AIR DATE:
EPISODE: Episode 1
Mia Ellis’s achievements as a female boxer and her journey in the sport.
Transcribed
I am one of the co-founders and Chief Operating Officer for the Stafford Boxing Club Incorporated our non-profit organization, which is a yearly mentoring program for at-risk youth in the community.
So we will be able to teach financial literacy communication discipline decision making, as well as campaigning for a premium education.
These are the foundation for the Stafford Boxing Club, these 20 mentees in our program here at Panola Way elementary school years from now, staff for boxing mentees will be known across the world.
What’S going on, what’s going on? What’S up what’s happening? You already know who I am lady Stafford, the lady Stafford already man and you already know who I am the big staff for no cappuccino or Captain Crunch.
No Captain Crunch, no cappuccino is going down.
Man hold up.
You don’t hear that noise them bees, man hold up.
Oh man, Killer Bees.
I can’t I key off me and she on me like that man, what’s Africanized Killer Bees, man and they pursue their enemies, they always on defense, man always on it.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, today we got a special guest facts, all the way from Baltimore Maryland.
You know what it is man looking here, ladies and gentlemen, we want to introduce you to the Stafford, show Mia Killer B Ellis.
That’S what I’m talking about.
Let’S get it Mia, what’s going on, what’s going on? What’S up man, it’s so great to have you on the Stafford show great to chat with you look.
You have definitely made a name for yourself in the boxing world.
Now tell our viewers tell the world: how did you get into the boxing uh, with my dad being a a coach? I basically grew up around the sport um that first time in the gym.
I liked what I saw and I I wanted to keep going back good good good.
So you know, as a boxer Mia, you put a lot of sacrifices in being and becoming the the woman female boxer that you are tell us.
What are some of the sacrifices that you have made to become a great phenomenal uh female boxer, and what do you want to contribute to the sport of boxing when it’s all said and done, my heart is sacrifice, is probably being away from my family uh during Training camp, I think that’s my hardest.
One um.
The second hardest is, is the food that I eat.
I like to eat.
So that’s the second one um, but everything else is um.
I’M kind of used to it from you know.
Having so many years in the sport, but when did you start um, I would say my dad had me my my dad started working with me as soon as I started, walking um before I was walking, I would sit in his lap and watch Boxing all day.
Like straight from the womb, I was watching boxing: okay, remember getting the moves, so he noticed it.
He started taking me to the gym every day and I picked up on.
I picked up on everything and it was kind of like natural.
So he said this is what she wanted dude.
She can do it, but a lot of people think that it’s forced on me, but it’s not he’s still coming to this day like if you want to stop, you can stop.
You know.
He tell me all the time it ain’t forced.
So how come you don’t want to stop it’s what I like.
That’S all I know you know I I didn’t.
I never did no other sports, some people, I’m so tall people, think I played basketball or ran track.
I never played normal sport.
I never watched no other sport.
I can’t tell you about another sport.
I don’t know nothing about it.
Boxing is literally all I know, yeah.
You know what that um dedication, the sacrifices that you had to make for yourself, as and and actually in any field.
So my question to you is: what is one of the most rewarding moments that you have had since you have been boxing? Probably Saturday, you know.
Yes, yeah um, so far, that’s probably the most rewarding one.
It was for a small title.
I was able to do it at home in my hometown right for my family friends, and you know every everybody was able to come out and see me so so far.
That probably was the best one and you know what can I just tell the people? What round it actually ended? So we all know that we have around one, but it was round two yeah.
It was around and it was a wrap and I’m talking about that Reynolds rap that good stuff.
As soon as you touch it it’s over, we we need.
Hey look at the further review is over.
You know, I, you know what I’m saying she looked like.
She took some NyQuil, but you know what that’s one of the things.
I can’t.
I don’t remember your exact quote, but you I believe you said something like you.
Don’T either say before you get into the ring that you are going to knock somebody out and usually, when you hear other boxers say yeah, I’m gon na knock them out on such and such round.
What makes you not say that um, I I always see Fighters.
Looking for a knockout and they be the one to get knocked out, um um, I feel like when you when you so when you two anxious and trying to get that knockout.
That’S when you you mess around, make a mistake and get caught.
So me I like to take my time: um set up my shots, but once I see that you hurt I’m jumping on you yeah, because when the the fight that she just had on August, the 5th yeah like it was like she was running.
If she wasn’t really running to the girl, but it was like she was just so I can see why she said that right, I’m sorry about that! No you’re! Fine! So listen! You know a couple of weeks ago.
It was the big Mega fight with uh, aerospence and uh Terence Crawford, who are you going for and why? I would tell you the truth.
I was going for Earl’s fence, um, really yeah.
I felt like thought what happened to Earl was gon na happen to Crawford.
I thought Earl was going to walk him down and just pressure Crawford out, but apparently Crawford had too much skill.
He was calm, the whole fight he boxed them picked.
His shots been panicked, Earl, just once he got dropped, it was like he just was he lost it.
He was too anxious to get his his his uh points back and then he he just was going downhill after that.
First, second, I mean, after he got dropped that second round right going downhill.
So so, as a fighter, you always look forward to learning from different things, be it good or bad from each fighter.
What is it that you learn from Spence and what is it that you learned from Crawford um Earl from I learned from Earl in that fight? Um, like I said, don’t be too anxious stay calm.
He didn’t stay calm after he got dropped.
He it was like.
He just he went wild, he was open, he wasn’t careful, you know and with Crawford he stayed calm like I said he stayed calm through the whole fight.
He made it look easy, that’s how I was like.
I really wasn’t expecting it, I’m still in shock from that, but yeah.
I learned a lot from the profit in that fight.
He stayed calm.
He he listened to his corner.
You know um, he counted punched.
A lot with that hook, I’m not alive from that.
So so you elated to us earlier that all you know is boxing right.
So my question to you is, since all you know, is boxing: what are the boxers that you emulated some of your techniques and styles from like what do you? I guess how is mere killerby Ellis form? What did she gravitate to in those boxers that has made her the boxer that she is today um? First, I do study a lot of boxes.
Um, it’s usually older, like back in the day.
It’S not the newer generation.
Yes, the new generation is cool, but everybody trying to be like everybody yeah.
But with me, I study, but I’m not trying to be like that person right, I’m just trying to make it muscle memory from what I see and that’s kind of what happened in the fight when I’m in the gym, I’m always working on.
If I miss a punch, always come back with this, the next punch and that’s what I did.
I missed my my brick hand, but I came back with the hook and that’s recorder um.
When I was little, I watched a lot of Sugar Ray and my dad said what you want: Sugar Ray Leonard or Sugar, Ray Robin okay, all right, a lot of Sugar, Ray Leonard and my dad’s.
When I respond like some stuff, you did look just like him.
So it’s not that I’m it’s not that I’m studying to look like the person, I’m I’m trying to make it muscle memory what I see and what I’m practicing on in the gym.
I I do it constantly so in the fight it’s just I it just happened.
I just do it gotcha.
I could see that so your dad is your coach right, slash trainer! Yes, how? How did you? How do you light that um that relationship, because you have a daddy and daughter relationship and then it’s like you have this business relationship.
So how do you separate the two? I don’t um when I’m in a gym he’s my dad.
He makes sure it’s just.
He makes sure I’m doing what I’m supposed to do in the gym.
Um make sure that I’m covering everything that needs to be covered on the business side.
I trust them like I don’t even have to I’m gon na, say question him about anything.
I know he’s gon na put me in no bad position, so I trust him 100 on the business side um.
He makes sure everything’s straight with the opponents, just everything.
So that’s my father all the way around it.
It’S not a deadheading and the coach here and a manager there, no he’s my dad all the way around.
I trust him all the way around.
I like that, and that’s really important for a lot of our viewers to hear because a lot of times it’s always like they’re clashing it’s like yeah they’re, the Eagles their egos get so big that they just forget.
Okay, this is my dad and I need to listen to you, so we were talking about how many days out the week that you go to the gym.
So when you are training, and but I really want to ask you when you’re sparring, a lot of the female boxers females, slash athletes, they spar with men, do you spar with men, and I know that you do? But how is the sparring do the guys really like? Are they really trying to fight, because I know it’s like different types of the sparring, like one type of sparring, is when you’re just either learning and you’re just working on your defense? And you know what you have to work on and you’re not really going fast, and it’s not rough, but has it ever gotten to that point where it’s just like all in yeah.
That’S another thing that I trust my dad with my dad.
He picks my spine.
Um, because I do Spa with males so a lot of people don’t know that, just because a female and a male is the same age, they don’t have equal strength right, men is are stronger than females, so a 23 year old man is is too much for Me to be spawned, so I was for probably like a 16 or 17 year old boy.
We might have almost the same strength.
So that’s perfect spawn for me because I’m a female um, but women, I saw a woman same age, same weight, um a lot of time.
They call the females a lot of times.
They call and come down the spa.
So it’s not right! Now it’s it’s getting better for me to find spawn because they always calling me and work so they be coming down just about every week.
This fall, but with the males we got so many boys in the gym.
I’M good I’ll be throwing the boys at from my gym.
Um the teenage boys they’d, be like you know, from age 16 to 19.
gotcha.
That’S perfect! It’S fun for me so which one do you prefer? Do you prefer to spar with the boys, or do you prefer to spawn with the girls it’s equal? It’S the same.
I I give them both the same energy.
It don’t matter so.
You know I was listening to an interview and it was something that you said that I it just been on my spirit, and you said, if God, if, if something, if God forbid something was to happen to your father, you said that you’re, not boxing.
No more! You will be in the sport of boxing, but you will not box.
Why is that um you’re, the only one I said it before he, the only one that I trust on the business side.
It’S not just about the business side.
It’S about this.
He know he know what I need he.
He know he know me best um, but on the on the business side, it’s so many snakes in boxing us when money involves people would do anything your right hand.
Man will do anything.
Yes, you think you getting.
You think you getting paid a hundred thousand for a fight, but you’re really getting paid five.
They take it.
Four.
Some people like I’ve, seen I haven’t seen it, but I know my father won’t.
Do that and, like I said, go for bed.
Something was happening to him.
I don’t want nobody else in that position, understood respect.
I can see that I understand that so Heather Hardy just fought with uh Amanda Serrano, so we all know that Heather Hardy lost.
She took a big L.
So let me ask you something: we had already talked about what my husband had asked you about Amanda Serrano, but who would be some a female that you would like to get into the ring with like now, yeah um, I believe in you killer bee.
It’S a uh, the um the Zone got a girl named Scott Nicholson.
Right now, I feel like that’ll, be a good fight for the both of us.
We both coming up.
She got a belt.
I believe I just got a belt, but how about? I believe how about if you um WBC, I’m not even sure, but I feel like that’ll, be a good fight for us right now.
Um in the future, though, I do want to fight Katie Taylor, gotcha yeah in the future.
So listen, there has been a Divine shift in the sport of boxing as it relates to women right, so the the the media attention and the sponsorships that are available today wasn’t available years ago.
So you have a lot of pioneers in the in in the sport of boxing, as it relates to women by you being a young female boxer right.
Do you feel any type of responsibility to uphold this Legacy that has been paid by Pioneers to allow you to have the opportunities that you have today, yeah um, I feel like we all do we all need to just show that we able to do the same Thing that the males do, I don’t know why they’d be trying to treat us different um.
So how do you feel about that? I feel like it should be changed um like the two minute rounds.
We should get three.
We should get three minute rounds.
I think L championship fights is 10 Rounds.
Men’S is 12.
yeah, we should get 12 or if they don’t want to give us three minutes.
Give us two minutes 12.
Two minute Championship rounds.
If they don’t want to give us three minute rounds, give us 12 rounds.
Then but um I feel like we, we do we train just as hard as the men, so why can’t we get what they get even down to the pay? We all getting paid more now, a little bit more, but not as much as them.
Still we do.
The same thing killing ourselves just like they killing theirself in training bags, so why can’t we get rewarded the same way they get rewarded and that’s something that we always like.
We always talk about.
We talked about that last week that all female boxers should get the same type of pay that the men get.
They should have just as much media as the men get, and especially with the um rounds and the minutes per round.
But that could be.
You know what I’m glad that you said that if they’re not willing to do the three minutes and then the 12 at least meet halfway and then do the two minutes and then the 12 rounds, so everybody who’s out there.
Hearing this you got to meet us halfway, yeah, so I I like that.
I didn’t even think about that.
So so last week me of my wife and I we talked about how they should have had a female uh fight on their undercard with Earl, Spence and Terence Crawford.
I thought that’ll be in a great opportunity to show advancement in the sport of boxing for females, and so you got a lot of old heads.
That’S you know pretty much had an iron grip on the industry.
You got uh top ring, yeah um and you you know, they’ve been in it for a long time and you you know about you, know Al Haymon and his relationship with his boxers and stuff.
Like that, do you feel like there should have been a female boxer on that undercard with that Mega fight between Earl, Spence and Terence Crawford um, I think it could have been a female fight on there, but the main attraction was them.
So I feel like the females – probably they wouldn’t have got as much attention unless it was unless it would have been like Clarissa or yeah Alicia.
Somebody like somebody with a big name.
Yes, but yeah.
Like me, like me, I’m still coming up.
I wouldn’t have got that much attention off on that card.
Why? Not? I think you know what you know what I really do.
I really do and the reason why is because you got exposure yeah, you, you do have exposure, but it’s just you as a person.
You as a boxer, we were just talking about you, go to the gym six days out the week.
You know what I’m saying you’re putting in that work and then the training that your dad has you to do.
I mean usually um Fighters, whether they’re male or female.
Okay, they have a fight right, they take a week or two weeks.
It hasn’t even been two days and you’re or day and you’re about to go back into the into the gym, a double salute.
But but your fighting style is very different.
Like I look like you have power.
Yes, I was just gon na say say that agility she has the strength she has the the cardio pack down like you can laugh be on that girl cause that swimsuit.
Well.
She stuck boy head hunting boy, that’s like you.
I was telling my husband.
It was almost like you wasn’t running to her, but it was like you were just like you would not let her out of your sight.
She smells good you’re, a second person knockout.
She smelled bloody.
She was on him like a killer bee.
She was on him like a killer bee and that I’m talking about man that hook came so quick and she I know that did come quick too night night.
She did.
She was night night.
She took some.
She was night night.
What is that stuff that you take that um? What is it to help you sleep? Oh melatonin yeah.
She took some melatonin hey, but listen though so like you from Baltimore Maryland, and it’s it’s rough out there, man, it’s whoo.
Lord Jesus, I don’t even like to come out there.
I went to Philadelphia and I said: that’s enough: yeah tank Davis is um up there too.
What do you think about uh tank Davis? You? You have a relationship with him right.
Yes, so Sarah come on now.
Give us some tea now come on.
Give us some tea.
Uh, you wan na talk about tank Davis or Ben from Baltimore, first Baltimore, all right so being from Baltimore.
It’S rough! It’S super rough! I don’t know if y’all know this, but I had a um a t-shirt on it with somebody uh somebody put you on at the fight.
That was one of my friends.
He got killed Thursday two days before the fight, and he was supposed Saturday was his birthday.
Wow end of the fight he was supposed to come to the fight um.
You know we’re supposed to do some stuff after but yeah he got killed on Thursday around two o’clock um and that just was like, but that’s the third time that happened to me.
Somebody I know, got killed before the fight, so I just was like and and shock, but I won’t say that I’m used to it.
It’S just like it’s almost normal being from here.
You never know what they expect.
You don’t even have to be involved in nothing to get killed um in Baltimore.
You could be it a innocent person yeah be on the news um, but yeah it’s rough and I’m from I’m from the The Heart of the City like where it all happened.
That’S where it go down.
That’S what my gym at me, we’d, be saying, stuff, sitting out front of the gym, we’d be saying stuff, go down! It’S crazy! You just got ta, be careful and mind your business.
Basically, you got my own business but um tank yeah.
That’S my brother, I love tank.
He be putting me on if, if it wasn’t for him, I probably wouldn’t be in a position that I’m in right now and why you say that um he put me on all his undercut.
So that’s basically how my name got where I set in the pros um if he fighting before he out y’all know I’m on that card.
I like that, and you know what, though baby.
That’S that’s.
That’S one thing about tank that he does.
He he’s trying to get to a level so that he can reach back yeah and pull up his Partners right.
You know what I’m saying and give them an opportunity, and that’s why I felt like there should have been a female uh boxer on that undercard with uh Terence Crawford, though, and uh Earl Spence, though that yeah yeah.
So that’s just my opinion and, and I ain’t gon na lie so so uh.
So me you got one loss on your record right and I wanted to ask you about that right.
So what is it that you learn from that that l? Because to me it really wasn’t a loss, it was a learning experience.
So that’s why I’m asking you wouldn’t learn from it uh if you’re mental, not right, don’t get in that ring gotcha, like I just told you yeah, when I had that loss.
It was the day before the fight.
I lost one of my first cousins, my dad nephew wow to a car accident, but the fight was in New York and I had so many people coming to New York to watch me fight.
I am uh just pull out the fight, and but for that fight I lost somebody, but I still fought and I won so I’m thinking in my head – I’ve been through this before I probably can.
Do it again got you, but that wasn’t the case.
I was just too hurt.
Uh, I still took the fight.
My team was asking me all day like you.
Do you still want to fight the promoters? Do you still want to fight? I’M like yeah, I’m still fight.
I can do it.
I did it before.
I can do it again.
I let my pride get in the way, so I remember like it was yesterday as I’m in a fight, I’m not even thinking about the fight I’m trying to get back home to my family um.
When I lost, I ain’t crying nothing.
I it didn’t feel like I was in a fight.
I went in the back seeing the doctor change my clothes.
I wouldn’t think about the loss.
I thought about it like a week after, but at that time I wasn’t worried about that fight.
So if your minutes was not right, just don’t get in the ring.
Now I heard everything that you said, and I know having great mental health just for anything is a must, but because of where you live, and you said where your gym is located and you’re always seeing some of everything and you have to be careful and mind Your business, I know being in the gym, helps out a lot and then you’re, especially your dad and your family.
But what else do you do to keep from uh keep being mentally strong in your personal, so it doesn’t affect anything else that you do baby.
I like that, I appreciate that I like that: okay, okay um! First after my loss, I built a um, a better relationship with God uh.
After that I just surrounded myself with better people.
Well, yeah I surrounded yeah.
I surrounded myself with better people.
Like my friends, you know my friends understand everything like if I ain’t coming outside, they know it’s because I got fight coming up.
I got ta stay focused and that’s a that’s.
A big part too, like you got ta, make sure you get people around.
You understand what you’re doing, because some people don’t care.
I always feel mess with me, no more.
She thinks she all that cause she this and that my friends and I like that they understand what what I be going through, but they know after the fight I’ll be back out with them.
It’S up yeah, so um yeah just go and who you got ta is.
What me is this girl? Who I have around me? That’S what it is man, that’s the most important God.
She set the key thing, so you went so.
Is it so you graduated from high school and you didn’t even look about college? No.
Before I graduated, I was saying I ain’t going to college.
I got ta make this boxing thing work um.
I knew it was gon na work anyway, but ain’t no plan B.
That’S me yeah, that’s you! That’S why I didn’t even have to answer.
Ask her that other question.
That’S me, I’m like that, because if God gave you a plan, a it’s no reason for a plan B, you get what I’m saying exactly yeah.
So you know me like being in Baltimore, is you know, and I ain’t gon na lie this year – I’m I’m picking the Ravens to win it all.
I I like I like Lamar Jackson, I like Odell Beckham and I like the other pieces that they put around the team.
So have you been to some of the football games? You don’t watch, it’s only straight boxes.
It’S a straight boxing, it’s a straight boxing, but I do know some of the players.
One of the players came to the fight for me.
Oh really, yeah watch me fight his name Malik Hurst Hurston, oh okay, yeah.
He came to the fight to support me.
He texted me he’s because they didn’t Camp too, so he was like if I’m done and training camp a child, I’m gon na come see you and he came through so shout out to him the manager from the Ravens team.
He came so I know I know I know a little tiny bit, but so man how I feel like having you know professional athletes in the home team to come out and support you.
You feel good, because it’s letting me know that I’m I’m doing something right.
I’M doing something positive, um big people coming out to support me, so I’m gon na try my best to keep it up.
Oh, let me ask you a question about this Clarissa Shields and uh.
I keep taking my answers.
My question.
Okay.
Well, then, you go ahead.
No go ahead: you ain’t got already okay, so Clarissa Shields has invited Keith Thurman to fight, but Keith Thurman had accepted it, but I don’t think that’s really gon na going to go down.
But what what do you think about? I mean what do you think about that? I mean what is your opinion on that? To be honest, I think she’s probably doing it because I mean who else is there for her to fight? She beat everybody in her division.
In my opinion, people with names – she didn’t beat everybody, so she probably just trying to you know, do something to keep the people entertained.
Uh but like I was saying respond, I don’t spoil people, I don’t spoil the men, my age away, because men, their strength is, is different.
They naturally stronger than females.
So in that case it’s the same.
Like Keith Thurman, that’s a man, yeah, that’s a grown man.
It’S a grown man.
His stress gon na be different, [, Music ].
Basically you saying it’s cap, no, I’m not saying this camera.
I don’t think it is man.
Do you really think Clarissa? Listen it might.
What I’m saying is they might make it happen? I don’t know, but for the money right, I don’t think she should do it, because no man yeah, no yeah man like I ain’t, never getting.
No, I never fight.
No man, that’s crazy, but I get what she’s saying, though, because Clarissa has just gone through.
That’S probably one of the main reasons why she went to MMA right see.
Well maybe you know you know what maybe she can drop some weight and get to your level and then y’all.
You know what I’m saying: yeah, that’s what I was gon na say that wouldn’t be good for her.
She probably won’t even have that type of strength.
Yeah man, I don’t want to see you – go all the way.
Shawty I ain’t, gon na lie.
Man, look at the lowest.
She said the lowest she will go is 147 to fight uh, Katie Taylor.
But that’s right.
That’S probably the peak yeah I’m going down to 26.
because I make 130 so easy.
So I’m going down to 26 Shooters like there but uh Clarissa, that’s a big girl, yeah yeah.
She is a girl.
I know how walk around with probably crazy boy.
That’S no cappuccino! She is a big girl.
So what do you think about Carissa or boxing skills, though I like, Clarissa? Okay, she smell blood.
Just like me, yeah yeah, but I ain’t seen, but you know who’s coming, though my opinion, who now I ain’t gon na lie, I do I’m starting to like Sade Chagrin.
A little bit.
She’S reminded me, someone about like Ann Wolfe, yeah she for Saturday too.
Right.
Yes, yeah yeah, she big too yeah.
She is.
I didn’t even realize that I paid attention until I saw her fight Saturday.
That’S probably the last person that Clarissa really got to fight facts.
I think she’ll give her some good competition, though, but sure I mean Mia.
She, let me see with you, 71 right, yes, she’s 71 with six Knockouts, but remember that the weight decision there’s only like a certain amount of weight that my opinion, whether if you’re going to go up or if you’re, going to go down depending on the person And their size, because you kind of go by like their size and um their height me.
Personally, I would not let our fighter go down too too much regardless.
If that fighter would give them light, the the the best entertainment, the best exposure or whatever.
If that goes up and down, because it’s just not healthy yeah, the Earl that could be, that could be a thing with Earl too, like he can’t make 47 or more, he might have went in a fight two weeks now.
Let me ask you a question Mia at 154: do you think it’ll be a different outcome? I don’t think he would get knocked out.
I don’t think he was.
I don’t think he would get stopped.
You don’t think so.
No, but I think Crawford.
I think the skill, the skills man – that’s good, it’s different yeah, it’s different, it’s very different.
I think I think Earl would have more energy.
I I just feel like he.
He probably was just drained not to give him any excuses, but yeah.
He probably was just drained, he might have more energy at 154, but then again the skill level um skill level was crazy on profit.
It really was.
I talked about that too, because he could switch up when he won.
I mean you know what I’m saying he just whatever, but listen going back to you now when you got Stanford.
If you know what I’m saying as a supporter, you got my wife too.
So you know we.
You know we’ll package right, and so I want you to know like up until this point I didn’t know you, I didn’t have an opportunity to speak with you, but I, like your spirit, I, like your loyalty to your father yeah.
I, like your dedication to the game, facts that you’re not gon na cheat the sport of boxing right.
You just help me.
I even like the fact that you don’t have no plan B yeah, you see what I’m saying, no cappuccino like you all in like this.
This got ta work like I like the fact that you believe in your heart and your mind, and your spirit that this is what God put you on the earth to do, to be a female boxer and to advance this.
The sport of boxing from a woman perspective and I’m gon na tell you this Mia for real.
Now.
You may not understand this right now, because you young and you focus on training and you know accumulating certain types of things: monetary things and them belts.
I get that, but you don’t understand that you really part of this movement of this Pioneer movement for women in boxing, you feel what I’m saying in like 20 years from now man, your name gon na, be listed with the grace that you played a major part For them, little girl cause a little girl cause.
Now you got to understand you’re a role model.
Now, if you’re saying you got little girls believing like, if me a killer bee Ellis, can do this.
So can I so I’m proud of you and I’m riding with you on that.
The other thing that I’ll ride with you cause.
You got six numbers out of eight fights.
You got six thanks, bro, I’m riding with you on that and here’s the other thing that her father said, and I thought it was so key.
He said that if she matched me up, it’ll be two yeah, two pounds up and two pounds down, and I was like man this man’s, so detailed with it like and see.
One thing about me and my me and my wife: we are a student of the game and that’s the thing that I see in you and that’s what’s going to take you a long way in life man, you feel what I’m saying and as long as you Be teachable and coachable and just always have your head on a swivel like your father teaching you game, but also you looking at other people for game two.
You see what I’m saying: that’s what gon na makes you makes you a leader because that’s what I look at you as I look at oh man, man, Leah, look like a strong little.
You know what I mean right.
You see what I’m saying like shout out to see.
You know she the truth.
You know what I mean and you got that likable personality and see another thing Mia that I think that you should really think about is that you want to be marketable and what I mean by that there’s a lot of sponsorship dollars.
That has not been Lord Jesus, there’s a lot of sponsorship dollars that has not been tapped into by women boxers and it’s all how you carry yourself leading up to the fight and after the fight, because when people come to you with the marketing dollars and these Sponsorship dollars, they are expecting you to carry yourself in the way that you can expand their brand in another demographic area that we’re going to bring you more money.
You get what I’m saying so you got ta look at yourself as a business, and I know you do because you are a professional fighter which leads me to my next question.
What are some of the challenges that you have faced as a professional boxer and what have you done to overcome them challenges? That part is only one challenge that I had because I’m like I said I’m so I’m so used to everything, like my dad had me doing stuff at a young age, I’m talking about from the cameras being in front of the crowd.
My first amateur fight was in front of 3 000 people, so that looked like a million people to me I was only eight wow.
I was eight when I had my first amateur fight, you got ta be eight to compete.
Okay and I turned eight.
I had my first amateur fight.
I stopped the girl, my first amateur fight, I’m used to cameras, the lights, the crowds I’m used to all that.
That’S not a challenge um.
My only challenge that I had was getting over my loss.
That’S the only that I can think of right now.
That’S my only challenge.
Nothing else is a challenge I’ll be trying to challenge myself, and how do you do that in the gym? They think they can break me I’ll, be showing them.
They can’t break me in my head, though, before I know I’d be like no.
This might really be the one to break me, but I’d be like I know I can do it, I do it so it’s no! It’S not it’s.
No.
I had no challenge yet, but they’re lost, that’s it.
I overcame that, got my mind right talk to God about it, I’m past it.
So there ain’t really no challenge I had so.
How do your mother feel about you fighting they used to announce? She actually see.
Another room she used to it now: um she’d, be nervous, like I’d, be nervous, but once you see me in there getting busy, she be good.
So so, when it came to the point where your father and your mother had to make that decision, for you to just go all gas in in the sport of boxing, were they on the same page or was he like come on? We gon na do this, and then she eventually got on board my mother.
She the type where she let us see for herself.
So when she first saw me in the basement working with my dad, she was like he crazy, like just.
She thought it was just for play, play yeah, but as time went on and she’s saying that I really liked it.
She just went on with it.
My parents stayed, my parents didn’t laid back type if they see if they see us wanting to do something that pushes if it don’t work, it don’t work.
It is what it is, but they ain’t the type to stop nothing.
You know they.
They let us see for us, so even if they know something not gon na go right and they try to tell us, but we still want to do it like all right, go ahead.
Do it see for yourself, you know they don’t stop nothing.
So that’s that’s.
How she is so, do you have other siblings any brothers sisters? Yeah.
I got two.
I got two other sisters, um, that’s what my that’s.
What that’s how I got my name, our name based off our old personalities, got you yeah.
So so you don’t have no brothers, no oh wow! So are you the youngest? So like do you be like play fighting with your sister, like the oldest one, okay yeah, I play fight with the oldest one in the middle one she just recorded, but the oldest one she’s strong, like she had grabbed my neck and I’d be like all right.
I quit she’d be like yeah, you think it’s you box, you can beat me.
I love that she has such a great support system.
Yeah, that’s what I said and that is so important.
You are so blessed Mia.
I would love for her to talk to our um kids, our mentees and our in our program.
We have a non-profit organization, it’s the Stafford Boxing Club, mentoring program and matter of fact.
We were just at Walmart for the back to school, so they were able to get some back to school supplies shout out to Walmart.
The guys were able to get their haircuts, get a shape up and all that other stuff.
So we would love um for you to speak to our mentees too.
I think you have a lot of uh wisdom and some information that you can give to them, but um.
I would like for you to tell our viewers to tell the world drop us a gold nugget, something that we can.
We can all always take with us or kind of go back to um, like my mother just said, give 100 of whatever you do.
Your best um stay, humble yeah, stay humble and don’t let nobody try to stop you.
It’S always going to be those trolls telling you.
You can’t do this and do that.
But if you feel like you can do it give it a shot.
If it don’t work, it wasn’t meant to be, but everybody got a everybody got some type of talent.
You know, God put you here for a reason, just find it and stick with it, and you know what man I want to kind of you know.
Go back a little bit and man I’m trying to you, know not get emotional but you’re very fortunate to have your mother and your father together, yeah, you know in the black community man and the fact that you have your father in your corner boxing and he’s Giving you his oil, his life, you know his heart, his love and that’s more precious than anything that a trainer a boxer can ever do you know what I mean, and I know you you understand the value of that, but I never want you to take it For granted, you know what I mean, because you talking to someone that been in foster homes.
You know just just grew up just just just crazy.
So when I see a young lady like you who has a family, you got three sisters, you, the youngest all three of y’all get along.
Then you got the mother and the father, Lord Jesus and and then it’s like, they support the bigger picture.
It’S no! It’S no well! I don’t want to go do this here and that you know it’s no drama in the house, because, yes, because if it’s chaos in the house, you can’t focus, you can’t have that type of mental health and you can’t focus on God and hearing from God on What you need to do to be a better person and to understand the position that you’re in like you’re, in a a great position like your father.
Thank you Holy Spirit.
Your father is putting you in a position to be independent and and create sustainability.
Man.
Let me say that again, your father is putting you in a position to be independent and to create sustainability, and so you have an opportunity to carry on your bloodline.
Like you really don’t understand like see, the the the women in boxing is kind of new.
It’S it’s not new, but it’s new in the sense of it getting the notoriety that it’s getting today and you’re part of that wave.
That’S ushering in like to to kick the doors open so that female boxers can have the same type of um support that those other female boxers in UK, because the female boxing in UK they get paid and the community comes out and support.
And then you have an opportunity to be a spokesperson for the sport of boxing, because you said that you know what I’m gon na always be connected to the sport of boxing.
So now it’s like a phase you’re going through right now, you’re going through the phase of actually being a boxer becoming a master at your crap.
So once you reach the Pinnacle of that and you didn’t accomplish, I got that.
I got that I got the WBC WBO, I got all the belts now I got money now I got this that and, like your mother said, you got to be humble because just as well, God bless you with it you’re taking away and that’s the last thing That you, Lord Jesus, that’s the last thing that you want to do Mia is bring shame to the name Ellis, because you didn’t do what you were supposed to do when you have both parents in the same household, giving you the loving support that you need to Be the very best, so yes, it’s a good thing that people say oh Mia Ellis is a phenomenal boxer.
But more importantly, you want people to say in the community that man she has great character, because custom model is someone who we look up to and we are like a student of his his his philosophy.
Character is everything and like me, I don’t want to see you you know before a fight see.
This is the thing that I really admire and respect about the Earl Spence and Terence Crawford.
It wasn’t all that derogatory person, it wasn’t all that old.
It wasn’t.
None of that it was about their professional record and even afterwards you know the sportsmanship.
That era gave uh no Crawford games.
Earl, you know what I’m saying vice versa.
You know they hugging each other and and I’m like and I’m with Stephen A Smith.
I don’t think that a rematch should happen because the way that they Embrace each other, because if they fight again and and Terence he win again it ain’t gon na be like that.
No more, you feel me it’s it’s not gon na be like that, and we need to see um that type of that type of uh love between two black men coming together fighting you know what I’m saying like oftentimes, particularly in Baltimore.
It’S so much black on black crime, black men doing this to one another, and so, when you get to see two black men say: hey man.
Thank you for making this fight man.
I appreciate that.
That’S what I really had in mind.
I was like man.
I love both of them and that’s why I, when it came time for me to choose a fighter, I was like man, I don’t know because I like both of them.
You see what I’m saying, but if I had to choose one I said man, I’m gon na go with Crawford and the only reason why I’m gon na go with Crawford because he I just see like his footwork and he he’s just more athletic and – and I Just see like Earl is kind of a one-dimensional fighter.
You know what I’m saying he’s a great fighter, but he like a bulldozer, whereas Terence Hill Vanessa.
You feel what I’m saying and, and one thing that comes to my mind, that fight is that I think it was in the second round.
It was early in the second round and they was like you know, all up on each other and and Crawford did pushed that.
Man like that.
He and it, and it reminded me of when Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson had fought and when he and when Evander had pushed the bully, because Mike Tyson’s supposed to be the bullet.
I was like man, I don’t know man, you might let that man push that man like that man, and so when I seen it I was like I was like man when I see that I was like man, so you know, like I say man.
I personally feel like you on the right track.
Excuse me my bad.
I personally believe that you on the right track and see I’m the type of person, that’s into detail.
So now you had your mother out there telling you things to say, and you was listening to her and so for me.
That means a lot see.
I pay attention to detail.
I’M an old school player man, I’m a man of God, man.
This is what I do you feel me, so you gon na listen, you’re gon na be great.
I am so proud of you.
I am so honored to to have you on the Stafford show and what you’re gon na do is you’re, going to open up the door for other female fighters to come on the show because they gon na, because you’re gon na be like man when I was Talking to them, it was like talking to my auntie and my uncle.
They would get so cool with it.
You feel what I’m saying like a straight man.
We just man, we proud of you for real, and I mean and listen.
There’S no cappuccino, you get what I’m saying, I’m proud of you, young girl.
Thank you.
I promise I am, and I just want you to keep that same smile.
Keep that same humility and understand when you get in there.
Fighting in that boxing ring you fighting for Ellis.
Yes, you fighting for Alice.
Yes, that part you fighting for him and man you’re gon na be listen.
When you get that WBC uh.
Let me see when you get all of them Undisputed.
I mean all of them.
Hey remember Stafford and Lady Stafford.
Remember us now we were there in the beginning.
We believe you and listen we’re not saying this because listen man, God been great to us.
We we don’t listen your PR firm reached out to my wife uh.
Is it pronounced preeminent PR? Yes, yes, so uh, what’s his name, no Wendy wendyson, Yeah, Wendy Richard so him and my wife Wendy.
Oh my bad, my bad, my bad, my bad, my bad! My bad wind is no disrespect, my bad, my bad! I’M speeding, my bad! That was a slip up talking to my head, not my heart! So oh and we also have a question from Eddie.
Oh so we got a one of our supporters, see we don’t say: um uh, like customers and nothing like that.
We say supporters, that’s that’s what so we had a supporter or a view.
We don’t say viewers or anything.
We say supportive, because anybody that comment.
They are supporter of Stafford and Sheila, but we have a question from one of our supporters and they want to know who is your favorite boxer right now, my favorite boxer, not this Floyd, but Pretty Boy Floyd, yeah yeah, I’m with you on that one.
It’S a difference, it’s a difference, it’s a different difference and you know what you know.
What now that you didn’t say that Mia! That’S you! That’S you right there, because I watched people for it.
Yeah, that’s you because he was fast and he had power and I’m not saying Insurance yeah endurance and then he was more locked in when he when he became money it was, it was over.
It was yeah, it’s definitely a difference yeah.
So we got one more question before we go so one our supporter said: if you could fight anyone from the past or the present, who would it be female because I ain’t fighting no males yeah from the past or the present it wasn’t too many from the Past yeah, that’s that’s the thing I said: uh Katie, Katie, Taylor, yeah.
I wan na I wan na fight Kitty.
You really want that smoke.
Oh she got that one.
I ain’t even gon na lie.
She.
She got that one, because I want to see you in Amanda fight, though I ain’t gon na lie.
I just think that you know hey man, I believe in you, so if I believe I have to fight the best Katie B, Amanda nah, that’s cap, though I can’t I can’t go with that.
Come on man come on.
You watch it twice Mia yeah! I did miss me with the cap now come on now.
You know I did.
You know now come on Mia that that wasn’t right man with a straight face, you’re gon na stay at that lady one Amanda – probably beat Katie just by a little bit.
No, I don’t know why were you looking at the one which one it’s twice you got? You got ta watch it without the sound yeah.
That’S what I do.
I always watch matches without the sound.
I turn it down.
Say man uh Mia Katie had a bloody nose, bloody mouth I’m gon na buy just a little bit, they did rubber Banda, but I was just saying the decision Katie.
They gave it to Katie, but Amanda definitely be the.
So that’s why I’m saying in my humble opinion, I think Amanda is a better fighter, but I think she wants Katie first and that’s just she she’s going for kids, Katie Katie ain’t there right now, man, because he ain’t Fair noise.
You know come on man! Stop now stop Katie Taylor’s still gone.
Man stop stop Mia.
I ain’t saying that, but she ain’t the same and you know that’s, that’s! That’S! That’S! That’S sweet man! You know that.
That’S a sweet now listen! I know you’re not gon na, say it because you being humbled by but as your uncle man.
That’S that that I want you, you listen.
I think Amanda will challenge you.
She will make you deep deep in your bag.
I will have to but yeah you’re going in the bag.
That’D definitely be a good fight between me and Amanda.
Though that’s what I’m saying, though, that’s what I’m saying, though you cause she a Puerto Rican boy.
You you feel me like you from Baltimore.
You feel me so, but anyway, man uh before we go man, let everybody know your social media yeah, I’m on Instagram at Men, Color, B1 uh, Twitter.
I believe it’s me.
It kind of B um.
You can follow me on there.
I don’t have no other social media platforms and what about your um Dad my dad coach Kenny Ellis on everything? Okay, Hey, listen on behalf of me and my wife, we wan na.
We want you to tell your father that we appreciate his love.
His sacrifice that he’s making for the family to pour into you to become a world champion to be a role model for the kids to be a good businesswoman, and I want to say thank you to your mother, for you know, because a man get the house.
Lord Jesus, but the woman make it into a home, and – and I want to thank your mother yeah – you know – hey, you have to salute mom yeah respectfully.
So I I want to say thank you to her because she keeps everything together, because if she’s not happy ain’t, nobody gon na be happy because she won she’s the queen.
I know as a as as a wife and a mother, it can be challenging yeah at times and me I.
I always want you to hug on your mother hug on your father, because you live in a crazy environment in Baltimore Maryland and anything can happen in your systems too, because tomorrow’s not promised to us – and I want you to take every day as your last day.
I want you to go hard, not for yourself, but for your family, you fighting for them, you representing them for real Legacy.
Yeah the marathon continues.
You dig what I’m saying yeah that part yeah.
Thank you, you’re! Welcome anything you want to say before we get out of here.
I appreciate the support and continue to support me.
I appreciate it a lot always oh one, more thing, so I we got the staff of boxing gloves right.
We got our own gloves.
So what do you fighting 12 ounce? Six ounce? 16 ounces? Eight! Oh eight, ounces, yeah, okay! So we’re going to get some made for you.
So what color? Do you like black this this on the house? This on the house, we gon na get them custom made for you yeah these per se.
Do you like the strap or is? Do you want the lace up, Lace Up, say no more? We we got that care package coming to you on behalf of the Stafford.
You feel what I’m saying and man again man.
It was such an honor to have you on.
We appreciate you, man tell your father, I said hello and I mean that man matter of fact give them a hug for me.
I’M talking about I’m talking about one of them.
It’S gon na, be like me why you hugging me so hard told me to hug you hard like that, because I appreciate him because I see his work in you.
I see fruit good fruit.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Estella
Ms. Mia “Killer Bee”! Most definitely has made a mark in Women ‘s Boxing and will continue to do so. Impressive!! The relationship between she and her father is family tight ??
Estella
Ms. Mia “Killer Bee” has most definitely made a mark in Women’s Boxing, and will continue to do so, most impressive!! And her relationship with her father is family tight ??