I WAS in a position where I wanted to retire when I wanted to retire for various things like injuries. I won everything as a super-middleweight and going over to America twice was great but for a couple of years, of course, itโs tough. Iโm not going to lie. Itโs tough because it’s the thing youโve done from the age of eight or nine. Being British amateur champion from the age of 13, I still remember it now – in Derby in 1985 (giving my age away)! I was 36 kilograms and I thought Iโm going to be a world champion one day. When youโve done one thing all your life and youโre really good at what you do and itโs your love, the adrenalin and that drive, of course when thatโs gone and you have to find something else you love, itโs difficult.
The last few years have been very tough with my father and my mother. Now Iโm getting back into it. My sons are boxing trainers, they love it and for me itโs keeping that legacy going, the memory of my father as well. Maybe Iโll start managing fighters again. Iโm sort of getting back into the love of boxing. The last few years Iโve been distant because of personal things. Itโs great that I was able to have such an amazing time in boxing, it blessed me, my father and my family. Itโs a great sport.
I was still in great form when I retired. Part of me wanted to be the first person to get to 50-0, which was within my reach I think. But at the time my body had enough.
There were a couple of years that were a struggle for me because I was injured a lot, had doctors telling me I should retire and I thought no, thatโs not happening. This is the way I live, Iโve been doing this all my life and thank God I managed to, even with injuries, still come through and keep winning.
Canelo Alvarez is going into his 60th fight. I remember watching him coming through, he beat Matthew Hatton and so on, and he was a good fighter but you never would have thought heโd have gone on, stepped up to light-heavyweight, super-middleweight, dominated. What I do like about him, I like his mindset. Itโs similar to my mindset. My father always taught me – train like a challenger. Because when you start training like a champion, thatโs when you get beat. Heโs such a superstar, heโs 31 still but he was a superstar 10 years ago and to be able to keep motivated, keep dedicated, thatโs the difference. You can say Iโm going to train but youโre on your own. Itโs whatโs in there, itโs whatโs in your heart. Donโt let your ego take over, which can be a problem for a lot of fighters. But keep respectful, dedicated, train hard. Keep doing that every single fight. Itโs difficult.
Even when I didnโt perform at my best, when I was injured, I used to have that mindset of a winner.
Canelo keeps turning up, he keeps performing, heโs one of the all-time greats, he can be if he keeps winning. Youโd have to put him up with some of the best.
He learns, he tries new things and thatโs why fighters improve. He always believes he can improve. You can improve, I improved late in my career. In boxing you always learn.
Heโs ticking all the boxes. Heโs looking strong, heโs looking fit, heโs powerful at the weight, at super-middleweight and I was surprised how he so comfortably handled Billy Joe Saunders and Callum Smith, who was so much taller. Range-wise I thought Smith would cause problems but it just didnโt come out that way. It just shows what a special fighter Canelo is, how he can nullify opponents and take away their advantages.
The sanctioning bodies make it hard. My fight against Mikkel Kessler should have been โundisputedโ because I was the IBF champion, I had to relinquish because I think there was a mandatory against Robert Steiglitz, so unfortunately I had to give that belt up. Thatโs the thing with boxing, Iโve always said thereโs too many belts and too many governing bodies. The best should fight the best. I just missed something like the Super Six tournament when I retired. Thatโs perfect where you say come on, letโs get together and make a superstar of the sport. Thatโs something I yearned for when I was boxing. Itโs all about money. Whether anything can ever be solved in boxing Iโm not sure. It does affect the sport when people get confused, there are too many champions.
I called myself undisputed world super-middleweight champion for years! I had all the belts, a technicality because I didnโt want to fight the mandatory, but okay a little, small line but in my head Iโm still undisputed!
BT Sport Box Office will show Canelo v Plant exclusively live in the UK on Saturday 6th November. For more info go to www.bt.com/sportboxoffice