
I’M sure your team, wouldn’t just put you in a fight like this.
If they didn’t believe you were ready, i’m sure you believe you ready for such a fight.
Tell us about this fight.
Who are you fighting uh yeah tell us more brother where you fighting.
What’S the story yeah, i saw linguist uh for the wbc international bridgewater title uh he’s 13 nos, but eight knockouts uh.
To be honest with you he’s uh he’s built his career nicely.
You know he’s fought some decent guys he’s bought some really terrible guys.
He’S fought some guys lying with 15 losses: europe, europe, bro, you’re, fighting you’re in europe, yeah, finding a denmark in copenhagen, yeah, nice, nice, bro, nice, very beautiful you know going abroad – is a bit of a risk uh.
Obviously you get hometown cooking, which is no secret.
In boxing, but you know when the wbc attached their name to it, you know we were very intrigued by the offer, because, obviously, with the wbc, it means very neutral.
Judging yeah, the race will be from a different country and all three judges will be from different countries other than the home town, not montauk, not his hometown.
So there will be another yeah.
It will be neutral grounds.
Obviously, it’s a massive opportunity: wbc international, whoever wins this fight or financial world title, which is obviously the dream you know becoming wbc title world champion is: is the dream um? So you know we took the phone yeah yeah.
It is a risky fight, obviously, a car that hasn’t tasted defeat yet, but we see opportunity in that he’s a very tall guy he’s six foot, nine uh for those who want to know through so he’s quite obvious: yeah he’s a big guy yeah he’s calling him Yeah so he’s a big guy, very big guy, but uh.
You know open to the opportunity.
As i said when i fought when not in kenya, when i fought in tanzania, i thought to god i was six nine and i handled the heart quite well meet that guy and uh.
You know now we’re just moving on to the next opportunity.
Obviously, as i said, it’s a big one for me, um last words fine, my brother, i think you know i was talking to um.
What’S his name uh dj on thursday, i had him here on my show, and we were actually talking about something like this.
Where you know you saying wpc international title: it’s a bit! It’S it’s not only just for you bro for south africa to have a fighter fighting.
This is huge.
It’S not um! It’S not little things.
You know in a heavier um, never exactly even if you’re, fighting a silver or or international or intercontinental.
These are big titles and, like dj was saying we need more you guys in south africa as fighters and stuff, you need more more backing from the government from from from from the people you know like now, if you think about it, you probably in south africa In from today to the next four months, there’s an ibf title coming in south africa, and then they have you fighting for the wbc international.
Those are two big fights.
You understand you, you should be all over the news.
It should be not just kevin lorena.
Yes, kevin marina has done a good job.
We understand, but that’s ibo stuff, we’re talking we’re talking wbc here, it’s bigger, let’s be honest, so they should be throwing you out more giving you more exposure, more media, more more of this because brother, you just having that fight you’re, putting south africa on the map, Not just you not just your your your coaches and stuff, the whole country as a whole you’re putting them on the map.
You know, and i think you you need more – they should have more um.
They should see you guys more.
They should they should appreciate you yeah.
I agree with you, you know.
Obviously we should get more support.
You know when dj won the ivf world championship at the time we didn’t really hear much.
Only those who knew uh university knew that he had won rbf world title.
You know yeah and obviously celebrated that with him, but you know there was no coverage from the media, but to be honest with you, we break that door down bro, we break it down.
They don’t want to give us the coverage, we win the fight we keep willing, it will come from yeah.
We make our own bro.
We we make our own stories in a way.
We do it up for ourselves because you’re the only one in the ring, but what i was just saying is you know it would be nice to see the country behind such athletes you guys and stuff bro in in in in a bigger, bigger way.
You know uh, even that’s why i’ve got this platform just to put you guys out there.
Let the world know from my homies sitting back at home, we’ve got some champions.
We’Ve got the best of the best in the world bro.
You know, and people must know this – you know south africa is hot.
You you say champion abu heavyweight champion.
For those that don’t know the apu is like one under the wpc belt in africa.
So of course, he’s he’s a champion.
The heavyweight abu meaning he’s the king of africa so have you gone to the wbc website right and you look at the continental champions, i’m the south african continental champion.
So if you go into the wbc you see where their champions are, my name will come up there.
You know, along with territories along with justice tooney along with vladimir sharenko.
You know all these kinds of guys bro.
So you know, as you said, if you use the wbc africa belt, um you’re, not blessed, you know place to be in this position, but and also you know, i think a lot of people don’t understand.
You know um, we can say how blessed we are.
So many times the hard work bro god gives us.
The tools gives us that the thoughts, the knowledge it’s you who puts in the work, it’s you who sweats it’s, who you cries, who bleeds uh.
You know as much as blessed as we are you’re putting in the work bro and uh.
It’S it’s so nice to see you know.
Uh, like i know you, we’ve had a little troll and stuff back in the day and uh how you’ve changed your life around.
You know even when we met, i was like yeah, i’m the boxer on the boxer and you’re the likely player.
And now i look you’re the champion here.
Bro i’m the former champion, but it’s amazing brother um.
It’S it’s a it’s a it’s! It’S quite a story.
Hey and chris i see you’ve been training overseas bruh before i forget this.
It’S in my question there: okay um i’ve seen you been moving up and down in the uk, training and stuff like this um tell us more about that and uh.
Why do you do such things? You know um people, i’m sure a lot of people still don’t understand.
Hey david.
They asked me why you leave south africa.
You got ta fight out there and stuff uh.
My question for you would be.
Why are you going out there and training in the uk and all around um run me down through that bro? You know.
Obviously, as i said, i have no energy background.
I didn’t have a single image of fight and the universal african boxing scene is pretty small.
You know i’ve boxed everybody here, i’ve spotted everybody here.
I know what easy to offer here until africa.
You know um.
So after my last fast, two days after when i was five, i decided to fly to england brawl.
Had the fight flew down to england continued.
My training and you know i wanted to see what those guys have obviously currently in the world.
The uk is where the heavy guys is at you know.
If they’ve got anything, joshua they’ve got tyson, fury, they’ve got friends of club, they’ve got delhi and wine they’ve got that allen, babbage who’s actually from croatia, but he’s based there.
You know they’ve got plenty plenty.
They’Ve got jose stewart.
You know the list goes on and they’ve got nathan corman they’ve got you know, they’ve got top class, guys you if you they’ve, got top top top top cluster.
You know we made this about to go there and expose ourselves.
As i said, you know i like to be uncomfortable, i like to know what’s out there, i like to be realistic with myself.
You know so we went through to to england.
We went to birmingham and you know we got the training there.
We’Ve got the experience, respond to those guys and uh.
You know i just want to put myself out there.
You know i would like to fight on the international scene.
You know the last great great fighter to come out of something was brian mitchell.
You know if you’re talking the german world title world guy world known household name, it was brian mitchell and the reason why i believe he became a hospital name is because he fought overseas 16 times for his world title.
One he’s six he’s world title abroad, 16 times 15 times yeah come on bro.
You know, that’s that’s what it’s about.
I want to go.
I want to beat guys in their hometown.
You know, beat them in their kitchens.
If i have to you know, you’ve got to go against the crowd.
You’Ve got to fight it’s you and that guy doesn’t matter what the crowd does.
You know i would like to beat guys in their hometowns.
You know, if you say the best or you believe you’re the best in anything, don’t meet.
The god is home.
You know it’s one thing to fight at home.
It’S another thing to fight abroad.
You know abroad, yeah, that’s what i’m saying and i’ll uh happy.
You said that you know we’re talking about it, um with dj yeah.
Last week and uh.
I was saying for me as well: it’s been a little bit hectic, not hectic, but a little bit uh difficult, because we like a needle in a haystack coming into europe or like he, went to america to get fights to get just to get people to back.
You and stuff like that, it’s very difficult, but here we are, we push we’re pushing.
We we coming to the people’s backyards, knocking on their doors, really to fight them.
You know, and for me this is what really makes real fighters, not those people that always fighting in the same casino for the same titles, fighting the same old people to no that doesn’t make sense.
If you know what i’m saying you know just a blessing, you know we get to see the world with what we do.
You know yes, yes, yes, yes, and i think some people are afraid to do that.
Some people are very comfortable in their own little bubble.
To do all that [ __ ] and to to to be a king and a master in their own little bubble, they’re scared to break out.
I see you looking big bro like i’ve been talking to you now now for 40 minutes, and i see you you’re also talking about going out there, finding people’s backgrounds you’re fighting for the wpc.
You win this title now.
What are your team looking on doing? As you say, you know it’s very difficult.
South africa is difficult, especially for these titles.
Ibf wbc, you win it.
Yes, now you need to fight for it again sanctuary you know uh that the next route is what you win.
The title you get stripped and that’s the worst, you know: does your team have a plan to say: okay, chris we’re here we, this is where we’re going, and this is where we’re going bro, no matter the body sanctioning fees.
This does that, no matter what the south africans have to say, because it seems like you’re going into a where you’re going you’re not going to fight in south africa bro because of you know, you’re going up you’re going forward.
You’Re going, you know not to say you cannot fight in south africa, you can.
There is just ain’t, no cash.
There bro, you know, yeah, you know, as you said, you know the sanctioning fees, the the current it’s running, direct to the pound, 22 ran to one pound, the exchange, and you know the promoters, don’t want to pay it.
You know it’s the the sanctioning fees and that belt is what two or three fights would cost here on a card.
That’S before they’ve paid that’s before any doctors, anything they’ve just paid attention, fees and bulks, that’s it.
They haven’t even paid the refs to come.
Remember, like you, have a wbc international here in tel aviv: they’ve got to fly out dressed from three different countries.
They’Ve got to fight, you know the guys, don’t want it all of that.
It gets it’s.
So this is my question.
Is you fighting these fights now at at at your current record? Okay, you win this.
I believe you can win this bro.
What happens next to you said, there’s a world title fight on the line, so you guys your team chris thompson’s team, saying: okay, we done now with south africa we’re looking abroad, taking on the world of boxing we’re done now with south africa.
I’M sure you will have your you have to defend your titles a few times your south african titles, but i look, looks like you guys are looking beyond south africa right now, yeah.
So to be honest with you, i would like to only campaign abroad.
As you said, obviously i do have a load, two local taxes that i would love to defend, so we’re gon na have this fight in september in denmark, and then i’ve already made contact with a very big local present uh promoter on espn.
Here i would like to defend titles at the end of the year here in south africa.
You know obviously give my friends what they want to see and then in the new year, once we win this title, we will campaign for a world title.
You know from there will i defend my title again.
Probably not i don’t think i’ll be allowed to.
You cannot be a world champion and be a national champion.
I would have to meditate yeah, so i would like yeah.
I would then vacate um.
I would like to defend myself like my abu um and i’ll.
Do it at the end of the year here on the espn show um.
So that’s the plan for now with this fight is the main.
Obviously we’re not looking beyond this fight, we’re going to win this fight and then at the end of the year i would like to whatever that result is.
I would like to defend my title here locally and then obviously we get a win abroad.
You know world title: we can’t hold the local title national title and a continental title if we are world champions: yeah: okay, nice, brother, nice, brother, so brother, yeah, man, we’ve been speaking 45 minutes, i’m sure even your joy’s title you’re seeing swallowing and [ __ ] And for the homies and uh my fans and the people watching the show uh.
Where can people get hold of you? Chris um, your instagram, you have twitter just give the guys where we can get your handle, get hold of you a little bit uh.
If we want to carry on watching you, your career and stuff yeah so my hand on instagram is crystalwolf thompson uh as well as my twitter, my facebook, chris thompson and technology.
Those are the only social platforms that i have.
I don’t have much else so, if you’re looking to find out.
What’S that, okay, lovely brother – and i always ask my guests – a few questions and stuff – sometimes just random ones.
My question for you today is for the young viewers watching the young people watching that don’t know about boxing, and you know, hear your story get motivated by you, those kids who want to do this and don’t aren’t sure – and you know anyone that you can expire Right now watching this brother, any words of inspiration for anyone out there, yeah 100 bro uh.
I love this question.
To be honest with you um, i always say to to people.
You know when you look at me, there’s nothing special.
You know when you see me: i’m not super challenged, i’m not super intelligent.
I am not super wealthy.
I don’t come from a super wealthy background.
I don’t have advantages in life and i believe there’s only one avenue to success and that’s hard work.
You know whatever that dream is that you’ve got as a child, whether that is to be a professional boxer, whether that is to be a professional gymnast, whether that is to be a doctor, whether that is to be a guy who picks up rubbish on the side Of the road you know work hard, you know those dreams are, you can accomplish anything through hard work and through timely hard work.
You know, i believe that that will get anybody successful in any tier in any form.
You don’t have to be the most intelligent person.
Just work hard dedicate yourself to something commit yourself to something, and you know: you’ll come on top lovely brother, those are nice, powerful words mapru and i i’m sure the people heard that and they respect that once again chris, i just want to say thank you, brother Uh i was sitting here today guys this doesn’t happen all the time.
Even some of my guests, some are former champions.
Some are fighting to be champions.
Today i had a pleasure to sit with the currents as a heavyweight champion and the current abu africa heavyweight champion crystal wolf thompson.
Thank you for your time, brother.
It was an honor having you on my show and uh we’ll i’ll, be definitely watching brother.
All the way from germany i’ll keep watching the guys i’ll definitely be watching we’re supporting you here, 100 uh make us proud fly that flag, nice and high brother keep doing what you’re doing you’re doing amazing things bro, like i say, um you’ve shocked.
Not just me.
You’Ve shocked many people and uh yeah brother.
We believe in you keep doing what you’re doing and thank you once again for your time bro.
Thank you very much for being on the show.
I really appreciate it.
No problem, my brother and uh yeah bro, see you soon, probably i’ll, be coming home, trying to get a mix up there in south africa also on espn but uh.
Hopefully something can happen and i’ll see you guys soon.
Bro see you soon.
Thank you very much for having me lovely lovely.
Thank you guys.
That’S another episode of ringside talk.
Uh join me on thursday for another episode, we’ll be dropping your guests very soon.
Thank you very much.
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