We recently sent a message to Bob Mirovic, Australian heavyweight boxer, asking him how the horrible disease had touched his life after he noticed Bob had joined a group on facebook dedicated to fighting it. This is what Bob said….
Just over 5 years ago my mum found out she had breast cancer, she had to have chemotherapy and was told by the doctor she would beat it. Weeks later I was slotted in to fight for the WBF World Heavyweight Title against The All American Prizefighter Rob Calloway. The fight would be telecast live on Fox Sports in Queensland Australia.
After signing for the fight, I was asked by Australian boxing legend and 3 times world champion Jeff Fenech to go with him to Phoenix, USA to be Mike Tyson’s sparring partner for his fight against Kevin Mcbride. I decided to take this job after talking with my mother, as I was concerned about her, she said to go.
I spent 6 weeks training and sparring with Tyson and did 54 rounds of sparring with him, after which I felt in the best shape of my life. When I returned to Australia, I had 12 days to go until my fight for the world title. I was extremely confidant after spending 6 weeks training and sparring with Tyson. In the final week before the fight I was feeling great and my mother was responding well to treatment.
Then 3 days out from the fight, I got a really bad winter flu and became so sick I did not train for the final 3 days. At the weigh in I had to try and look like nothing was wrong. The day of the fight I was still extremely sick and thought to myself how will I go into the fight when I can’t get out of bed.
A few hours before the fight, I rang my mother to see how she is and to tell her that I was really sick and weak as she was at home and going to be watching the fight. She said some things that made me realize my situation was nothing compared to many other people.
One thing she said that inspired me was “Listen son, just like I am fighting for my life, you have to fight this fight for your children and for yourself.”
This was the first and only fight that I did not warm up or get ready for, I just sat in my dressing room and got my boxing gear and went out to fight. Long story short, my jaw got broken in the 5th round and still I went the full 12 rounds and got voted Fox fight of the year and it was said it was one of the best Heavyweight fights seen in over 20 years.
Months later I was in preparation to fight a WBC world title elimination fight against WBC No 10 Peter Okello, the winner would fight against Oleg Maskaev for the WBC World Heavyweight Title.
Again 8 weeks out I went to Borneo, Indonesia with my trainer, as he was working the corner for WBA Featherweight Champion Chris John’s fight against super fighter Juan Manuel Marquez.
During this time my mother still seemed to be doing well, but still was not free of the cancer. I got back to Australia 4 weeks out of the fight. A week later I got a phone call from my mother, she was in tears and then told me the cancer had spread and will not have long to live. By now it was two weeks out from the fight and knowing my mother would die soon, I found it hard to focus and keep preparing for my fight.
My mother now had fallen into a coma and was in the hospital. My dad said there is nothing you can do and still need to go to Tokyo, Japan for the fight. My training team and me arrived at Sydney airport to fly to Tokyo 5 days out from the fight.
Now it was around 2 hours until our flight was to leave, when my phone rang informing me that my mother had just passed away. Now I had to get myself checked in and fly to Tokyo and have 5 days to endure until this fight and somehow deal with the loss of my mother and still go into a big boxing match with a hungry, dangerous fighter.
Prior to the fight I used the memory of my mother to strengthen me and the fight was a war. I pushed hard from the first round and sensed that my opponent was going to quit in the 6th round. He found the strength to keep going and the fight was extremely hard and competitive. I, along with many people thought I won the fight, but it was awarded a split decision to Peter Okello. It’s amazing when someone close to you has cancer and you see the pain and hard times they go through, that it gives you the strength to endure things because you feel the pain and suffering your loved one is going through. God Bless
