How Dominic Barry Started Boxing at 26 and Became a Champion

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Welcome to less than one percent you guys you have a treat today I want to thank y'all for subscribing and watching the podcast

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um the last two have been amazing and so but I think we're going to outdo ourselves in this one today I have to say like I don't think we've ever had a

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world champion we don't I don't think we've ever had a a boxer and I don't think we've had like a nominate nominee

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for father of the year. Um, but today I have Dominic Barry. I appreciate you coming, man.

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Thank you for having me. Thank you for having me.

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Let's go. Let's go. So, I mean, we got to start with the the big old you see the you see the big old belt next to

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him. It's crazy. So, I got a little nervous. He came he came up to the to the studio and he's walking with this

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this box and I'm like, "Okay, what's in the box?" It's the belt. It's the belt.

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It's the belt. I told my I told you I told my wife I said, "Listen, I'm I'm sleeping with this belt." Like, this this was earned through blood, sweat,

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and tears. My wife actually has a picture of me sleep with the belt the night of the fight. I Yeah, I love this. No, we the the pictures the picture.

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You're going to see the picture. You're going to see the picture. This dude is knocked out. You got to send that to us.

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Yeah. Yeah. Knocked out. But so tell us about that. like on your journey when you started I I watched a clip of you and it goes through every single fight.

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Mhm. Some in Mexico. Yeah.

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Like you're all over the place. And when you started this journey, were you like I'm going to be I'm going be I'm I'm going to be a champion.

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No, I when I So, all right. So, when I first started boxing, I started boxing I was 26. Like, it's the probably the latest start of anybody that's ever

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started boxing. probably one other person you could probably that someone can Google a name but it's very late most people start 8 n 10 late like like

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considerably it's like 15 16 years old right I'm 26 I was playing football before this ji um after football didn't work out for me you know I got

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cut I turned to boxing I only turned to boxing because I was like I want to I want to look good throwing punches I want to look like Mayweather in there

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shell yeah I had no intentions of taking any fights I had no amateur fights No, no exhibition matches, nothing. I just

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wanted to learn how to fight and I didn't want to I didn't want to do MMA because I didn't want to get kicked. I don't like getting kicked. I was like, getting kicked feels like a baseball bat. Yeah.

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So, I I I took about some boxing lessons to start off with. And about 6 months to a year into my training, my coach was like, "Hey, you've been

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looking sharp on the on the bag. You've been in good shape. What do you what do you feel about taking a fight?" I said, "Um, like I'm just doing this for fun."

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Exactly. And keep in mind when the the gloves we train in are 16 ounces, but when you fight in amateurs, it's 12 oz. It's smaller. Yeah.

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Like the rounds seem longer and it's people there cheering because the biggest thing is fighting in front of people. That is the hardest part of fighting.

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So I took my first fight. I won. I knocked the dude out of the ring in the first round with an uppercut. I was like, I'm I love this. So I took more

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fights, more fights. But time is running running out for me. I can't keep doing amateurs for that long. I'm not 20 years old. I'm not 22. I'm about I'm 29 now.

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I'm like, hey, before I turn 30, I want to have my first pro fight. And I I took a fight in Mexico. I was like, you know,

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most the the usual Creed, how Creed did in the movie. He's fighting in Mexico.

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These are these are backyard bar fights and stuff like that. It was it was well organized on like uh uh ESPN for like Mexico. It's a really good fight.

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Yeah.

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Knocked him out of the first round. All right. Wow.

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I said, "All right." I mean, I'd be nervous though, like if I'm going to Mexico and I knocked the hometown dude out. I'm looking around.

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I was wearing pink and everyone was making fun of me. I had I had a full pink outfit on.

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Is that the one where you had the pink hood? Yes. Oh my lord. Pink hoodie. My daughters picked out.

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You got to pick it out. He had this pink hood. It's It's crazy. What made you I'm sorry I'm cutting the story.

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No, you're good. My daughters picked it out. They were like, "Dad, I think you should wear this color. I think you should wear the color pink." I said, "Sure, let's do it." Like I I like the color pink. Let's do it. So, I wore all

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pink. I had a pink furry uh uh gladiator skirt. I had the pink diamond shoes on,

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the pink uh uh ski mask. I went all out with it. Wow.

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They're making fun of me as I'm walking up. I don't speak Spanish, but I know what laughter looks like in any language.

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No, I know it. I worked in a very So, they're they're making fun of me.

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I'm walking up. I knocked the guy out in the first round. All of a sudden, the crowd had gone from laughter to ooze and cheers like, "Oh,

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wait a minute. This guy's dangerous." So, we won that fight. And then from there on, we just keep building, keep building, keep building. And for me,

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once I turn pro, yes, the goal is to become a world champion. That's the goal. Right now, this is a North American title. I want to become a world

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champ by the end of my career. That's the goal. Yeah. Um, but this fight specifically was one that means a lot to

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me because it was a step up fight. All over social media, people have been saying, "Don, when are you going to step up in competition? When are you going to you're beating you're beating cab drivers. You're beating my uncle from

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the barbecue." That's cool. But every fighter goes to these different levels in their journey, right? You can name any fighter. Canelo.

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Yeah.

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He didn't take a risk like this to fight like 15.

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David Benvdas right now is the number one cruiserweight in my division. He didn't take a risk like this to fight 13. He was fighting it that it's this.

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You have to beat these guys to prove I'm better than these guys. Okay, now I go to the next phase, which is where I'm at now. Guys that are tough winning records

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like, hey, this was a 50-50 fight and I pulled this one out. I I literally had to dig deeper. My first eight round fight, I I felt so accomplished after

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because it answered so many questions for me, for my team, social media, for everyone that that follows me and stuff like that. like, hey, can Dom Don push

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through when times gets because I got hurt in the fight. He hit me. Yeah. And it stumbled me and I had to like hold on for dear life in one of them. But I I

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was able to tough it out. I don't want to I don't want to I love everything and all people and I feel like everybody doing anything is

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amazing, but boxing has changed. Like I'm a I'm a traditionalist when it comes to boxing. Like you talked about, you know, Pernell Whitaker. I mean, you

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talked about Mayweather, but we know that Pernell was the first one to really start that sort of really awkward defensive style.

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And um and I know that now boxing is moving to a place where it's more celebrity focused. Yeah.

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But I love this because you're you're really doing it just because of the love Yeah.

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of the sport. Like it's not like Yeah. I mean, have you gotten more followers? Have you gotten people interested? Yeah. But I think you if no one was following you,

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you would still be down for it. I I a lot of people don't realize I don't have to fight if I don't want to. Yeah. Like outside of what I do with fighting

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because before I started posting my daughter on social media, I still was posting just in general what I do. I don't have to fight. I I love to fight.

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That's the thing. I love I love the game. I love to be able to get in there.

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And a lot of people put me in this box of influencer and oh, he's he's he's a fraud. He's a fake. I'm like, no. I I

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got my stripes in the amateurs. I had 20 amateur fights. I went against three of the top 10 guys in the nation and I I took one of them where I think I should

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have won, but I lost a close split decision. Yeah.

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I I I put myself out there like everyone else and a lot of people like to put me and that's what this fight really signified for me was me stepping into that. No guys, I belong here.

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This is this is like this is like Michael Jordan's first championship.

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When I saw that those pictures you showed me, the way you held it was like you know what I mean? It was like hey can we take a picture? Like no. But I

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want to I want to Jordan, can you pull up? I want I want to go to that moment.

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You know, I think it was 7775. They didn't say I think Yeah. So, at first they said the first ref had as a draw.

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Rocky Burke. I'm sorry. I need Rocky to get retired. Rock. This This is a judge.

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Yes. He's a judge. I love Rocky. He He My coach have good ties with him, but Rocky has made some terrible calls in the past where I've seen him

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almost get a boxer killed in the ring before. Yeah.

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Uh my last he he ref one of my fights that I had in the ring where I where I knocked my opponent down. My opponent gets up and they said, "Do you want to

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continue?" And he's like, "Well, I don't know. You're supposed to call it, right?" He wiped his gloves off, said, "Too bad.

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Get in there and keep fighting for your life." And I ended up stopping him. Like he didn't get he didn't get off the stool going into the second, but I'm like he you should have called it there.

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So Rocky's perspective and that's I'm like a draw is crazy. I I had myself winning five rounds to three, maybe six rounds to two. Yeah,

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just all depends. But the other one's 7775 for both. And when I heard the final one 77, let's put it up. Let's put it up. Let's put it up.

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That moment was where you give it away, man. 76 a draw.

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So that's a middle judge that went 76 767 to 75.

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Mhm. For Dominic. Yeah. What you feel right now? You feeling it?

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I'm scared right now. Yeah. Yeah.

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See right here? It's scary. Right there. I knew I won.

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There it is. There it is. I still got goosebumps right now from it, man. Oh, man. Oh, man.

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All right. So, Oh, wow.

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Whenever when they do the whenever when they read the cards, right? Let's say you get a SE a draw for the first one.

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The next one they read, right? It says 7775 Dominic Barry and he says 7775 but he didn't say who was Yeah. Yeah.

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who it was for.

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Now I'm listening for the next thing. If he says by split decision or by majority decision.

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Yeah. You kind of know exactly. Once he said by majority in my mind I knew I won already. But I just had to be sure cuz I was like you never

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know. Like it was a it was a tough fight. It was a close fight. This dude was a really good competitor. I've I've gotten nothing but calls, text messages.

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Dom, that was a statement fight. That was a hell of a fight because you pulled it out. Like it was it was a tough opponent. Like, so now you nonboxer, right? I only only

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my only boxing is fighting every day in high school, which is a different kind of boxing.

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That was me before cuz I'm dirty. I'm hitting everybody below the bed. I'm not If you ain't cheating, you ain't trying to I'm not I'm a street fight. I'm not Yeah. I'm not trying to win. I'm trying to Yeah.

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Anyway, Anyway, I think it's a statute of limitations. So don't you don't kind of get any belts.

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But um so we see live in a lot of events. Maybe it depends on the level of event, but

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most of the time I'm watching Compy Box, you know, I'm I'm you know, I'm I know what's going on in the fight, but I'm trying to see. But the judge the judges don't have copy box, do they?

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I don't think I don't think they don't get they don't see Comp. So there it's it's subjective.

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It is. And what's so subjective about it is you'll have one judge on that side of the ring. He may not see the exchange that happened all the way over here. So

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he sees, so prime example, my wife is in the stands losing it because she can't see me on the other side dodging punches, making him miss.

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It looks like I'm getting beat up in the corner. She's like, "You had me. You had me so tough." I said, "Baby, I was fine.

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I made all his punches miss." Right. Right. It's the same thing with the judges.

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They don't That judge may not see all the way over here, but this judge, he's Oh, he made all those punches, misses. Okay, he's winning this exchange here.

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He's fine. That's why they have all the different judges at the different so they can all see and Okay, different angles.

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Exactly. That that's what makes it so tough. Do they look at monitors though?

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They do have the monitors, but in that moment a lot of times like some judges are just going based off what they see right then. They're watching. They're going off what they see right there in

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that moment. So when you So and the I think the other complication is also catching punches which is which is like like you know before you watch Haggler Hearns

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and those guys and they're just face out and they're hitting each other and now you're catching you're you're you know you're you're you're absorbing that

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punch in a way that and so that's a lot of judgment to know okay did he really catch him or was or what did that actually hurt him? It all depends. Like

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a lot of guys use a tactic of like they'll punch arms like real real bad.

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Like they'll really try and beat up the body so that way they can lower the hands. Uh and then to some judges that may come off as okay, he's landing

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significant strikes. If he's hitting the shoulders or something like that, but if I'm actively showing like with me, a lot of my this is, you know, it's a little

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bit tricks to my trade of how I fight sometimes. I'll bring my hands up here to catch here to catch here to catch to show I'm being defensive here. A lot of

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his punches he were throwing I caught on the guard. I caught and gave back.

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Caught and gave back. So, it's really showing the judges that not only am I being defensive, I'm also being offensive at the same time.

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Yeah. Yeah. So, that's brilliant. It's I mean, congratulations again.

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Um, amazing story and it's I don't think this story is done. No, because I I I feel in you that urgency.

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I think the the the the thing that is most feared about people, when I say feared in a good way in respect to people impacting the world, is urgency.

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M I tell everybody I wake up every morning and I'm compelled to do something. Oh yeah.

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People like why are you doing what you're doing? I don't know. I literally don't know. I'm like why do you want to do this?

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Something is telling me something in that's that's that means that you look you you're you're thinking about it.

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It's cuz we So we already have the next fight kind of scheduled. Yeah. All right. Right. Right now we're it it's somewhere in October. It's going to be

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for another belt. This one's to get me into the WBA rank is because the fight for a WBA belt last fight with a guy that was eight and two. We

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had I had already wanted to step up in competition. Yeah.

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But the way the WBA works, you have to get opponents cleared 60 days in advance. It's it's a nightmare dealing with a lot of this stuff. But we had to

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take a last minute replacement. But we're working on that one next. I already have my next fight lined up. I I just need to get out of this next two weeks of healing from this last fight

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and then we're back in the gym chasing another belt. Do you think do you think that um do you have pressure? So you're nine and 0 and one, right?

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Uh 11 and 11 and 0 with 10 knockouts, one draw. And you have that one draw. Yes. Do you feel is there a renewed pressure?

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I mean, this is kind of the Mayweather effect that everybody talks about that a pressure to be undefeated,

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you know, instead of taking, you know, the right fight or the the that step up fight. Do you feel that or do you just like I'll take on who? For me, it I'm

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I'm fighting a different ball game than most people. Like, I'm not the typical fighter and and because of social media for me. Yeah.

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Everything I do is is scrutinized.

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Everything I do is looked at under a microscope. Yeah.

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Like, we've had opportunities to fight guys that are 11 and three, but he has one leg.

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Yes. I talked about this in a YouTube video.

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So, for my fight, my last one, for my last fight, we were offered an opponent, okay? And he was 11 and three, uh, nine

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knockouts. Oh, he's dangerous. This is perfect. Let's do it. Like, I want to go beat somebody this good for this belt. And my co, his name was, uh, uh, Cyborg.

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That was his nickname. All right. Is that an M MMA fighter?

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Boxing. His name was Cyborg. Big big big famous guy in Mexico, right? Uh, we I'm

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looking him up. I'm trying to do my research on him and my coach like, "Yeah, they said, you know, there's metal in his leg or something like that, but it doesn't matter. We're going to go fight him. We're going to go win." I

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find him on social media. I find him on Facebook and I'm looking at his fights and I noticed that like nothing is shot from the waist down,

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right? No, no videos are shot from the waist down. So then I end up finding a video of him full body hitting the bag.

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Now, a public service announce announcement.

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Dominic Barry does respect. I respect anyone that has any ring want to get in the ring. But but but I cannot fight him because of my

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brand. They will crucify me on social media. He had a prosthetic leg from the knee down.

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But that I mean Yeah. I mean that I can't fight him because they if let's say let's say I do knock him out. Oh,

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Dom's knocking out guys that that let's say I get hit by him too hard and he and he wobbles cuz he has nine

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knockouts. He's dangerous. It's a lose lose. All respect to him. I wish him nothing but success in his journey. Hope he keeps climbing.

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But for me, I like I can't my followers will not take me serious for that. They won't. It's just and it's I mean even beyond the

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followers like just this you said the scrutiny which is like crazy, right? Cuz even even in my role, it's like you you're a healthcare CEO

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like everything you do is scrutinized and some things you don't even anticipate would be a problem. So I think I I 100% agree with you.

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That's a lose-lose situation. I I can't I can't take certain fights because of it. Like there's guys out there, there's another man, he's 40

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48, right? 11 and one. Amazing boxer, but he's 48 years old. I cannot I can't

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take that fight cuz if I win, what is Oh, D's beating up on older men. Like, I can't win for trying. But most guys can because they're not under the same

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microscope as me. And that's the way that I have to I have to navigate through my journey is I am under so much more pressure to win or at least look

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good winning because of social media because everyone's watching. No matter what happens, everyone's watching.

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I think that's a great tactic. I do think though that you carry it well. Yeah.

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Right. Like watching I mean I consumed a lot of your content just to learn more about you, but you carry it well. You carry it with dignity and

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you also carry it in a way that I think is really important that you in the ring you're not an influencer. Yeah.

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In the ring you're not this is not a social media thing. This is you. You can see this you when you won that wasn't for anything else but how you felt inside.

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You felt both relief and excitement and you know there was a little bit of sadness in there or you know just I shouldn't say sadness but you could tell

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that it was it was deep. It was super deep. So I I I respect that to be able to do that in with all the things that

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you told me you had to go through. But listen, you know my thing. I told you the pre-show. I'm a grudge guy.

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I remember everybody's name who ever doubt me. And I I've avoided saying them on on the pod, but I'm you out there.

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You know who you are. You didn't think I'd do whatever I've done.

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So other people, you know, because of the positive side of what you've done in social media is you've inspired. And we'll talk more about that. But if you

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inspired a bunch of people, especially around fatherhood, especially around fatherhood. I'm going to, you know, we're going to go through the girl dad thing in a minute, but that's super

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super super amazing the way you approach the girl dad thing, but but that said,

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you know, there's got to be people in your comments, you know, or people that, you know, it's not even honestly, it's

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it's not even people just in comments, man. own family members, too. It's It's that deep. It's It's people that that that have doubted me ever since I was playing football.

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Like, ever since I was a division 2 football player, saying, "I'm going to go to the NFL." Oh, don't you think you're a little little too small? Don't you think

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that, you know, they would be picking guys from like USC, not Western New Mexico University? What does that have to do with me? So when I when I did

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actually, you know, get picked up by the Rams, I I I had in the back of my mind that big, I told you. Yeah. Like keep

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doubting me. It's it's it's not just in the comments. It's not just people around the It's it's own family for me at times, too. Like I I I keep in

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touch with probably four people in my entire family outside of like the family I created.

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Yeah. Yeah. Your your your your uh sort of direct family. Yeah. I keep in touch with four people.

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That's about it. Everyone else I keep at a distance because now that I've done something

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in boxing and as a girl dad too. I I don't want them around because it's so negative.

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Well, listen, man. Two two things. So, one, I I'm going to get one for you. We have a t-shirt which is brand we we brought this to Essence and it's a less

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than 1% t-shirt. On the back it says, "Tell me I can't and see what happens." You know, I'm I'm so sorry. I tried to get them for today, but please, I'm going to mail you a bunch for the whole

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family. I love that because you know and I saw people around Essence you know we give them out and I'm walking down the hall and these people cuz a lot of people have people who doubt them and the ones that are

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closest to you are the ones that hurt hurt the most you know they're the ones that you were like why why would why are you doubting me exactly you know you know me you know who I am

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you've seen every moment of me in this and and you still doubt me so is but is there is there a you don't have to say the name prot protect the

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innocent here but is there one or two particular people or family members that when you think about what you've done

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and you and you like you had a new joint when you won and you went back I was like your back had a whole new joint in it. I was like how are you twisted up like that?

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You know what I mean? So when you did that is it is it is it just all joy or you like Yeah. No. So in that in that moment all joy.

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But when I'm able to go backstage and reflect and I'm going through my messages, it it's it's really like I could send you this message right now

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with this picture in it of me holding this belt up if I really wanted to, but I'm not going to be petty. I'm going just let you watch from a distance and

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enjoy the show. So yeah, it's it I don't want to drop names, but it's definitely a couple people out there for sure.

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And you're and you're also humble in like in like different ways, right? You like we were supposed to this was rescheduled. Yeah.

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Yeah. And I was, if it was me, I'm like, "Hey, man. I'm I'm about to fight for this belt real quick." And and I'll, you know, you're like, "Uh, can we move it?" Yeah. I was like, "Listen, let's let's

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do it after. I'd love to." But that's great. So, can we switch gears? Yeah, let's do. I want to talk about the babies.

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Let's do it. That's the I would m I could spend hours talking about my daughters, man. People I'm that dad where I'm like, "Hey, you want to see my

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daughter jump off the real quick?" Like, that's me. No. And that's funny though too, right? Just real quick, I tell you

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the story. So people always want to, you know, they always want you to love their kids.

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And I work in a ER and so they're always people are always like, "Hey, look at my kid. Look at Oh, my kid is so cute." But sometimes they show them to you and

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you're like, you did nice shoes that baby got on. Isn't he cute?

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Some nice pants. Where'd you get them pants from? And then you just need a How old is he?

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You know, that's what you say. Oh, he's so precious. He's so precious.

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You know, there that that your child is unique. I'm sorry. I know I'm going to get a lot of hate for that. But how old are the kids?

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Uh 75 and one.

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75 and one. And when we first met, and you didn't know, you you weren't meeting me. I was meeting you when we first met.

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Um because I'm a girl dad. I have a 20-year-old. We talked about that. She plays basketball in Boston College. And one of the things that we did on our

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journey and she started training for basketball at three. Mhm.

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And uh maybe maybe maybe maybe two and a half. Wow.

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And uh when you get a boy, when you have a boy, that's standard. Mhm.

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You have a boy, you're like throwing stuff to the boy, you're, you know, like, but when you have a girl, a lot of people don't like they're like, "Why are

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you training for basketball?" I'm like, "Cuz she's about to be a killer. She walked at eight months." Like I'm telling you that she is special from an

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athletic standpoint and she loves basketball because her brother loved basketball who was two years older and this is what she wants to do and I'm going to support it. So I coached all

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the teams, you know, I got a bunch of three-year-olds, four year olds running around.

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But what I loved about one of the first clip I saw and and I think we I don't know if we do. We have that clip here. Which one?

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We have one of them. We have one of them where he's talking to her. Yeah. How how old? He said 75. 75 and one. 751 and their names.

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Nala Nia Nova. Oh, I love it. I love it. Who did that?

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Was Yeah, that was that was her idea.

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Yeah. Well, you know why I picked on you? By the way, his wife is sitting right here next to him.

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Um, but I'm going to I'm going to pick on her a little bit. So, I should have been Michael Tomlinson III. Okay.

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MT3, like playing basketball, MT3 for three. Honestly, that have been tough.

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Just that would have been tough. And you gave me immuamu. They said you fumbled the bag.

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There was like m empty like it means spiritual leader.

25:55

So listen moms, they always try to give but names have meaning. It's purposeful. So those names are amazing.

26:03

But let I want Yeah. Let's let's let's look at the clip. Well, there's this isn't this is one of my favorite ones. Yeah. Let's see. I really like this one. Which one?

26:11

What's the matter? We've never had this before. What's going on? You not want to compete today? You want to go out there?

26:16

You got to go out there. I can't force you. It's up to you. All right. You don't want to. Okay, that's fine. She She She doesn't want to today.

26:28

Great job, ladies.

26:30

Nala, if you want to do it, we can do it. You want to do it? Are we going to just try?

26:36

I don't just the first match. Okay, we'll do just the first match. Kill that fear once you step out on that mat. Kill the fear. You got it. You're the

26:45

greatest. All right. And this is going to solidify whether you win or lose. I don't care about the result. I just want to see that effort that you got. Can you

26:53

show me that dog that you got? Can you show me it? Let's do it. Come on. Do it, baby. Let's go, guys. Let's do it. Nala, let's do it. Nala, back up. Back up.

27:07

Set it up first. Set it up. Yeah.

27:12

Yeah. I see it. Wow. Yeah, I see it.

27:16

That moment always gets me with her, man. It It's all right. So, look.

27:22

Little bit of a side note. We had no idea how big the girl was that she was going against. I didn't see the girl

27:30

until she had walked over and that's when she like standing me. I said, "Oh my." Cuz there was nobody in her bracket to come and compete with her. So, they moved her up two brackets.

27:40

Okay. That's what I was and up in age. So the girl was 97 she's 77 lb Nal's 57 lb right we had just we

27:49

had flown out there hotels rental car all that I'm like baby we I mean do you

27:56

want to compete it's up to you but my little I'm like we're here let's do it like I said this first time I saw her when I saw her I said listen you don't

28:05

have to she's huge that little girl's hu I had no idea and the even the refer

28:11

came to up to us before and was like, "She knows this submissions, right? This this the right bracket." I was like, "Yeah, she's fine." She gets out there

28:19

and then she just she just didn't this the first time first time she's ever said, "No, I don't want to compete." And I was with her, I was like,

28:28

I wouldn't want to compete against that that she's huge. And when she got out there, I I really thank my mother, too.

28:34

Especially, my mom was a big big and it's off camera about it. mom was a big key factor in getting her back on the

28:41

mat. Like my mom was huge in that and and it brought when my mom helped me, it brought me back to the moments when my mom was on me about conquering my fears.

28:51

Yeah.

28:51

You know, it was it was that moment where Nala's like, "Well, I don't I don't really I would love to see you compete, baby girl. I I know you can do it. I know how strong you are. I know

28:59

the Grizzlies in there somewhere." Cuz my mom is the one that really gave her that nickname. I can't even lie. The Grizzly came from my mom. And when she

29:08

got out there, man, and and and she the way she fought, she fought with everything she had. It she listened. She stayed calm cuz even

29:17

in like tournaments before, she had been crying like Yeah, I've seen I've seen those. And you're and you're you didn't you did something there that you didn't do in

29:25

those. Sometimes she's crying and I think you're assessing what you're really seeing and you're telling her to fight through that.

29:32

You're telling her to fight, okay, wipe those tears. I Okay. Because I know when she's crying and she it's it's out of frustration, right?

29:40

I know that for like nothing's working.

29:42

Yeah, baby, calm down. The more you let this race up here and you let those tears flow and take over, you can't think.

29:50

When you can think, she is the most dangerous kid out there. When like she's done some stuff that we've never

29:57

practiced before. I'm like, who taught you that? Where'd you learn that? It was just in the moment, Dad. I just thought to I love that. So, how old are you?

30:05

Uh, 31. 31. Mhm.

‍

30:07

It It takes people lifetimes to be able to learn how to parent, how to father, and how to father young

30:16

women. How do you where where does that come from?

30:23

It's crazy because I I didn't have my dad growing up. I didn't. My uh both my mom and father, they were drug addicts

30:30

from the time I was born until 13. So I live with my grandparents. Um I was raised by both of them uh until my mama

30:39

got us back. She was battling uh her alcoholism, drug uh drug addiction in and out of rehab. My father I saw one time when I was 12. We went back to St.

30:50

Louis, Missouri. That's where I was born. Um, and he was strung out then.

30:54

And I said, I never I never want to see anyone like this again. I don't like that's not what I want. Um, but I had men in my life that that raised me well.

31:04

My grandfather, uh, my uncle, and then my older brother. My older brother is probably the biggest one. Like my and I really thank my wife for this one, man.

31:13

Even in So, just to backtrack a little bit, in this fight, she knew she saw how much I was stressing cuz it was a tough fight. She surprised me by by flying my

31:22

brother down for the fight. Like, oh, that's awesome.

31:24

The night before weigh-ins, we're I'm like, "Where are we why are we going to the airport? What are we doing? I have a surprise for you." And here he comes walking out. Man, it it took so much

31:33

weight off of my shoulders because my brother is like the leading example of

31:39

who I want to be. So, when when I say he's the one that kind of when I turned 13, 14, because he's not my brother by

31:47

blood. He's my brother through my actual blood sister. Like they had kids together and he's the father to my nieces, but he's more of a brother to me than anybody is in my family.

31:57

So with him, he's been there. He's he's seen me since I was a teenager until adulthood. He's helped raise me.

32:04

So when I say like I didn't have a I didn't have my father. I didn't have my father. I didn't have my dad in my life, but I had men in my life that helped

32:12

shape me into who I am. So, it it really stems from seeing what they did, right?

32:17

And I'm like, that's the type of the type of person I want to be to my kids.

32:22

Is it hard raising daughters or just the whole thing, man? I mean, you got you got I mean, I see the passion that you have

32:30

for them just in this moment, obviously online, but even this moment, I'm looking into your eyes and I'm looking I'm I I don't I don't see your face

32:38

right now. I'm into your soul cuz I know what that dad thing is like. And I tell everybody, I you know, I don't believe

32:45

in reincarnation, but if it does happen and I come back, I'm not I'm not gonna have any kids. And everybody's like, "What do you mean? You you love it

32:53

so much. You're in it so much." And I said, "I don't want to love anybody like that.

32:58

I don't want to be when they win, I'm here. And when they lose, I'm down here.

33:03

I don't want that. I don't like that feeling, man.

33:06

So, I'm not going to come back and do that again. I'm not listen when they lose that's the toughest cuz it's like how do I how can I build you back up in

33:14

this moment. How can I show you that just cuz you lost right now doesn't mean you're terrible. Like she had a moment I was had a moment where I was like I

33:22

asked baby why are we crying? What's wrong? She had taken three losses at 80cc right and she had two more matches.

33:27

I said why are we crying right now? I'm not winning. I said baby just cuz you're not winning that doesn't mean we're not

33:34

good. You're just going against good people. So you got to step it up. You were used to battling down here. We're up here now. You're up here as well.

33:44

You're just not fighting to your potential. So we got to step it up. She went on and won the next one. It was it was I al I also want to say when he says

33:51

ADC, that is the premier. That's the number one of that's when we talk about NFL, CFL, it's

34:00

the NFL of jiu-jitsu. This is where like the best kids show up. Like these kids are crazy good. Like, so

34:08

those moments are tough. But no, being being a dad is it it's it's tough because I never know. Me and my wife have conversations like, did we handle

34:16

this right today? Did we do you think we could have did that better? Like, you know, if we had to come down on them a little bit too much that day, hey, did

34:24

we let our emotions get in the way? Were we tired today? Is this something that we needed to step back and reanalyze?

34:29

Cuz I've I've I've been scarred a lot as a kid. I've been through a lot. like I'm talking I've been beat as a kid. I've

34:38

been I've been through the worst and I never want to send my children through.

34:41

I' I don't want my children to be scarred in any way. So, I'm always trying to see what can I do better as a dad.

34:47

So, I it's tough because you never know if you're doing the right thing. You ne it's you could have done the right thing, but it still might not have been

34:55

the right thing. And if that makes sense. I don't Yeah. No, no, no. You Yeah. I think I think the pro the problem or the

35:01

challenge with raising kids it's the same challenge I have in my job now the by the time I know I made a mistake it's

35:10

too late because the time course is 18 years you know you don't know till you're 13 you know or you even you know my son or

35:18

daughter like did I you know I was aggressive in that situation what's the consequence of that or I was not aggressive enough what's the you never know

35:26

until you see the outcome is there So, I'm going to ask you this question cuz I reflect on it all the time cuz my kids are 23 and 20.

35:35

Mhm.

35:35

So, I did, you know, we did the coaching. We like like you were, you know, was basketball, but we flew all over the country. We played against I would find a kid on the list. Oh, you on

35:43

the list. Oh, you number 25 list. I'm like, I'm like, hey, hey, oh, oh, Orion, Athena, we about to play them. We about

35:52

to play them. I'll call the tournament director. I would call the tournament director. I was like, he's like, "Hey, you know what level are you?" I said, "Don't worry about my level. I want to

36:01

play the top team first." He's like, "But don't you want to play him in the championship?" "No." I said, "I want to play him on the big court, the top team first." And both my kids and I would

36:08

just And it's funny how, you know, challenging the coach. That's another question I have for you, too.

36:14

But challenging the coach and dad conversation, cuz there's dad. Yeah. And then there's coach Moo.

36:20

And I'm in situations where I'm like, you know, I'm okay, that kid's number 25. you know, Thea would cook them. We play we play Kobe's, you know, God rest

36:28

his soul, but we played against Kobe's team. Okay. You know, and I'm in my mind I'm like, it's Kobe Bryant. But outward as a as a coach, I'm like, well, I'm I

36:36

got to keep it down. But as a dad, I'm like, you know, you're out there cooking.

36:39

But how do you how do you manage the coach and dad? The the best way I do it is when we leave practice, when we leave

36:46

a tournament, we leave it there. Like we don't I don't care if we won. I don't care if we lost. I don't care if we got

36:53

a draw. Hey dad, I did so good. So then I don't care about that. We're going to Disneyland right now. Let's talk about what we're going to do at Disney.

37:00

Like, hey dad, you see my arm bar I did?

37:03

I don't remember it right now. We'll talk about it later when we sit down and reassess what we need to fix. But in that moment once I'm dad like I I'm I I

37:11

never wanted to bring home what we do at I don't want to bring coach home to the dinner table. I want them to know when we leave practice, no matter what

37:20

happened, if we had a bad day, a great day, an an okay day, dad's not going to bring that to the dinner table tonight.

37:26

It's going to stop as soon as we leave the practice. It's going to stop right there.

37:30

You got to tell all those moms and dads, man. Tell them. Tell them right now.

37:34

Leave it on the practice field. You can even take a little bit longer to leave the practice field if you want to to get

37:41

that discussion out. Vent yourself that, hey, I'm really disappointed in how you did today. That is not who we are. But the minute you get in that car, you got

37:49

to switch back into into dad or mom mode. You have to because they're they're they're going to hate having you there if they don't know you can make

37:56

that switch. My daughters know that dad's going to be dad at home, but when it's on that mat, he has an expectation from us. My kids know there's an

38:04

expectation. If we step on the mat, we give everything we got. You if if they were here, I'd ask them right now, what's the one thing daddy cares about?

38:10

Just that we give effort and we give everything we got. Do I care about wins and losses? No. But I know when you've given me everything you I don't You know what?

38:19

I don't believe you.

38:21

No, no, no. Listen, you name you ain't even a real person. We This is This is AI, y'all. I'm telling you right now. We in the studio, but we This is a Avatar.

38:30

This dude is 31 and you have the knowledge of a 107y old. I mean, you bro, no, no, no. I

38:37

think I think you minimize just just to give you your flowers a little bit on that. I know it's awkward. I know you don't like it. I already see your face. You don't want to hear this.

38:45

But I'm telling you the ability to have that wherewithal and when their kids are really young, a lot of people do that reflectively.

38:54

You know, one of the things I do with my kids when they played and I stopped coaching them, it took me a while to get say and say, I I just love watching you play.

39:02

And I legitimately what I was missing a lot of times when I was coaching them is I is reminding them that I loved

39:10

watching them play. my my son one time I remember we were coaching my and uh I for some reason I had to leave at

39:18

halftime and coach my daughter's game and I remember I walked away and he was he had like 19 points at halftime and

39:27

you and he just and you watch him like he I mean I anticipate the way you approach things this how I play

39:36

right he's just a smooth cat he's one of the most frustrating people to guard He came back, he had 41. This was in a

39:44

game against a team with like five blue chip on it and they kept rotating and I

39:51

remember and we won the game by one and I I I went and sat down and I was just like I just love watching you play like you

39:59

you just you're special. And then what I realized the 41point games are obvious.

40:04

Mhm. But sometimes when they they scored no points or eight points, that was just amazing watching them play. And it it really now I'm just, you

40:13

know, now I'm watching the game just like, you know, they turn the ball over. I'm like, "Oh, good job."

40:20

Um, look, I I really believe like I just have a front row seat to watch her do great. Great.

40:27

Both of my daughters, man, I I get to I get to just watch them do their thing.

40:31

Like everyone sees the the chokes and all those things and the arm bars, but I see the moments that that a lot of

40:39

people don't. I celebrate the small things. Like this past this past tournament that I'm that one's going to get posted after this after I post all my stuff, my fight. Um my middle child,

40:48

Nia, she she's been struggling a lot with like overcoming bigger opponents. She went against a girl that was 52 lb.

40:55

My daughter's uh 38 lbs. They didn't tell us that she was in her bracket.

40:59

tells it. She went out there and she was so defensively sound.

41:05

She was defeating, didn't get submitted, fighting off everything she was supposed to. I said, "Nia, baby, you did a I'm I loved and I point out all the little

41:14

things that no one else saw because I I know what to look for. I'm there with you every single day. I see all those those little things you

41:21

struggle with that now you're mastering them." I love seeing that with Nala when she's transitioning now. A lot of people don't see how she goes from one move to

41:29

the next. I do because I've seen the progress and I just enjoy watching her grow and develop. Like that's that's probably the biggest thing. That's why I like being the coach there.

41:38

Why Why not boxing? Why not boxing?

41:40

It's hard to convince someone that getting punched in the face is fun cuz in boxing you're going to get punched. I don't care. Like you it is

41:47

100% going to happen. You're going to get punched. And like my daughter was like, "Yeah, I don't know if I want to get punched." I don't even like to get punched, baby. I don't I don't like

41:56

that's why my defense is pretty good. I don't like to get punched. So, it it's really hard to convince them. Now, they they've put on gloves. They have the little gloves and everything. They'll

42:04

punch the bag with me, but it's like, "Yeah, I don't want to spar. Daddy, you don't have to." Like, that's something you have to be intrinsically motivated to want to do.

42:12

Yeah. The best the best boxers are going to still get hit, you know, 100 times.

42:16

You're going to get punched. You are going to get hit all the time. This is a sport you're going to get.

42:20

So, we got the champ. You know the You know, the question is coming. We need music for the for this music. Yeah. So, you know, the question is coming.

42:26

So, you you you know, again, less than 1enter in respect to the championship.

‍

42:33

It's I mean, less than 1enter. You're not you're not going into it. You're just going into it like, hey, I'm an athlete and I'm going to try this thing.

42:39

Less than 1% as a father, right? You don't you you're doing this um and you special.

42:45

But I I'm going to come back to what I said before. I ask you what it what is it in you that has allowed you to be

42:53

this successful? I'm gonna ask it in a different way. What is your superpower?

42:58

Now, I'll give you an explanation. And I know y'all out there are tired of my explanations, but remember they're seeing this for the first time. So, a superpower is something that's intrinsic

43:06

to you. Something that you do so well, something that when you use that superpower, you're not using any energy.

43:14

You're not like, you know, you can do it all day and all night, right? Just that energy is just so powerful. And I talked a little bit about my superpower, which

43:22

I've kind of morphed it. I I used to say it was relentlessness, which is I never ever stop. Like I'll never stop. I'll never stop. I keep going. I keep going.

43:29

But I'm I'm working this compulsion part into it because I feel compelled to do more. Like I like no one is telling me to do more. I don't have anything on my

43:37

wall that says I want to be a CEO or anything. Like I just keep doing more. I keep doing more and things happen. I've been blessed. Um but I can't stop myself. I want to just go home and lay

43:46

down. sit down like mood just lay down and my eyes open up like oh why don't you try this so that's my superpower but what would you say yours is considering

43:54

that long- winded explanation I wouldn't consider it a a a a typical superpower you've seen Transformers

44:02

right yeah okay so you know how they have the Matrix of leadership yes okay so Optimus he's the main person I'd

44:11

run through a brick wall for Optimus Prime if you were to give me a speech Right. My superpower has to be that I can motivate anybody. I can get you to

44:20

do anything that you thought you couldn't do. Like my nephew, he decided that he wanted to do jiu-jitsu, right?

44:26

He went out there his first tournament, scared, unmotivated, hands behind his back, twiddling his thumbs, went out there and lost the first one. I said, I don't I don't want to talk about no

44:35

technique, nothing. I want to show you something. I showed him what he looked like when he stepped out there afraid. I never want to see that again. I want you to walk, step to him, walk him down.

44:45

Don't worry about anything else. Don't worry about the crowd. Don't worry about the coach. I want you to master one thing when you step in there right now. Go forward.

44:53

Go forward every step. Don't let him push you back. Go forward. Went out there and won that first one. I said, "All right now. Now that we've mastered that mental, we've killed that fear.

45:03

Now, I want you to go out there and do what's best that you know how to do. Go have fun." He won the next one in the championship with him in 30 seconds by by rear negative choke. I said, "Boy,

45:11

that's what I'm listen what I just saw right there. You a

45:21

little emotional, little you get energy when you mo so this is absolutely sometimes I'll I'll argue with people.

45:27

They're like, "Oh, my superpower is X." I'm like, "No, this is your superpower." The ability for you to motivate people to be greater than they ever thought they could be.

45:34

I believe it. Like that's that's that's I think that that's the best thing cuz I I was also when I played football, I was a team captain every single year. Yeah.

45:42

I was I was the one that gave the pregame speech.

45:45

I was the one that was in the room and you're the captain now.

45:49

We I'm over here like me this seat. He about to we about to switch seats.

45:54

You're the team captain now because you me coach looking at me on the sideline.

45:57

Hey Don, we need to play here. I'm telling my corner, hey, we need to play.

46:00

If he throw that ball your way, we need something to happen. Show me why you want to be the number one corner in the league this year. And they they they ready to make a play.

46:07

It it's most I've I've had old guys I've played with come up to me. We've I've seen maybe I I see him in the mall some, right? Yeah.

46:14

Captain Dom, I'd run through a brick wall for this man right here. He could motivate me to do anything cuz that's cuz I see myself out there. I see what I would have needed in that moment.

46:25

What I want to hear in that moment when it when it when the players on the line when it's hey our backs against the wall, we need something to happen. I just how I want to spend.

46:32

I think I'm going to go sign up for the ADCC training right now.

46:36

Right now, I think I think your kids I think your kids would run through a brick brick wall for you. Oh, I think they would.

46:44

When you were talking to your daughter in that video, you could see in her eyes she believed everything you said. You can see that fear slowly leaving.

46:51

It's literally You could literally see it leave.

46:53

I am Dad. I am the greatest. Wait a minute. Why am I getting and I and and like that's and I and I would and I feed off of them feeding off the energy of

47:02

me. So if I see, okay, maybe she's not responding to this type, I'll tone it down and I'll change it up in that moment. I'm really good at adapting to

47:10

how I talk to people as well. Like if I see you don't get amped up off of off of like the rah rah, okay, let me let me dial it down. Let me get in year and make sure that only you can hear me.

47:20

Wow. So, I have I have I have all kinds of plans for you that you don't even know about because of this. But we'll talk about that later because I I am

47:28

100% aligned with that superpower. I see it in you and that's something special.

47:32

But just cuz I agree with you doesn't mean it's true. Okay.

47:36

So, now we got to validate it and we we are fortunate enough to have your beautiful wife here with you.

47:42

So, you let us know what do you think about this description of his super superpower.

47:47

I agree with it 100%. He motivates me as well. Anytime I'm I'm getting my doctoral degree in business and

47:55

sometimes I don't want to write and I just have to go to him for a quick, you know, and there I'm stuck in the room writing for like eight hours.

48:02

Well, she just said she just said that she she you're motivating her to do to to to pursue her doctoral degree. But I

48:10

my mind went to you, you know, she comes to you for help and all of a sudden you're showing her moves all

48:17

like that's where my mind went. I was like, "Okay, wait a second." No, no, no.

48:21

So with with my wife, I I for her, she's different. She like like if you challenge her, like if you call her out on something like, "Oh, no. You being

48:29

lazy." If you hit her with that, she's like, "What?" Yeah.

48:32

Like that's that's how she responds and that's how she's motivated. Like I said, everyone's different. I have to I have to tailor it and I'm really good at like

48:40

tailoring my motivation to everyone where it's like, okay, someone's always going to be motivated.

48:44

So, she got to get the shirt. Tell me I can't.

48:46

Yes. Yes. If you tell us backand do something that says that she's going to do it like that's that's 100% her thing.

48:53

Okay. So, uh so we got some validation, but she also cheated. She She heard it.

48:59

You think we can call somebody to see validate this superpower? We can call my brother. Call my brother. Okay. Let's do it. Let's do it. Yeah. Hold on.

49:07

All right. Yeah. So, what we do is you have to wear the hair the headphones.

49:09

The headphones. He should be right there. Right behind your belt. Ah, okay. Okay. All right. We're giving him a call here.

49:18

Oh, he might be in a meeting.

49:22

Uh, okay.

49:24

All right. Well, we'll try my mom. Let's try my mom. My mom would be better then. A mom should answer.

49:32

Hello. Hey, mom. Hey. What's wrong? what you doing?

49:37

Uh here at Costco trying to get me uh tired.

49:41

Okay. Um I I I'm here on the less than 1% podcast. Uh we're joined with Dr.

49:46

Imamu. Um and we have a question for you. All right. If you can answer Just call me Moo. Dr. Moo. Just call him.

49:54

I've seen his No, I've seen his uh podcast before. Yeah, I'm on it right now. Oh, so what's the question?

50:04

Okay. So, um, the question they ask is, if you could describe me with a superpower, what what would you say my superpower is?

50:14

What would I say your superpower is? Yes.

50:19

Oh, y Damn, that's a good one. Your strength.

50:27

You resilient.

50:29

You are You overcome adversity. you know how to do that. I would really say that his

50:37

Yeah, that he's No, you got to have one thing. So, I mean, he's God dang Why you put me on the spot like that?

50:51

I really want to say yo, you you are resilient. You can bounce back.

50:57

Why don't you tell her what you said your superpower was? So, I said my superpower was was the ability to lead.

51:03

Like I I can motivate anybody to do anything that they think they couldn't do. That's what I said my superpower was.

51:12

Yeah, I right there. I agree with that. You You're a leader. You're not a follower. You are a leader.

51:19

And um you have the ability, yes, to motivate others. Um, and and you can go through

51:28

any of this. If I put you in the fire pit, you figure out a way to get out without getting burnt.

51:36

That's the best. That's amazing. Yeah, that's the best. Yeah. Okay. All right. Thank you, Mom.

51:44

Well, thank you. Thank you. Sorry for for taking time. Love you, Mom. Love you, too.

‍

51:51

Bye. That's awesome. What do you think about that?

51:56

I like I mean yeah that's the for me that's that's probably like the best representation for my mom because you know she's seen firsthand everything

52:03

I've had to overcome you know uh there was a point where so bit of a story that so my mom went back to drugs on my 13th

52:12

birthday like we it was me my younger sister and my older brother who's in a wheelchair.

52:18

I've had to care for my brother in a wheelchair ever since I could lift him up. like I he's older, but I'm his older brother in a sense. Yeah.

52:25

Um she left us there. She said, "I'm going to get your cake for your birthday." And 6 hours go by.

52:32

Mom's not home yet. Where's mom? Where's mom? I'm I have to take care of all three of us right now. And it got to be

52:40

about like 9 10:00 at night and I get a knock on the door. my grandparents and they're grabbing all her bags and cuz they had just given my mom the

52:47

opportunity to try and get us back and she she never made it back. We didn't see her again for another 6 months.

52:55

So, it it's it's one instance where I had to like and I and I love my I love my mom, man. I'm I'm a mama's boy. Like

53:02

I any chance I get mom cuz she lives in California. Mom, let me fly you down.

53:06

Come see us. Let me let me take care of the flights. Come sit down with us. Come come hang out with us. All that stuff.

53:10

We'll come down there. Um, but in that moment, I didn't I didn't blame her because I I understand what it's like

53:19

for people that are dealing with addiction and people that are everyone's you're an adult. You're you're a person, human being. You go through things.

53:25

Um, but I had to bounce back and I had to in that moment be what my brother and sister needed to help take care of them cuz I was the only one that could at that time.

53:34

Um, even when I went to go play football at Division 2, I was the only one that walked in the room to say, "Guys, I'm going to the NFL." Everybody else here

53:42

is just like, "Oh, I I'm just happy to be here." No, I'm adjusting to my surroundings. Okay, where's the weight room? When can I be in there as many

53:49

times I want to? Hey, how many meals do we get here? Hey, coach, uh, what's your number so I can call you whenever I have a question on the plays or anything like that. Hey, what's the I'm I'm trying to

53:58

adjust as soon as I get that. I see the problem. All right, how do we need to fix this right now to make this to accommodate everything I need? So, I I adjust really well to things.

54:07

Yeah. I I mean I I you know just hearing your story you know it's it's always an interesting dynamic having people from

54:16

different worlds come here sit right where you're sitting to and uh you know a lot of people have said moo

54:24

like hey you do a podcast just do it on healthcare like just do it on like you would be it would be everybody be watching it in healthcare but

54:33

your story to me inspires everybody beyond football, boxing, healthcare, like that story needs to be told. Now,

54:41

I'm going to challenge you. I know you got the social media thing, but I do think that you're you are going to be one of the most sought after speakers in the country.

54:50

I agree.

54:51

That's going to happen, bro. Like, I mean, I'm I'm going to put it write the date down. I'm put it on you because there's two reasons why I think that

54:59

that's true. One, you that is your superpower and you're living it. that emotion and motivation is there, but your ability to impact people that you

55:08

don't even know that you do through social media, but when they meet you, I mean, I'm meeting you now and I've digested a lot of it is different is

55:18

100% different, which and and better, not not bad. You already were like, okay, all right, you top, you know, it's like uh like uh

55:25

Drake said, I'm from Toronto, so I'm I mean, it is what it is. Drake, I know Drake is the go right now.

55:33

But but listen, I'm from Toronto. I got to rep Toronto. But you know, you're top two, but you're not two.

55:39

You're top two, but you're not too. You That's It's It's amazing. So, I'm put that on you.

55:43

Your ability to speak and move crowds in in person. I want to see you on stage with the little Usher mic.

55:50

A little Usher mic. Leave your shirt on cuz we don't want to get you in trouble with the misses. Leave the lead the carries on. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Face test.

55:58

Okay. Yeah. So, so you know, but you got to get the usher mic and I guarantee you you're going to have lots of people that will hear you, hear your story, be going

56:06

through what they're going through and not even know it and you're going to be able to inspire them. Thank you.

56:10

So, all right. So, we have a we have a new thing that we just did this. You're the second person ever. Okay.

56:16

And I do a thing rapid fire and I just want to get your gut reaction. It can be one word or one phrase, okay,

56:24

to what I say, okay? And sometimes I I cheat and I dive in on something because sometimes I get I get stumped. I'm like, whoa. Because this is all this is all off the cuff.

56:32

I'm I'm a battle rapper. This is off the cuff. Like I don't you see ain't no notes or nothing anywhere. I'm just talking with my boy.

56:39

Hold on. Battle rap. Who's your favorite battle rapping? Okay. I have all these categories over.

56:45

You can't put me on the spot. We supposed Who do you watch the most as far as a rapper? Okay. So this is I'm gonna give you the whole list.

56:52

Okay. the greatest of all time in my and when I say greatest of all time, right?

56:57

It's so many levels. You got to sell records, you got to have hits, you got to have bars, you gota you got to work the industry. So Jay is my greatest of all time.

57:06

Okay.

57:07

Like he just has managed everything well. He's like nine out of 10 in everything, but he's not 10 out of 10.

57:14

Yeah. He's not in anything, right? Like he's but he's he's jack of all trades, but he's doing really good at being the jack of all trades. He mastered the financial part

57:21

of it, which a lot of the best rappers who I love just couldn't handle that. Okay.

57:27

Okay. So then like who's my favorite rapper from like like a hype standpoint is Buster Rhymes. Like he's the hype

57:35

guy. Like you know he's not a bar guy necessarily, but he gets you going, but he's you know, you're like, "Oh, you gets the people going." Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Um

57:43

and so you say from a battle rap, this is going to surprise you. Uh common.

57:50

common. Now, none of his none of his albums none of his albums you would know that.

57:57

None of his albums you would know that, right?

57:59

But when you get him on the street or in the in the lab, he can he he he was at a concert where you had to text him. He put up a QR code

58:08

said, "Text me a line." And he put all the lines together from everybody in the audience. I've never seen anybody do anything like that.

58:16

So, I got some weird ones. Okay. What about you? What about you?

58:20

One for me and and I know I might get heat for it. JCole. Yeah. No, no, no. Legit. Cole.

58:28

100%.

58:29

Somebody said J.Cole is so relatable. He could be rapping about the street you're walking down. I when he dropped wet dreams, I said, "Yeah,

58:37

sir. Did you have my first experience in like we living the same life?" Yeah. So JCole I agree with you

58:44

when it comes to I gotta go Kanye but old Yay graduation.

58:53

Now listen like I'm going to get cancelled. I'm going to get cancelled. Let's put that out there. Original Yay.

58:59

This is the last original. This is the last uh podcast for less than 1%.

59:05

and and he and he does have some some stuff, you know, some, you know, psych mental mental health and and let's apologize. Let's just apologize for any

59:13

behavior that might offend somebody, but from a lyrical producing genius standpoint,

59:21

different. So, I'm we're vibing. We're vibing.

59:24

Banger. Like, keep going. Keep going.

59:26

Now, for hype, Wayne. Yeah. Yeah.

59:31

There was no ceilings. That entire mixtape I play on repeat. Yeah.

59:37

6 foot 7 foot. That for a long time that was my that was my like pregame music right there. I'm just 6 foot. You good?

59:46

Do I look I'm getting in the zone right now.

59:48

So top three right for me. And then old school. And he's not really old school.

59:53

I'm going go uh E40. Yeah.

59:57

I like E40. E E40 to me would be like a specialist. You have to put like he's not you can't put him against JCole.

1:00:06

But the reason why I I I like E40 is cuz my mom we'd be jamming on a random Sunday afternoon drive and she put on

1:00:14

E40 and I'm just in the back just listening repping originally. So born in St. Louis. Yeah.

1:00:23

uh moved to South Central Los Angeles and then uh the IIE so like Marino Valley for like high school and stuff and then after that I went to New Mexico for football. So what about Andre 3000?

1:00:35

I never I never really got started playing the flute for Andre rap again.

1:00:40

I never I never'm trying to rep you over here but playing the flute.

1:00:43

I never got into I never had anything against him. I just never heard a song where I was like yo who is that? Let me You know what I mean? It's I don't know. I feel like he's an acquired taste.

1:00:52

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Agree. All right.

1:00:53

Okay. So, now that we have I I'm vibing on your and I agree with I I think your assessment of Drake. I think Drake is Drake is probably the number one entertainer right now.

1:01:03

No one can deny that. You can have your your reserves about him all you want, but the man draws it.

1:01:08

And you talked about something too with social media around hooks. When it comes to music, I think right now Drake is the best. You I think Michael Jackson,

1:01:16

right, was was the maybe historically, but he, you know, sort of says, "Oh, I'm the new Michael Jackson." only because his hooks are crazy,

1:01:23

you know, like beep beep baby, I'm in the sleeve. Only like I don't even I don't love the song.

1:01:29

He has the most memorable songs. Like you cannot go five songs on your playlist without one of them having Drake in it. Like one of them is going to have Drake in it.

1:01:39

Okay. So, rapid fire. Ready? So, you just react. I'm going to give you one word and you react any way you want to react. Okay?

1:01:46

And we'll dive in if we need to, but maybe we'll just keep going. Okay? You ready?

1:01:51

Fatherhood, responsibility, power, earned, boxing, you got to want it. You got to want it.

1:02:04

You got to want it. You can't We'll go into it, but you got to want it, man.

1:02:07

That's getting hit you in the face. You got to You got to power through.

1:02:11

You got to You can't You can't go in there thinking, "Yeah, you know, I I kind of like this sport." And then you get punched. You're like, "Oh,

1:02:19

playing until you get hit in the middle." That's what That's what Tyson said.

1:02:22

Mike Tyson every and I I'm telling you, I've had this moment so many times in the amateurs. My first time sparring, my the last fight,

1:02:31

everyone has a plan until you get punched in the mouth. I had a plan this last fight. Stay on the outside. Let's Let's outbox him. Keep him away.

1:02:39

I took his best punch and I said, "You don't hit hard." Like, now I'mma walk. Yeah. I fought a fight I didn't have to. Yeah,

1:02:48

my coaches are mad at me because like you should have we could have jabbed the whole night, kept him out. I said, but I took his best punch and he didn't hit me.

1:02:55

Yeah. So, you're But that's I think the the brilliance to to break off a rapid fire for a minute. That's the brilliance of Mayweather.

1:03:01

I think people who don't know boxing Yeah. they talk about, oh, he's running again.

1:03:05

Like you don't if you say that he's running, you don't really understand boxing at all because you should go and again, no disrespect to MMA. I love I love MMA. I

1:03:14

love MMA. But MMA is very uh tactical, but in a way where any given Sunday, any

1:03:23

given day, one person can beat another person. But yeah, that's what I think is great about it. Yeah.

1:03:29

Well, I don't know. Like I don't know if it I I don't know if it's I think it's less

1:03:36

it's not as um I find boxing is more of an art than MMA. And I I don't I don't want to No, no. I've I've said this like and

1:03:44

I've jokingly said it like MMA is for the kid like the little boys that wear tap out shirts at school. Yeah.

1:03:50

Boxing is for the pretty boy. Like it's more t like it's it's a lot more strategic. Guys don't want to get hit in boxing. I don't care what anyone says.

1:03:58

Even the toughest boxers, they don't want to get hit. MMA fighters, y'all are way tougher than us. Y'all got

1:04:05

And I think the MMA appeal back to the hoist Gracie days and all that stuff.

1:04:10

what you UFC won. The the people want to see somebody get hurt. I think what they don't like about boxing is you can go 12

1:04:19

rounds and you got a little bruise and you got a little thing and they don't see the pain. They like legs broken and they like all that stuff. And they love the they love the wars and I'm

1:04:28

like not every fight. If I could win this by winning instead of beating you up, let me win it cuz I if I go in and

1:04:36

try and beat you up, that mềm means I'm going to take some damage. Now, yeah, there's the entertainment factor to it, but to me, MMA is it's it's a blood

1:04:44

spot. I've always said it's it's tough to convince a mom who's never seen MMA whose son came up, hey, mom, the UFC fights are coming on, and then the first

1:04:52

thing she Googles is like someone bloodied up getting kicked in. It's hard to sell that because yeah, like it's

1:04:58

this is a tough sport. You got to you got to be cut from a different cloth to do MMA. Well, respect to Dana and that that crew for getting that stuff

1:05:06

approved cuz remember when it first came out, no one but okay back to back back to back to it. Football,

1:05:13

my first love, um, sadness, temporary um, pain.

1:05:24

Temporary legacy forever.

1:05:29

All I do it for money. Means to an end.

1:05:36

Mike Tyson ferocious. That man is just ferocious, man. Like All right. All right. I I like that. I like that. I like pain, sadness.

1:05:47

I mean, the biggest reason why I say for pain and sadness is it's temporary. Cuz I' i've been I've been there. I've been depressed. I've I've been

1:05:56

I've been told no. been I don't know what what's next. I've been not been able to pay my bills. I had my I had Nala at a point, my oldest daughter, and

1:06:04

I had $12 in my account and I had to get to work the next day. I had to put food on the table. We're staying with her dad. I I didn't know what the next move was.

1:06:13

So, yeah, I know what that's like, but I I have a really good way of seeing this is temporary. Yeah.

1:06:19

Like this is not forever. I'm going to find a way out of this. And that's why pain and sadness to me, yes, I embrace them. I understand it's a part of life, but it's not forever.

1:06:29

You you obviously inspiring everybody in your family, inspiring your kids, especially everybody's go and go get go

1:06:37

watch that content. Watch it 762 times, which is um which is what I what I I do.

‍

1:06:43

Um but who coaches you, man? That and you see it's not scripted because you didn't know that.

1:06:51

Yeah, that's a But who coaches you? Who's who's that person or that thing that you know that motivates you that is that person in your corner making you greater than you ever thought you could be?

1:07:01

It's a collection of people. My wife and kids just waking up every day knowing I I got to get cuz recently I retired my wife from work, right? So it kind of put

1:07:10

that not burden but extra like fire under me like hey you got you got to go get it. You got people depending on you right now man.

1:07:18

Like you don't have time to just rest like get up and go get it. Um, so my my wife and kids, um, but if I'm ever

1:07:24

facing like hardship and I need a a second opinion outside of my wife's, I call my brother like, "Hey, man.

1:07:31

I I I don't know what to do here. Like, I've I've done all the calculations.

1:07:36

I've I've sat on at the chalkboard. I'm trying to I I don't I don't know. Like, what should I do?" And he he puts his coach's hat on in that moment, and he's

1:07:45

able to guide me through it, and he hasn't steered me wrong ever. Even even if it's not the best situation, it's still a more favorable situation than what we were looking at.

1:07:53

Yeah.

1:07:54

So, I'm curious. Did he call you back? No, he didn't. Okay. That's a big meeting.

1:07:59

That's a big meeting, man.

1:08:01

Um, no, that's that's great. Yeah. I mean, I think that the the I mean, a lot of it, I think, for you is selfm motivation. Selfmotivation. But I think

1:08:08

it's al always good to have somebody Yes.

1:08:11

who, you know, through through it all that you can sit down and you know, I'm I'm you know, Jordan knows this. I'm texting right this damn podcast. You know what I mean? Like at

1:08:19

the early days of the podcast, you know, people don't understand why are you doing it. You know, you're trying to get people on. You you're begging and asking

1:08:26

and and and people can't really see the same vision that you see.

1:08:30

And then and then which is my grudge part. Then when it does pop or something does pop, I have a hard time accepting the people

1:08:38

that come after after it. Yes. I'm very selective about who is on my team after I've blown up.

1:08:46

If you were there before, that means you believed in me before you could see the result. You saw the vision the same way I did.

1:08:53

So, we're on the same page, but I'm real selective about who joins now. It's like, would you have been here before it all started? So, that's my Yeah.

1:09:02

Yeah. I'm very a very tight circle. you know, you want some people who you can trust and who who believe in you because you know that the greater I mean you're going to

1:09:10

get the haters of course but then all of a sudden you know like you win that national I'm tell you right now you win that national championship I'm and I'll

1:09:17

be at the fight I'll be at the fight like this and all of a sudden I'll be bumped out of the way shack coming up there like move get out of here real

1:09:25

quick you know that's my boy up there look man I when when we get when I get to that level you know it's it's going

1:09:33

to Like I I brought my family into the ring with immediately after I said, "Hey, where where's my babies at? Where's my

1:09:40

wife and children at? Get them in here now." Yeah.

1:09:42

And if I could, I'd have brought my whole circle in the ring with me. I had my coaches in there, the people that have been there when I'm in tears in

1:09:50

camp because I had a bad day in sparring. The the the bad the workout sucked that day. Hey, I'm not feeling it, but we got to push. I would have had

1:09:57

my whole team in there because I like I said, I'm I'm real big on that. Yo, my circle, they know me. They know if I'm

1:10:04

having a bad day. They know, hey, they know how to push me. They know how to motivate me because they've been around me. Yeah, that's that's how big I am on like my circle.

1:10:12

So So where where can people find you? Where can people find you? So you guys can find me everywhere.

1:10:17

Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Tik Tok, YouTube. I'm Can't Stop Dom. If not can't stop Dom, then it's Dominic Berry

1:10:25

or it's the Blackberries. Like on Tik Tok, we're the Blackberries. That's That's where we post. Yeah, that's where we post all family content. We we we go into me and my wife doing funny things.

1:10:35

We go into the kids just having fun outside. Like that's where that page is. YouTube. Um we post on Can't Stop Dom.

1:10:43

That's where all of our fighting is.

1:10:44

That's nothing but fighting. Like that's worlds my fight. And then on the Blackberry's page, that's where you get the family content. Us going to

1:10:53

Disneyland, uh pulling out Nia's first tooth, things like that. it. We We I I'm

1:11:00

not a content creator. I just post my journey through life and people are vibing. Yeah. They're just vibing. That's it. That's literally it.

1:11:08

So, what So, knowing all the people out there on less than 1% that, you know, sort of follow the podcast, you know, maybe sometimes feel a little

1:11:16

underrated. U maybe feel feel a little bit like they're not, you know, u people don't expect them to deliver the way they think they can. What would you What would you tell them?

1:11:25

Keep going. that I oh my gosh there's been so many times where boxing football

1:11:34

uh as a dad anything where people tell me you don't think that's expecting too much or you think you really can do that or nah just keep going that's the you

1:11:43

can't lose faith in yourself because no one else can motivate you to do something you have to want to do it

1:11:51

everything else is kind of just giving you that extra push so if you lose hope in then there is no hope.

1:11:57

That's my that's that's the biggest thing.

1:11:59

That's awesome. Well, I want to I want to give you something uh on air and this is a copy

1:12:07

signed copy of my book. Oh, wow. That's for you. Thank you.

1:12:11

And uh I wrote you a little note um hopefully hopefully I can inspire.

1:12:16

Hopefully you read some of those stories and and and maybe maybe that's what you know maybe we'll be writing about you one day. But I really talk in there

1:12:25

about a lot of people that were underestimated, okay, a little different, outside the box, disrupted. So, I appreciate you. Thank you so much for coming out.

1:12:32

Thank you, man. This this has been an amazing amazing talk. I like I said, I love to yap.

1:12:37

That's why podcasts are perfect for me cuz I I love to just talk, man. I really want to thank you guys.

1:12:42

But you love to talk, but I think you're also thoughtful about who you're going to talk to and what it's about. And so I, you know, I appreciate the fact that,

1:12:50

you know, you you found this conversation, you know, worthy enough for for, you know, at least the audience we have, but also the conversation we have as I don't

1:12:59

know if I'm if I'm OG or unk I'm probably They broke it down. They broke it down on social media one time. I'm still a

1:13:06

big cousin, guys. All right. I'm still big cousin. They said Unk is like 35.

1:13:14

I think I'm 35 and older. I think OG is like 50. There it is. Yeah, I'm OG, man.

1:13:21

Yeah, OG is 50. OG is 50. Unk is 35. So, I'm 31. I'm not UNK yet. I'm still big cousin. I still can just come to the

1:13:30

barbecue and I don't have to touch the grill just yet. I don't have to touch the grill. So, what's what's what's next?

1:13:37

So, for me, who you calling? I want Is there a call out? Do you call any We're not We're not that we're not that late in the career just yet. I've been called You know what's crazy? I've been called out so many times on crazy.

1:13:47

I'm like, there's other guys in our division. You don't Why are you calling? Well, I get it. You know, it's I mean, you got the name stuff like that. Um, and now, you know, the belt

1:13:56

draws in more attention and stuff, but for me, I I my journey has never been about one person or beating somebody.

1:14:03

It's always been about just being the best me. So, like I never harp on the opponent that I'm going against. It's always, okay, what did I do to overcome

1:14:12

that skill set? Yeah, that's that's that's what my journey is always about. Like, yeah, later on, probably when I get to like 20 and 0, we're looking for, okay, some of the

1:14:19

bigger names in the division. Okay, now we call them out. Hey, let's fight. Like, I I I have what it takes to beat you. But right now,

1:14:27

I'm honestly and honestly that I think that's marketing. I I don't I don't think I think if you respect the game Mhm.

1:14:35

you don't you don't I mean, Manny Pacquiao, you you love Manny Pacquiao. You Manny Pacquiao doesn't call anybody.

1:14:42

I I don't hear the only time he ever made a call out was when other people were calling for the Mayweather fight, but he didn't even initiate it.

1:14:50

And he did it reluctantly. He was like, "My my marketing team, Floyd, Floyd, I hate you, Floyd.

1:14:57

They said we have to make we have to fight. Floyd, Floyd, come and fight." Right. Like, yeah, right. But I I I think the most

1:15:04

respected boxers that I've ever seen, they're just like, "Hey, look, they're they're coming in like, okay, you know, um like I remember Roy Jones Jr. got

1:15:11

knocked down, you know, he got knocked out and then that fight he had with Tarver. Yes. Remember and he was like dude special, you know,

1:15:18

like that special there's a level of respect. I mean, you got to do the marketing, you got to do the stair down.

1:15:24

But to me, when it comes to the I think that's only for the lighter divisions, honestly. Like when you get to the bigger weight classes, cuz people know those are those are dangerous fights.

1:15:33

Like the little guys, they're barking at each other cuz it's like But I did see the post about your staredowns. You're like, "Dude, what are you doing?" Yeah. What are you doing?

1:15:40

Like why are we we're going to fight tomorrow, right? Back up. Let's move back a little bit, bro.

1:15:46

And that and and part of part of it is like my daughters are watching, but also part of it is like, bro, we're gonna fight tomorrow. I'm going tell you right now,

1:15:53

I'm not I'm I'm not going to ever box cuz I can't be hit. I found out odd when I tried to play football. I can't take a hit. I'm It need to be a technical foul or a flagrant one or something.

1:16:03

I don't look down in the do it, man.

1:16:05

If you going to stare down me in the ring, I'm literally going to cut you. I'm going to find something and just shank you real quick cuz don't be up in my

1:16:13

face like, "Yeah, maybe I shouldn't have said No, no. You're I've I've had so many people who even after the fight, even this last

1:16:21

fight, my my opponent, he was real real real cool. He came to me after, he was like, "Thank you for the opportunity." Um, we put on an amazing fight. Uh,

1:16:29

every I wish you and your family nothing. Cuz he's had a baby. Major shout out to him. Just had a baby. Um, came down here, fought. He put on a great show with me. We entertain the

1:16:38

crowd. But at the end of the day, we told each other, "We're opponents. We're not enemies, man. This is we going we have a job to do Saturday night. After

1:16:45

that, we followed each other on social media. I was like, "Bro, I hope everything's going good with you and your family, man." So, well, Dominic Barry, thank you for

1:16:52

coming. Appreciate you. Uh, less than 1%. Go uh consume everything, Dominic Barry. And then make sure that when this comes out, y'all go consume that, too.

1:17:02

But, thank you for coming. Thank you, beautiful wife. I still got to meet the kids.

1:17:06

So, I'm, you know, if you guys ever have a match in Dallas or anything, we're always Yeah. Hit me up cuz I'll just be I'll be that. I'll be what? I'll be anchor. No,

1:17:14

I'll be OG any cop. Babies be like, "Who the old man that keep clapping every time?" Don't worry. Let's watch your with us.

1:17:22

Focus up. All right. All right. Well, I appreciate you. Thank you.

1:17:25

All right. Thank you for being on less than 1%. Thank you, guys.

1:17:34

You are the less than one person.

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