16.12.05 – By Scoop Malinowski / Boxinginsider.com: Heavyweight contender Shannon Briggs has won nine in a row since losing to Jameel McCline in April of 2002. Briggs has won five fights all by KO in 2005, including the 16-second blowout of previously unbeaten Luciano Zolyone at Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico last week. He is primed and ready for a world title shot in 2006..
In this Exclusive Biofile, you can read what Shannon has to say about his greatest moment, funny boxing memory and his unlikely beginning in the sport at the age of 17.
Ht: 6-3 1/2 Wt: 260
DOB: December 4, 1971 In: Brooklyn, NY
Childhood Heroes: “Muhammad Ali – he called me Pretty Lady because of my hair. Larry Holmes – my dad always watched him, liked him. To this day I love Larry Holmes.”
Hobbies/Interests: “Collecting movies is a hobby. I love to act. I’ve been making moves at it. I just did Transporter II which opened about a two months ago. I was in Boy Boys II. I got another movie coming out called The Retirement that I’m in, it’s with Peter Falk, Rip Torn and Coolio. So I’m happy about that. And that’s all because of who I am as a boxer. I’m fortunate enough to do something like acting. I love watching and collecting movies. And now I’m actually being in movies, so it’s unreal.”
Favorite Movies: “Aw man, Devil in a Blue Dress. Angela’s Ashes. I mean, come on, that’s a hard one. So many. I can’t say I have one favorite. There’s like five great ones.”
Favorite TV Shows: “Ever? [Laughs] Growing up, I grew up on Alice [laughs]. Three’s Company, I grew up in that era. What’s Happening. Good Times. So I select those old shows. It’s originality in those old shows. Taxi. Love Taxi. The new shows today kinda lose me. They’re all kinda like the same. Okay, been there, done that. I like the old shows.”
Musical Tastes: “Old soul classics. Soul music, R&B and hip-hop. Hip-hop of course. I was born and raised on hip-hop in the 70’s and 80’s. The whole world is hip-hop crazy. I love hip-hop for what it’s done, how it’s crossed over. It is mainstream.”
Early Boxing Memory: “Crazy how I got into boxing. Growing up out of Brooklyn, inner city, nothing to do. One day I was flipping around the channels, saw the Buster Drayton-Matthew Hilton fight. Said, That’s what I’m gonna do. We used to slap fight in the street. I was pretty good. My friends said I should go to the gym. One day I took the bus. We got there at 3. Didn’t open till 5. We waited outside and it was freezing out there. Inside I saw blood flying. I thought, I’m never coming back. First time I sparred I got beaten up by a professional guy. Somehow I always found myself on that bus coming back (age 17).”
First Job: “Scooping ice cream at the South Street Seaport.”
First Car: “1981 gray and white Cadillac Seville.”
Favorite Meal: “Everything.”
Favorite Breakfast Cereal: “Frosted Flakes or Froot Loops – it’s a tie.”
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Butter pecan.”
Pre-Fight Feeling: “Different emotions back and forth…Damn!…Fuck it, I’ll kill him…Damn…Fuck it…I’m gonna kill him [laughs]. That’s what’s going through my head. Damn, all these people out there. I gotta do it. This is important. I got the comeback. I gotta make it happen. I can’t lose. Fuck it, I’m gonna kill him. Then it becomes anger. But then I gotta be on top of myself. Be sharp. Go out there and be sharp to handle my business. Don’t slack. Be sharp, see everything. Don’t miss a shot. Everything counts.”
Greatest Sports Moment: “Beating George Foreman. Getting the decision against George Foreman. Felt good. I felt unbelievable. Then, at the same time, it was the best moment and the worst moment. Because the media ripped me apart. Oh, it was fixed. It was the greatest moment – a bittersweet type of thing.”
Most Painful Moment: “The fight against Botha. I did everything the right way, just had a bad chain of events happen. I tore my left bicep before the fight. I had an ulcer the size of a dime in my stomach. I trained for the fight in Big Bear thinking the altitude would be good for me. Terrible. I couldn’t run in the morning, it was too cold. It was just everything. That was heartbreaking. After the second round I was gasping for air. Botha broke my rib. Cauliflower ears. Stitches over both eyes. Hung in there for ten rounds. I was fortunate to get a draw. He really gave me a beating, physically. And mentally I was really down on myself, because the fight was so hard, grueling.”
Embarrassing Boxing Memory: “Losing to Sedreck Fields. Even though I thought I won. I thought it was embarrassing, that he had such a bad record. It was a close fight. Embarrasing in the sense whereas I came to the fight just to knock out an opponent, to make a payday. It didn’t go my way.”
Funny Boxing Memory: “My whole career’s been funny to me. You know, looking back, it’s been a great ride. I’m 34. Turned pro at 20. It’s been 14 years. I’ve never been seriously hurt. I’m making money. I’m having fun. I got to meet all types of people. See, I came into boxing as a fan. I was a fan from the outside, watching Ali, Holmes, all these guys. Now I actually got to meet and shake their hands. Touch ’em. Say, Oh, snap, they’re real people. I thought they were like fistic heroes, comic book heroes. Shakin’ hands with ’em. In the ring with a Foreman…like, this can’t he happening. My dad watched him. I watched him. I read everything you could read about him. Being inside like the comic book now. So this whole thing is fun. I’m still having fun. I’m laughing at all y’all [laughter].”
Favorite Boxers To Watch: “Ray Robinson. Floyd Mayweather – sick, I love it. Kid’s unbelievable. Roy Jones in his prime. I love the boxers. Don’t get me wrong, I love the tough guys. I’ve been watching a lot of old fights. Dwight Muhammad Qawi. Love it. Marvin Johnson. Eddie Mustafa Muhammad. Right now I’m into the light heavyweights. The 70’s, 80’s was unreal. Yaqui Lopez. I’m like, Whooa. They tryin’ to kill each other. They willing to die. Put their life on the line right now. 15 rounds of punishment. Can’t beat that.”
People Qualities Most Admired: “People that can come back. The art of the comeback. Are you real? Shake off the dust. The art of the comeback. That’s what I’m lookin’ at, that’s what I’m into. I’m lookin’ at those guys like, okay, he’s not a one hit wonder. Can he come back? That’s what my drive is right now. Okay, you know me. But let me show you who I really am. And re-invent myself. Come back again. And you’re gonna be like, Oh, snap, I remember him. He’s real. You know what I mean?”
Toughest Opponents: “George Foreman. Lennox Lewis. Both of ’em was tough. They were just tryin’ to kill me, man. My whole thing is, Scoop, I’ve been enjoying my career. I look back and I wouldn’t change anything. Not a win, not a loss. I’m where I’m at today because of it. With my family, more importantly. I got my wife with me, my son. I wouldn’t have that if I wouldn’t have gone through what I went through. If I would have knocked out Lennox Lewis in that first or second round, sheesh, I might not be sitting here right now [laughs]. Blow away in ashes. I would have been partying and celebrating and all that type stuff. I was young. I wasn’t ready for it. Look at Mike Tyson. 20-years-old, heavyweight champion of he world. Where’s he now? Imagine being 20-years-old and having $100,000,000. I can’t even imagine that at 33. I like to think, right now, where I am right now, I could control myself. That’s a tough burden to carry. $100,000,000. Sheesh. Can you imagine what you would do with all that money, let alone power? But I feel good about it. I feel I’ve matured. I’m where I’m supposed to be. A lot of people say, Oh, I would do this different. Not me. Not me.”
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