Mandanda
12-01-2009, 06:27 PM
Alright Lads, Interview with one of the best p4p trainers in the sport today Naazim Richardson. I think a lot of what he says will spark good talking points so i thought i'd post it. I will break it into a maybe 3 parts of the most interesting parts as it's a big interview. Ring Interview From This Months Edition
What First Attracted You To Boxing??
I fought in the amatuers and,naturally,seeing boxing on tv. Everyone in German Town section of North Philly either played basketball or they boxed. I used to go to Wissahickon Boys Club, and they had everything there. I played basketball,boxed,football. I even played hockey. They didn't take us to the ice rink (laughs) we roller skated back then. The happy hollow wasn't to far from there and they had boxing there to.
Were you any good
I was a decent fighter. I was a worker. It's funny because as you grow to understand the sport more and more,you realize what the guys didn't teach you growing up. I got some training but it seemed odd to me that i knew more about what i needed to do then the guys who were supposed to be teaching me. The first time i got into the sport was when i was around eight,nine years old. I was wide open to a lot of things when i was that age. I went through a lot of things when i was that age,To,Like a number of juvenile institutions. By the time i reached my teens i got locked up for armed robbery. That took away everything. I got sent to an institution called New Castle in upstate Pennsylvania,Near Pittsburgh. My mother [Leah Richardson] who i just lost in October,Used to say to me i don't deserve the good kids i have. My father was around but he died when i was around 12. Yeah, I made some mistakes.
People who know you today might have a difficult time believing that??
I saw this one guy recently who saw Bernard and me in the corner together during a TV Fight. The guy wasn't surprised at all we were together. He was just surprised that we weren't cellmates together.I know what it took to get me here. People when they hear about my past,are surprised by my history and what i've gone through. People wear there history like a badge. I don't,but some do. It helps some guys knowing where they were. I suppose it's what makes Bernard very rare.
He wasn't proud of where he came from, But he didn't forget where he came from and didn't want to go back. When he came home there was some guys on the street making real money, and i mean real real money back then in the street game. They would of loved to have had someone like Bernard by their side watching there back, and would have paid him great money to do it. But he walked away. He saw something more and never lost focus of that. That's where me and Bernard have a lot in common. I never wanted to go back.
What inspired you to become a trainer???
You always have to respect the sport and the people who came before you. I was around a lot of guys who i learned from. Watching guys like Mr. Al Fennell,Mr.Bouie Fisher, Mr.Cheese,a trainer down the Champs Gym, but no one ever knew his name, we just knew him as Mr.Cheese (laughs). Guys like the late Mr.Sam Hickman, and Mr.Howard McCall,guys like that. They were real teachers. Mr. Stan Williams is another one.
I remember watching Mr.Williams bring along Nate Miller from the amatuers on up. That's where the real molding takes place. That's what drew me closer to boxing. Then there was old man Mr.Booker. Again,I never knew his first name. The old timers called him Mr.Booker and that's how we knew him. I would watch all these guys work with their fighters and i'd watch them like a sponge.
Is this what eventually led you to training fighters?
It did. I would see things that other people didn't see. You start looking more into things, and wish you were protected like this or like that. I could see strategies that could be worked out. That's what started it all. A cousin of mine named Jeff Gant was a fighter, and i used to help him all the time.
In fact he came from the same prison system with Bernard. He was one of the first guys i started working with who listened to me. I don't know why training athletes came so easily to me,but it did. I realized how i could help athletes. But i have to stress this, One thing i won't do is work with an athlete if i don't think i can help the guy. I won't step into the project if what i'm teaching doesn't fit that particular fighter, Where sometimes you see trainers do that.
When did you see it as a career?
When Bouie or Mr Williams told me to talk to this guy and that guy. If they had confidence in me to do that. Why not step up and do that myself? They gave me that kind of confidence and told me when i was doing a good job. They trusted me at the highest level. I gained there confidence and that brought out a confidence in myself. I talked to older trainers and learned from their perspective.
Was anyone more influential then the others?
Probably Bouie more then anyone else. I actually got to work close with Bouie. I always felt that Bouie taught me more about family then about boxing. It was like Bouie was like a teacher of life with how he saw things and how he related to people. Bouie had Sugar Ray Robinson in his heart. He adored Sugar Ray. He actually had a sash of Sugar Ray's.
I used to tease Bouie that Sugar Ray never fought my man , Charley Burley (laughs). He's shake his head and give me a look (laughs). You could never say anything negative about Sugar Ray to Bouie.
What did you learn from Bouie?
He is a great man. I learned from his demeanor. My demeanor is so much different then his. I'll get in your face. Bouie was much more laid back then i am. He taught me to be patient and look at the wider range, to see things maybe other people can't see.
That's all for Part One :lol: :good
What First Attracted You To Boxing??
I fought in the amatuers and,naturally,seeing boxing on tv. Everyone in German Town section of North Philly either played basketball or they boxed. I used to go to Wissahickon Boys Club, and they had everything there. I played basketball,boxed,football. I even played hockey. They didn't take us to the ice rink (laughs) we roller skated back then. The happy hollow wasn't to far from there and they had boxing there to.
Were you any good
I was a decent fighter. I was a worker. It's funny because as you grow to understand the sport more and more,you realize what the guys didn't teach you growing up. I got some training but it seemed odd to me that i knew more about what i needed to do then the guys who were supposed to be teaching me. The first time i got into the sport was when i was around eight,nine years old. I was wide open to a lot of things when i was that age. I went through a lot of things when i was that age,To,Like a number of juvenile institutions. By the time i reached my teens i got locked up for armed robbery. That took away everything. I got sent to an institution called New Castle in upstate Pennsylvania,Near Pittsburgh. My mother [Leah Richardson] who i just lost in October,Used to say to me i don't deserve the good kids i have. My father was around but he died when i was around 12. Yeah, I made some mistakes.
People who know you today might have a difficult time believing that??
I saw this one guy recently who saw Bernard and me in the corner together during a TV Fight. The guy wasn't surprised at all we were together. He was just surprised that we weren't cellmates together.I know what it took to get me here. People when they hear about my past,are surprised by my history and what i've gone through. People wear there history like a badge. I don't,but some do. It helps some guys knowing where they were. I suppose it's what makes Bernard very rare.
He wasn't proud of where he came from, But he didn't forget where he came from and didn't want to go back. When he came home there was some guys on the street making real money, and i mean real real money back then in the street game. They would of loved to have had someone like Bernard by their side watching there back, and would have paid him great money to do it. But he walked away. He saw something more and never lost focus of that. That's where me and Bernard have a lot in common. I never wanted to go back.
What inspired you to become a trainer???
You always have to respect the sport and the people who came before you. I was around a lot of guys who i learned from. Watching guys like Mr. Al Fennell,Mr.Bouie Fisher, Mr.Cheese,a trainer down the Champs Gym, but no one ever knew his name, we just knew him as Mr.Cheese (laughs). Guys like the late Mr.Sam Hickman, and Mr.Howard McCall,guys like that. They were real teachers. Mr. Stan Williams is another one.
I remember watching Mr.Williams bring along Nate Miller from the amatuers on up. That's where the real molding takes place. That's what drew me closer to boxing. Then there was old man Mr.Booker. Again,I never knew his first name. The old timers called him Mr.Booker and that's how we knew him. I would watch all these guys work with their fighters and i'd watch them like a sponge.
Is this what eventually led you to training fighters?
It did. I would see things that other people didn't see. You start looking more into things, and wish you were protected like this or like that. I could see strategies that could be worked out. That's what started it all. A cousin of mine named Jeff Gant was a fighter, and i used to help him all the time.
In fact he came from the same prison system with Bernard. He was one of the first guys i started working with who listened to me. I don't know why training athletes came so easily to me,but it did. I realized how i could help athletes. But i have to stress this, One thing i won't do is work with an athlete if i don't think i can help the guy. I won't step into the project if what i'm teaching doesn't fit that particular fighter, Where sometimes you see trainers do that.
When did you see it as a career?
When Bouie or Mr Williams told me to talk to this guy and that guy. If they had confidence in me to do that. Why not step up and do that myself? They gave me that kind of confidence and told me when i was doing a good job. They trusted me at the highest level. I gained there confidence and that brought out a confidence in myself. I talked to older trainers and learned from their perspective.
Was anyone more influential then the others?
Probably Bouie more then anyone else. I actually got to work close with Bouie. I always felt that Bouie taught me more about family then about boxing. It was like Bouie was like a teacher of life with how he saw things and how he related to people. Bouie had Sugar Ray Robinson in his heart. He adored Sugar Ray. He actually had a sash of Sugar Ray's.
I used to tease Bouie that Sugar Ray never fought my man , Charley Burley (laughs). He's shake his head and give me a look (laughs). You could never say anything negative about Sugar Ray to Bouie.
What did you learn from Bouie?
He is a great man. I learned from his demeanor. My demeanor is so much different then his. I'll get in your face. Bouie was much more laid back then i am. He taught me to be patient and look at the wider range, to see things maybe other people can't see.
That's all for Part One :lol: :good