13 Sept 2024
Personalised boxing ring wedding cake ‘moved me to tears’
Kate did something incredibly creative, caring, and compassionate—reflecting the walk of life I come from. She took an old picture of my first ABC Gym in North Philadelphia, where I was raised—the gym that essentially saved my life. She copied the ring from that gym and turned it into a cake, with me in the ring wearing the boxing trunks I had on when I fought Tony Thompson.
Those trunks had a design I borrowed from Sugar Ray Leonard when he fought Tommy Hearns the second time, but I added my own colours—pink and black with stripes. She even put herself next to me in a wedding dress.
The thoughtfulness and creativity moved me to tears because it took me back to my childhood in that ring, where I faced many challenges, learned hard lessons, and grew. That ring always meant the world to me. She made sure to incorporate that into our wedding day, placing us both in the ring on the cake—her in a wedding dress, me in my boxing outfit. The contrast was beautiful, thoughtful, and loving.
It was emotional for me because I had never shared my craft with anyone the way I have with her. It’s refreshing and comforting. In the past, I’d kept that side of me private, but with her, I’m comfortable letting her in—whether it’s film study or talking about boxing. It’s a special connection that I’ve never had with anyone else.
Our wedding was intimate—just the two of us, really. We didn’t want a big affair. We focused on each other and the commitment we were making. It was a godly ceremony on the Malibu hills, just how we wanted it. My kids were there, and it was important for them to see this meaningful, godly moment. Watching her walk down the aisle was so emotional for me. Every day I fall deeper in love with her.
I don’t know if Jamie Carragher would have been invited to the wedding
I don't know [if Jamie would have been invited to the wedding]. I don’t know how to answer that because having a bigger wedding was never a possibility. That’s something that wouldn’t have happened.
Thierry, Michah, Jamie—they all sent their wishes. I actually just got off FaceTime with Thierry. I was really proud of the job he did with the team in the Olympics. What he was up against—no matter how big of a star you are in your craft—transitioning to coaching comes with a lot of pressure.
He took a team missing 7 to 9 of their key players and had just a month to work with them, and they went out fighting, all the way to the finals. His heart, desire, and passion to win—it’s all there. He connects with the players, not just because of who he is but because of the wisdom he shares. It's very impressive.
He has a lot to be proud of, stepping into a completely different realm. Coaching isn’t like playing or fighting. You have to translate your vision and teach people to capitalise on their opponents’ mistakes.
Most people don’t realise what a job that is, but I’m proud of him.I’ve connected with all of them. Micah just messaged me yesterday to congratulate me and send his love. We check in with each other from time to time. They're a good group of people. I may not know the full ins and outs of their status, but what impresses me most is the kind of men they are. The respect they carry, the pride they walk into a room with.
They're men’s men. And there’s nothing wrong with my relationship with Jamie. It was never broken. Jamie has a good understanding of how people are, especially in this social media era. We sat down, broke bread, and had good conversations. I’ve never had a problem with him.
Kate Abdo lining up Katie Price in Qatar
We’re still working on that. It was supposed to be in August, but that was our wedding month. We had too much going on with planning and navigating our schedules. Even when Kate’s not working, she’s always setting up her next venture, so she really never has downtime. The future’s bright for that, though. I’m in contact with the right people. Kate trains three to four times a week, so we’ll see. It depends on the schedule and how Kate feels.
She’s more eager for it than I am. She’s got that competitive nature, and she’s confident because she’s getting trained by one of the best in the sport. Plus, she has me whenever she needs advice or guidance. Our training is very drilled, basic, and technical.
Watching her fight will be the toughest part for me. I’m training her, and then I have to watch her compete. It’s not like watching her swim or play tennis—she’s actually going into a fight. That’s a hurdle I’ll have to get over. But the most important thing is that this is another journey we’re taking together.
The most important thing is that Kate and I are entertained by this idea. It's another walk, another journey for us to do something together. That's motivation enough for us. This is another obstacle for us to walk through and get through together. Boxing is about getting in the ring, getting hit, and hitting people. But you have one life, and if this is something you want to do, and you have a partner willing to walk through this trial with you and have fun, it's like, why not?
I heard Misfits have something big coming up in Qatar, so that may be an interesting venue. As far as the opponent, it has to be somebody with a market and following. My wife has a market, so it wouldn't make sense for her to fight a random person. The market has to be at the same level or higher. I don't know any names right name. I heard Katie Price being talked about, but I’m not sure who she is. I’d want someone with a high market or wide following. I don't know names, but if it's worth it, we're interested.
Yes, we’ve taught her to do things with more intent. Watching her shadow box now is impressive—she's not just throwing punches, she’s setting things up like there’s an opponent in front of her. That’s important. I'm big on tempo shadow boxing; it elevates your game. Her conditioning and intent in everything she does—shadow boxing, pads, drills—are impressive.
Wilder has bright future despite defeat
Zhang is a very big, dangerous southpaw. Deontay got caught with a shot that put him in an unbalanced position, and Zhang did his job. Deontay has the heart of a lion and is willing to go out on his shield in the ring. He'll be back. Deontay will fight again.
He still has a bright future in boxing, especially at the high level. Losses happen in boxing, even to the greatest fighters. Right now, he’s doing very well; recovering, enjoying life, and heavily involved in real estate and investing. He just had a great vacation with his kids. Life is good for him.
Deontay Wilder will fight again - AJ, Ngannou, Chisora all options
Everyone you just mentioned has always been in some form of negotiation to fight Deontay. I remember a time when Derek Chisora wanted to fight Deontay just because he’s into fighting dangerous people. That’s what he likes to do.
There was a time when it seemed Team Eddie Hearn didn’t want AJ to fight Deontay. And that's understandable, considering AJ was their investment, and they had their own path mapped out. As for Ngannou, he and Deontay have been in talks before.
These fights have always been in the mix, but they just never materialised. It’s a blessing that you can take two losses, but your name and reputation are still so big that you’re mentioned at the highest level. Deontay’s still in the realm of big fights, still in a position to make a lot of money and history. He’s very blessed.
Ngannou’s focused on his PFL fight with Ferrera right now, and that’s a big, imposing fight. We’ll see how he handles that, and then we’ll see how Deontay’s feeling when he gets back into training camp. But all those fights are realistic, especially with the Saudi’s investment in boxing.
All heavyweight matchups now are competitive. Deontay’s always been about making sure he’s compensated for the risks he takes in the ring. If he’s fighting, he needs to be paid big. As for the biggest fight, it could be against Ngannou or AJ.
They are still mega fights. AJ Maybe doesn’t have the same juice it once did, but it would still sell out any arena or stadium. Just seeing those two in the ring would be a joy for the fans. If Ngannou keeps doing what he’s doing and still wants that fight, it could be huge as well. I’m proud of Deontay. He’s still in a position to make these big fights happen.
Wilder should not retire
The same type of people who want Deontay to retire told Muhammad Ali not to fight George Foreman. They said George Foreman shouldn’t have fought Michael Moorer. They said Simon Brown shouldn’t have fought Terry Norris, and that Meldrick Taylor was too young to fight Chavez.
They said Chavez would walk through Pernell Whitaker. These naysayers are part of the sport, and we need them. They provide the energy that keeps the fighters motivated and pushes managers and promoters. In my opinion, they’re wrong 8 out of 10 times, but it’s all part of the game.
This is the best version of AJ we’ve ever seen - he beats Dubois
It’s tough for me to call it. I watch boxing very closely, especially when I study film. Daniel Dubois in the first round of his fight against Hrgovic, Dubois got hit between about 17 times by right hands—just in the first two rounds. 17 right hands in six minutes. Now, that defensive system is going against Joshua, who has an incredible right hand.
Joshua also has a solid base, good boxing skills, and a great coach in Ben Davidson. He’s highly motivated and dangerous right now.I do think Dubois is trouble with that defense. But Dubois has surprised me lately, especially when he weathered the storms against Hrgovic and Jarell Miller, but Joshua is just different. If I were a betting man, I’d put my money on Joshua stopping him between rounds four and seven.
Fighters who aren’t on Joshua’s level have managed to land and hurt Dubois. I believe Dubois will give it his best, but sometimes, no matter how hard you try, your best just isn’t enough. In this case, I don’t think Dubois’ best will be enough to beat Joshua. If I had to bet, I’d say Dubois gets stopped.I think Dubois is facing the best version of Joshua we’ve seen. Some might dismiss it because it was Francis Ngannou, an MMA fighter, but it’s not just about what Joshua did—it’s how he did it.
He systematically broke Ngannou down. This Joshua under Ben Davidson is the best version we’ve seen so far.
I want to train Cyril Gane
UFC fighters of England They’d gain systematic drills, footwork, balance, agility, technical striking, defense, and humility in their offense. UFC fighters often lack technical soundness in striking, and that’s something I can give them. If I'm near, reach out because I can get you right.Ciryl Gane, for example.
I don't know who his striking coach is, but I'll be in Paris soon. If he's around and wants to get some work in, I’d love that. He’s a big guy, and I have systems for big men concerning range, balance, and agility.
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