60-SECOND INTERVIEW
James Slater talks to a big kid who gorges on sushi
‘I GET STARSTRUCK WHENEVER PEOPLE ASK FOR MY AUTOGRAPH. I FEEL SO BLESSED TO BE ASKED’ Neeco Macias
‘I GO TO A SUSHI PLACE AND EAT ABOUT FIVE POUNDS OF THE STUFF!’
When and why you started boxing:
My dad was a fighter, so boxing has always been a part of my life. I knew I didn’t want to work [a regular job]. I was 20 when I first got into it. I had little skill at the start, but I’m learning all the time.
Favourite all-time fighter:
Arturo Gatti was all heart, Kostya Tszyu was awkward, and Rocky Marciano used to hit his opponent anywhere he could!
Best fight you’ve seen:
The first Marco Antonio Barreraerik Morales fight. They just beat each other up for all 12 rounds.
Personal career highlight:
My win over Rolando Garza [in September]. It was the first time I was the underdog, but I stopped him in five rounds.
Toughest opponent:
My first pro opponent, Francisco Ramirez [w ud 4 – September 2013]. It was tough having to cope with headbutts.
Best and worst attributes as a boxer:
I have great stamina and conditioning, which allows me to punch in volume. I’m working all the time on my defence.
Training tip:
You can’t just train when you have a fight coming up. You must always be in shape.
Favourite meal/restaurant:
I go to an all-you-can-eat sushi place and probably eat about five pounds of the stuff!
Best friends in boxing:
My little brother. He’s 19 and has had lots of amateur fights.
Other sportsman you would like to be:
A baseball player. I love it – the excitement, the money!
Last film/tv show you saw:
Dodgeball. I love a good comedy film.
Who would play you in a film of your life:
It’d have to be a dorky-looking skinny white boy!
Have you ever been starstruck:
I get starstruck whenever people ask for my autograph. I feel so blessed to be asked.
Last time you cried:
In training. It’s so tough when you’re sore but you still have to run the next morning. Sometimes it’s just easy to stop and cry.
Best advice received:
My dad once said, “It’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.”
Worst rumour about yourself:
I hear it all the time – that I’m just aggressive and have no skills, that I’m easy to beat.
Something not many people know about you:
I’m a big kid. I love to play – video games, kids’ games, any type of games.