Welcome to Real Talk with Tina and Ann!

April 8, 2026

Life is on the Other Side of Fear: From a Detention Center to a Golden Gloves Champion

Send us Fan Mail A 12-year-old watching his grandfather die in the hallway doesn’t just lose a person, he loses direction. Our guest, professional boxer Ryizzimmion “Johnny” Ford, grew up in Ohio as one of eight kids raised by grandparents after parental absence, addiction, and incarceration shaped the home he didn’t choose. What followed was the kind of survival mode many people recognize: anger as armor, fights at school, bullying, and juvenile detention. Then boxing showed up, and i...

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A 12-year-old watching his grandfather die in the hallway doesn’t just lose a person, he loses direction. Our guest, professional boxer Ryizzimmion “Johnny” Ford, grew up in Ohio as one of eight kids raised by grandparents after parental absence, addiction, and incarceration shaped the home he didn’t choose. What followed was the kind of survival mode many people recognize: anger as armor, fights at school, bullying, and juvenile detention.

Then boxing showed up, and it wasn’t just about throwing punches. Johnny explains how the gym became his safe place, where the noise goes quiet and discipline takes over. We get real about what training actually looks like, early mornings, running, sparring, making weight, and the mental grind behind every win and loss. We also talk about the coach who became a father figure, the dangers of chasing validation, and why “discipline protects you from you.”

Fatherhood changes everything. Johnny shares the symbolic timing of welcoming his daughter and signing his pro contract the next day, plus how becoming a dad helped him stop fighting to prove people wrong and start fighting for purpose. We also sit with grief after losing his grandmother, the faith she instilled, and the hard truths about nursing home care and what families face when they can’t be there 24/7.

If you care about resilience, mental health, mentorship, and breaking generational cycles, you’ll take something from this conversation, whether you love boxing or have never watched a single round. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs a turning point, and leave a review with the lesson that hit you hardest.

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Chapters

00:00 - Welcome And Johnny’s Backstory

03:22 - Growing Up With Grandparents

08:00 - The Grandfather Who Raised Him

10:27 - The Hallway Loss And Anger

19:08 - Choosing Boxing Over The Streets

24:05 - Coaches As Father Figures

26:07 - Fatherhood And Turning Pro

30:56 - Fighting For Yourself Not Approval

32:52 - Losing Grandma And Navigating Grief

38:02 - Faith Built In Church Pew Days

40:32 - Teaching Kids To Regulate Anger

44:55 - Training Addicts And Rebuilding Spark

48:13 - Discipline Identity And Real Manhood

52:07 - Next Fight Details And Support

53:51 - Where To Follow And Final Words

Transcript

WEBVTT

00:00:08.640 --> 00:00:10.720
Welcome to Real Talk with Tina and Anne.

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I am Anne, and there are some children who grow up too fast.

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Some kids who learn what loss feels like before they ever understand what safety is.

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Today's guest, Ryzimeon Johnny Ford, was born and raised in Ohio, one of eight kids, six brothers, one sister, all raised by their grandparents.

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They just weren't any grandparents.

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They stepped up when he needed a home.

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They needed stability and they needed protection.

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And then at 12 years old, sadly, he watched his grandfather pass away, who was his father figure, in the hallway of their home.

00:00:53.359 --> 00:00:58.560
And that moment split his life into before and after.

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When you lose the man you look up to at 12, you don't just lose a person, you lose direction.

00:01:06.959 --> 00:01:10.959
And after that, things kind of started to unravel.

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And he became the class clown.

00:01:13.359 --> 00:01:15.040
He fought almost every day.

00:01:15.280 --> 00:01:18.719
Kids made fun of his clothes, anger became an armor.

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At 13, he found boxing.

00:01:22.159 --> 00:01:24.879
But he wasn't just looking to fight.

00:01:25.040 --> 00:01:28.239
He was looking to become the hero of his own story.

00:01:28.480 --> 00:01:31.280
Even then, the struggle didn't disappear.

00:01:31.519 --> 00:01:38.959
He spent time in juvenile detention, stealing bad choices, searching for something that he didn't yet have language for.

00:01:39.040 --> 00:01:45.760
And until 17, at 17, he made a decision that would change everything.

00:01:46.000 --> 00:01:51.519
He recommitted to boxing, and not halfway, not casually, but fully.

00:01:51.760 --> 00:01:54.159
And that choice rewrote his future.

00:01:54.319 --> 00:01:59.840
He went on to win the Golden Gloves three times, the Ohio State Fair Tournament four times.

00:02:00.079 --> 00:02:02.799
In 2019, he turned professional.

00:02:02.959 --> 00:02:05.439
And in a moment that feels almost poetic.

00:02:05.680 --> 00:02:12.479
In February of that year, he welcomed his daughter into the world, and the next day, he signed his professional contract.

00:02:12.719 --> 00:02:20.879
Life doesn't always give you clean beginnings, but sometimes it gives you responsibility and opportunity at the same time.

00:02:21.039 --> 00:02:25.280
He made his pro debut on June 8th, 2019.

00:02:25.439 --> 00:02:31.439
And through every win, every loss, every setback, his grandmother, the woman who raised him, was by his side.

00:02:31.680 --> 00:02:35.439
And this past October, he lost her as well.

00:02:35.759 --> 00:02:39.919
Another hallway moment, if we will, another heartbreak.

00:02:40.080 --> 00:02:50.000
Today he's a professional boxer with 16 fights, 10 wins, 6 losses, 8 knockouts, pushing for his 11th victory.

00:02:50.159 --> 00:02:59.680
But more than that, he's a father, a personal trainer, a mentor to kids who walk into gyms carrying anger the same way that he once did.

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He believes everything happens for a reason.

00:03:02.639 --> 00:03:05.599
He believes he is exactly where he's meant to be.

00:03:05.759 --> 00:03:16.000
And today we're going to talk about loss, identity, decisions, discipline, faith, and about what it means to fight for more than just yourself.

00:03:16.240 --> 00:03:22.319
Because sometimes the strongest men are the ones who decide the cycle needs to end here.

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So, Ryzimian, Johnny, Ford, you were one of eight kids raised by your grandparents, and that's not completely common.

00:03:33.039 --> 00:03:37.360
It's becoming more common, actually, but that shapes you.

00:03:37.680 --> 00:03:40.000
What was it like growing up?

00:03:40.159 --> 00:03:45.120
I'm talking even your mom and your dad and your grandma and your grandpa.

00:03:45.199 --> 00:03:47.039
I mean, just tell us what you can.

00:03:47.360 --> 00:04:02.159
Growing up with all of those brothers, my one sister, um it was dope just because we were all we had, and we didn't really need for anything other than each other.

00:04:02.319 --> 00:04:08.000
My grandparents did everything that they could to make ends meet, and we were very appreciative of that.

00:04:08.080 --> 00:04:16.079
You know, uh Christmas, uh, Thanksgiving, all of the holidays, just being able to be together and just e enjoy each other.

00:04:17.279 --> 00:04:23.519
And um it was tough at times, you know, but we all made it work.

00:04:23.680 --> 00:04:28.480
And uh as long as we just loved each other and was there for each other, we were we were fine.

00:04:28.800 --> 00:04:30.240
So go ahead.

00:04:30.639 --> 00:04:33.519
Can I ask can I ask how your grandparents ended up with you?

00:04:33.680 --> 00:04:35.839
I mean, what happened with your mom and dad?

00:04:36.160 --> 00:04:44.079
So my um, I haven't really got a chance to sit down with my father and talk to him about uh certain things.

00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:54.800
I think he had mentioned that he tried to like get a couple of us, well the ones that are his, because a lot of us have different fathers.

00:04:55.279 --> 00:05:08.319
But uh it's three of us, three of my brothers, uh, he had tried to get some of us, and I think my grandparents were just like, no, you're fine, we got them, we got it taken care of.

00:05:08.639 --> 00:05:24.800
But my mother was um was in and out of jail, and uh she was incarcerated for X amount of years, and um she had us, but she chose men in drugs over us.

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So it was kind of like, you know, you have these kids, but almost in a sense like you have them, but you don't want them.

00:05:36.079 --> 00:05:36.560
Mm-hmm.

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So my grandparents and them stepped in and and took us all in.

00:05:42.160 --> 00:05:48.399
Yeah, if you wouldn't have ended up with your grandparents, the foster system probably would have been where you would have ended up, right?

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Yes.

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Absolutely, yes.

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Um, and to this day, I have a I actually have a have a little sister that's she she has to be like 10 now, I believe so.

00:06:02.000 --> 00:06:03.120
Oh my goodness.

00:06:03.360 --> 00:06:09.600
Yeah, and uh I haven't seen her since she was like four months old.

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Hmm.

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So yeah.

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I mean, is that ever in the future, you think?

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I would I would love to, yeah, absolutely.

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I mean, she's around my daughter's age, you know.

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I would love for my my kids to meet their aunt and us to meet our sister, you know, um, as she is uh, you know, growing into a young teenager, you know.

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So would definitely love to get her uh, you know, with us, you know, and then to understand the family dynamic and all of those things.

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You know, I had actually got her name.

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Her name was blessed.

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I don't I heard that they changed it, but I had got it tatted on my arm.

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But um, you know, things happen and you just gotta take it for what it is.

00:06:54.959 --> 00:06:56.879
Wow, what a story.

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I really hope that you get to reunify with her.

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I mean, that would be amazing for her for with all of your siblings.

00:07:04.240 --> 00:07:05.839
I mean, do you talk to your other siblings?

00:07:05.920 --> 00:07:07.920
What is it like with your other siblings?

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Uh everybody's um, everybody's grown.

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You know, obviously life happens and um we all we all tend to go our own direction, but uh I keep us, I keep I try to keep everybody close.

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Uh I I got us all in a group message and things like that.

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And uh we we check in with each other.

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I let everybody know that I love them and that's how things are going.

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And um they support me.

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I support them, and um I'm always gonna be that big brother regardless.

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And even to my big brother, you know, I'm I'm I'm like the big brother, but uh I just try to do the best I can to guide them in the right direction.

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Um, you know, of course, life is gonna happen, you're gonna bump your head, you're gonna have your falls, but you know, just get back up and continue to keep, you know, trying.

00:07:53.279 --> 00:07:56.319
But yeah, we are close and they will be at my fight.

00:07:56.399 --> 00:07:57.120
So yeah.

00:07:57.439 --> 00:07:58.399
Oh, nice.

00:07:58.639 --> 00:07:58.959
Okay.

00:07:59.439 --> 00:08:00.079
Yeah.

00:08:00.399 --> 00:08:02.879
So I do want to hear about your grandfather.

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Tell me about him and what he was to you.

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Uh where do I start?

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He was uh he was the man of the house.

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Um he was very um he's very strict, strict with things, and um, you know, tried to instill that discipline into us to make sure we wasn't doing wrong and he didn't he didn't mess around with all the planning round and stuff, you know.

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So he he disciplined us for that for, you know, doing doing wild things.

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Wasn't we weren't really more so we weren't like allowed to even go off the porch.

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Like it was, it was it was it was rough, but he loved us and he just wanted the best for us.

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Um, but he just took care of everything.

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He was a hard-working man and just made sure all the bills was paid for, made sure we had everything.

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Uh he was a um cook.

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Uh he could he could throw down in the kitchen.

00:09:02.639 --> 00:09:17.200
Um and we were, me and him, granted, I was I might have been the one that was getting the the most whoopings out of all of my brothers, but we were uh we were like best friends.

00:09:17.919 --> 00:09:18.960
We were best friends.

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Um we we used to watch Monday night raw and then Friday night SmackDown in his room or watch wrestling all the time.

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And even when I sit and got in trouble, he'll he'll say, come out to the garage, you know, while he smoked his cigarettes, and I'll I'll be in there like this cold, and and we'll sit and have talks and things like that.

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But I just I just made a vow to myself that you know uh that I would take care of everything once he left and uh and just make sure I was here for my family.

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Wow.

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He must have really instilled that in you.

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Yeah.

00:10:00.320 --> 00:10:07.519
He sounds like he was a very important man in your life and uh an important man in general.

00:10:07.759 --> 00:10:11.039
I mean, that's that's just absolutely beautiful.

00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:14.879
And there's nothing more important, I think, than showing up for your family.

00:10:14.960 --> 00:10:22.720
I mean, that's how I have always been taught, and to be loyal no matter what um doesn't make it easy.

00:10:23.440 --> 00:10:26.799
No, no, not at all.

00:10:27.440 --> 00:10:38.080
So if you could like look back at that 12-year-old that was in the hallway, I mean, what stands out to you the most as you were transitioning from that moment to the rest of your life?

00:10:38.399 --> 00:10:38.799
I don't know.

00:10:38.879 --> 00:10:41.120
I was just I was just a kid, you know.

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Um obviously still figuring things out, you know.

00:10:46.320 --> 00:10:54.879
We sit on the porch and as brothers and sisters, and just we'll see a car pass by and we'll be like, that's my car one day.

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I'm gonna have to, you know.

00:10:57.039 --> 00:11:02.399
Um, but I'm just uh I'm proud of that kid.

00:11:02.639 --> 00:11:07.440
Uh I'm proud of who we are today.

00:11:07.679 --> 00:11:08.080
Uh-huh.

00:11:08.399 --> 00:11:13.919
And I feel like everything that happened, it molded me to be who I am now.

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And I'm thankful for those things.

00:11:16.720 --> 00:11:19.200
You know, I'm thankful for the good and the bad.

00:11:19.440 --> 00:11:23.279
And um, I just learned to accept things for what they are.

00:11:23.679 --> 00:11:24.159
Right.

00:11:24.399 --> 00:11:28.320
Um, you know, we can't we can only control how we react.

00:11:28.480 --> 00:11:30.559
We can't control the things that happen in life.

00:11:30.879 --> 00:11:33.519
You know, my dad died when I was 11.

00:11:33.679 --> 00:11:39.679
And, you know, so I completely understand the laugh of the loss of half of your world.

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I mean, you know, it's your mom and your dad.

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And my dad was everything to me.

00:11:44.639 --> 00:11:51.840
And it it's a it's still today, it affects me still today.

00:11:52.159 --> 00:12:01.039
I mean, there is when your dad kisses you goodbye, or you saw your grandpa just die right in front of you, you know.

00:12:01.120 --> 00:12:06.799
I and my dad kissed me goodbye, and then he went to work, and then I never saw him again.

00:12:07.039 --> 00:12:08.000
That was it.

00:12:08.480 --> 00:12:12.320
So, I mean, it really were you lost?

00:12:12.559 --> 00:12:13.759
Were you angry?

00:12:14.000 --> 00:12:15.840
Did you become determined?

00:12:16.080 --> 00:12:19.919
I mean, you did go through a rough bout there.

00:12:21.039 --> 00:12:23.519
I would say, I wouldn't say like determined.

00:12:23.600 --> 00:12:28.080
I was hurt uh because that was my best friend.

00:12:28.240 --> 00:12:31.759
Like, I spent more time with him than any of my siblings.

00:12:32.080 --> 00:12:32.559
Yeah.

00:12:32.799 --> 00:12:39.919
And then um, yeah, it was just like I didn't even want to walk into the church like when he was asking.

00:12:40.159 --> 00:12:43.519
Like I sat outside and I I cried for so long.

00:12:44.559 --> 00:12:54.159
Um I can remember certain songs being played uh when we were at the when we were at the house and before we went to the uh funeral home.

00:12:54.240 --> 00:12:58.720
And and it's just like, I don't know, I was just I was hurt.

00:12:59.039 --> 00:13:02.639
And uh, you know, just sad that we lost them.

00:13:02.720 --> 00:13:14.320
And, you know, and even to this day, like thinking about it like now, I'm just like, what would it be like, you know, if he was if he was here, and uh is there is there certain things that would be different, you know?

00:13:14.480 --> 00:13:19.120
And um sometimes I ask myself, like, are are you proud of me?

00:13:19.279 --> 00:13:28.559
You know, like and it's and it's tough to know, you know, but deep down inside, I I feel as though, yes, he would be proud of me.

00:13:28.879 --> 00:13:36.240
But, you know, just being able to hear it or, you know, or see the look on their face, you know, when you're when you're doing something good.

00:13:36.799 --> 00:13:38.159
I think that we all need that.

00:13:38.320 --> 00:13:42.480
I was gonna ask you what that 12-year-old boy needed most at that moment.

00:13:43.360 --> 00:13:43.840
Yeah.

00:13:44.080 --> 00:13:54.000
Like I said, you just gotta take it for what it is and just be thankful that, you know, for the little bit of time, even though I was young, that I I I've got the chance to experience him.

00:13:54.639 --> 00:14:00.559
You know, that's even if it's for a brief time, you know, they touch our lives and they do make a difference.

00:14:00.720 --> 00:14:04.159
They make an imprint on us in a way that we're never the same.

00:14:04.399 --> 00:14:14.080
And you carry a huge part of him on to who you are today, even if he was lost so abruptly.

00:14:14.320 --> 00:14:19.279
And, you know, it was really horrific what you went through after he passed.

00:14:19.360 --> 00:14:23.759
You said that you did lose direction and you became the class clown.

00:14:23.919 --> 00:14:25.200
I believe that 100%.

00:14:25.600 --> 00:14:26.799
You're the clown now.

00:14:27.039 --> 00:14:31.919
You know, you're just a clown a lot of times, but you fought almost every day.

00:14:32.240 --> 00:14:37.840
Kids would tease you, and sometimes boys would fight because they're just mean.

00:14:38.000 --> 00:14:38.960
People are mean.

00:14:39.200 --> 00:14:44.240
And and sometimes we fight because we hurt.

00:14:44.799 --> 00:14:46.159
Which one were you?

00:14:46.399 --> 00:14:50.639
Which one when were you when you were getting into those fights when you were younger?

00:14:51.039 --> 00:14:52.960
Um, I was hurt.

00:14:53.519 --> 00:14:54.320
I was hurt.

00:14:54.399 --> 00:14:59.120
I was going through a lot of things and I was just trying to find the the right direction to go into.

00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:04.879
And I think at the time I was just I was just trying anything.

00:15:05.039 --> 00:15:09.840
But also in a sense, it's just like I hated, I don't want to use that word, hated.

00:15:09.919 --> 00:15:13.200
I disliked, I disliked bullies like bad.

00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:22.159
Like I so till this day, like, like I just and I just wanted to be, you know, like I said, the superhero to my own story.

00:15:22.240 --> 00:15:31.440
Like I I was getting in fights and things like that, but I was just I just wanted to make sure I could protect myself and protect others.

00:15:31.679 --> 00:15:36.480
Like I just didn't like when people mistreated other people.

00:15:37.679 --> 00:15:40.080
And bullying is getting worse all the time.

00:15:40.320 --> 00:15:51.759
I mean, it's I have three kids who are very special needs, and I go around advocating and trying to help them because I want them to learn how to stand up for themselves.

00:15:52.000 --> 00:15:52.559
Absolutely.

00:15:52.879 --> 00:16:10.720
And it's it's a scary world out there when you have kids who are more vulnerable and um being able to teach them, I love what you're doing by teaching kids in in the boxing ring in a healthy way and how to earn that respect and fight for themselves in a different way.

00:16:10.879 --> 00:16:12.720
I think that that's amazing.

00:16:12.879 --> 00:16:23.919
Um, when you were into when you ended up in juvenile detention and things like that, did did that wake you up or were you still in survival mode back then?

00:16:24.720 --> 00:16:26.399
I was still on survival mode.

00:16:26.559 --> 00:16:41.120
Um I was just kind of going day by day, and you know, um, because I think the first time that I got arrested was 13 years old, and it was only for like a day.

00:16:41.279 --> 00:16:53.679
But, you know, I mean, you think about it and you're just like, oh, I'm real life in here, you know, like this is not who I am, but still, still in survival mode.

00:16:53.759 --> 00:16:54.879
You're just going with the flow.

00:16:54.960 --> 00:17:03.519
So it's just like in a sense, you kind of learn from it, but then it's just like if it happened again, it it wouldn't be no, you know.

00:17:03.759 --> 00:17:04.640
Now you're used to it.

00:17:04.720 --> 00:17:12.160
You've done one day, now you feel like, you know, you did something, but no, it's it's it's not the place to be.

00:17:12.880 --> 00:17:16.559
So, but yeah, I was definitely just in survival mode.

00:17:17.359 --> 00:17:19.759
Yeah, there is a thing called fight or flight.

00:17:19.920 --> 00:17:21.039
It's a real thing.

00:17:21.279 --> 00:17:21.519
Yeah.

00:17:21.759 --> 00:17:27.039
And I lived in it for a lot of my life and spiraled as well.

00:17:27.279 --> 00:17:30.559
And I was either fighting the world or running.

00:17:30.799 --> 00:17:31.440
Yeah.

00:17:31.920 --> 00:17:33.359
It was one or the other.

00:17:34.079 --> 00:17:40.160
So up until 17, you were still making some poor decisions, I guess.

00:17:40.400 --> 00:17:43.119
You know, what finally clicked?

00:17:43.359 --> 00:17:48.240
Was it fear, exhaustion, um, just wanting more than where you were?

00:17:49.359 --> 00:18:04.720
Um I just I told myself at the time that if I was going to do the boxing thing, that I had to get a little bit more serious.

00:18:04.880 --> 00:18:12.640
And um I wanted to be something different than just a street guy.

00:18:13.119 --> 00:18:24.640
And um I knew I was I just knew I was different from everybody else, and I'm like, so I dare to do something different.

00:18:26.480 --> 00:18:26.799
Okay.

00:18:28.319 --> 00:18:36.400
So when you saw people out there making poor choices and you were doing it too, you knew in your gut that you just weren't meant for that.

00:18:36.720 --> 00:18:37.119
Yeah.

00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:38.319
Yes, I knew that.

00:18:38.400 --> 00:18:47.039
And I and I so I just decided to try to take, you know, a different turn instead of going down the same way that everybody's going.

00:18:47.119 --> 00:18:57.200
And I'm like, I know eventually a lot of these people are gonna end up in the same spot that they are, and um, I didn't want to be that guy.

00:18:57.920 --> 00:19:00.640
You know, I mean, that's just so courageous.

00:19:00.880 --> 00:19:06.319
This is beautiful, Johnny, or however you would like me to call you.

00:19:06.559 --> 00:19:08.240
I'm used to calling you Johnny.

00:19:08.480 --> 00:19:16.000
Johnny's at age 13, you found boxing, but you didn't just want to throw punches.

00:19:16.160 --> 00:19:21.119
You said that you wanted to become the hero of your own story, and that's really powerful.

00:19:21.279 --> 00:19:25.279
What did boxing give you that nothing else did?

00:19:25.599 --> 00:19:27.599
Structure, was it discipline?

00:19:27.759 --> 00:19:29.200
I mean, what what was it?

00:19:29.599 --> 00:19:44.880
Boxing gave me an outlet to be to be myself, um, to be able to control that anger and put it towards something instead of just being angry at the world.

00:19:45.200 --> 00:19:45.839
Mmm.

00:19:46.720 --> 00:19:47.039
Okay.

00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:48.400
All right.

00:19:48.559 --> 00:19:52.559
And that helped getting in there and it helped a lot.

00:19:52.640 --> 00:19:59.519
It it it evolved me and matured me into a young man at 17 years old.

00:19:59.599 --> 00:20:05.119
And I remember my coach telling me, he said, You said you're 17 years old.

00:20:05.279 --> 00:20:09.279
He said, You look up, you're gonna be 25, you look up, you're gonna be 30.

00:20:09.599 --> 00:20:11.920
Like, yeah, you're right.

00:20:13.279 --> 00:20:15.039
Well, it taught you discipline.

00:20:15.279 --> 00:20:16.960
Yes, absolutely.

00:20:17.599 --> 00:20:25.200
I mean, you are a very disciplined man, and that comes from a lot, and it comes from an internal thing, I think.

00:20:25.359 --> 00:20:29.599
You know, it's just a natural thing, either you have it or you don't, and you have it.

00:20:29.759 --> 00:20:37.039
You are disciplined, and it's very impressive what you do to your body in order to prepare yourself.

00:20:37.440 --> 00:20:37.920
Yeah.

00:20:38.160 --> 00:20:39.680
Thank you, thank you.

00:20:40.640 --> 00:20:55.519
I think I think like within too though, like you have to you have to like really want it, you know, but the discipline part is is major though.

00:20:55.599 --> 00:20:57.680
You you definitely have to be disciplined.

00:20:58.079 --> 00:21:02.400
Tell me about a day for you d preparing.

00:21:03.759 --> 00:21:13.279
Uh it's normally involves so I'm I'm normally up early in the morning, like four o'clock.

00:21:14.559 --> 00:21:21.599
What I really probably shouldn't be doing, but uh I'll eat some breakfast, I'll play basketball at 5 a.m.

00:21:23.200 --> 00:21:27.920
And then normally have some clients at 7 a.m.

00:21:29.119 --> 00:21:31.519
and normally around 11.

00:21:31.599 --> 00:21:50.079
Then I'll go run three to four miles, and then I'll come back home and I'll rest, and then I'll go back to the gym and work out, either have my strength and conditioning, and then my uh regular uh obviously boxing stuff and then sparring.

00:21:50.160 --> 00:21:56.559
It it kind of evolves around two to three times working out throughout the day.

00:21:57.440 --> 00:22:00.799
So and you're eating and drinking and Trying to make weight.

00:22:00.880 --> 00:22:01.599
I mean, it's crazy.

00:22:01.839 --> 00:22:02.799
Well, right now, yes.

00:22:02.960 --> 00:22:15.119
Um, that this morning I had three eggs and alpasalce and a little a protein shake and uh almost a half a gallon of water.

00:22:15.440 --> 00:22:16.559
Oh my gosh.

00:22:16.720 --> 00:22:18.480
That that's a lot of discipline.

00:22:18.640 --> 00:22:18.880
Yeah.

00:22:19.119 --> 00:22:22.319
You know, watching you do all of this, it's just really respectful.

00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:35.200
And I would think finally, you know, that you got to the point where you you chose this for yourself and it became your own drive and it saved you from yourself.

00:22:35.519 --> 00:22:40.319
Could you talk about that a a little bit about boxing saving you?

00:22:41.359 --> 00:22:46.000
It just became, like I said, it became an outlet for me, you know.

00:22:46.160 --> 00:22:51.039
Um, obviously the world is um a lot of noise.

00:22:51.359 --> 00:22:59.279
And as I was younger, it kind of became something that shut everything else out.

00:22:59.599 --> 00:22:59.920
Okay.

00:23:00.559 --> 00:23:10.720
So like even now to this day, like, whatever I have going on in life, as soon as I step through those doors of the gym, everything gets quiet.

00:23:12.000 --> 00:23:15.039
And and the gym is like my safe place.

00:23:15.599 --> 00:23:21.599
You know, you know, some people have their place where that they'll go bowling, or some people will sit in their car all day and listen to me.

00:23:21.920 --> 00:23:23.359
You know, that's my safe place.

00:23:23.440 --> 00:23:25.359
Like I I just feel safe there.

00:23:25.599 --> 00:23:38.559
And um, I can focus on me, you know, there's certain certain things that I gotta work on, stepping forward, stepping back, and learning how to jab, and and then you'll get the sparring and stuff like that, you know, as a younger age, huh?

00:23:38.799 --> 00:23:40.079
And you just want to be better.

00:23:40.160 --> 00:23:42.880
You want to be a better version for yourself.

00:23:43.200 --> 00:23:49.039
And then eventually all of those things started to roll over for life.

00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:51.680
So it was it was just boxing.

00:23:51.839 --> 00:23:54.079
I want to be better, I want to be better, I want to be better.

00:23:54.240 --> 00:23:57.279
And then I I started to implement those things into my actual life.

00:23:57.359 --> 00:24:02.000
Like I want to be a better version of myself outside of outside of the gym.

00:24:03.279 --> 00:24:04.720
That's amazing.

00:24:05.200 --> 00:24:08.000
Now you did talk about coach a coach.

00:24:08.240 --> 00:24:13.680
Were there coaches or father figures or people that stepped up and played those roles?

00:24:14.240 --> 00:24:15.359
Absolutely, 100%.

00:24:15.920 --> 00:24:30.319
Um we're uh uh Lorenzo Scott, um, he's he's the guy who who got me into it and um pushed me and every little bit of skill set that you see that I have, he he had.

00:24:30.400 --> 00:24:35.920
He like he taught me it, and he's just he's a perfectionist, like to the T.

00:24:36.079 --> 00:24:38.799
Like if you blink wrong, he's gonna try to cook you.

00:24:38.960 --> 00:24:47.359
Like it's it's like doing that and having him like yell or you know, kind of be frustrated with certain things.

00:24:47.440 --> 00:24:51.279
I used to be like to a point to where it was like, it was almost annoying.

00:24:51.519 --> 00:24:58.799
Like, and then I eventually got a key to the gym, and I got to a point to where I'm like, all right, I don't want to hear this, you know.

00:24:58.880 --> 00:25:03.119
So I started sneaking in the gym and just working out by myself.

00:25:03.200 --> 00:25:07.440
And I'm like, you know, if you want to be better, you have to.

00:25:07.599 --> 00:25:09.759
You have to call him, you know.

00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:15.279
So, but yeah, he was like a father figure, and it was anything that I did outside of the gym, he heard about it.

00:25:15.440 --> 00:25:18.079
They all ran to him and told him, Johnny's fighting again.

00:25:18.160 --> 00:25:27.039
Johnny, you know, Johnny's doing this, and just, you know, just trying to let me know that, you know, it's it's easy to get in trouble and hard to get out of.

00:25:28.240 --> 00:25:29.440
I like that.

00:25:29.680 --> 00:25:30.079
Yeah.

00:25:30.319 --> 00:25:32.079
That is a great saying.

00:25:32.400 --> 00:25:40.559
So he just wanted me to he just wanted me to do right and uh he seen the skill set that I had and he looked at me like a son.

00:25:40.799 --> 00:25:47.039
So that's like one of my fat one of my father figures uh that helped me and helped me mature a lot.

00:25:47.359 --> 00:25:48.000
A lot.

00:25:48.480 --> 00:25:56.079
Well, he he did an amazing job because you were an amus an amazing human and you did a lot of it yourself.

00:25:56.400 --> 00:26:02.400
But you're a three-time Golden Gloves champion, four-time Ohio State Fair champion.

00:26:02.640 --> 00:26:05.440
And that's not luck, that's grind.

00:26:05.759 --> 00:26:07.200
There in Yeah.

00:26:07.359 --> 00:26:15.200
I mean, in nine 2019, your daughter was born, and the next day you signed that pro contract.

00:26:15.519 --> 00:26:18.240
That timing feels kind of symbolic.

00:26:18.400 --> 00:26:21.359
Did becoming a father shift something inside you?

00:26:21.519 --> 00:26:24.400
Did it make the stakes feel higher?

00:26:24.960 --> 00:26:26.160
Uh yes.

00:26:26.400 --> 00:26:44.400
Um I uh I don't know, I had a a bunch of times where I was, you know, kind of like the moments of like not having a father and a mother, and you know, those things tend to get to you at times.

00:26:44.640 --> 00:27:06.880
And um, growing up in, you know, high school, and once I started playing sports and things like that, and seeing my friends and family, uh, my friends' families like there watching them, supporting them, and uh that stuff takes a toll on you, you know, not having anyone there to support you and watch you, um, you know, it uh it hurt.

00:27:07.119 --> 00:27:13.920
So I had my moments, you know, where I was uh I was I was like depressed, you know.

00:27:14.240 --> 00:27:18.799
So my daughter helped shift a lot of things for me.

00:27:19.039 --> 00:27:26.240
So um it was just a crazy moment at the time, and I'm I'm I'm thankful for her, uh, her crazy self.

00:27:26.480 --> 00:27:31.599
Um she she brought she brought that light back to me.

00:27:31.839 --> 00:27:44.079
Now, you know, granted I was turning pro and things like that, but she she sparked everything for me that day and uh made me shed a tear, and I'm just like, I I don't know.

00:27:44.160 --> 00:27:50.000
I just think it's I think it's amazing that we as humans can have another human.

00:27:50.400 --> 00:27:51.119
I don't know.

00:27:51.200 --> 00:27:53.920
I I I just think that is is it's crazy, you know.

00:27:54.079 --> 00:27:55.279
But that's that's God.

00:27:55.519 --> 00:28:06.079
Uh but yeah, uh yeah, she she brought that light back to me and uh made me realize that you know I had a purpose, you know, to fight for.

00:28:07.119 --> 00:28:14.079
It probably makes you a better father not have grown up with having that father.

00:28:14.559 --> 00:28:19.279
It probably makes you really realize how important it is to step up.

00:28:20.319 --> 00:28:20.960
Yes.

00:28:21.440 --> 00:28:22.720
Yes, absolutely.

00:28:22.880 --> 00:28:40.640
Um, yeah, uh just knowing, you know, what it's like to have your kid in front of your face or tell you that they love you or or, you know, please, thank you, you know, little just the little things, you know, just being there, even if they're just sitting on the iPad, just to be around you, you know.

00:28:40.960 --> 00:28:43.119
Um, it's a beautiful thing.

00:28:43.279 --> 00:28:55.920
But uh, and and when I see my kids, I'm just like, you know, I I sit back and I'll be like, how could you not, how could you not want to be around your kids, you know, or you know, not be there for them, you know.

00:28:56.000 --> 00:29:03.039
So, but at the end of the day, I I just feel like, you know, they wasn't asked to be here, so you take care of them.

00:29:04.160 --> 00:29:22.240
When I worked at I used to work in the jail system, and uh I cannot tell you that there were so many women that would get cards on Mother's Day, but the dads, no, they didn't get Father's Day cards.

00:29:22.559 --> 00:29:30.160
And I there so many of the people in jail didn't have supportive dads.

00:29:30.400 --> 00:29:32.400
I mean, it it was a thing.

00:29:32.720 --> 00:29:41.359
So when there are not supportive fathers in somebody's life, it really impacts them deeply.

00:29:41.680 --> 00:29:42.319
Yeah.

00:29:43.119 --> 00:29:49.920
And I think that's like I think that's why a lot of people, you know, take take a wrong turn.

00:29:50.000 --> 00:29:54.559
Is it because they don't have that structure and they don't have that love at home, you know?

00:29:54.799 --> 00:29:59.200
So they seek validation from other things, you know?

00:29:59.519 --> 00:30:00.480
You said it.

00:30:00.880 --> 00:30:02.480
That's absolutely true.

00:30:02.720 --> 00:30:09.839
I've seen it with more and more women who just keep searching for the wrong things out there when their father wasn't there for them.

00:30:10.160 --> 00:30:13.519
And this and then and the same for men, but in different ways.

00:30:13.759 --> 00:30:19.200
So it just shows how important it is to really step up and be a good father.

00:30:19.920 --> 00:30:20.559
Yeah.

00:30:21.200 --> 00:30:21.839
Absolutely.

00:30:22.000 --> 00:30:22.960
I love, I love.

00:30:23.119 --> 00:30:25.680
Well, I had just had my son almost a year ago.

00:30:25.920 --> 00:30:32.640
Uh but uh yeah, even my my my my baby boy, he's uh he's so joyful.

00:30:32.720 --> 00:30:34.400
Uh I love him.

00:30:34.480 --> 00:30:35.200
That's my guy.

00:30:35.359 --> 00:30:38.319
But uh yeah, I I just love my kids.

00:30:38.400 --> 00:30:43.119
Um I'm just happy to be their father and you know, and to see them smile every day.

00:30:43.279 --> 00:30:54.880
So So on June 8th, 2019, when you stepped into the ring for the first time, you were fighting for something different, I would say, than just, you know, who you used to be.

00:30:56.079 --> 00:30:56.640
Yeah.

00:30:56.880 --> 00:31:10.559
Oh I was I think for me it was more so of as that at the at that age that I was at, I was I think I was 25 or about to be 25, or I was 25.

00:31:11.039 --> 00:31:14.720
And I was I think I was fighting for the people.

00:31:15.440 --> 00:31:15.759
Okay.

00:31:16.079 --> 00:31:33.680
I was I was more so, you know, trying to not to myself, I was trying to prove people wrong and, you know, and show that I'm something, you know, to them instead of now that I'm doing it for me and my kids.

00:31:34.240 --> 00:31:34.559
Okay.

00:31:35.279 --> 00:31:38.720
I mean, that's really oh my gosh.

00:31:38.960 --> 00:31:46.960
I spent so much of my time trying to prove because I know that there were a lot of people out there that didn't think that I could do what I'm doing today.

00:31:47.200 --> 00:31:47.920
I know it.

00:31:48.160 --> 00:31:53.039
And I did spend a lot of time trying to, I felt like I was trying to prove them wrong.

00:31:53.119 --> 00:31:57.200
And every time there was a success, I was like, yeah, see, I can do this.

00:31:57.279 --> 00:31:59.519
But it wasn't that I was proud of myself.

00:31:59.599 --> 00:32:03.680
It was like more an external, like, see, I'm I show you.

00:32:04.000 --> 00:32:05.039
Yeah, yeah.

00:32:05.359 --> 00:32:05.839
Yeah.

00:32:06.160 --> 00:32:08.559
And we can't, and we can't think like that, you know.

00:32:08.799 --> 00:32:23.440
Um and I tell myself all the time, even with this stuff, you know, if I if I don't make a million dollars from this thing, as long as I can inspire just one person to change their life or to chase after their dream, dreams and to live in the moment, you know.

00:32:23.519 --> 00:32:35.359
It's just I know everybody's always have a plan B and do these things, but you know, you don't really want anything to look back on.

00:32:35.440 --> 00:32:42.559
I and I get it, you know, have something to look back on, but why not fall forward and you know, fall forward on what you're chasing, you know?

00:32:43.599 --> 00:32:52.079
Um like I said, I I just want to live in the moment and we only get one life, and I just want to do it while it's here and when it's when it's done, it's done.

00:32:52.400 --> 00:32:59.599
Yeah, you know, speaking of life, and you you lost your grandma in October.

00:32:59.839 --> 00:33:00.240
Yes.

00:33:00.480 --> 00:33:06.240
So, I mean, that it was another very devastating loss, and she was there for you every step of the way.

00:33:06.480 --> 00:33:11.200
You know, what what has that new loss done for you and to you?

00:33:11.279 --> 00:33:14.160
And where are you at in that grief process?

00:33:14.640 --> 00:33:19.839
Uh I could probably possibly get emotional right now, but uh And that's fine.

00:33:20.799 --> 00:33:26.640
I don't think I really uh gave myself any time to really live in the moment.

00:33:27.279 --> 00:33:47.920
So um I know she's proud, proud how I uh put things together and uh you know like she didn't have any like life insurance and stuff, so we like came together as uh as brothers and sisters to put stuff together and we we got it all handled in within three days, so I'm I'm proud of them, very proud of them.

00:33:48.240 --> 00:33:52.960
Um but yeah, it's it's it's tough.

00:33:53.119 --> 00:34:02.000
I have my moments where um I just let loose and cry at night, but uh that was my best friend too.

00:34:02.160 --> 00:34:04.240
Like I was always a grandma's boy.

00:34:04.319 --> 00:34:15.280
They they used to be mad at me, but uh because she always, you know, got things for me if I asked, and just recently, even though before she passed, she had just told me.

00:34:15.440 --> 00:34:22.960

Ryizzemmion Johnny Ford