Exclusive Interview by Charles White
Hey Malik, it’s been awhile since our last interview. How’s it going?
MS: What’s up bro? Everything is good man. I’m blessed. Just staying sharp and keeping myself in great shape.
Last time out, you beat Bowie Tupou decisively, securing a solid win and a step in the right direction. Fellow undefeated heavyweight Bryant Jennings also just defeated Tupou on NBC Sports. Compare and contrast your win over Tupou with Jennings’.
MS: Well that’s an easy comparison, I beat Bowie with one hand and he quit from a so-called arm injury or some other coward-ass excuse he came up with. Bryant Jennings got off the canvas and iced him in 5 rounds and looked good doing it. Bowie made history by getting his ass whipped by two Philly fighters in the same year. I don’t think that ever happened to any other heavyweight in boxing history.
Both you and Jennings are Philly guys as you know. Have you ever sparred each other, and if so, how competitive was it?
MS: Yeah, we both from Philly and we also both from the same “A.B.C GYM ‘ in north Philly. When I was coming up Jennings wasn’t boxing so no we never got a chance to spar, but I’m sure if we did it would be very competitive because we all know my skills is infinite and Bryant is a good fighter so I’m sure a fight or a sparring session between us would be interesting.
Is a fight with Jennings something you would like to make happen at some point in the near future?
MS: Shit man a fight with Jennings or anybody else in the top 10 I’m looking to fight in the near future. You know I have never been the one to have any picks, anybody can come get this work, I’m just a phone call and contract away baby.
Now I know you are a big student of the game and watch a lot of matches, so I’m going to ask you what you thought about the Cunningham-Adamek rematch. How did you score the fight, and what is your reaction to the decision?
MS: Well I only seen a few rounds of the fight because they was showing it at the fitness spot I was working out at at the time. But from the rounds I saw Steve was controlling the tempo and beating Adamek to punch every time but from what I heard Steve was robbed and it was another black eye for boxing. But I’m going to tell you something bro if the fans or the powers that be would complain about the judges that are scoring these fights as much as they complain about the heavyweight division maybe these types of crooked-ass decisions would stop or be looked after more. People are complaining about the wrong issues. Stop complaining about the fighters and complain about these crooked-ass judges that don’t know a left hook from a fish hook.
In our last interview, you called out Adamek. Assuming Cunningham doesn’t get the rematch with Adamek, would you still like to meet Tomasz in the ring and maybe get some revenge for your fellow Philly fighter?
MS: Well first of all there is no revenge needed because Eddie and Steve both beat Adamek from what I saw and from what the rest of the world saw and second it’s obvious Adamek has problems with natural boxers so for his people to take a fight against me is like too close to never, they won’t do it.
Anybody lined up yet for your next fight? Hopefully it’s on another big card so that you can showcase your skills on television again.
MS: From what I’m hearing my matchmaker from Goossen-Tutor promotions, Tom Brown, is working on a few things for February for me but we’ll see.
About how long before we see you in the top 10 and fighting for a world title?
MS: God willing in the next year. I believe 2013 is going to be the biggest year of my career.
Out of the current champions, which one do you see yourself having the most success against?
MS: I don’t believe none of them have the skills that I have so whichever one I fight is the one I will defeat.
There is talk of an 8 man WBC heavyweight tournament in the near future. Does participating in this tournament interest you?
MS: Absolutely, that’s what this division needs. Me and Deontay Wilder are always talking about its too many undefeated heavyweights in the game, so a lot of these O’s must go and doing a heavyweight title tournament is the perfect way to get this shit started. I’m all for it, let’s do it.
Tell the readers out there a bit about Team Scott. Who makes up the bulk of your team?
MS: Well it’s simple; Jessie Reid is my trainer, Marcus Coates is my manager and Havailah Scott as well as Malik Scott Jr. {My babies} are my bosses…and they all are upset right now (laughs).
Malik, I was reading about your lifelong interest in cigars, Can you go into detail about that?
MS: Yeah cigars are something I have always been into. Unfortunately it’s always been a huge interest of mine that I only can physically enjoy periodically because of my profession. But for the last 10 to 12 years I’ve done my homework on them so I am working on branding my own cigar in the very near future. There’s actually only 3 African American cigar owners so what I do is talk to different companies about their manufacturing, and being as though the best tobacco is in Cuba and Dominican Republic, I was told by some of my favorite cigar brand companies that the best way to start my own line is to go to either of those two countries to check their tobacco levels and choose the texture and construction I want for my own cigar in person instead of doing it on line or conversing over the phone, so this summer I’m going to Dominican Republic to check them levels bro. The summer of 2014 it will be established so just be on the lookout for that Malik “King” Scott cigar named “KEVAILAH.”
Sounds like you have yourself a master plan there Malik. Good luck on that venture. I like the name of it; “Kevailah.” Was it hard coming up with a name for it and where did you get the name from?
MS: No it wasn’t hard for me at all, I just put the loves of my life names together which are my kids. My son Keito and my daughter Havailah and you put them two together you have one of the best smoothest cigars ever invented; a “KEVAILAH” cigar (laughs).
That’s great man, now I always hear you talking about your kids and we see all the beautiful pics of them on the internet. Several fans have emailed me, pointing out your strong family values. Are you still involved with the children’s’ mother?
MS: Nah bro, I’m single, I’m too moody to be anybody’s husband or boyfriend but as far as my kids’ mothers are concerned, they are both two great women as well as great mothers and I don’t know where my life would be without them. Marriage is an extraordinary move and it takes two extraordinary people to make it work to be together forever, so for a moody guy like me to consider getting married it would take great women like the late great Jackie Kennedy Onassis or the fabulous Kimora Lee Simmons who’s TV show “House of Fab” is airing again on the style channel Jan 23rd that everybody should watch. I’m a huge fan of Cleopatra and her seductive, dominate ways, so whenever I’m thinking of a mental case like me being married my wife would have to have some of the same attributes of all of these great women I just named.
Ok, any new tattoos bro?
MS: Yeah I got a couple. My favorite one right now is my Charles Manson tatt, I’m personally very intrigued by it (laughs). I am about 95% covered with about 800 more tatts to go. Whoever don’t like it can suck nuts (laughs).
Alright Malik any last messages or statements you want to send out to your haters, fans, or fellow heavyweights?
MS: Well I don’t have no haters everybody loves me (laughs). But to all my naysayers, I am in full control of you all and to my fellow heavyweights, I will see y’all on the battlefield. As far as my fans, thank you, love is love. Please follow me on everything. Twitter: MalikKingScott and Instagram: 215king and Facebook: Malik Scott.
For questions or comments, to schedule an interview, or to simply chat about boxing, Charles C. White can be reached at cwhite1078@mysvc.skagit.edu or 360-333-5911.