AIR DATE:
EPISODE: Episode 7
The panel welcomes Montell Griffin onto the show who discusses boxing and his post-fight career, the ups and downs and what brought him around to open his new gyms in Chicago and his new book called The Ice Life.
.
.
.
#boxer #boxing #boxingtalkshow
Transcribed:
Hello there talking fight fans around the world, welcome once again to another episode of the friday night panel tonight featuring mike, or you might know him from mike or at four knuckle up how you doing mike.
How are you awesome, and also christian uh, who we’ve seen on a pretty regular basis, uh doing the olympic episodes for us? How you doing christian, i’m excellent grab yourself? Oh, not bad! At all.
Thank you very much tonight we have a very special guest joining us.
Uh montel griffin out of chicago uh, a great us fighter, uh, both olympian and professional fighter and uh.
Currently uh opening up gyms and uh working with youth he’s got a new book out so um.
Do you want to introduce him mike and uh? Let us know about his fight career and then we’ll yeah um, today’s guest martel griffin, the ice montel ice griffin.
Today’S guest is a professional boxer competed from 1993 to 2011.
.
He compiled an amateur record of 36 and 5.
.
He won the 1992 united states amateur light.
Heavy title he also competed for the 1992 us olympic team and as a former wbc light heavyweight champion in 1997 and now author, i guess montel ice griffin, the champ, the champ.
Let’S bring him out there, he is chimp how you doing.
How are you, kids, how are you doing? Where are you coming to us from today? Champ, you are you in the gym? Are the sounds of it? I’M in the boxing gym right now, the guy hitting the speed bag.
Sorry about that? No, i can hear it.
I love it.
Man, it makes makes for a good background noise.
That was the giveaway that was the giveaway.
Was the speed bag in the background, so gyms in the chicago area are open right now, then yeah yeah um.
We, i think we back back to phase two, i think so we have restaurants open and back up wow jealous yeah you’re doing a little better than us.
On these days, yeah we’ve been pushed back to what march 8th.
I think we will push back to the march 8th champ, i got ta say something um honestly growing up watching boxing james tony was one of my favorite and then uh and then and then you beat him twice.
Man and uh turned me on to you and your whole career, honestly, uh, great great great career.
You had man, you fought the who’s who’s, the greats and the greats and uh.
You came out victorious in in most occasions.
Um.
Please tell tell me what it was like to fight games pony the first time.
Well, uh.
You know i stayed in this house when i got back from the olympics, but like [ Music ], my favorite fighter, so i was just happy to get the opportunity.
That’S that’s awesome man, honestly um yeah, you you you did! You did bring it to him.
I’Ll! Tell you that much! I remember watching those fights watching watching you destroyed one of my favorite fighters.
Honestly, it’s uh.
It’S great! It’S great! That you’ve come out of the show, it’s great to have you here, man and uh.
That’S that’s an awesome experience, man um! So that’s so you fought him twice right, yeah and, and both both times was like.
Did you find it easier? The second time to fight him than the first voice right, so i felt i felt my experience level.
I got much better right in 1995, you beat him with a majority decision and then you fought him again a couple years later and ended up with the unanimous.
So yeah, honestly, that those are great fights that go down in my head, that i can remember man because honestly i was a big james, tony fan and now you came and you beat my man twice, which was awesome and it’s great to actually talk to you About it, it’s pretty cool.
Okay.
I got a question for you.
Champ now you’ve got uh.
You know a fairly impressive professional record as well at uh 50 and eight and uh one draw most of the uh ones that have the reading.
I’Ve been doing about that.
Uh the things that they that number eight the uh the loss, call in there most of them come with the caveat of a contentious, split decision.
You don’t often see oh yeah, he you know he’s lost he’s done it’s usually.
There was an argument involved with any loss that i’m seeing here.
So what do? What did you do to move on from from those losses, because a lot of these times it looks like these are fights? You should have been winning see points of yours awarded to other people? How do you mentally move on from uh from a robbery like you know you, you know, you won that fight and they take it away from you.
This is affecting your professional career.
How do you move on mentally? You got ta put it behind.
You got ta.
Forget about it if you’re a professional fighter athlete if bothers your left.
Now, there’s a bit of time uh between you and the incident, yeah i’m getting some static here! Um.
I think you did answer my question.
I had just been asking how you move on mentally, and i think you said that you know as a professional athlete.
You need a short memory when it comes to the law.
That’S good, so he he’s been opening up.
Some gyms is that right? Yes, that’s what i want to talk to you about so you’ve been opening up gyms, it’s um.
Can you run us through that? What that’s about and what the whole like is it for? Like you know, all the youth underprivileged youth is.
Is that what you’re doing right now? Well, my father opened up 1973, so um i trained that he passed away in 83.
He moved to the west side.
That was the second uh second location and then – and i opened this up three years ago with my father.
He came in the clarence, i’m glad to hear that it hasn’t always been boxing uh.
24.
7 for you.
I i know that since since you uh since you ended uh your well since you stopped uh fighting professionally, i won’t lie.
I did a bit of digging through uh places like your linkedin in there, and uh saw that you held a few a few interesting places that took you away from the world.
What was the journey like coming back to being to a place where you can do boxing full-time and recommit yourself? So was it a blessing in this in disguise because it brought you back to boxing full time, so he was so you’re saying you were a sheriff and got suspended for two weeks, no pay and uh.
So it’s brought you right back to boxing.
That’S that’s pretty incredible.
Actually what what what was it like? What was it like to become a sheriff actually like run us through how that all happened? I was just you know.
I was just moving all over my life um.
I became a sheriff in 2010 and and i just uh – i just saw transition over there.
That’S awesome, that’s a great story! Well, so so you’ve recently written a book.
Can you can? You can tell us a bit about that and elaborate on on what that’s about? Well, i just tell everybody man, i want a great and i’ve been out trying to tell people and where can people pick up a copy of this book? Well, the link is lifebook.
com, the icelifebook.
com okay, where are we going? We got ta get that plug in graham, you have any questions for uh for our guest.
I wan na know where he got the nickname ice.
[ Laughter ] turn the volume off.
That’S better, so you can hit me now, yep, yes, well there.
You are good! Yeah you’re good now i’ve got intermittent uh audio and no video at the moment, just frozen i’ve got audio and video.
Well, i know i have you guys.
I just don’t have uh montel at the moment.
Can you hear me yeah? We could hear you i.
I was just asking where you got the nickname ice man when i got home from the olympics, my buddy of mine, i grew up with [ Music ].
That’S awesome! That’S because it’s because you’re as cold as ice in the ring man.
That’S why people like it.
Then i love it.
I guess it’s better than being called windy.
That’S awesome! That’S true! That’S true! So without giving away too much of the plot of the book, obviously, because we want uh people to go out and buy themselves a copy and read it uh.
What’S the big takeaway from the book, what are you hoping that uh, your readers are gon na, take away take home with them? At the end of the day? Did we lose audio quick boxing? I came back and uh.
You know i made the olympic team 30 amateur fights so, like i said story about uh i’ve never given up and make sure yourself.
I know we’re working a bit backwards here, champ, but can you take us a little bit through uh? We have a bit of a of an interest in the olympics, specifically with tokyo coming up.
We uh graham, and i do a spot most afternoons where we chat a little bit about amateur sport and uh the upcoming olympics in general.
You talk to us a little bit about what it’s like to uh to be in the olympic village during the games.
I think you were at barcelona’s where you were correct.
Yes, olympus was the greatest experience in my lifetime uh from seeing uh carl lewis, uh johnson uh, charlie amanda holyfield walking around the that’s one of the things we’ve been discussing lately is the fact that we have a feeling that the the athletes experience outside of the Actual competition part of the sport uh when it comes to this upcoming olympics, has completely been vaporized.
Uh athletes aren’t allowed to socialize meet people from around the world, they’re not going to be uh allowed to even stay in the olympic village once their event finished.
So i’m looking at something very different these days and i don’t think the athletes are going to get to have the same experience that you did.
Unfortunately yeah.
It is too bad but, like i said, [ Music ] was everybody [ Laughter, ]? No, you know they got to keep them hidden, separate somewhere in the presidential suite so champ.
Let us run us through um, run us through what what it was like with the first time putting that belt around your waist when you uh, when you fought for the title, i mean you know to win this qualification.
I didn’t want to do.
I think i could you know b-roy fair square and i was beating him and uh.
You know it was just something i had to deal with uh i had the wa convention was going on in atlantic city.
At the same time – and i went don’t be mad – he hit you for a reason.
He hit you because you were bringing it to him real nice.
Well, he was frustrated.
He was frustrated at that point, [, Music ], and they rushed you into the rematch too.
That was i they didn’t.
Leave you enough time between those between the first and second fight.
It was only four months.
Five months they rushed me yeah, that’s bad and didn’t.
Allow me to warm up, which is crazy, but uh check it out.
I got proof.
I got proof that they rushed me you’re in the gym right now.
I guess you got a lot of a lot of fighters that you’re training uh is there anybody? Is there anybody that you think anybody? You think, right now in your gym, that we should be on the lookout for for up-and-coming uh people to watch uh he’s a small lightheaded cruiser.
We knocked out the number 12 heavyweight in the world and he went over the heart and uh poland and knocked out another heavyweight.
So he came back and fought joseph parker.
He did.
He had a good show of [ Music, ] [ Music ] for your fighters to get a lot of training in with this whole pandemic thing.
Do you find you find a lot of them are like behind where they should be right now, yeah.
You know i’m just trying to keep them in the gym and it’s kind of hard.
I understand why [ Music ] um, what are your thoughts uh? What are your thoughts on this um uh legends, only league with mike tyson and all the veterans getting back into the ring? What are your thoughts on? I thought it was a great night.
I really enjoyed myself um, i i i i went back to the old days and i felt like a kid to mike tyson, so i i liked it.
I hope – and i would love to get a chance to be a part of it – [ Music ].
Well, it was a 90s throwback special with tyson fighting roy jones, junior and snoop dogg performing it was the night it all rolled [, Music ].
Oh definitely, definitely to get to watch him get in there at the ajr and still put on a great show.
It shows it shows great sportsmanship and a lot of heart man um.
So so, if you had the opportunity to get back in the ring tomorrow, who who would you fight uh, i mean right now.
You know i’m i’m kind of i felt like heavyweight.
So a lot of guys who fought my headway is like over 200 pounds.
Now, i’m a little i’m like 187.
.
So i had to be a smaller guy, [, Music ].
You got to work it hard in that gym.
I can hear that bag just going and going and going round after round man put this, make them do work right, champ make them [, Music ], it’s one of the things that, like one of the things that we like to uh to ask anytime, we have An actual fighter come on and join us for.
The panel is, if you were.
Let’S say you got one of those: the fight that you uh, that you were looking for there uh.
How long would you need from right here today to stepping back in the ring? How long would you need to train in order to feel that you’re up to up to scratch to step back in the ring for a fight uh to get back ready, uh and to be at 100 uh, like three years no three years, [, Music ]? I keep myself in pretty good shape.
I try to work out.
I try to run so.
Um you’ll be back back to 100 in inside of three three four months.
I ain’t gon na say i i know i i’ll be good enough to do the rounds.
Honestly.
Champ with your experience, you’ve forgotten more than most of them will ever know.
Don’T worry is that to fight one of the youtubers, though, or is that to fight another fighter? Oh yeah? No, i would.
I would never want to do that.
Yeah.
The money’s got to be good for the youtube fights money’s got to be good for those hey.
The only thing.
The only thing that youtube fights are what they’re doing those guys is their brain they’re, bringing a new audience to to a sport that needs new audiences right, they’re, bringing a younger generation to the sport of boxing, and it’s great, i think it’s doing amazing for it.
I wouldn’t want to fight.
No i’m saying no uh, you know i’m trying to these.
These texas is in the way i’m trying to give you more.
That’S why you can’t see me he’s going to give us some eye candy in a second.
I can see it he’s coming trying to get rid of this text.
[, Music ].
I thought you said texan well, yeah they’ll be coming north.
Just to warm up.
Texas has got probably about as much snow as we do right now and but they don’t know what to do with it.
Any anything he’s back.
We see him.
We got him [, Music, ].
I don’t know if he’s frozen champion here well, we can certainly hear his punching bag.
That’S for sure! Oh definitely man! You know those guys are doing work in that background man.
I’Ve been through that [ __ ], i wonder, are they painting logan paul’s face on that punching bag, and i would we’ll have pictures of 9 boxes no pictures in the unboxers.
I like that.
That’S good! That’S good! Oh man! Champ! What do you think about four ounce gloves? You think you do you think it’s a good idea to lower lower the weight of the gloves and bring in some light weights like four ounces.
No a box is too dangerous.
Uh 10 ounces and 12 ounces is good enough.
They stopped using uh eight ounces in the 90s.
When the kid uh kid i keem got hurt.
Where i stand on it is, i i think it would make shorter fights right and shorter fights, save lives.
Man, less brain damage in the end, [ Music, ] mike’s, been pushing this four ounce glove thing for months now and so far exactly zero people have bit.
No.
No i’ve had to agree.
I’Ve had to agree that the fights will be shorter, well yeah, but none of them have agreed that four ounce gloves would be a good.
You know what no or even amateur fights in boxing and boxing they generate so much power from their hips when they’re punching it.
It probably honestly and truthfully you’d have guys dropping dead for lunches with a four ounce club you’d see more broken, you’d, see more broken hands than anything else, but yeah.
There is obviously always the possibility of you know severe brain damage or things like that, but mostly broken hands.
Why aren’t they dropping dead in bare knuckle? Fights though yeah yeah, uh yeah, i mean i mean as soon as they get hit.
It seems like they all get hurt yeah well yeah as soon as they get hit, that’s how they end up on the ground and in a grappling match every friggin time.
You know the best.
The best i’ve ever heard was yeah, but a lot of fights go to the ground, but all fights start on their feet.
You got one kind of punch, yeah.
Definitely we’re closing in on that 30 minute mark guys, yeah, no problem uh any any.
Last questions.
Do you have for him? Graham? No? No, i’m! I’M i’m really happy that montel came on our show.
He was a great introduction through golden roger roger golden and i’m glad he came on.
He promoted his book promoted.
His gyms plural, promoted the scene in chicago, which we hear is fantastic.
These days i i didn’t realize that gyms are back open and covet uh, but they are so uh he’s been a wonderful guest.
I really appreciated his time.
Uh, it’s good to see you still working right now.
Yeah yeah he’s working hard man and i can hear i can hear guys in the background working so yeah we got ta go.
We got ta.
Let him get back to uh, to put these kids to work.
All right, thank you, christian any last questions from the champ um yeah, absolutely uh, all the fights.
Yet you had a lot of big fights over your career, both in amateur and then you know professionally.
If you had to tell our viewers, you know, if you want to see me, summed up my boxing style, summed up in one fight: what fight are we sending our guys to go? Watch uh, i i think my second jane tony fight, probably the best fight of my career number, two yeah yeah.
That’S definitely definitely great great honestly great representation of your ability in the ring by far champ, that was, that was a great fight yeah.
That fight actually turned me on to watching the rest of your career, because you you, you made a mockery of of one of my favorite boxers man and, and you brought it to him like like nobody’s business.
Thank you very much.
I appreciate it.
I try to every time i got the ring.
I tried to build my best.
I tried to give them all and i tried to keep my fans happy every time.
Uh.
Every time i got a ring, i didn’t always [ Music ], that’s wicked! Well there we have it so uh on that one viewers go out, pick up a copy of uh the ice life available at the icelifebook.
com or on amazon.
And if you want to know why you should be picking up the ice life book, then you need to go and google uh the james, the second james, tomy, fight and uh you’ll, see why you need to read this book.
That’S it that’s it.
You heard it here, you heard it here, fans, friday night panel, christian, graham montel.
Thank you again.
Chad for coming on it was it was.
It was a pleasure to have you on we’ll definitely keep in touch we’ll definitely get you on in in the future.
Uh keep keep letting us know about these up and coming prospects that uh that you have working at that gym real hard.
In the background i can hear and uh yeah fans.
You know what to do.
Man, if you would like it share it, jab that, like hook subscribe and knock those comments out man.
Thank you very much.
I’M crusade thanks again champ.
Thank you.
Montel! Well, talking fight fans that was yet another celebrity guest appearance, montel griffin out of chicago a great uh us fighter, both an olympian and professional and uh.
We heard it first uh what he’s up to now and uh what he’s really interested in, and i think he’s interested in giving back to the community, which he definitely is and uh and honestly it’s it’s good to see guys who do this after boxing, you know To get to give back to the young guys absolutely absolutely also supports uh girls in the game, as well as after school matters and a number of other uh initiatives that uh that he’s interested in and that i know he’s in touch with as well.
So he’s definitely into giving back into the local communities in the chicago area for sure definitely definitely christian uh.
I must be uh.
Those are some nice new, throw pillows.
You have you like bars.
Do you like that? First off, you know that they’re not new, because if you’ve been watching the uh afternoon show our 12 o’clock spotless have been here for a while.
Now he just might mike just wanted to sneak in the word pillows.
He just had to get a pillow.
Yet another show oh man.
Yes, all our fans.
Thank you for tuning in to the friday panel uh quick question mike we got some fights coming up this weekend.
Don’T we some uh? We have some big events.
I’M definitely going to be watching all you fans.
Remember that our show on sunday the knockouts of the week, and then we are going to pick our knockout of the week first time we’re going to do it on the show make sure you tune in sunday at four to watch that we will uh.
We will fill you in on all the great knockouts of the weekend and if you uh, if you believe that you can find a better knockout, then i challenge you find a better knockout watch.
It sunday make sure we’re going to start the wall knockouts of the week and uh yeah.
You heard it here on the panel awesome.
Oh thanks for the show guys awesome thanks for joining us good viewership and we’ll see you next friday.
Thank you.
Montel see you later guys have a good night guys
There are no reviews yet.