Kick-boxing cancer survivor calling the shots for Joseph Parker
After several incarnations in and out of ring, former fighter has evolved into incisive caller detailing action in boxer’s biggest bouts
Mike Angove owns the voice that has been bringing you the shots fired by Joseph Parker, the Kiwi boxing star who faces Brit Anthony Joshua in a world heavyweight unification fight in Cardiff on April 1.
The 46-year-old TV commentator, living in Mangere, is a kickboxing champion in his own right. That led to a commentary career which kicked off 12 years ago before a massive K-1 audience in South Korea. He still trains every day and wants a mixed martial arts fight before turning 47. But it is his ringside work for which Angove is best known, his incisive analysis and common touch helping give perspective to Parker’s rise. He will be a central part of Sky TV’s Cardiff analysis. He chats about Parker and Joshua, anti-bullying, his battle with cancer and why we should all take a punch in the face at least once.
You won a world kickboxing cruiserweight title. . .
In reality, I was somewhere in the world top 20, but I wouldn’t have beaten guys in the top five.
Give us your history.
I was born in Patea, educated in Wanganui. I’m a well educated middle class white boy who enjoys being on the rougher periphery of life. It’s been a multi-faceted life which hopefully never gets boring. I ran my own recruitment company for 15 years, I’ve done marketingpsychology degrees, sports coaching, the first two years of an education degree. Latterly, I trained as a journalist with the view of being the next big TV rock star. When it didn’t happen I went into PR and communications (Angove currently works for Auckland Transport). Kickboxing seems so brutal . . . how do you deal with the pain? The perception is worse than reality, unless you get hit by a liver shot. That and a groin shot or broken ribs are the most painful. The impact of getting smacked in the head or a knee in the sternum . . . you can become conditioned to it. It becomes a catalyst for your competitive spirit, to return the favour with interest. I believe every man and woman should get punched in the face at least once in their life, to realise they are not made of glass. People can be too risk averse — the perception of a negative outcome in life is far worse than actuality 99 per cent of the time.
Your career highlight?
Winning a world title is nice, but there were a few moments where I wasn’t thinking, just doing. The Japanese call it a state of zero. No over-exertion, stress or fear. Those fighters with imperceptible X-factor are constantly in that zone, whereas the rest of us are always overthinking and stressed.
Best boxer you’ve seen?
(American) Roy Jones jnr, who was untouchable in his day. He was intuitive, remarkable eyes, hand speed, unorthodox, did things others couldn’t do. He was imperious, a freak.
Did you have a childhood hero?
I was obsessed with cricket and soccer. I was a goalkeeper, on the periphery of the national league when Ken Dugdale coached Wanganui Athletic. Heroes . . . I remember the England goalkeeper Peter Shilton, who said he would hang from the crossbar to try and lengthen his arms. I like that, because he is denying his physiology, going f *** you, I’m doing it anyway. I got involved with martial arts around the age of 18 after getting the shit beaten out of me by all sorts of bullies.
You fought back?
I was a relatively eccentric, temperamental child, and people who stand out tend to get picked on. The stigma is hard to get rid of, so it is a testament to martial arts for developing confidence enabling you to shake off childish things which sit with you far longer than they should. That’s why I’m involved in a lot of antibullying things now.
One thing you’d change in boxing?
The level of judging. In close fights, judging is a subjective art — you are not literally punch counting. But I would like to see more accountability for crap judging, and crap judges removed. But it becomes difficult with different sanctioning bodies and promoters. People forget that professional boxing is a business, not a sport. And business ain’t fair.
Do you get much praise or criticism do you get?
The best response I get is for strong, ethical commentary with good analysis. There is a plethora of insulting things you get sent, people who feel they have a right to be personally abusive. But at the end of the day, they are flogging away behind a keyboard, probably living in their grandmother’s basement. I’m calling a world title fight live. You tell me what you’d rather be doing.
How do you rate Joseph Parker’s progress?
There has been a little plateau, although you have to take into account each opponent. For instance, Andy Ruiz was hard to look good against. But you did see frustration become apparent in fights. There is no question he can be a lot better than that.
And Joshua?
He has that whole British machine behind him. He’s got a very good coaching team, he’s always in good shape, very athletic, immensely powerful. He doesn’t have snap punching power, just that incredibly heavy-handed, drilling, thudding power like George Foreman, for example. He will club you into submission, but has far better boxing skills than people give him credit for.
Your prediction?
Joshua has his nose in front but it feels like it’s a 60/40 fight if Joe does everything right, if he tears it up in the gym, if his conditioning is epic. He will have to take punishment to win, and continue to punch through and maintain a high workrate, wear this guy down. If Joe can explode on the inside, keep Joshua turning . . . he must stop Joshua leaning on him because he is huge and he’ll squash him. Joe must be prepared to go to hell and back.
Does Anthony Joshua really have a glass chin?
Not a glass chin, but it is not rock solid. But take a moment here . . . there have been great world champions like Wladimir Klitschko who could be hurt, but they learnt how to make the most of their assets. Joshua is still a bit upright and the chin is out there. Unfortunately for Joe, Joshua is most vulnerable to the left hook, in my opinion, but Joe tends to throw his left hook short. His best punch is the overhand right. Like any fight, it’s about the game plan and how you execute to put the opponent on to your weapons.
You fought cancer at the age of 40. How did you beat it?
It was stage two blood cancer. I had five-and-a-half months of chemotherapy, two months radiation therapy. People make a big deal of it, say how inspirational it was. But I either had to take my medicine or die. I had that ‘f *** you, cancer’ attitude. I would do the chemotherapy, vomit in the toilets, go yell at the guys and try and hit the pads. I would try coming off the anti-nausea drugs and use the endorphins from training. But mortality does hit you. I wear a saying on my training shorts which comes from (Auckland fighter-campaigner) Richie Hardcore — “Fighting Saved My Life”. It is true in many ways.