‘I know who’s got my back’
I’ve learned a lot about myself this year and I’ve learned a lot about the people around me.
There’s nothing like a loss or two to bring a reality check. It’s been a new situation for me and my team and I believe we are well positioned to turn this adversity into a positive, fresh start.
It’s times like these that you really see who has got your back for life, the true friends and supporters.
There are others who you realise actually wanted to see you fall.
There are always going to be critics out there, it goes with the territory in this toughest of sports. But I can handle them because I am my own toughest critic.
My trainer Kevin Barry and I have such high standards and that goes for my wider team. Trust me, there has been a ton of soul-searching going on over the past few months. I can’t remember so much analysis and discussion – open, honest and often brutal conversations about how we can now make the best out of a difficult situation.
It’s important to self critique, otherwise you get too comfortable and where do you improve?
I know I have to improve because the heavyweight division is the strongest it has been for a long time. I’m confident I’m still in the elite mix, but my position now puts me just out of the title talk.
As a professional athlete who has been at the top, that hurts. But it’s also hugely motivating. I can assure you I’m hungrier than ever.
I’ve had a double blow. Losing my WBO title to Anthony Joshua was very disappointing. Then by losing to Dillian Whyte, I lost an instant opportunity to get back to where I feel I belong.
I learned some tough lessons in both defeats, particularly against Whyte. Sometimes you have to make your own luck and he certainly did that any which way he could.
But I’ve learned a lot about myself. Yeah, I lost and I also got knocked down for the first time in my career. But I got back up again against Whyte and nearly got him in the end. I’m ready to go again now.
I’ve worked really hard in Las Vegas over the last two months to make sure I do the business against Alexander Flores in Christchurch next Saturday. In boxing there’s nothing more important than your next fight and that has never been more true for me.
This is a crucial time now, it’s like a new beginning. But with all the experience I have gained, I believe I’m able to relaunch from a strong position.
There are still titles to get and it’s important that we take the right steps at the right time, fight the right opponents, and get the right results. I don’t want to fight rubbish opponents, I want fights that will progress me.
It’s also a tricky equation. As an ambitious former title holder, I present a lot of risks. We’ve already seen that people appear keen, but when they weigh up the risk-reward factor they back away.
So I appreciate Flores for fronting and he comes to New Zealand with tons of confidence and demanding respect with a decent record.
Confidence is one thing, but performance and execution is another.
As the great Mike Tyson said: ‘‘Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.’’
I plan to punch Flores very hard and very accurately.
Get the job done and then we can start planning for bigger things.
Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.