1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:12,340 Please spell the speaker name as John. 2 00:00:12,340 --> 00:00:22,340 Please spell the speaker name as John. 3 00:00:22,340 --> 00:00:32,590 Please spell the speaker name as John. 4 00:00:52,590 --> 00:01:02,590 Please spell the speaker name as John. 5 00:01:22,590 --> 00:01:33,420 Please spell the speaker name as John. 6 00:01:55,250 --> 00:02:05,250 Please spell the speaker name as John. 7 00:02:25,250 --> 00:02:35,250 Please spell the speaker name as John. 8 00:02:55,250 --> 00:03:06,110 Please spell the speaker name as John. 9 00:03:26,110 --> 00:03:36,110 Please spell the speaker name as John. 10 00:03:56,110 --> 00:04:06,110 Please spell the speaker name as John. 11 00:04:26,110 --> 00:04:36,110 Please spell the speaker name as John. 12 00:04:56,110 --> 00:05:06,110 Please spell the speaker name as John. 13 00:05:26,110 --> 00:05:39,710 I did exactly what I was taught at the gym, cut the ring in half, caught up against rope, knocked him out. 14 00:05:39,850 --> 00:05:41,970 I went nuts. The place went nuts, man. 15 00:05:42,190 --> 00:05:43,850 I mean, I hop out of the ring, man. 16 00:05:44,070 --> 00:05:45,930 Everybody's hugging and kissing me, man. 17 00:05:46,010 --> 00:05:46,950 Girls are crying. 18 00:05:47,210 --> 00:05:48,670 Even the Mexicans are crying. 19 00:05:49,250 --> 00:05:51,470 My whole life, I've been nothing, nothing. 20 00:05:51,690 --> 00:05:54,650 Achieved nothing, did nothing, just got loaded and partied. 21 00:05:54,650 --> 00:05:59,290 I'm not a white guy down there, but we love boxing, you know. 22 00:05:59,530 --> 00:06:04,850 And I don't know if you remember what it was like when you would hear the bell for recess when you were in grade school. 23 00:06:05,070 --> 00:06:07,290 When I came to that gym, it was a hoover's creak. 24 00:06:07,370 --> 00:06:08,890 That's why I felt it was recess. 25 00:06:09,210 --> 00:06:10,510 I loved it down there. 26 00:06:10,870 --> 00:06:17,450 And, you know, when I realized what it was like to win a fight, I'm going to have more than one or two minutes. 27 00:06:17,470 --> 00:06:19,070 I'm going to be taking this to the end. 28 00:06:19,070 --> 00:06:22,230 And, you know, I won the Dino Melt 75. 29 00:06:22,550 --> 00:06:24,010 I won the AAU in 76. 30 00:06:24,250 --> 00:06:24,630 I won the... 31 00:06:24,630 --> 00:06:26,150 I won the Golden Glove in 77. 32 00:06:26,690 --> 00:06:29,550 And I had no idea how I was going to beat this guy. 33 00:06:29,650 --> 00:06:31,830 He defected from the Yugoslavian boxing team. 34 00:06:31,970 --> 00:06:33,090 He had 107 fights. 35 00:06:33,430 --> 00:06:34,690 I was having my 12th fight. 36 00:06:34,890 --> 00:06:35,850 And I had no idea. 37 00:06:36,170 --> 00:06:41,310 I had stood behind him at the Las Vegas Golden Glove where I lost and talked to him. 38 00:06:41,470 --> 00:06:42,150 And I just had... 39 00:06:42,150 --> 00:06:42,930 The guy was an animal. 40 00:06:43,110 --> 00:06:45,110 I had no idea how I was going to beat him, you know. 41 00:06:45,330 --> 00:06:47,690 And he was fighting as a light heavyweight. 42 00:06:47,690 --> 00:06:51,610 He came down the middleweight for the L.A. Golden Gloves. 43 00:06:51,910 --> 00:06:54,070 And, you know, I had to go to the doctor the day of the fight. 44 00:06:54,070 --> 00:06:55,050 I was sick to my stomach. 45 00:06:55,210 --> 00:06:56,470 I thought about not showing up. 46 00:06:56,550 --> 00:06:59,290 I mean, it's one thing to lose in football and baseball. 47 00:06:59,490 --> 00:07:03,130 But to get blown out of the water in front of thousands of people in boxing. 48 00:07:04,840 --> 00:07:06,860 And I showed up to talk to my trainer. 49 00:07:07,020 --> 00:07:10,140 I showed a little black guy, blind in one eye for this sport, Jerry Moore. 50 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:11,360 I loved him like a father. 51 00:07:11,580 --> 00:07:15,940 And I talked to him a little bit, settled me down, and went out there. 52 00:07:16,420 --> 00:07:19,160 And I could see his left hand was a little low. 53 00:07:19,260 --> 00:07:22,840 So I think I stepped to the left so he can't counter me and threw my right hand. 54 00:07:23,200 --> 00:07:24,080 He almost went down. 55 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:25,060 The fight was on. 56 00:07:25,180 --> 00:07:26,620 I knocked him out in the second round. 57 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:28,900 And the Golden Gloves champion, you know. 58 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:31,600 And, you know, I absolutely love boxing. 59 00:07:31,820 --> 00:07:32,800 I couldn't stop drinking. 60 00:07:33,100 --> 00:07:34,400 And I met this girl. 61 00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:36,420 She liked to drink and fool around. 62 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:38,940 And I'm fooling around with her and drinking the whole time. 63 00:07:39,020 --> 00:07:42,060 And I lost five of my last seven fights after I met Lori. 64 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:44,200 She was killing me. 65 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:47,660 You know, I tell you, there's nothing. 66 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:50,100 Wait to go out there under the bright light. 67 00:07:50,180 --> 00:07:53,800 And you know you're not living the life you should be living as a fighter, you know. 68 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:56,540 There's no humiliation when you get found out under the bright light. 69 00:07:56,620 --> 00:07:58,060 And I couldn't stop drinking. 70 00:07:58,240 --> 00:07:58,560 I fought. 71 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:01,100 I fought Rafael Reyes out of Tinker Rivera. 72 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:03,360 And that fight was so hard. 73 00:08:03,500 --> 00:08:04,560 I hurt inside the two. 74 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:05,840 And I was learning to throw. 75 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:08,120 And I go, rematch this. 76 00:08:08,300 --> 00:08:09,500 I go, yeah, I'll go fight again. 77 00:08:09,620 --> 00:08:10,740 It's going to be different next time. 78 00:08:10,820 --> 00:08:11,360 It was different. 79 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:12,080 It was worse. 80 00:08:12,660 --> 00:08:13,880 Oh, my. 81 00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:14,880 Good things right now. 82 00:08:15,380 --> 00:08:17,860 Anyway, so I wonder when the Golden Gloves twice. 83 00:08:18,060 --> 00:08:18,520 You know what I mean? 84 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:20,480 Everybody drops out of the tournament. 85 00:08:20,620 --> 00:08:21,900 They don't want to fight Tony Serda. 86 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:22,760 They don't want to fight me. 87 00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:23,780 They don't want to fight Tony Serda. 88 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:25,240 He's had 107 fights. 89 00:08:25,500 --> 00:08:25,660 I don't know. 90 00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:26,620 102 fights. 91 00:08:26,740 --> 00:08:27,900 Twice national champion. 92 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:29,040 Heard so much about him. 93 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:29,580 He got done. 94 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:31,300 Knocked Mark Davis out. 95 00:08:31,460 --> 00:08:32,100 Liver shot. 96 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:35,780 And, you know, I remember we went out and we threw three punches. 97 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:36,800 Caught the first two. 98 00:08:36,900 --> 00:08:37,500 Caught the third. 99 00:08:37,620 --> 00:08:38,360 Stuck him in the gut. 100 00:08:38,420 --> 00:08:40,160 And I remember thinking, this is going to be easy. 101 00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:41,440 Next thing I heard was six. 102 00:08:41,560 --> 00:08:41,880 Six. 103 00:08:42,100 --> 00:08:45,880 And just like that. 104 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:49,700 And next thing I know, the referee's stopping the fight. 105 00:08:49,780 --> 00:08:50,700 I'm screaming and yelling. 106 00:08:50,860 --> 00:08:51,420 What are you doing? 107 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:52,380 Stopping the fight. 108 00:08:52,480 --> 00:08:53,340 I don't want you getting hurt. 109 00:08:53,340 --> 00:08:54,780 And so I'm talking to my friend. 110 00:08:54,860 --> 00:08:56,660 The guy got me to AA the next day. 111 00:08:56,860 --> 00:08:58,940 And I go, well, second time you went down. 112 00:08:59,060 --> 00:09:00,800 I go, what do you mean a second time? 113 00:09:00,880 --> 00:09:01,800 I went down one time. 114 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:03,500 And a little people got hysterical. 115 00:09:03,700 --> 00:09:04,420 Stopped the fight. 116 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:06,040 He goes, no, John, you went down twice. 117 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:06,620 I'm Marvin. 118 00:09:06,820 --> 00:09:07,680 I was in the ring. 119 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:08,340 I have to go. 120 00:09:08,940 --> 00:09:10,020 Talk to two other people. 121 00:09:10,220 --> 00:09:10,700 Yeah, I'm done. 122 00:09:11,060 --> 00:09:13,000 Anyway, so after that, you meet Eli. 123 00:09:13,180 --> 00:09:14,320 The trainer got on me. 124 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:15,060 That's it, John. 125 00:09:15,100 --> 00:09:15,580 You're done. 126 00:09:15,680 --> 00:09:17,100 I'm drinking all the time. 127 00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:19,240 Went from a middleweight to a heavyweight. 128 00:09:19,340 --> 00:09:19,920 Just drinking. 129 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:20,560 Heavyweight. 130 00:09:20,560 --> 00:09:20,960 Heavyweight. 131 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:23,310 My girlfriend got my every year. 132 00:09:23,510 --> 00:09:26,610 I didn't want to be in the ring at all. 133 00:09:28,150 --> 00:09:33,050 You know, I knew everything was wrong in my 30s. 134 00:09:33,270 --> 00:09:36,010 All my friends kind of doing okay. 135 00:09:36,430 --> 00:09:42,620 You know, I didn't know what to do. 136 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:46,020 I know it's related to the drink, you know. 137 00:09:46,620 --> 00:09:47,760 That's how I know I'm in trouble. 138 00:09:48,100 --> 00:09:49,560 Not what I was doing when I was drunk. 139 00:09:49,660 --> 00:09:50,660 How much I was up drinking. 140 00:09:50,760 --> 00:09:52,740 What happened to me after I quit drinking. 141 00:09:52,740 --> 00:09:55,520 I quit drinking. 142 00:09:56,080 --> 00:09:58,880 I quit drinking. 143 00:09:59,180 --> 00:10:03,810 But basically, everything I had was all just throwing me down. 144 00:10:05,130 --> 00:10:06,630 My whole thing. 145 00:10:08,210 --> 00:10:09,090 Just coming up with a problem. 146 00:10:09,090 --> 00:10:13,210 And then again, my friend Marvin, the guy that I talked to you about the market, 147 00:10:13,350 --> 00:10:14,170 the guy that I grew up with. 148 00:10:14,250 --> 00:10:15,370 He was on the pink cloud. 149 00:10:15,590 --> 00:10:16,370 I was scared. 150 00:10:16,650 --> 00:10:17,590 I was scared so much. 151 00:10:17,910 --> 00:10:19,970 He got me going to meetings for me. 152 00:10:20,350 --> 00:10:22,110 And he saw me one day working. 153 00:10:22,330 --> 00:10:23,030 And he stops. 154 00:10:23,250 --> 00:10:24,150 He gives me a Coke. 155 00:10:24,250 --> 00:10:25,230 He started talking to me. 156 00:10:25,690 --> 00:10:27,110 So Marvin, I don't have to go to the exit. 157 00:10:27,150 --> 00:10:27,650 Quit drinking. 158 00:10:27,750 --> 00:10:27,870 No. 159 00:10:28,190 --> 00:10:28,470 And. 160 00:10:28,470 --> 00:10:28,550 No. 161 00:10:28,670 --> 00:10:32,810 and what AA is, it's living your life comfortably without it. 162 00:10:32,850 --> 00:10:34,210 My life was not comfortable. 163 00:10:34,350 --> 00:10:36,350 I thought about blowing my brains out every morning. 164 00:10:36,490 --> 00:10:37,670 I can't go through this anymore. 165 00:10:37,810 --> 00:10:41,390 And so I go with Marvin, and there's two things that kept me coming back. 166 00:10:41,490 --> 00:10:43,550 It was cookies to eat and girls to stare at. 167 00:10:43,650 --> 00:10:45,710 But my life had been reduced to stay at home. 168 00:10:45,850 --> 00:10:47,670 I couldn't go out to the spray and get drunk. 169 00:10:47,830 --> 00:10:50,870 But anyway, some of these meetings I did not identify. 170 00:10:51,090 --> 00:10:54,030 I mean, I couldn't understand what was going here. 171 00:10:54,430 --> 00:10:56,010 I just couldn't relate. 172 00:10:56,130 --> 00:10:57,550 I don't know what I was thinking about. 173 00:10:57,550 --> 00:10:58,330 You know what I mean? 174 00:10:58,830 --> 00:11:01,270 And this is why it's Alcoholics Anonymous. 175 00:11:01,390 --> 00:11:04,270 When I heard a speaker get up here and talk about the way he drank, 176 00:11:04,330 --> 00:11:06,830 he'd open up his throat and pour it in. 177 00:11:06,970 --> 00:11:07,570 The light went off. 178 00:11:07,630 --> 00:11:08,630 He described his drink. 179 00:11:08,690 --> 00:11:09,310 The light went off. 180 00:11:09,510 --> 00:11:10,530 Maybe I got something. 181 00:11:10,610 --> 00:11:11,770 And I wasn't talking in here. 182 00:11:11,850 --> 00:11:12,630 I mean, believe me. 183 00:11:12,690 --> 00:11:14,410 I stood in the back, very grim. 184 00:11:14,890 --> 00:11:16,710 And everybody was hugging and kissing me. 185 00:11:16,810 --> 00:11:17,250 Believe me. 186 00:11:17,830 --> 00:11:18,510 You know what I mean? 187 00:11:18,650 --> 00:11:23,050 And I hooked up with these two girls, Andy, who had just been on the mental institution. 188 00:11:23,050 --> 00:11:26,010 And her sister, Jill, went six months. 189 00:11:26,170 --> 00:11:27,530 And she'd watch. 190 00:11:27,630 --> 00:11:29,850 She'd make sure we don't be around the track and get around. 191 00:11:30,010 --> 00:11:32,470 And, you know, we're still friends today. 192 00:11:32,670 --> 00:11:36,010 I went to a 35-year birthday party a couple days ago. 193 00:11:36,230 --> 00:11:39,630 You know, we've been through everything sober with each other. 194 00:11:39,770 --> 00:11:40,550 We're still here. 195 00:11:40,710 --> 00:11:42,870 I'm 34 years sober now. 196 00:11:43,190 --> 00:11:45,310 And, you know, I got some bad news for you. 197 00:11:45,370 --> 00:11:48,650 Like, you know, I mean, right now, this lady got up. 198 00:11:48,750 --> 00:11:51,070 She talked about cancer being a remission. 199 00:11:51,070 --> 00:11:53,110 You know, I'm like, damn, AAQ is cancer. 200 00:11:55,190 --> 00:11:57,010 But, you know, she went up to Oregon. 201 00:11:57,550 --> 00:11:58,350 Cancer came back again. 202 00:11:58,430 --> 00:12:01,070 And I just, I didn't think bad things happened. 203 00:12:01,270 --> 00:12:02,330 You know, but bad things happened. 204 00:12:02,410 --> 00:12:03,150 Life happened. 205 00:12:03,290 --> 00:12:04,270 And I've been through a lot. 206 00:12:04,510 --> 00:12:05,250 I'm 70. 207 00:12:05,390 --> 00:12:06,110 I've been through a lot. 208 00:12:06,230 --> 00:12:07,610 I spoke today to my mom. 209 00:12:07,750 --> 00:12:09,150 My mom passed away that morning. 210 00:12:09,310 --> 00:12:10,030 I spoke to her. 211 00:12:10,500 --> 00:12:12,280 I mean, I thought, I'm not going to speak. 212 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:13,120 I'm not going to speak. 213 00:12:13,220 --> 00:12:15,060 I thought, John, you're bugging me, friend. 214 00:12:15,220 --> 00:12:15,820 It is. 215 00:12:15,900 --> 00:12:17,160 Yeah, your first son's back. 216 00:12:17,280 --> 00:12:18,900 Because I put my mom through hell. 217 00:12:18,900 --> 00:12:23,460 I went from a nice, quiet, naive, shy little boy to just this. 218 00:12:23,660 --> 00:12:24,020 She did. 219 00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:25,960 My mom didn't know half of it. 220 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:27,220 I was going to bring my friend. 221 00:12:27,220 --> 00:12:28,080 Michael Lafferball. 222 00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:29,980 He told me he got arrested twice in his life. 223 00:12:30,980 --> 00:12:32,180 I don't know. 224 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:32,660 I don't know. 225 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:33,480 I don't know. 226 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:34,240 But I believe. 227 00:12:34,720 --> 00:12:34,880 I said. 228 00:12:36,990 --> 00:12:38,230 And I called her up. 229 00:12:38,370 --> 00:12:40,170 I go, I'm going to open the table. 230 00:12:40,410 --> 00:12:41,870 And he called me over the radio. 231 00:12:42,210 --> 00:12:43,490 And he said, oh, my God. 232 00:12:43,990 --> 00:12:45,950 Anyway, the money is gone. 233 00:12:46,090 --> 00:12:46,730 And I called. 234 00:12:46,910 --> 00:12:48,470 And they let me make another phone call. 235 00:12:48,470 --> 00:12:51,690 And I said, John, you didn't get arrested once. 236 00:12:51,810 --> 00:12:52,950 You got arrested twice. 237 00:12:53,110 --> 00:12:54,390 Oh, she caught me, right? 238 00:12:54,590 --> 00:12:55,650 You know, a little off. 239 00:12:55,770 --> 00:12:56,890 How do you explain that? 240 00:12:56,970 --> 00:12:57,770 How do you explain that? 241 00:12:57,830 --> 00:12:58,150 Arrested twice? 242 00:12:58,150 --> 00:12:58,190 Arrested twice? 243 00:12:58,190 --> 00:12:58,290 Arrested twice? 244 00:12:58,310 --> 00:13:00,210 Once, twice in one day at the Colorado River. 245 00:13:00,310 --> 00:13:01,590 Well, I'll explain it to you. 246 00:13:01,970 --> 00:13:04,450 I got arrested from driving at 930 in the morning. 247 00:13:04,730 --> 00:13:07,090 And then my friends took a collect Easter vacation. 248 00:13:07,230 --> 00:13:08,170 We're on spring break. 249 00:13:08,330 --> 00:13:09,070 None of us can go. 250 00:13:09,250 --> 00:13:11,290 And they took a collection of my car. 251 00:13:11,390 --> 00:13:12,370 They bailed me out. 252 00:13:12,510 --> 00:13:13,390 I only have later. 253 00:13:13,530 --> 00:13:15,990 I got in a fight with some guy at the liquor store. 254 00:13:16,250 --> 00:13:18,590 And we think Michael was driving. 255 00:13:18,750 --> 00:13:19,970 Well, we're so alone. 256 00:13:20,290 --> 00:13:22,330 And anyway, the cops were all up. 257 00:13:22,410 --> 00:13:23,370 I pulled my arm away. 258 00:13:23,490 --> 00:13:23,970 Oh, they did. 259 00:13:24,190 --> 00:13:26,150 And I got out three weeks later. 260 00:13:26,150 --> 00:13:28,230 And then I got arrested. 261 00:13:28,330 --> 00:13:29,590 They said I'm sorry. 262 00:13:29,690 --> 00:13:30,130 I got him. 263 00:13:30,210 --> 00:13:30,830 They got me arrested. 264 00:13:30,930 --> 00:13:32,330 But I have no explaining why they be. 265 00:13:32,430 --> 00:13:33,790 I got him on a truck and just runin' like crazy. 266 00:13:33,890 --> 00:13:35,230 And my friend Michael, I wanted to come with you. 267 00:13:35,310 --> 00:13:36,290 We grew up together. 268 00:13:36,390 --> 00:13:37,450 He's one of the few friends I got. 269 00:13:37,550 --> 00:13:39,690 My oldest friend's gonna die. 270 00:13:39,790 --> 00:13:41,610 Michael's got prostate cancer. 271 00:13:41,710 --> 00:13:43,450 I didn't know his bone. 272 00:13:43,510 --> 00:13:44,170 He's gonna make it. 273 00:13:44,350 --> 00:13:45,830 You know, I wanted him to come with me and I'm gonna go to chemotherapy. 274 00:13:45,930 --> 00:13:46,690 Anyway, um. 275 00:13:46,790 --> 00:13:48,010 And that's part of life too. 276 00:13:48,090 --> 00:13:48,990 You know what I mean. 277 00:13:49,090 --> 00:13:51,670 All my friends are really, really, really important. 278 00:13:51,750 --> 00:13:53,730 I'm having a weird time right now. 279 00:13:53,830 --> 00:13:54,750 I accept that. 280 00:13:54,750 --> 00:13:55,750 and more. 281 00:13:55,750 --> 00:13:56,750 John L, Quality of Life, Alcoholics Anonymous, AA, sobriety, sponsor, home group 282 00:13:56,750 --> 00:13:57,750 and more. 283 00:13:57,750 --> 00:13:58,750 John L, Quality of Life, Alcoholics Anonymous, AA, sobriety, sponsor, home group 284 00:13:58,750 --> 00:13:59,750 and more. 285 00:13:59,750 --> 00:14:00,750 John L, Quality of Life, Alcoholics Anonymous, AA, sobriety, sponsor, home group 286 00:14:00,750 --> 00:14:01,750 and more. 287 00:14:01,750 --> 00:14:02,750 John L, Quality of Life, Alcoholics Anonymous, AA, sobriety, sponsor, home group 288 00:14:02,750 --> 00:14:03,750 and more. 289 00:14:03,750 --> 00:14:04,750 John L, Quality of Life, Alcoholics Anonymous, AA, sobriety, sponsor, home group 290 00:14:04,750 --> 00:14:05,750 and more. 291 00:14:05,750 --> 00:14:06,750 John L, Quality of Life, Alcoholics Anonymous, AA, sobriety, sponsor, home group 292 00:14:06,750 --> 00:14:07,750 and more. 293 00:14:07,750 --> 00:14:08,750 John L, Quality of Life, Alcoholics Anonymous, AA, sobriety, sponsor, home group 294 00:14:08,750 --> 00:14:09,750 and more. 295 00:14:09,750 --> 00:14:10,750 John L, Quality of Life, Alcoholics Anonymous, AA, sobriety, sponsor, home group 296 00:14:10,750 --> 00:14:11,750 and more. 297 00:14:11,750 --> 00:14:12,750 John L, Quality of Life, Alcoholics Anonymous, AA, sobriety, sponsor, home group 298 00:14:12,750 --> 00:14:13,750 and more. 299 00:14:13,750 --> 00:14:15,790 here, I destroyed my hearing. 300 00:14:16,250 --> 00:14:18,930 Anyway, that's how bad it was, and I made it, you know, made it. 301 00:14:19,390 --> 00:14:25,130 But about a month ago, I heard one of the boxers from my gym, and Monroe was like Superman. 302 00:14:25,290 --> 00:14:28,070 He was the baddest cat on the face of the earth. 303 00:14:28,190 --> 00:14:29,790 The guy was, he was such a bad. 304 00:14:29,830 --> 00:14:33,350 It's not like I judge you as a human being, you know what I mean, like that. 305 00:14:33,490 --> 00:14:35,230 Monroe was stupid, and he died. 306 00:14:35,330 --> 00:14:36,870 I realized, the clock is ticking. 307 00:14:37,130 --> 00:14:40,810 I don't know what I'm going through, but it's like all the history is going me down. 308 00:14:40,810 --> 00:14:42,090 There's not many of us left. 309 00:14:42,210 --> 00:14:44,450 Friends with a lot of guys, they used to box with them. 310 00:14:44,590 --> 00:14:49,390 They may not have fought each other or even trained in the same gym, but we'd box at the same time. 311 00:14:49,510 --> 00:14:55,790 In L.A., we all fought at the Olympic Auditorium, and we'd call each other brothers and tell each other we love each other. 312 00:14:55,790 --> 00:14:58,430 Because it's a different time, and we know it. 313 00:14:58,550 --> 00:15:02,730 Anyway, I got diagnosed with prostate cancer in December. 314 00:15:03,030 --> 00:15:06,970 I'm okay with that because we got it early, so I got it at 45 degrees. 315 00:15:07,610 --> 00:15:10,790 And I had a 10K with Dennis Monroe. 316 00:15:10,970 --> 00:15:14,230 It was on my birthday, December 15th, my 70th birthday. 317 00:15:14,550 --> 00:15:17,930 And I set my phone to wake me up at 6.30. 318 00:15:18,230 --> 00:15:19,570 I couldn't go back to sleep. 319 00:15:19,670 --> 00:15:21,170 It was like fight night, you know what I mean? 320 00:15:21,530 --> 00:15:25,090 I couldn't go back to sleep, and it was cold. 321 00:15:25,470 --> 00:15:26,750 And I just thought all these reasons. 322 00:15:26,790 --> 00:15:27,670 I'm not going to run today. 323 00:15:27,790 --> 00:15:28,810 I'm not going to end this thing. 324 00:15:28,890 --> 00:15:29,990 I'm not that good of shape. 325 00:15:30,110 --> 00:15:31,490 I'm not going to win my age division. 326 00:15:31,730 --> 00:15:33,710 I've got maybe three hours sleep. 327 00:15:33,830 --> 00:15:34,470 I'm not going to die. 328 00:15:34,470 --> 00:15:39,090 I mean, and plus, on top of that, well, I just got diagnosed with prostate cancer. 329 00:15:39,430 --> 00:15:40,590 Anyway, I go, John. 330 00:15:40,810 --> 00:15:42,170 You're going to go and win. 331 00:15:42,270 --> 00:15:42,970 And you know something? 332 00:15:43,110 --> 00:15:49,030 I didn't know it, but the route took me all through Venice where I grew up, the Venice Maria 10K. 333 00:15:49,170 --> 00:15:55,390 I went by my old St. Mark's Elementary School, Catholic School, went by the church where I got baptized. 334 00:15:55,990 --> 00:15:59,330 And then we looked around, and we went by the old Venice Police Station. 335 00:15:59,330 --> 00:16:02,050 And then all the Venice Police are out there. 336 00:16:02,130 --> 00:16:02,670 I'm stopping. 337 00:16:02,850 --> 00:16:04,450 I'm talking because I'm not going to win my age division. 338 00:16:04,570 --> 00:16:06,670 I'm talking about a great job they're doing. 339 00:16:07,050 --> 00:16:10,070 Yeah, you know, you beat the hell out of me back in the 60s, man. 340 00:16:10,810 --> 00:16:12,390 You know, I thanked them all for this. 341 00:16:12,830 --> 00:16:15,110 There's such bad press these days. 342 00:16:15,510 --> 00:16:16,490 Hey, I thanked them. 343 00:16:16,630 --> 00:16:17,570 I told them I had it coming. 344 00:16:17,830 --> 00:16:19,010 You know, I had it coming. 345 00:16:19,490 --> 00:16:23,050 And you know, if I listen to my head, I can't say it. 346 00:16:23,310 --> 00:16:26,950 And it was really and truly, it was one of the great days of my life. 347 00:16:27,030 --> 00:16:28,150 I mean, the race was over. 348 00:16:28,230 --> 00:16:29,190 I'm talking to everybody. 349 00:16:29,730 --> 00:16:32,190 I'm talking to the homeless guys down there about boxing. 350 00:16:32,570 --> 00:16:34,070 And they do their stuff, you know. 351 00:16:34,070 --> 00:16:38,670 And I'm talking to some lady that immigrated from Chile on the way back to my car. 352 00:16:38,950 --> 00:16:40,490 And, man, I would have missed it. 353 00:16:40,610 --> 00:16:40,730 You know? 354 00:16:40,810 --> 00:16:43,090 I mean, I would have missed it if I listened to my head. 355 00:16:43,250 --> 00:16:44,270 And our heads are our enemies. 356 00:16:44,470 --> 00:16:44,970 You know what I mean? 357 00:16:45,030 --> 00:16:48,030 That's why you have a sponsor and you talk to other people. 358 00:16:48,130 --> 00:16:48,450 You know what I mean? 359 00:16:48,470 --> 00:16:49,150 Very important. 360 00:16:49,570 --> 00:16:51,110 There's a guy, Mike Dixon. 361 00:16:51,250 --> 00:16:52,550 Every time I, I wouldn't believe me. 362 00:16:52,590 --> 00:16:55,290 I wasn't, like I said, I wanted to be hugging and kissing me when I got here. 363 00:16:55,350 --> 00:16:56,730 And I stayed away from everybody. 364 00:16:56,930 --> 00:16:58,250 Bill and Andy and a few other people. 365 00:16:58,250 --> 00:17:01,490 This guy, Mike Dixon, thanks so much for coming on. 366 00:17:01,590 --> 00:17:04,100 Every time I see him, he's with a good-looking girl. 367 00:17:04,360 --> 00:17:05,540 I want what he's got. 368 00:17:06,380 --> 00:17:09,660 So, I see him at the meet and we start talking. 369 00:17:09,780 --> 00:17:10,740 We start hanging out. 370 00:17:10,840 --> 00:17:14,660 And I've been talking to Mike for 34 years now on the phone. 371 00:17:14,900 --> 00:17:18,860 And he would spoke out in the valley way up on Ventura. 372 00:17:19,080 --> 00:17:22,100 And a girl came up and gave her a chip in her phone number. 373 00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:23,180 It was my sister. 374 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:25,220 My sister finally got sober. 375 00:17:25,620 --> 00:17:26,900 I'm not exaggerating. 376 00:17:27,060 --> 00:17:29,840 Me and my sister had talked once in 25. 377 00:17:30,180 --> 00:17:31,220 I'm not exaggerating. 378 00:17:31,360 --> 00:17:33,640 I was so sick of her being a victim, you know? 379 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:36,080 And I go, I'm not going to call her. 380 00:17:36,140 --> 00:17:38,020 I'm so sick of her stuff, man. 381 00:17:38,380 --> 00:17:39,240 Always being a victim. 382 00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:40,080 It was John. 383 00:17:40,220 --> 00:17:40,760 She's a new. 384 00:17:40,920 --> 00:17:41,520 She's a newcomer. 385 00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:42,020 That's right. 386 00:17:42,020 --> 00:17:43,020 I changed everything. 387 00:17:43,020 --> 00:17:45,020 So, I started talking to my sister. 388 00:17:45,020 --> 00:17:47,020 And like I said, I never knew my father. 389 00:17:47,020 --> 00:17:49,020 And my father was orphaned. 390 00:17:49,020 --> 00:17:51,020 I had no brother. 391 00:17:51,020 --> 00:17:53,020 My sister is very smart. 392 00:17:53,020 --> 00:17:55,020 She got on the computer from both sides of my family. 393 00:17:55,020 --> 00:18:01,020 I didn't know my father was a breeder until I was 60, 10 years ago. 394 00:18:01,020 --> 00:18:04,020 And I went back and I visited my aunt Fanny. 395 00:18:04,020 --> 00:18:06,020 My father's sister was still alive. 396 00:18:06,020 --> 00:18:07,020 I called her up. 397 00:18:07,020 --> 00:18:08,020 I go, Loie Corwin-Lichty. 398 00:18:08,020 --> 00:18:09,020 Yep, that's my brother. 399 00:18:09,020 --> 00:18:10,020 Yep, that's my father. 400 00:18:10,020 --> 00:18:10,680 Yep, that's my brother. 401 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:11,680 He didn't know nothing about me. 402 00:18:11,680 --> 00:18:12,680 My dad, I believe, was one of us. 403 00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:13,680 It runs all through my family. 404 00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:14,680 It runs all through. 405 00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:15,680 And I have heard my father's mother was an orphan. 406 00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:16,680 So, that's my mom. 407 00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:17,680 I never remember until he died. 408 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:18,680 I kind of knew he hadn't. 409 00:18:18,680 --> 00:18:19,680 But anyway. 410 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:20,680 So, I'm talking to my aunt Fanny. 411 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:21,680 You know what? 412 00:18:21,680 --> 00:18:22,680 I've been back to Indiana. 413 00:18:22,680 --> 00:18:23,680 I love it back there. 414 00:18:23,680 --> 00:18:24,680 You know? 415 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:25,680 My mom's side. 416 00:18:25,680 --> 00:18:26,680 My cousin Charles' dad, he was shot down over France. 417 00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:27,680 They have one of three to bail out. 418 00:18:27,680 --> 00:18:28,680 The other seven were down. 419 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:29,680 And I've got three of them. 420 00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:30,680 I've got three of them. 421 00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:31,680 I've got three of them. 422 00:18:31,680 --> 00:18:32,680 My mom's side. 423 00:18:32,680 --> 00:18:33,680 My cousin Charles' dad, he was shot down over France. 424 00:18:33,680 --> 00:18:34,680 They have one of three to bail out. 425 00:18:34,680 --> 00:18:35,680 The other seven were down. 426 00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:36,680 And I've got family history now, you know? 427 00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:37,680 And I love my cousins back in Indiana. 428 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:38,680 It's different. 429 00:18:38,680 --> 00:18:39,680 I mean, it's a small town with 6,000 people. 430 00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:40,680 I get up. 431 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:41,680 I'm still running. 432 00:18:41,680 --> 00:18:42,680 So, I'm running down by the cornfields. 433 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:43,680 And people are driving by waving at me. 434 00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:44,680 You know what I mean? 435 00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:45,680 That's a lesson in your own thoughts. 436 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:46,680 You know what I mean? 437 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:47,680 Sometimes it's good to talk about it. 438 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:48,680 It is good. 439 00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:49,680 You get a different perspective. 440 00:18:49,680 --> 00:18:50,680 You know what I mean? 441 00:18:50,680 --> 00:18:51,680 Sometimes it's good to talk about it. 442 00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:52,680 You know what I mean? 443 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:53,680 And then, of course, everything's different. 444 00:18:53,680 --> 00:18:54,680 You know what I mean? 445 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:55,680 Plan CMS is my sponsor. 446 00:18:55,680 --> 00:18:58,680 One time I wanted to pray because I got my tender little feelings hurt by some girl that 447 00:18:58,680 --> 00:18:59,680 I got picked up with. 448 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:00,900 And, you know, I know I had to last about two weeks, so that was operating. 449 00:19:00,900 --> 00:19:01,900 So all I had was a month. 450 00:19:01,900 --> 00:19:02,900 I got a job. 451 00:19:02,900 --> 00:19:03,900 I got a job. 452 00:19:03,900 --> 00:19:04,900 I got a job. 453 00:19:04,900 --> 00:19:06,030 I got a job. 454 00:19:06,030 --> 00:19:07,030 I got a job. 455 00:19:07,030 --> 00:19:08,030 I got a job. 456 00:19:08,030 --> 00:19:09,030 I got a job. 457 00:19:09,030 --> 00:19:10,030 I was a pastor. 458 00:19:10,030 --> 00:19:11,030 I was a pastor. 459 00:19:11,030 --> 00:19:12,030 I was a pastor. 460 00:19:12,030 --> 00:19:13,030 I got a job. 461 00:19:13,030 --> 00:19:14,030 I was a pastor. 462 00:19:14,030 --> 00:19:15,030 I was a pastor. 463 00:19:15,030 --> 00:19:16,030 I had a job. 464 00:19:16,030 --> 00:19:20,330 and, you know, I had low light last about two weeks, so that was operating style. 465 00:19:20,330 --> 00:19:29,410 I had low light for a month, and I wasn't talking to any of you guys yet, and I had about nine months. 466 00:19:29,770 --> 00:19:36,130 I just sat there with the people, and number one, don't get involved your first year, they tell you that, 467 00:19:36,250 --> 00:19:45,830 and number two, the same thing you told me, so easy to slip into your own way, so easy to go back that way. 468 00:19:45,830 --> 00:19:48,650 I was very blessed, too, because I had a plan. 469 00:19:48,830 --> 00:19:53,830 I couldn't imagine my life breaking or using, and that's breaking or using, go back that way. 470 00:19:54,030 --> 00:20:00,830 Quitters are losers, man, like, they don't ever want, you know, we are not blessed, you know, I've been married twice, 471 00:20:01,670 --> 00:20:08,630 and I've lost my wife, and they call me pastor, you know, yeah, you man, you have to feel it, you know, I know. 472 00:20:08,630 --> 00:20:14,130 Like I said, we all got lost, and the toughest thing was, I just knew it was the hardest thing, 473 00:20:14,450 --> 00:20:15,630 but the papers are here for me. 474 00:20:15,830 --> 00:20:23,610 I said, me and him would go for 10, 10 days, 10 days, we'd go for runs, take him to the beach, he's a water dog, 475 00:20:23,730 --> 00:20:25,930 and he loved it, and he loved it. 476 00:20:26,310 --> 00:20:30,840 The thing about me and my wife split up, first wife, was the dog got to sleep in bed with me again. 477 00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:36,080 You know, he had gotten sick with something, I did everything, you know, I tried to impress this girl, 478 00:20:36,120 --> 00:20:39,900 and she would not, she didn't do anything, she saw my dog, she flipped out. 479 00:20:40,040 --> 00:20:45,180 But anyway, you know, he was having some problems, and I called him up, like, I'm bringing him in. 480 00:20:45,260 --> 00:20:45,840 I said, bring him in. 481 00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:47,340 I said, bring him in, buddy, I'm bringing him in right now. 482 00:20:47,440 --> 00:20:51,340 And I brought a man, and I put him on the gurney, and he took all his blood, and lost him. 483 00:20:51,720 --> 00:21:03,200 And I said, yeah, yeah, my life, any roommate, one guy, six men, five hard-working, tough guys, 484 00:21:03,340 --> 00:21:06,820 we stood there staring at each other, we had seen that, we stood there staring at each other, 485 00:21:07,060 --> 00:21:07,940 and we were all in the dark. 486 00:21:08,060 --> 00:21:14,160 They had to go through stuff, and you had to go through it so much, and stuff, and you had to go through it. 487 00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:20,450 And I was convinced, and then 25 years later, I was like, that's it. 488 00:21:21,050 --> 00:21:29,500 There was a guy, he was a three-year-old, and he had something to eat, ran out in the backyard, 489 00:21:29,720 --> 00:21:32,960 and Bob stayed sober with it, and he took a date after that. 490 00:21:33,060 --> 00:21:35,420 He said, still comers, you can stay sober. 491 00:21:35,820 --> 00:21:36,940 And I never forgot that. 492 00:21:37,020 --> 00:21:39,460 And Bob's got a good life, he had a lot of kids after that. 493 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:45,740 And, you know, I went through all that cancer treatment, and I went to Vietnam, and I'm in a 10K. 494 00:21:45,900 --> 00:21:49,840 A year and a half, and I'm in chemotherapy, you know what I'm talking about. 495 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:52,920 A year and a half after, I'm in this 10K. 496 00:21:53,260 --> 00:21:57,300 I'm in Hanoi, Vietnam, and this is going to be my coming-out party for beating cancer. 497 00:21:57,300 --> 00:22:02,180 And I'm saying my prayers in Hanoi, and I can't believe this, you know what I mean, because I was so sick. 498 00:22:02,180 --> 00:22:06,560 I couldn't get up, and I put a pail by the couch, and I just couldn't get up. 499 00:22:06,560 --> 00:22:09,560 I could barely feed myself, and this is what chemotherapy does to you. 500 00:22:09,560 --> 00:22:15,500 And I can't believe I'm in this 10K, and, you know, we're coming up to the finish line, you know what I mean. 501 00:22:15,500 --> 00:22:18,920 Everybody's cheering, and I can't believe this is happening, you know what I mean. 502 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:21,220 And 10 days later, I'm in mass. 503 00:22:21,220 --> 00:22:23,220 It goes to the funeral in Hanoi, Vietnam. 504 00:22:23,260 --> 00:22:25,840 I don't understand the image, but I could feel it. 505 00:22:25,840 --> 00:22:27,060 There was something going on. 506 00:22:27,060 --> 00:22:31,600 I could feel his presence, and, you know, I don't want to say I had a spiritual experience. 507 00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:32,600 And I'm a gardener. 508 00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:33,680 I have a tree service. 509 00:22:33,680 --> 00:22:35,680 That is my church outside. 510 00:22:35,680 --> 00:22:37,100 The birds fly by me. 511 00:22:37,100 --> 00:22:38,560 God, here I am, John. 512 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:39,260 Here I am. 513 00:22:39,260 --> 00:22:42,760 And some butterfly was flying around my head the other day to serve them. 514 00:22:42,760 --> 00:22:43,880 They go, I know, I know. 515 00:22:43,880 --> 00:22:45,020 I hope, you know. 516 00:22:45,020 --> 00:22:46,640 I mean, I see God everywhere. 517 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:50,060 Even at the weeds, I mean, it's not fearful. 518 00:22:50,060 --> 00:22:53,220 On this little plant, perfectly situated from the sun. 519 00:22:53,260 --> 00:22:55,380 And this vast universe, you know what I mean. 520 00:22:55,380 --> 00:22:56,680 And here we are, you know. 521 00:22:56,680 --> 00:22:59,020 And, you know, I just, I love my work. 522 00:22:59,020 --> 00:23:00,180 I love being out there. 523 00:23:00,180 --> 00:23:03,140 I can't imagine anything else for a living, you know. 524 00:23:03,140 --> 00:23:07,100 And, you know, like I said, I mean, sometimes showing up is hard. 525 00:23:07,100 --> 00:23:12,500 And, but like I told you about, like when I was fighting the Golden Gloves, I didn't want to fight. 526 00:23:12,500 --> 00:23:13,420 I didn't want to fight this guy. 527 00:23:13,420 --> 00:23:14,140 I didn't want to show. 528 00:23:14,140 --> 00:23:15,180 I had no idea. 529 00:23:15,180 --> 00:23:19,500 You know, so, and there I was, man, running around the ring out of my mind with joy. 530 00:23:19,500 --> 00:23:21,720 Golden Gloves Champion 1977. 531 00:23:21,720 --> 00:23:23,100 I'm linked to all the great champions. 532 00:23:23,100 --> 00:23:26,680 I don't want to show up no matter how dismal it seems. 533 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:29,020 Sometimes there's a great surprise waiting. 534 00:23:29,020 --> 00:23:29,520 Thank you.