Flo Simba | Ringside Talk with David Rajuili | Talkin Fight

This week David interviews Flo Simba, from the DRC, but based in South Africa, who was considered a promising young heavyweight coming out of Africa.

Watch live on TalkinFight.com or YouTube.com/c/TalkinFight

#drc #southafrica #heavyweight #boxing #boxerinterview

Transcribed:

I’M the former wbf international superfeatherweight champion and former wpf all africa lightweight champion [ Music ] good evening.

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s me once again.

Your host david richoody welcome to ringside talk so uh talking with the punchers today, we’ve got a very, very, very exciting guest.

A former ibo youth world champion he works with 20 fights.

15 wins 13 of those coming by knockout, with five losses born in the drc now resident in south africa, the one and only flow symbol.

How am i on guys? Oh there we go guys.

How are you brother, i’m kidding yourself, good man, long time, long time, brother? Thank you for coming to join me on rick’s eye talk uh.

We call it uh talking with the punches.

A little talk show i’ve got uh interviewing boxes, uh hall of famers and uh yeah we’re just talking boxing and tonight.

I would like you to speak to my people, uh, that the the fans of ringside talk just uh tell.

I told them a little bit about who you are how’s about to tell the people who you are where you from, and your flight record um.

Okay, like um david julie, has introduced me.

My name is blissemba um.

I was born in congo.

I grew up here in south africa, so i’m born.

You can say i’m raised here, but i’m still congress.

You know um i’ve got 20 fights under my belt.

Uh 15 wins five losses um within those 15 fights.

I did fight for the ibo youth world title and i was luckily the winner.

Fortunately, people know there’s no luck in this game.

Yes, brother, flo, silva, uh yeah.

I don’t think many uh viewers know me and flo actually used to box together.

We boxed in amateurs.

I remember flo.

We were both at the lovage gym in richard’s park, a little gym there, for you would save the underprivileged kids to come and train there.

We had our coach uncle aubry, remember uncle aubry who taught you how to fight.

I still remember the day.

Flo walked into the ring and uh into the gym, and uncle aubrey would look that flow and he’s like geez.

This boy’s got the punching power and we were like yeah.

This guy just needs to learn to throw that one too and he’s going to be knocking people out and that’s what you were doing flo you were just knocking the people out brother from amateurs, how many amateur fights uh, only seven amateur fights right.

Okay, only seven amateurs, okay, only amateur fights – i remember when you were just you were you were knocking the oaks out because just getting you to get that punching power and your your pro career in those 20 fights so uh, you had 13 of those by knockouts Yeah in your 15 wins 13 of those came by knockouts, correct, yes, wow and um i’ll, take i’ll i’ll say to the culture um.

The coach at that time was hero fulbroth and he he knows the game and he told me a few combinations.

This is the combination – that’s gon na when you’re the fight and i’ll say nine out of ten those that very same combination that i repeated repeatedly.

It was the actual combination that i knocked the guy out.

So he’s got a good eye for boxing.

That’S it, mr harold, forbade hello, fullback uh.

He was the coach for brian mitchell yeah.

Yes, yes, we actually had brian mitchell on our show, i think uh three weeks ago he was one of our guests, the hall of famer and he trained brian mitchell.

So he trained you and how many fights did he have with harold? I had uh.

I think it was 18 18 on 19 fights nineteen five five.

I found it recalled yeah yeah upon recall, but i think it’s easy about there and uh 13 kos came from where i remember at one stage flow.

You were one of the top hot prospect top hot prospects, not just in south africa.

In africa alone, you were one of rated one of the best heavyweights at your age as well.

You were very young around one years old, i’m not mistaken, and uh yeah.

You were just knocking these guys out, left right and center.

Whatever they put in front of you, you were knocking them out, which fight? Would you say in that time was the highlight or the toughest fights you got to have well to be honest uh i wouldn’t say that i wouldn’t say highlight, but i’d say a good fight that stays with me was um with elvis moyer um, because he gave Me uh, he gave me everything like i hit him every round down and he kept on coming back kept on coming back like he did not give up, and we we still thought this day.

You know he’s a great guy and i honestly think that fights is one of the fights that i’ll never forget.

Okay, nice man and i also know you went uh.

You got into a battle with also one of south africa’s uh.

You can say children in boxing daniel pervert.

He was like also a hot boxer at the time um world ranked uh boxing out of the bronze boxing gym as well uh.

That was a huge fight in south africa.

I still remember that one uh flo symbol versus daniel pervert.

You went on to beat daniel prevail in that fight.

Can you tell us more about that fight? If you remember yeah um? Well, i’ve been i’ve been building up to to to to get to heavyweight, and it was my first uh virtual fighter cruiserweight and i struggled to to actually drop the weight um.

Obviously i also know that i know daniel from bear’s style and demeanor.

I’Ve seen i’ve seen some of his tactics, so i tried to avoid giving him the upper hand and letting him what you call it um take advantage as soon as you see the weak point he will take advantage.

So i just try to pocket the the rounds.

Every round i just try one around one, one one at a time, one at a time and at the end of the fight about the w yeah.

Yes, i remember so now.

As i said in the beginning of this interview, you were at, i think it was at 21 at a year, very young age, too uh the media and the boxing scene kind of shot you through to the top as the new hot prospect uh, not just in South africa, as i said in africa um you were, you know we can say the mike tyson, just knocking everybody out on top of uh of the of the boxing world um.

I don’t know what by then was there kevin lovina’s in him, i’m not sure, but uh um? How was that pressure for you, as a young guy, you know even coming from amateur record, with not so much amateur coming into the pro ranks and your career, elevating to the top so quickly like that, knocking all these guys out.

You were like a superstar very quickly, um already, even in the world rankings, you were up there.

How was that pressure for you, as a young as a young boxer athlete at that young age being shot up to superstardom? So, quick in your career, i would say the pressure was enormous, but um.

You know when, when you dream big and honestly, i had a completely different mindset because right now i respect the sport of boxing.

That’S why? I that’s why i’m calling in the sport different mindsets that you had then and what you have now well back, then what you got.

The mindset was listen.

We both men were made on the skin and both made out of bones.

The little guy is going to definitely win the fight, that’s what the mindset, so i just went in then basically balls to the wall and fought every fight with everything that i had yeah and now now i i understand the business.

I understand the technical aspect of boxing and the the the how you can win a fight from just simple things.

You don’t really boxing is not a it’s, not a it’s, not really about being the most barbaric or the most uh strongest fighter.

You have to be the most intelligent fighter.

That’S what boxing is about once you once you learn that, then you understand the difference.

Yes, yes, i know i like i’ve.

Seen myself, i would say over the years you you mature, as well as a fighter.

You know in the beginning of your career, i think all fighters are just also very hungry and will jump into any fights and stuff like this and just want to go and then later we start actually realizing that you know this is actually a business.

There’S a way and uh ways to do things, ways to go about things, uh ways to get to the top instead of just jumping in and just doing doing doing you know this, i’m speaking for me and i’ve seen that you know yes in time.

If you allow yourself, you do get to mature and there is different uh scenarios there, but uh yeah man.

Sorry about that! Sorry! Sorry, brother, you had a uh, a crazy fight.

Uh there was a man, you fought, he fought mike tyson.

He went six rounds.

I think, with mike tyson franco berta the white buffalo.

I think not a lot of actually not a lot of guys have fought the white buffalo and for you you were also very young, because instead you fought the white buffalo.

The main foot mike tyson, [, Music ], was that one of the hardest fights was it a lot of pressure fight how how about that fight such a big? That was, i think, one of the biggest fights like in terms of games.

If we would, in terms of the names yes, it was one of the biggest fights um.

I actually learned a lot from that fight.

I learned a lot not only in terms of in boxing, but also understanding.

How can i say when to attack when not to attack how to move um? How can i say frontal bouta, remember i remember back then i had a completely different mindset and my mindset was were both made of main bones.

We both made a lot of skin.

You know blood everything, but now the way i’m sitting at that was a ridiculous fight for me.

Think about it.

Three years prior to the fans of birth of fights, i never stepped into a boxing ring, and this guy’s put mike tyson he’s fought big names.

You know what i’m saying still remember, uh.

Why do you think do you think you were pushed a little bit too early for fights like that? Or do you think at the i time say i think i’m pushed because i made the the decision but yeah.

But you know you you, you you’ve got to be men up in the sport and if you make the decision you made the decision at the end of the day, you only sign the contract, whether your team pushed you into that direction.

It doesn’t really matter.

It’S true very, very true brother.

Well, uh, like uh, you are in a heavyweight store again right, yeah, i’m still in there yeah and uh how’s the heavyweight uh.

How is it looking now in south africa, for you uh? What are you seeing? What scenes are you seeing? What uh potential fights are you seeing uh we see now there is a news sa champion: uh tian frick we’ve got chris thompson in the in the in the mix of things.

Uh, we got you.

What do you see in the future of south african boxing a uh heavyweight? Where do you see yourself in the mix with everything to be honest, um? I actually have been looking at the local scene.

I haven’t been looking at the local scene, um what you call it i’ve.

Actually i’ve been trying to trying to venture outwards, like my.

My next goal is to get like a continental title and pull from there.

That’S why that’s my benchmarks? Okay, nice! So you’re not looking at the asap market, are you managed? Are you under any management promotion or any promotion uh at the moment? I’M not i’m not promoted by anybody, but i’m managed and trained by jody solomons.

Yes, touch about this jody solomon, uh um.

I know i know her very well.

Amazing lady has taken care of some some amazing fighters.

Uh she works alongside roy jones, jr uh.

I’M sure you’ve met roy jones junior a few times he’s there in the germans yeah.

Can you tell us your how’s that experience uh training with such a name like roy jones jr being around such a person uh? I don’t know if i can call him your guys mentor or anything like this, but how is it just? You know david day being around that guy and uh getting tips from him working with him.

Would you let the viewers know um? Well later today we actually turned with jody um prior to the fights wherever we go for like two to three weeks.

We start training with um roy but um joe teaches all the all the fundamentals she’s.

Actually i want like she’s very clued up on the boxing yeah fights.

What you call it she’ll do all the the the the behind the scenes, work and then robo will sharpen and and use his, not his boxing knowledge to refine what she or she she’s protest.

Um, it’s it’s! It’S actually amazing.

It’S actually amazing to see how how what you call the journey adds her her input and then roy adds his little spice to the end, and then you see magic at the end of the day.

Yes, i could only imagine that it’s two minds.

He also got the mind of roy jones jr coming into the into the mix um.

I’M sure he’s he’s come with a lot of different training styles that he’s picked up in his career and also in amer in america.

As why i say this is i’ve noticed here in germany a lot uh.

The way we train uh is a lot different to what we used to do in south africa.

How has the changing being since working with a man like harold forbes, who got you to 20 fights or 18 fights and then working with joe and roy jones jr? How is there a different type of training uh? Obviously it’s different minds, but um.

Do you see the difference like the international stuff, yeah? Okay, you know well.

For me, there is a big difference.

Um.

Obviously, the roy roy and jody’s style is more footwork orientated and they always have proper game plans like tactics on how to approach this fight.

How to approach that fighter? It’S not really not necessarily like you’re gon na go there and fight you’re going to go there and box and win [ Music ] they’ll.

Can you they’ll tell you straight: that’s why you won’t never knock the guy out.

We have to win on points but they’ll make sure that your game plan is 100.

Yes, i feel you i understand.

No, no, i understand what you mean by that um.

So i heard you just now saying you looking at intercontinental title fights or any or something like that.

Is there anything brewing? The fans should know anything lined up for flo simba at the moment, or are you just in the tree, unfortunately not uh? Unfortunately, not most of my fights have fallen through on the 11th hour yeah due to covert or covert um.

What you call it finances disagreements.

You know the usual boxing, how can i say drama or politics? Yes, but uh that and now that doesn’t kill you.

Your heart doesn’t kill your your drive, your ambition to get up in the morning to go and train knowing that you don’t have a fight or anything.

Doesn’T it hold you back slightly, but what i enjoy about training at jody’s gym is that every day i’m learning something new.

It’S not only about footwork.

It’S not only about movement.

It’S not about it’s not only about defense.

You learn something new and you realize what you do, what you did wrong previously and you better it so, every day you better yourself, you know.

So it’s not like you just go to the german hater bag.

You really you learn something you learn and especially, if the other guys fighting you know, we learn their game plan and by learning their game plan, you also pay for yourself.

Yes, you add into your game plan, even though you’re not fighting.

That makes a lot of sense, yeah, and you know it’s always good to be open-minded.

I always have a room for learning.

I think that’s what makes real champions um people that humble themselves open their mind for learning.

Always it’s a pleasure to to train and work with such people in the gym, um yeah man uh.

So no fights coming up for you flo! Where lies? Did you fight my brother yeah? You know huh! Oh, oh, i think it’s about three or four years ago.

Two years ago, right, i think it’s two years ago, i’m not too sure uh, that’s good man.

I remember at the stage there was a story of uh.

Your career was actually ending um.

I think you were gon na stop boxing boxing south africa weren’t, giving you a license to box anymore with your medicals and stuff uh.

What happened there and what kept you going.

You know like, i know many boxes once they get told.

Listen you can’t box and stuff, it kills their dream.

You know they.

They look away from the dream.

It’S hard to find that ambition again.

So will you tell us what what actually happened and what kept you eating? Yeah, okay, um! I started boxing.

I was.

I started boxing it at 18 and i was dying.

I was okay diagnosed or i was told that i was a diabetic, so i’ve been i’ve been taking insulin since since the age of 16.

.

Okay – and i always try to keep it hush-hush, because people judge you, because now you you’re taking chronic medication, and i always make sure that i train harder than anybody, whether you, whether you, you think you’re the fattest you’re the strongest.

I make sure i trained harder than you and with my with my okay, i can’t say: disability with my condition, i’ll i’ll bring the fire.

You know and it’s it’s helped me in the beginning, okay and then, with with boxing essay.

Well, they weren’t complaining about it, because i obviously i didn’t disclose that information that i was diabetic right only only at a later stage.

I disclosed.

I was a diabetic and then i think two or three fights later i had my first loss and then they were a bit suspect about giving me a license again.

But then i thought to myself.

Listen.

I was number one.

Is south african heavyweight in the number one heavyweight in south africa? Why would you take away my my my license? Because because i’ve had this diabetes for years so, but you know the politics of boxing, so i had to go through the sense of diabetes, the cde and go through a few specialists, one of the specialists.

She actually moved to australia, david gordon, and they really helped me a lot to understand diabetes, better and because it’s actually it’s actually different on the professional level.

When you, when you, when you’re training the boxers train the way any athlete trains, your medication has to be a heartlessly regulated property.

So i don’t know how to do that.

So that’s why i was having issues, but now i’ve i’ve learned how to handle it at all.

Okay, no! That’S good! That’S good! And now yeah.

As i said, and now that you you back, you know uh it’s.

Actually it’s very good that you’re back! I still remember when i heard you coming back, i was like yeah, you know uh, because we grew up together.

We were all in amateurs and uh.

It’S always good to see.

You know the people that you grow up with become champions and carry on in the sports and it’s dead when they start and they stop.

So when i heard you were back, it made my heart happy to say, as you flow symbols back the man’s going to be knocking out more homies and stuff uh you’re gon na see him at the top.

You know um because i always believed in you.

I believed you’d be, i still believe, you’ll be a world champion.

You know um and uh.

It’S good that you back in the in the swing of things uh as a war as a heavyweight boxer, um a lot of heavyweight boxing happening around the world and last week there was an ugly fight with anthony joshua and music uh as a heavyweight.

What what was your thoughts on that fight? What do you think uh going into the fight? Tell us who, who you thought was gon na win and uh? What did you think of the fights after watching it i’m going to going into the fight? I thought uzek was going to win um.

To be honest because i i saw the build up and i saw anthony joshua – was trying to slim down and be more agile and quick, and i thought about it.

Um uzeki is he’s a fighter.

That’S quick on his feet.

He moves and he’s he’s very quick, he’s very agile, he’s very non-stop movement, non-stop uh aggression and then, if you, if you look at it in in like the whole boxing picture, i think anthony joshua accommodated us by doing that.

Instead of going in instead of going like he went into his previous fight as he went as a bulldozer in the previous fight, he was knocking people out.

He was the more the greatest now he’s trying to uphold us.

You can’t outbox, especially he’s a two-time.

I think he’s a two-time olympic gold medalist olympic champion correct.

He is yeah and also he he won the super series.

He had some top fights in the super series, but if you look at his people yeah, if you see his performance, that’s why that’s why? I personally think anthony joshua about losing weight and trying to speed up you can’t you can’t be doing that with somebody.

That’S been doing it for years and you just do it for one fight.

Yes, he’s correct correct because then he’s changing your whole body and just to ask you a question, though, could you heavyweight boxing you’ve been heavyweight most of your career, so you know how the weight fluctuates and how you you work with your weight.

I’M a lightweight! I’M a super feather as well.

I know how for us lightweight the road work, a lot of cardio a lot of hard work in the gym.

Our weight comes down fairly easier than you guys as heavyweights, because you hold more muscle, you’ll hold muscle you you’re bigger.

You know so with their game plan, you say that the game plan was wrong on joshua’s side.

How? How would you have prepared if you were anthony joshua for a fighter like you should knowing your you’ll find your opponent’s move? Can dance can can find angles against you? What would you have done if you were anthony joshua? That is actually a a very difficult question um, but i would i would assess you uh the the game plan from usa’s previous fight against some chisora uh.

Sorry was a it’s a bit of a was a bit of a messy fight, but i could see that fight gave us take a hard time.

We say couldn’t move as much as he wanted and he couldn’t he.

He felt the heavyweight the the the weight of a heavyweight, so he couldn’t just move like you wanted.

Did the music feel uh josiah’s power from the messiness of the fight? Do you think, or from the power plant from the path from the punches? I would say the messiness of the fight you remember this is this is a big.

A big lad is gon na is gon na, be on top of you.

It’S gon na.

Take your legs.

It’S gon na.

Take your legs.

Okay, so it’s gon na be a bit messy, especially on the inside and uh.

If so, you reckon if joshua was more coming in, like he usually does.

We’Ve watched, anthony joshua, i’m sure the whole world has watched that guy.

All these fights uh he comes in he’s got that power behind his right.

He boxes nicely uh.

You think if he had more of that, more of the that the boosters are the knockout anthony joshua.

Things could have been a little bit different for him.

That night, i would, i would say so, but also on the uh on you, you shouldn’t mix it on the inside, with this like on the inside he’ll, be better off with that kind of strategy than the strategy that he did there, because it he doesn’t look.

He didn’t look very effective trying to outbox music.

Yes, yes, that’s for sure, that’s for sure people didn’t understand what was going on and now there’s a big fight coming up in the heavyweights.

This weekend we’ve got fury and wilder three um.

What are your thoughts on that kind of a fight? Who would you want what’s your predictions and what are your thoughts on this kind of fight and what uh yeah? Let’S start with those two questions: um predictions uh.

To be honest with you, i used to be a bronze box, uh bombs bomber, a supporter but um.

I’M saying tyson.

Fury’S gon na take the fight purely on the fact that um, the bronze bomber has had harmony.

Fights like 30 30 odd fights and he’s not all of his opponents up and it’s too late now to learn those fundamentals and to not uh okay.

Let me not say let me not say to learn to implement, to implement it to to use them you.

You know when you’re in trouble, you go back to your old habits, so i think it’s too late for him to learn how to slip and slide and do all of that.

So i honestly think and then go through the rounds into boxing.

Yes, yes, yeah.

It’S going through the rounds thousand fury he’s.

He saw the weakness in in while this um boxing style and he’s going to.

How can i say, hone on that weakness, because now he knows what the weakness is.

He doesn’t like to be pushed back.

He doesn’t like pressure and fury is the bigger he’s, a bigger guy and he’s going to do that.

He he’s got no problem here and plus 2034.

Big guy is very he’s very slick and smooth yeah.

That’S a nice thing.

You know i enjoy watching charleston fury for that reason.

For me, he reminds me of like uh.

He boxes like a middleweight or something so big.

It just goes.

You know it’s nice to see that in the heavyweight uh division you know uh, usually in the heavyweights.

We get these big guys, but you know tyson also anything in joshua.

You know when he boxes anthony joshua.

I feel he puts his boxing together.

He moves nicely.

You can say he’s like a cruiserweight, even a super middleweight.

You know with those big muscles and arms, but um yeah uh, who what’s your predictions on the fights this weekend with uh wilder and uh tyson.

You know he said uh you go with tyson fury with the predictions ko points.

What do you think um? Well, i’ve been seeing all the the videos and the movements that um waldo has been implementing and unfortunately i haven’t seen any sparring footage or anything like that.

But from what i’ve seen with that movement, he he’s moving with his arms with his arms low, and you know when you when you, when you box a boxer like that he’s gon na catch you, i personally think he’s gon na catch him.

So you know i was saying i’d say i say tyson by decision or by this etiquette or knockout by what round eight round seven six! Well, once he’s he is caught, while this rhythm or style, i would say in the later ones, from 8 to 12.

.

Ok, nice brother, nice, brother yeah.

I also think a fight like this.

It’S going to be exciting i’ll, go with fury as well.

I think uh he’s just too smart music.

Now we’ve got three fighters here: we’ve got anthony, joshua, we’ve got tyson few and you’ve got um music and luthor city and wilder you seek now.

Who out of those two can stand with you? Do you think that would be, would give music okay.

So whoever wins? This weekend, obviously fights music fury.

Verse you see, this is what i think would happen.

Do you think fury has got the skills and everything to beat the fighter like you see or will music be the king of the heavyweights um? To be honest with you i’ll take i’ll give that title to uc.

It’S clearly on the on the the fact that um he’s a more busier fighter, so i say he’ll he’ll bank around then all the fighters right he’s right, yeah, yeah, very interesting, nice, brother, nice man, yeah man, uh, it’s very good, but to sit with you to Chat like this, i’m really excited about your career.

I’M sure you’ve just got yourself some new fans and some people will be watching keeping a uh a goal: um a look out on flow uh.

So any last words will you have uh before we close for our viewers for new fans out there watching tonight? Anything you want to say to people out there.

[ Music ] go ahead brother! Well, you actually put on the spot there.

Well, i just uh hope you guys enjoyed the show hope you guys liked what i said.

What we spoke about: um uh, what you call it i’ll just let me keep your shout out to the missus and tomorrow my little baby girl.

Well, since, since i started boxing, i used to love boxing, but since i became a father something’s taken over so yeah, so let’s give a shout out to my baby girl but um.

The next man that gets in the ring is gon na fight a man that wants to make sure that he doesn’t leave let his baby go down.

So that’s what i’m going to say right there and any [ Music ] words anything you can say to young viewers, young guys watching you inspired by you anything any words of motivation.

You can leave the viewers with i’m going to be put i’m going to be.

I don’t know if it’s direct or personal, but at some point you might you got to let your ego go.

You got to let your ego go um.

What i’ve learned in the sport is you’ve got to humble yourself and be a sponge and learn from every trainer every session.

There’S so much to learn in the sport um you got to let egos go because once you hunt you you get it you’ve got an ego.

You think you know better.

It’S it’s done for you in this business.

That’S my that’s just my personal opinion.

Um i’ve seen some really great fighters, talented and they’ve gone to.

I don’t wan na.

I don’t wan na swear or anything but they’ve gone to rubbish so yeah.

For my because, like i said, i’ve seen some some amateurs and some pros that i looked up to and now i’m on the flip side and i’ve gone up a little bit and i actually realized they look.

They let their eagles get the best of them and they should have actually just humbled themselves.

This is a tough sport.

You can love boxing, but they’ll, never love you.

So you’ve got to be a sponge and absorb as much as you can to better yourself.

That’S amazing brother.

Thank you very much once again, flo simba! Thank you very much for your time, brother guys, we’ve been cheating tonight with my mania.

Flo simba, who has 25 15, runs 13 out.

The former ibo youth world champion in 2011 he’s back in the swing of things and thank you for being with us in studio tonight.

Brother.

Thank you for your time and looking forward to seeing thank you very much and yeah brother.

Let’S be in touch and uh thanks for being in studio with me today: okay, thanks brother