Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
I've got no interest in going over to California to fight that boring git, in a fight that no one's interested in, and that's the reason why he's trying to pimp himself out everywhere.
But boxing was my profession. I had to go back the second time because I was broke and I couldn't just go and get a college degree and earn it. I had too many bills, too many families.
When we go in the ring we know we're going to get hit. We know we're not the ballet people. But if you go in there and have doubt in your mind that you're afraid to get hit, forget it.
Don King was good to me through my years as champion, but I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him. He's a wheeler dealer and you've got to be careful. He's a great con artist.
I'm happy with my career but I could have been happier if I could have been treated like a champion should have been treated because management and fighters take advantage of fighters.
I just have this thing inside me that wants to eat and conquer. Maybe it's egotistical, but I have it in me. I don't want to be a tycoon. I just want to conquer people and their souls.
I used to have lots of tigers. I had all sorts of exotic pets when I had some money. Before I was broke, I had everything. Pigeons and vultures, lions, tigers, and bears. I had it all.
I am the greatest. I said that even before I knew I was. Don't tell me I can't do something. Don't tell me it's impossible. Don't tell me I'm not the greatest. I'm the double greatest.
I never thought of losing, but now that it' s happened, the only thing is to do it right. That's my obligation to all the people who believe in me. We all have to take defeats in life.
Wouldn't it be a beautiful world if just 10 percent of the people who believe in the power of love would compete with one another to see who could do the most good for the most people?
I have to be real cool and not savage and radical, because it makes me angry when I think about it when I see the white boys, who are really the number one citizens, the future rulers.
Boxing is not brutal, it's an art - God has gifted me with incredible handspeed as a tool to be used - what else am I supposed to do but fight? There ain't no hand-racing competitions.
Earlier in my career, I never thought of boxing as a chess game, but I confirm that they are, in fact, very similar. You can plan your fights and strategy just like you would in chess.
No sport is more geared to the warrior's code of honour, pride and respect. That's why I love boxing. It's mano a mano. One against one. It's driven by fear and your need to conquer it.
I throw a lot more punches than Floyd [ Mayweather]. He's very efficient with his punches and when he throws he lands a very high percentage but he's not exceptionally busy every round.
I'm fighting because I want to be the best and I want to beat the best and I want to make a name for myself. I'm not fighting because I want to live comfortably for the rest of my life.
I accept MMA, I appreciate MMA, I even get techniques from MMA, surprisingly, like footwork techniques and how I move. It's different and unorthodox to what boxers are normally used to.
In between training sessions, I'll often watch DVDs of King Kong, Godzilla or Frankenstein, just to keep my mind on the task in hand and remind myself of the magnitude of the challenge.
I knock people out. As soon as I land my shots on him, you will see the difference between class and hype. He's been built up and he believes the hype, but I will beat reality into him.
I dread handshakes. I've got some problems with my hands, and everywhere I go, people want to impress me with their grip. To make it worse, now women are coming up with that firm shake.
I've been eight years with this beautiful little thing and I've got a partner for him now. After eight years of trying to unify the titles, it's going to be pretty hard to give this up.
I'm just not a team sports guy. I can't rely on somebody else for victory. I can't stand if they fumble a ball. I can't stand if they move offsides. I can't stand not being in the game.
I never ran with my dad. He was old-school. He had a whole different idea of training. He ran in steel-toed boots! But, of course, he's proud of me and proud of the boxer that I became.
Everyone still wants to see [Floyd] Mayweather and [Manny] Pacquaio fight. When the talks start though, it always seem like it is all about Mayweather, and I think the people hate that.
Whether I make two dollars or no dollars, it's better than losing. I've got enough people playing the games at the casino that I don't lose any money. So it's good for me, and it's fun.
I received a letter from the Reich Ministry of Sports. They want me to split from Joe Jacobs, my manager since 1928.... I really need Joe Jacobs. I owe all my success in America to him.
I can't believe some of the things I did.Can't believe it. Sayin' I was the greatest and the beautifulist and I was gonna whup this guy and that guy, sayin' I'm pretty, I can't be beat.
Some of the old refs have favoritism toward some of the fighters that are currently fighting. There should be a changing of the guard with the refs, the same way there are with fighters
I was not from a middle-class family at all. I did not have middle-class possessions and what have you. But I had middle-class parents who gave me what was needed to survive in society.
I remember talking to Magic the day I announced I had HIV. He was preaching, 'Do what your doctor tells you.' Well, I didn't have a doctor then, so I got down on my knees, and I prayed.
They are the three venues I wanted to box in - I wasn't really interested in Las Vegas and all of them places. The three I always said was Croke Park, United, and Madison Square Garden.
Once I realised what boxing was, I understood - this is the ultimate form of competition. Once you box you go back to the football field or rugby and it just doesn't have the same spice.
Vegas is a wonderful place and there are a lot of things going on over there, it's a great place to have some fun, but it is also one of the best places in the world to train and to box.
A fight with Mike Tyson or Riddick Bowe always sells, because those people came to win. When you come to win, people will see a good show. When you come to survive, it can become boring.
I didn't run from the situation. I didn't hide the ordeal from the reporters like the sissy baseball players. I fought it head-on... We dealt with it. It's over. And now we're moving on.
I can show you how to box. I can teach you every technique and trick I know, but I can never make you a fighter. That comes from inside, and it's something no one else can ever give you.
We live in a society where we basically live and strive on what people think about us. We’re more visual people so what we see is basically what we believe which is not necessarily true.
There's no bigger fight on the planet than Prince Naseem and Marco Antonio Barrera. What's bigger than that? This will be the greatest fight in the history of the featherweight division.
I wouldn't say Floyd Mayweather Jr is running scared of Amir Khan. Floyd doesn't need to run from anybody. Look at the names he has beaten during his career and it is an impressive list.
Some of the old refs have favoritism toward some of the fighters that are currently fighting. There should be a changing of the guard with the refs, the same way there are with fighters.
Right now, it's very difficult to single out one fighter, pound-for-pound, who is the best. Right now, it's very complex. Miguel Cotto, Mayweather and Zab Judah's a good fighter as well.
After my arrival in Russia, I saw that there is a large community of boxers. I also felt appreciated in Russia. Maybe even a lot more than I was valued and appreciated in my own country.
If somebody had told me in the 1980s that Gerry Adams would shake hands with Ian Paisley or Peter Robinson I would have said put that man in a white suit and lock him up in a padded cell.
Predominantly training myself for so long worked, I had great success. But if I had someone there training me day-in day-out from an early age? It could have been a whole different story.
As you get better and better working out, there's no one who can keep up with you running. If you don't have a good dog, it's going to be the most lonesome training camp you'll ever have.
When it comes to the singing part, I think I missed the boat - the whole family can sing except for me. But they can't fight, so I suppose I've been a bit more successful than them there.
The likes of Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Tommy Hearns were true champions. There were some incredible fights between us, and I was happy to give them all an opportunity to fight me.
I just love to fight. I like to hurt people. I haven't lost that. I didn't lose it when I first got a bit of wealth and I haven't lost it now. The nature of my business is to hurt people.
How could they say that my religion, Islam was a 'race hate' religion after all the plunder and enslavement and domination of my people by white Christians in the name of white supremacy?
I will always wonder what might have been if I had faced Manny Pacquiao at my best. But there is no doubt in my mind that the Pacman will still go down as one of boxing's all-time greats.