Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
A boxer and former World Middleweight Champion from Britain.
On the island
Eight records
I think I can guess why. It's'cause that's my wife and uh funny enough her parents named her that because of that record coming out at that particular time.
I know Boney M fairly well. And um it was the first record that my little girl started dancing to and more or less singing to.
I was invited to one of Billy Joel's concerts and all and he's crazy on boxing and all the time he's doing his routine, he's shadow boxing. And then he invited us to a restaurant after his show where he had all the girls dressed up in boxing gear, the shorts and T-shirts and all that. And uh he just appeals to me, that's all.
She's a good friend of mine and the reason I've chose it is because it was a big hit for her and funny enough it came out on my birthday.
I just bought Kevin Finnegan and we had a great celebration in this hotel and I woke up next morning with a terrible hangover and I put on the radio and the record was wide-eyed and legless and that was the number one at that time and that's how I felt as well.
My WayFavourite
Claude François, Jacques Revaux
I just won the championship of the world in Las Vegas, Caesars Palace, and I was in the dressing room and the doctor come in and he says, Can you give us a urine sample? So I'm I was just stuck in the corner trying to give a sample when a load of people rushed in, all fans of mine, and started singing my way. And I try and give a sample when they're singing it, well, it can't be done.
I've made a film, it's not a boxing film, it's more or less in the life of Alan Minter. It's called A Cut Above the Rest. ... And this was the signature tune.
Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1
I was asked to go along to the St George's Day Club at the Grosvenor. And the band struck up with this song and we all stood up and we sang it and it was a very, very proud moment. And then as soon as they finished Land of Hope and Glory, they they started with Aim Lander's signals your tune, this is your life and then he come in and he picked me on that day.
In conversation
Presenter asks
1:10How well could you adapt to loneliness [on this island]?
Well, it'd be it's a job to know really, you know, I mean, as a professional fighter I've always got somebody around me. No matter where I go, there's someone with me, or if I drive anywhere, there's someone driving me. So to be on my own for a long period of time I don't know how how I would do it, but I would have to adapt.
Presenter asks
2:27How were you at school?
I wasn't too well educated. The reason being is that I didn't want to learn. I hate to be honest with you, I didn't like school at all and I just I couldn't get out quick enough. I used to just dread it. ... I used to get the cane a few times. I think I held the record at a particular time for caning. It's just that I was more or less a practical joker, but I used to take jokes out on other people, just for just for a laugh. Always used to get caught, always used to get caned, but um I enjoyed myself, I think.
Presenter asks
3:05How old were you when you started [boxing]?
Well I was I think I s started getting interested in boxing at about eleven, twelve years of age. And the reason being I think was that I was no good at other sports funny enough. ... So one day it was rain it was raining so we couldn't get go out on the field and the P T Master brought a pair of boxing gloves in ... And when I do some sparring and, you know, I've never had a glove on in my life and the P teachers give me the pair of there there was some big, massive old boxing gloves in them days and I'd put them on. And it just appealed to me.
The keepsakes
Presenter asks
9:27You were very highly fancied in Munich for a gold medal. What went wrong?
I think the judges went wrong. You know, I got right the way through to the bronze middle stage, I was boxing for the bronze or the silver, and I fought with a West German called Dieter Kottisch. ... I won the second round, had him on the floor in the third, got a public warning for slapping after putting him down on the floor ... And when you get a public warning that loses you a hell of a lot of points. And he went on to get the decision. And the crowd, the German crowd, absolutely booed through at least three or four fights because they were disgusted with the with the verdict.
Presenter asks
11:00Did the experts advise you to go professional, or was it your own determination?
It's my own decision because, you know, I'd never ever thought about turning professional, you know, because you was involved in boxing for your country. But after being stitched up, I would say, you know, I was absolutely choked and I thought, well, if I'm going to rep represent my country in the Olympicas again, I've got to wait another four years, which is a long, long time. And then you might not make it. So I thought, okay, the amateurs have been good at me, I've enjoyed myself, I've travelled the world. And I thought, well that's it, let's try and give the Pro game a try.
Presenter asks
25:40Is boxing too dangerous?
I'm not really in that position to answer that one. You know, I'm not a medical man or anything, but it's not like two guys getting in the ring and having a fight. ... Each boxer is trained 100% so their fitness is 100%, their reflexes are, and they're trained to take a punch and the rider punch. But when a boxer gets injured and he dies, it makes the news. But do you know there's two farmers killed every day? And nothing is said about that. Any sport that's a contact sport, you're at a certain amount of risk. But i mean, if you enjoy the sport you're doing, you know, you don't worry about risk.
“I lost my first three fights. But then one day I won a fight and there's nothing better than having your arm lifted at the end and being declared the winner and that was something that I really thought then I achieved something.”
“I'm a natural southboar, I'm left hand, I write with my left hand, I do everything with my left, you know, so it's a natural thing for me is is a southbo.”
“I'd never lose a last round. You know, it's I th it's fitness, I think, isn't it, and determination, because when you know the fight's in the balance. And you're at the last round and catch the judge's eye, and then I go to work.”