Boxing was probably my first love. It was an obsession for me when I was young and I'd have to get the bus an hour each way to train every night, then hang around outside for around two hours after every training session until the last bus home.
Guys like Sonny Liston, Nigel Benn, Tyson, Julian Jackson and Pernell Whitaker were my heroes then and all I wanted to do was take heads off. I was knocking pretty much everyone out cold in the amateurs and had a professional career offered.
Ultimately, I turned it down due to recurring injuries/headaches and the fact that I hated the idea of fame. All the stupid nicknames and gimmicky things they'd want you to do - there's no way I'd do it, and I'd have been so outspoken back then that I knew I'd end up with half the country hating me, lol. I didn't want the respect of the crowd and saw no point in damaging my brain once I realised how little I'd make. I still love to hit the bag and watch the big fights, though.
