When and why you started boxing:
I was 15 when I started. It was a way to keep out of trouble, as I’d been excluded from school about 20 times by that point.
Favourite all-time fighter:
Muhammad Ali. He was an example to boxers with the way he conducted himself both inside and outside of the ring.
Best fight you’ve seen:
Muhammad Ali against George Foreman – The Rumble in the Jungle. I’ve watched it so many times.
Personal career highlight:
Winning the Ultimate Boxxer middleweight tournament [in May]. Despite being an outsider beforehand I never once doubted myself.
Toughest opponent:
Liam Hunt. After the first round he was wobbling, but he had great home support and came back fighting.
Best and worst attributes as a boxer:
My best attribute is that I can be awkward – I throw shots from the weirdest angles. My worst is that I sometimes have lapses in concentration.
Training tip:
Train smart, not hard.
Favourite meal/restaurant:
A build-your-own tortilla wrap at Chiquito.
Best friends in boxing:
My stablemates – Ekow Essuman, Paul Thompson and Delmar Thomas, and my coaches at DCT Boxing Academy – Barrington Brown and Mark Howell.
Other sportsman you would like to be:
LeBron James. He’s an amazing player and an amazing person who has done so much for the sport of basketball.
Last film/TV show you saw:
Creed II. I love all of the Rocky films.
Who would play you in a film of your life:
[Creed and Creed II star] Michael B. Jordan.
Have you ever been starstruck:
When I met [retired footballer] Ian Wright. My hands were shaking when I asked for a photo.
Last time you cried:
On my 25th birthday when my missus bought me a classic Sega Mega Drive with pre-loaded games. It brought back so many happy memories from my childhood.
Best advice received:
‘You don’t always see the fruits of your labour immediately.’ My dad told me that.
Worst rumour about yourself:
When I was at university, some of the other students thought I was a gang member because of my tracksuits, my south London accent [Osaze was born and raised in Peckham] and the stern look I have on my face when I’m not smiling.
Something not many people know about you:
I can be quite introverted. Sometimes I just like to be on my own.
