Warning: This article contains themes and subjects that readers may find distressing.
AFTER over a year away from the ring, Tommy Fury, 10-0 (4 KOs), is finally poised to end his run of inactivity and return to action with an announcement imminent for a clash with Australia’s Matt Floyd, 15-1 (10 KOs).
Yet, once word of his involvement got out, tabloids got wind of his history in gangs and his time behind bars and numerous stories labelling Floyd simply as a ‘gang leader’ were published.
Here, we at Boxing News, spoke directly with the Aussie, who explained his troubling past in detail and how he wound up involved in gang culture in an exclusive interview.
“When I was a kid, I grew up in lots of different homes, but I ended up in a bad one when I was 10. I was with a paedophile family, and they would make us make videos. I was the oldest kid, and it was hard, I was a very scared kid, scared of everything. I ran away from there when I was 12, but I had a bit of luck. I don’t know how, but I ended up with another paedophile, he was a basketball coach.
“I ran again and ended up on the street in gangs, eventually leading gangs. I’d always been a natural leader, and I was leading teenage gangs and then I ended up in juvenile, I was surrounded by addiction, and I was getting into fights all of the time.
“In the movies, you see someone that thinks they know everything about fighting, and then they get taken to the gym and beat up – that was me, but I am stubborn. So, I went back to the gym every day because I wanted to beat up the guy who was an actual fighter.
“So, I then became a proper fighter, and I began to lead a gang – not just a street gang, I am talking one of the most powerful gangs over here. I was a really young leader; it was unheard of.”
Once he was at the forefront of the gang, Floyd revealed how he and other members adopted a vigilante approach and helped him deal with his childhood trauma by kidnapping paedophiles in the area until he was eventually set up and sentenced to prison.
“The gang helped me kidnap paedophiles, I was already sort of doing it on the sly on the side, but I got obsessive about it. I dedicated my life to getting as many paedophiles as I could.
“Everyone hates paedophiles but I really, really hate them because of what happened when I was a child. I never got over it, I just buried it, I had this deep-rooted hatred for them. We were kidnapping as many of them as we could, and we did a pretty good f***ing job of it to be fair!
“Eventually we got set up and we got done and ultimately it caused me to spend most of my twenties in prison.
“If I could do it forever, then I would, but it’s not realistic. You have got all of these stupid laws, and I live a completely different life now. I think it has been eight or nine years since I got released.”
These days, ‘The Jedi’ lives a life that is more aligned with Australian law, helping children on the street and opening up his own gym named ‘Pinky’s’ in Perth, where he trains himself and others.
“Since I have been released from prison, I have instead dedicated my life to my gym [Pinky’s]. We taken kids off of the street, probably a few hundred and we have changed the lives of at least 50 per cent of them; some play professional football, some are professional fighters or some we have just got working.”
Yet, Floyd’s misfortunes continued to follow him, despite his change in career path, when he was robbed of a victory legendary two-division world champion, Sirimongkol Singmanasak, 99-6 (62 KOs), back in October.
Although with the result expected to be officially overturned soon and things finally looking up for Floyd amid current links to a showdown with Tommy Fury, the 35-year-old revealed why he believes it could be better for his undefeated record not to be reinstated for the time being.
“It was supposed to be an American, Australian and a Thai judge, but it ended up being three Thai judges.”
“I won every single round bar maybe one and I lost the fight. It got reviewed straight away and it’s been turned around, five judges have said that I definitely won but it still hasn’t been changed on BoxRec.
“I might just leave it though for now, it will get changed eventually but me being 15-1 is better for me because I’m very worried that he could pull out. So, we are just trying to make me look not as good as I am at the moment!”
Whilst clearly eager to land the fight with the 25-year-old Brit, for Floyd this fight is purely about advancing his career, building his profile and fast-tracking him to the world level, rather than financial gain.
Confident of victory both against Fury, and in future fights against world level opposition, Floyd explained how his unconventional style makes him a problem for each and every fighter at 175lbs.
“I want to fight the best in the world, and I know by fighting Tommy Fury, he is my gateway to that. Once I fight him, I can probably call out the best in the world straight away rather than having to fight another 10/15 fights, that is just the way it is.”
“I am going to be trouble for any boxer, any boxer in the world. I’m very awkward, I’m very different. I trained myself in front of a mirror in a cell for several years for ten hours a day, so I have mastered awkwardness and bad habits.
“I come forward relentlessly, and I believe that I have got more power than anyone in the world at my weight. I think that I have got the natural power of a cruiser, easily, I have thrown heavyweights around. I was Lucas Browne’s main sparring partner, I’m 80 kilos and he was 130 kilos, I didn’t throw him around, but I definitely stood my ground with him and took his biggest shots.”
“I have never been dropped ever, touch wood. Sparring, training, anything, not ever. I haven’t even come close to being dropped and that’s not just the usual s**t talk, I genuinely haven’t.
“I am very confident. I think that I beat Tommy a lot earlier than people realise, just because of my style. He is not going to know what to do with me.”
To further his point, Floyd doubled down on the declaration that he is not motivated by money by announcing that he will be donating his purse from the contest directly to charity, openly admitting that Fury can insert a clause into his contract and do so on his behalf if he pleases.
“I will sign it in the contract where they [Fury’s team] can donate it [my purse]. My biggest passion has always been helping the homeless, but I feel like this fight is a lot about men’s mental health too.”
“Obviously we all need to make money, but I wanted to make an example. This is about other people, not just ourselves, not just me and not just Tommy. If I took money for this fight it would feel like that is not the case anymore.
“There is going to be plenty more money to be made after.”
Fury-Floyd is expected to be the highlight of the undercard of Misfits 21 at the AO Arena in Manchester on March 29, as Fury puts a 13-month spell of inactivity to bed and Matt Floyd bids to announce himself in the world of boxing.
