By Duv Johal
This past week I had a chance to do a short interview with another Team GB Olympian Thomas Stalker.
Stalker appeared on a TV programme this past week called “Knock Out Scousers,” based on 3 amateur boxers from Liverpool trying to make it to the Olympics. He started boxing at the age of 18 out of Sailsbury ABC and St. Aloysius ABC in Liverpool. He said he turned to boxing because he was fed up of doing criminal activities like robbing cars and doing drugs, boxing gave him a new direction.
At the age of 26 Stalker was voted the amateur boxer of the year by the Boxing Writer’s Club of Great Britain. He is now weeks away from competing in the London Olympic Games.
Last year he won bronze at the 2011 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, losing to the Ukrainian Denys Berinchyk in the semi-final. I caught up with him earlier this week and here is what he said…
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DJ: Just a few weeks to go now. How’s training going? I can’t imagine the training being extra intense at this stage. Are you confident
you have put in all the work and miles during the winter?
TS: Training has gone really well. I’ve had a diary so everything I eat and do in the gym has been put in it. Looking at it now, I’ve worked really hard and I honestly couldn’t do anything more. I’m confident and ready to go, but at the same time I know how hard it’s going to be. There’s some great fighters in my weight class and I am just going to give my all in every fight.
DJ: I spoke to your Olympic team pal Anthony Joshua and he said he isn’t thinking beyond the Olympics. Have you had any thoughts
about after the Olympics?
TS: I’m the same. I am not thinking past the Olympics. My life is about the Olympics, so we will see what happens afterward.
DJ: Would you class your self a boxer or a brawler?
TS: I’m a boxer, but can fight as well. Because I am a tall fighter, others think they can walk through me but I can fight on the inside as well.
DJ: What kind of music do you like listening to hours before a fight?
TS: Before a fight I listen to Eminem. He gets me in the mood. I also like dance music; David Guetta, and Avicci.
DJ: Who’s your favourite boxer of all time?
TS: It’s Muhammad Ali, but like Joe Calzaghe and Diego Corrales.
DJ: Have you got a message out there to the kids who want to get into boxing?
TS: To any kids out there, if you got a dream or a goal just go try achieve it. You will have knockbacks but along as you keep getting up you will get there in the end.
DJ: Ok, thanks a lot Tom for speaking with Pro Boxing Insider, enjoy the Olympics. I wish you all the best, and lets hope you bring the medal home.
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