Bare Knuckle Scaffolder's Addiction & Life: Chas Symonds

messed everything got in my life I messed my boxing career up I didn't talk to my parents I ended up being homeless on the streets I ended up becoming a drug user and I'm 40 years old now and I'm trying to get my life together I'm so happy I'm not where I used to be I didn't want to be I tried to take my own life amateur professional ER then you went down the rabbit ho drinking drugs in depression and then bam you've come back you've risen From the Ashes and now you've taken to to be knuckle boxing I mean you really are off your headend and how you enjoying it it [ __ ] hurts welcome back to the Dozen podcast and today we have got chazza real talk Chaz Simmons uh thank you for coming on thank you for having me mate and I really mean that because I know that you set up a new business and you're double busy the phone is off the hook since you've been here we've trained together you're responding to your to your business calls you're active you're proactive you're reactive so I know what it's like running a business and time is precious and also you know there's just not enough hours in the day so the fact you took the time to come out spend the day with me I'm delighted and it's also I feel from following you over the years that it's come a real nice time because you settled down with a nice woman you've got a baby on the way you've set up a new business I've seen firstand that the phone is off the hook so it's you're obviously doing well so I feel this is a good time to to get right into not so much Chaz a real talk but get into The Man Behind The Man Keeny I want to find out about Chaz Simmons and I know that people that have followed you for years will be blown away by who you are behind the scenes beyond the Snapchat beyond the Instagram beyond the Facebook the actual core of you and I know there's just so much more so much more to the to the madness that you bring and the joy and the entertainment and the pleasure I've watched you for years I thoroughly enjoy her I feel like there's there's a good connection between you and your audience I'm fan so tell me right back before where we are now I've just rattled off things are great but things haven't always been that great of day no so if we was to go back to where you're from just to get an understanding because it's not a million miles from me and I know that it's it's a Rough and Ready area so where were you born I was born in Cordon um yeah I'm from a little councel State um been there all my life um lived in in n's house what what is the council estate what's it called stra green stra green stra Green so anyone from Cen will know stra Green opposite Ashburn Park you might have seen that on the news on ITV News um young kid got killed murdered there um obviously there's gangs in that now nowadays there's always been gangs but not to the extent of what it is today you know um yeah it's not nice it's not nice the violence has leveled up beyond belief like back in our day I mean we're similar age and we'll go into your your boxing career you as a a professional boxer you now training for a bare knuckle fight and another thing that I admire about you you've sort of carried on the tradition of the tradition of settling a schore with your ANS because nowadays you're talking about the games everyone's out told up they're not happy if unless they put a shank in you and they can do it for as little as just earning your stripes crossing the wrong road entering somebody else's post code ow them a tener for a epoxy bag of weed because you got to prove a point and Cen is like it's it's a it's a war zone but I'm sure it was still very rough and ready when you growing up cuz there was you know a lot of EV geas around there so you grew up on the on the council estate and how long was you living on that Council estate lived it all my life I've only just got off uh six months I've been out wow so uh I was the last one standing um don't get me wrong it's my roots I enjoyed it it's what I it's the only thing I knew and obviously like we saying earlier I let people inspire me you know um and everyone wants more but that's cool if you don't if you're content with where you're at and what you've got I'm happy for you but deep down I always wanted more um and I always wanted to get out and I wanted to go on the other side as as they say you know I I didn't want to be scratching about and trying to get a tener to eat this week and yeah I added my head to the end to the to the last seven years six years six to seven years that W out so even from a young age like as a as a child gr up in this estate did you did you have it embedded in your brain that this is this is a temporary measure and I will I will get out of the of the Council of State eventually is that was that is that sort of no is it just come of a later age come of come yeah come later age but you know when you're growing up and you're you you don't I might be different but I never thought there was anything different I thought this was me I'm born here I'm going to stay here this is me um you know alcohol Pete down the road walking up with a bottle of cider and you're younger you're all right Pete you got crackhead Dave in a stairwell you know this is I know where I was going I didn't know where where I was going to end up or what I was going to do so to paint a picture the estate that you're from they they tower blocks Tower block Flats with stairwells where you got crackheads and and junkies that you've got to walk past and and step over to get to your front door just so I can paint the picture in my head that's that's how it is that's where I was um I was in the tower block for a few years um was in a house first with me Mom and Dad and that they moved away and they they got out even they got out and I was still left there I was I was literally the last one standing you loved it D down I did love it and and and you know and people say to me why didd you go back there now and I've only been gone six months once a month I'll go back there drive through the estate and I'll see Caroline and all the all the little junkies sitting in the front garden with a beer and I'll stop and I what's happening everyone's sweating and like yeah Chaz I don't know why I go back but it's just nice to go back and I'm very old fashion um I'm very my dad's taught me manners um know respect your elders I'm very oldfashioned and I never forget where I'm from and I never forget the struggles I go I've been through will you strike me as a sort of guy that gives equal measures of respect to the cleaner as you would the CEO of a multi-million pound organization that's what I get from you working class everyone's a human being if you earn respect I don't care who you are what you do I'm going to give it to you and that's a hell of a trait to have because not everyone's like that people look down their nose at other people if they're not you know a social status they'd like to be in a lot of people are invisible in this day and age unless you're unless you're a somebody you're floting yourself on Instagram taking pictures that aren't really [ __ ] real putting on a fake smile you know being the clown you're invisible people are invisible now and the whole point of these these conversations are for people that watch it to sort of feel like they're visible again because they're not on their own because everyone has their trails and their ups and downs and their highs and lows and their traumas which we're obviously we're going to touch base on throughout this and then you know like I said at the moment you're you're in a great place so coming back to the to the estate you grew up with your mom and your dad and then and they left and you stayed and there was a tower block so you're having to hop over junkies to get to your front door for a moment in time was there was there violence was you was you a fighting man was you a fighting boy or did you grow into a fighting man CU you act to how did the how did the fighting become about because people need to remember the people that have seen you Scaffolding in a manini having a laugh and a joke to put smiles on people's faces you're actually a very serious individual you don't become a professional boxer by being a clown you become a professional boxer because you're professional and that comes with diet regime routine discipline everything that goes with it sacrifices you can't go out for long weekends with your friends you can't just nip off to IB for to have a little bit of fun you have to turn down stag dudes because you're a professional individual and you mean business how did you become a fighting man I got bullied when I was a kid on the estate on the estate um yeah two brothers um two brothers and I remember that they I can't remember now wherever it ah I was wearing me Dan de boots to schooled to take take the Mickey um flipper foot blah blah blah and yeah they both bashed me up why do they call you flipper foot cuz I used to wear me Dad's deal boots to school struggling and they were too big for your feet yeah right okay noticeably too big for your feet yeah of course size nines um but that is the struggles we used to go through is growing up and you know you get this on on the Estates and people push you how much they can go and yeah we we we had to go and they both beat me up and I went home crying and me mom not me dad me mom put me in the in the motor and she went B let's go around there we drove around there she get out of the car take the back knock on the door knocked on the door mom answered damn Mom I didn't want to do it I still petrified still scared I just been beating up and I thought right by by Two Two Brothers Two Brothers and and brothers stick together through F fin so they they're probably going in full pel yeah got a good good sharing and I said I I I want it one one one on one obviously I had the badi case they both come running out I don't know why I had the I don't know why I was going to do with the B that's just me m oh you turned up with a weapon yeah with a baseball bat cuz I just got done by two of them she m in the back and she do them and in and in your head what did you envisage doing if they open the door and well I don't really know I I was I was very um I do whatever my mom says I love my mom to death you know did she tell you to do them with a bat yeah oh nice she give me the bat she you know they both just done me so she that that weren't fair in her eyes so she said now you take the bat and go and do them well obviously the mom's answer door and she just said what are you doing I said your two boys they just done me I said I want them out here and then one thing that another comment word years ago and she give me a leaflet she went take that back to your mom and she give me a leaflet it was a Boxing Club South Northern victory and uh I give it to me mom she what happen I said the mom said I'm off me head and she' give me a leaflet my mom said leaflet she you want to go I said what is it she be a boxing gym I said yeah why not took me there and the rest is history that's when I started boxing and did you have a natural flare for boxing or did you did it take a little while to get your coordination sorry sorry the two brothers went to this boxing gym as well they was there they ended up quitting I did Bash him in the end um when I was older so you never re you never met because some I mean when I was a kid there was some because I'm from a council estate as well brafield was in cruy and I you know it was day-to-day violence was a regular occurrence it was standard procedure and a lot of people that I would I would fight with for some reason afterwards there was a mutual respect no matter how severe it got but there was like a bit of a mutual respect and I become friends with a lot of people that I that I used to fight with you just sort of finding your feet working yourself out you have a straighten now whatever it is whoever you know Win Lose or Draw there's something there that that bonds two men that have gone to war and we we've become friends after that was there anything remotely similar to that with you and these two brothers yeah we become friends it crazy how it works so this older firm they've nicked your laser pen they've took you 250 which you could have bought 25 W bars with back in the day or 25 refresher bars those were the days so who did you who did you have who was you angry with the most the gang that Rob you or the gang that run away and left you to get robbed by the other game both both um but I'm very it's true what they say I'm a weirdo I'm very um I don't let things like that go it be 20 years down the line I'll still remember if you done me a wrong one you know I'm I'm I'm a I'm a waiter you could do me wrong but one day you're going to get karma or I'm going to find you as easy as that the long game it's the long game you know I knew I'd bump him into him one day and I was walking up the pub how long ago after was this oh this was years on I was I was 24 then I was 24 then he must 24 he must have been near on 30 yeah 24 25 he must have been about 294 and he come walking down with a stone in his shoe yo yo what are you saying chazar obviously I've been boxing so he knew that CU a word on the estate everyone talks and they I'm a little household name and how many years had you been boxing now three okay so four when you got robbed of the lazy a pen and a 250 you hadn't been to the boxing gym yet so you was you was robbed and bullied as a yeah before the boxing and then you saw that the GE are I I I just started boxing then I just started boxing and around about then but yeah I was still trying to find me feet I was still a younger and I look up to the the olders and these were the little where you got a fear of watch them not over there they proper naughty um they sell 10 bags or weed or whatnot it's just what you do um but yeah I I remembered it and I'm walking to the pub in years to come now and he's coming walking down with a stone in the shoe and he's like yes yes Chaz I'm yes m a long time no say how you been yeah man you know me you know me I ask you do you remember that day when we was younger and I was on the roof and the L he's like yeah man I took your laser pen and I said yeah you rub me and all and he was a good old days I said yeah yeah whack whack whack and I yeah I knocked him spark out um I did I remember I started I did you frisking for your laser pen no I I went I when he was on the floor I started tapping his pockets but I didn't have it in me to take anything oh I should have robbed him but I never that ain't a it in me but I tapped him tapped him down but I left him and he got up like Bambu nice and he was saying I'm sorry I'm sorry and I just walked off and left him so knowing what it feels like to be so outside of the so the you were bullied by the two brothers which then LED you to the boxing gym which changed your changed the the path of your life completely and then there was this other little firm that robbed you of your laser pen and your money which it sounds funny when you look back and laugh at the time as a as a as a young lad and you got a group of people that are demanding your belongings off you and they they're in in instilling fearing you enough fear for you to comply was there any other incidences other than that that you were deem as bull being bullied when you was young you always get name foring in that Liam but you know I wasn't going to school in a pair of kickers and I wen't going to school in a ra for Ren so obviously I'm going to get the name from him but that so they were the two physical bits of bullying and there was the other bullying that you were subject was psychological and verbal of course you know and and I got to go back again I'm sorry to keep going back but again that's what I want people to understand and they're probably older now and they don't need to understand but they should be teaching their kids this not everyone is as fortunate as you and your children so teach your children to show respect and be kind because not everybody might be as wealthy as you who's watching this parent because it's nice to give if you're wealthy listen I got a baby on the way and I'm working my ass off and I want to give my baby everything that I never had um you know I've got two other children as well um so I'm not going to forget them they're always there they've just found me so is your message what you're saying here now are you telling people that are watching this do not allow your children to become bullies do not allow your children to become pulley respect and grateful with what they get be grateful because not everybody's in the same boat as a certain parent or human being out there but we all believe the same and we're all the same some people are more fortunate than others you know and that kid doesn't deserved to get traumatized by bullying hate speech slap around the head because can't afford a pair of kickers or he can't afford a chocolate donut this is one a chocolate donut at lunch you know you you were subjected to bullying because you didn't have what other kids had you had to grow up on a shoe string budget so your shoes were too big for you School dinners you were probably getting less than what other kids were getting and you feel like you was you was victimized because you didn't have as much as what the other kids had of course of course that was at the start so I'm not going to you know later on my my my dad was a grafter um and everyone goes through hard times in life like the parents it's not the children's fault you know don't get me wrong I went on nice holidays and I had everything I wanted as a kid tell me about the end tell me about your dad because I always see your dad on your videos and you have a good laugh with him and he's normally in the flat putting a roll up together and you have you call him Brian you have a good laugh with him and he seems like he's a good crack he's either he's he's either in the flat or he's around your sisters or he's he's down the pub with you tell me tell me about your old man what's the what's the what's the what's the relationship between you and your dad cuz I'm always in I'm always very very intrigued how like Father Su relationships because mine was so [ __ ] hideous and I love watching I love watching parents get on with their kids and vice versa it's nice to see so talk to me about your dad yeah my my my dad's my world he's one of your best mates um and I respect respect for what he's taught me respect your elders you know be grateful for anything you get like I've just said in the previous we were just talking don't be grateful for everything because every not other people get what you get and at the start I didn't have that um but yeah he he just inspires me um cuz your mom was the one that told you to go around the brother's house that are bullying you of a baseball mom pushed you to defend yourself by confronting these bullies and your dad is your best friend my dad just sits there very quiet so he let your mom take the lead yeah he does but listen if he has to if he has to stand up you know yeah you know um yeah you wouldn't want to go with him I wouldn't want to go with him now at the age of 78 is that what he is that's what he is and he smokes a pat of back a day he'll have his three guinnesses and then he'll get on the run every night without foul School old school yeah um out living most and he's out living them all you know he sorry Dad if you're watching this he uh wake up in the middle of the night and he'll have an attack he's got inar he's got all these stuff he takes about 20 20 pills a day pumps machines and he wakes up in the morning my mom laughs you ain't going to change him she said he wake up can't breathe she said oh I think that's he's about to PO his clogs she went all of a sudden he craw to the bathroom he put all his aerators on she walked in the bathroom she go you're all right you can't talk he's got the mask and he go like that and he take it off he go in the front room mom my mom go in there this early as in the morning she go you right oh [ __ ] M girl that was a close one I thought I was a goner she said so did I and then he gets a [ __ ] and you have a [ __ ] say what are you you doing oh I need that I need he died and SM got a fan he'll he'll toast living another day with a snout but listen you can't change them oh of course you can't that ear is gone now never to return mate never to return the other Sunday he's got his Dr Martins on the table and he's polishing him and they'll boot polish nice it just brings back how high up his shins that him Dr Martin's go how how how much of a b boot are they not the old dealer Boots the orange dealer Bo dealer boots with like the bit of elastic down the side with with the back where you slide your foot in like the Chelsea boots I I got a pair of them I to wear him on the door I love them so he still got them he still got them yeah fair play fair play to him so would you always was it was it a father son relationship when you were younger or were you always more like friends yeah I always my dad was always at work my mom you know I love my mom their BS um she took me to the box and she she kept me going she was my taxi driver um she give me what I wanted what I needed um but yeah me and my dad just become friends hard it's hard you know I've always known I've always known the respect and I've always known my manners please don't thank you cost nothing you know be grateful for what you get respect your elders and your dad was the one that taught you these values and have you got any brothers and sisters yes I've got I know you've got I know you've got a sister but other than your sister I've never seen I've never seen any other any other your dad and your sister but I've not seen any other family members on on on your social media I've got my dad and my sister PR um then I got Danny um he's a grafter um and then I've got a load of halfes half brothers and sisters um I lost a brother at 27 years years old to drugs um he overdosed what on heroin wow and no one knew no no one knew he had a habit no you know he he went in prison come out of prison and yeah hit it and he he died and my dad had to pick him up for work in the morning and my dad found him yeah so your dad's son died at 27 from a heron overdose and no one knew that he that he had a a heroin habit what can you do I think some people had an incline you know what what did he go to jail for I can't remember I can't remember because a lot of people go to jail I think it I was going to say because a lot of people go to jail because they've done something to fund their habit which is normally a Telltale sign apparently he wasn't a user user you know used to just have his score hit but yeah obviously been in prison for a little while come out and he's had an it and he's OD did um and how old were you at the time I was Clos I was 14 around s of age 14 oh he was a fair bit older than you yeah so you I'm assuming looked up to him idolized him and he was you know big brother father figure now like apparently I was exactly the same as him and I was his double and so that's that's another trauma then to to Compound on top of the bullying all around and it seems all around the same age you were subjected to something that was hard-hitting and very hard to come back from of course how'd you come how'd you come back from your from your big brother dying like that it's hard it's hard um was he into the boxing loved his boxing so he never he never got to see you go on to be a pro boxer no wow or maybe maybe he did who knows who knows that's we we we will never know that may have given you the fire in your belly knowing that your big brother loved boxing in his honor to go on and push yourself Beyond limits that most human beings aren't prepared to push themselves Beyond and end up becoming a professional fighter fair play thank you brother okay so you lost your brother at 13 he was bullied at 13 your mom pushed you to address the bullies at 13 you then started boxing at 13 which I'm sure the gym then become your church of course I was a yeah listen I was a great amateur I become a great amateur but my style never they didn't like it in the amateurs in boxing um I was a tough ready hustle bustle little chubby kid and I used to go for the kill um you wanted to knock him out every time yeah yeah yeah I I thought the best people in the country I knocked out England number one sorry Lou if you're watching um he just texted me on Instagram last week it's part of your tapestry um yeah you know but yeah I I boxing I won the school boys won the Nationals got to the semi-finals of the abas box for London and then OB was boxing in the abas one year and the England number one captain and he was he was mastered red up he um I was boxing and I couldn't put a glove on him so I grabbed him I was the first ever amateure boxer to B and put me teeth in him they the crowd kicked off I remember trying to attack me had to put me in a changing room as any what was that before or was that before or after Mike Tyson done that to avander holfield I can't remember I don't know might been before I'm trying to work out who inspired who to do that I don't know but yeah I was just yeah you just up for it and game just I was getting beat I had no way of beating this kid I don't know what made me do it I've done it ain't proud of it it's not the sport it is and you know when you're young you got a lot of demons in your head and you got a lot of stress and you don't know whether you're coming or going you a lot of anger and out out out to channel it cool how many amount of fights did you have I had 51 or 52 I lost 12 so you won the vast majority of them oh that's a great amateur um and then a year later I come off my suspension It Go on his trp and I've gone back in the abas suspension for what for the B okay okay you bit where did you bite him on his ear on his neck bit him on the neck spat the gum Shield out bit him in the neck so it's your teeth that sunk into him not the gum Shield suspended for a year yeah and then you come back come back um was boxing again in the NBAs got can't remember where I got to in a certain level and um my trainer said chess you got Cadman pull out I said I ain't pulling out I said I'm out I said let's go again I said you can't be this kid he's too good I said well let me find out gone out there he absolutely split the top of me nose I'm sure yeah he did he split the top of me nose he was a great boxer and I I was in close in a huddle and the referee said break I never forget and as we steep back I was getting beat I just F rolled I front a big left a make I be him right on the BT what St John's ambulance had to get in he was gone and I was obviously dancing about um yeah and I still couldn't get any England squad I said I've just beat the England number one won the captain put me in the England squad but they wouldn't have me um I'm going to go jump on this one while I'm on the subject do it years later on car on boxing I got to the semi-finals of the abas that year Tony docky pat pat Dock's brother right um what a great fight good rest that Dad um he passed but his dad was said to me he was the only person ever beating my son and he stopped me in the third round of the obas it was the finals of the abas but Tony dock he was a great fire great fire you Google him after this I'm telling you in his in his DNA in it oh he was a great boxer and um yeah I had travelers from down south come up to watch it was in Wales great fight but yeah he stopped me this first time I've ever been stopped as an amateur anyway later on and we get on to this one I think I was what was I 17 yeah I was 17 and they got a phone call Chaz do you want to fight for England as an am as an AM me I got the most [ __ ] going I said yeah of course I will they said we're flying out to Italy um you're going to represent us so I said all right no problem it was like two days later on F I was over the moon yes I'm fighting for England I finally got there I'm going to be fighting for England got to the airport I see the coach got to the desk talking talking of comeback I knew s was weren't right said what's that about one of the trainers the coaches P me aside he said look CH if I'm honest with you you weren't going to represent England um sever I can't think it was representing he said but he didn't want the fight so what you mean he said well we knew you would take the fight the fell you're going to be fighting in Italy fell he's never he's never been beat he's unbe he's mustard I don't care I said I'm going went out there give me the drive and I ended up beating this Italian cuz I had so much in me they wanted to use me as a goat and I beat the Italian I said can I fight for England I'm on on the squad and I won on the Squad the next English show they got the other fell that was meant to fight the Italian they got him back so it's fuming then I turn professional after that I said that's it I've had it I'm out yeah there seems to be a lot of that a lot of people a lot of Fighters being used as a porn in the in the promoters game of chess and you take the panel beating they take the payche is that the nuts and bolts of IT professional boxing so cutthroat um and how do you go how do how would somebody go from an amateur to a professional because a lot of people just won't know so now back in the day you used to have to win something and you get a promoter come to you to say do you want to go pro or you would say I want to go or your messenger and say I want to go professional this is my record my amateur record this is what I've won then you're going for a meeting and I say we give you before when I signed I had four fights at a th000 pound each doing four rounders and then it went up I was getting 1,500 quid for a six rounder no matter how many tickets you sold now it's all tickets you could turn professional tomorrow if you could sell 500 tickets that' keep you unbeaten I might do that just to tell people I'm a pro boxer and then pull out the night before think [ __ ] that I'll have it on my Tombstone Liam tus boom boom boom pro boxer that'll do that's Madness but that's what it's like now used to be like that years ago you know social media contributed towards that of course you years ago Lim you used to be out to you used to have to do your amate your pedigree your pedigree go and win the abas go and win the school boys go and win the Nationals the only thing I never won was the abas but you need and then that's your CV that's what I've got you got you prove yourself and then you either rep or you get scouted or you get scouted how it should be it was great I went I turned Pro young I went with Eugene Maloney now I love this man who's that Frank Frank Maloney's brother right he's a great man does he crossdress no he left that he left that he left that to Frank Kelly he don't yeah he don't talk to him because of his decision to be become a a woman he robbed them all Eugene was the biggest quook going but what a great down of Earth just like us sitting at the table but God was he through r a pan No he sold an every weight to who did he sell him to he sold him to Frank Warren then he sold him to Kelly Maloney he sold sold him three times took the money took the money took the money and he's in another country now he's gone Maloney is is the one that then decided to be a woman yes yeah I thought I had that right want to make sure his brother Eugene was a great promoter he was a um I I first signed over with him because didn't didn't Alan minter's son Ross Minter fight for Frank Maloney yes he fought under him yes and I fought for his brother Eugene Maloney so I so the pro fight I remember because I know I know Ross Minter yeah lovely guy Alam minter's son yeah Alam Min the name speaks for itself and I remember you and Ross having a fight a title fight so were you fighting for on behalf of the brothers at that time probably I wouldn't know I probably didn't know them but yeah probably but at the same time I'd offered Ross to fight um and I'll never forget this I was in the toilet and xboxers Association and I was having a PID and Al minute was standing next to me and I was 12 and0 as a professional and I said Alan when am I going to fight your son and they oh you're liability and that was that um no that was it your liability never know what Chaz is going to turn up because listen if I'm fit and I'm on point I'm unbeatable but if I'm out and i't been training then it's another story something around him I can't remember word or word Alan said God Rest his great fighter and nice man lovely man Alan yeah nice man so is Ross L it Ross is lovely it's yeah we had no bad blood between you after the fight listen Win Lose or Draw Me Yeah Ross is a gentleman yeah I'm not like that listen I sell a fight which I sold that fight um red a few feathers but again I only had two weeks notice for that fight and then it all come true to me about do you remember that day in the toilet and Alan said to me never know what Chaz is going to turn up because you give me six week training camp and my mind's on the job I'm all to beat you give me a two weeks notice which is what happened and I was a champion and threw nice bit of money at me I think I Pro I was probably one of the only boxer to earn that money for a summon area title you know um like I was I got off I got a phone call and I come just come back from Greece I was two Stone overweight they said they couldn't get me a fight at a minute to defend me southern area title had the phone call you're fighting in two weeks live on Friday Fight Night 10:00 I said well I said I got two St to lose never going to make the weight that was Kelly Maloney Frank Maloney I said he said listen you're gonna take the fight blah blah blah Frank [ __ ] got involved Kelly money then that's funny how you call him Kelly [Laughter] now I thought we done it for a publicity stunt but he was he weren joking he was not joking he me 12200 quid wait to I see him yeah you're gonna no I'm not gonna do that you're going to tell to wipe that lipstick off because we got have a chat but yeah and I got a two weeks NOS for that fight and I remember getting told that if I didn't take the fight I'd have to go to Germany to get a boxing license they ruined my career um that's the God's is truth um and then they offered me a lum sum six grand and I said no no I don't want any they F me back and that's when they said listen we give you 7,000 you're fighting in two weeks if you don't take this fight you'll never fight again in the UK um we'll ruin your career you'll have to go Germany to get a license yeah and at the time when you fought Ross Ross was on his way up and he was flying would he he was absolutely flying cuz he lives he lives local to me so he had all the local ads behind him and he was making waves and he was Alam in the Sun and there seemed like there was a great chemistry between them you know fancy fancy having Allen as your dad in the corner and you're coming through the ranks in your pro career so that's that hats would have been a tough fight for you even at you even at you at your best yeah it was a tough fight listen Ross was a great fight take nothing away from him went on the fight with the world I think he won the WBU World tile it was injuries I think that stopped him yeah the injuries but he fought Michael Jennings after me and he got beat by Jennings because you didn't get the result with Ross did you no no Ross Ross knocked me out um not knocked me out but he stopped me I went down I think three four times but again I keep getting up um I just went do a bust he he then went on onto the contender didn't he do you remember the contender that would been you would have been great on the contender I don't I don't know if anybody remembers this but it was Sylvester Stallone put this put this competition together Sugar Ray yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah you would have been a great character on there I You' have you would have been brilliant was was you ever in the running for that no no I went on prize fighter a couple of times as a reserve Eddie ear I get on I think Eddie's great get on with him um but yeah after that fight Liam that's where I took a tumble meate to be totally honest with you I uh went home I packed my bags and I just thought enough enough I'm going and I went to Greece CA done a season out there obviously he just got smashed every night day night so one minute you're a pro boxer next minute you're a holiday rep in in Co getting getting out your canister yeah and you made a decision just like that off the back of a defeat yeah which was your first one out of how many 12 so you didn't stop and think okay you can't win them all let's get back to the drawing board let's get back to the gym I was more heartbroken with not just that I lost that I didn't get the right preparation I didn't I got the Short Straw why not and then then I started thinking it's all coming true now I'm I never know which Chaz is going to turn up when he's in the toilet so he planted a seed in your head that played with your game play with your mind then I thought then I thought that's why a the psychology behind in the yeah two or three weeks but Russ was a great fighter take nothing away from him um yeah and it's good that you you're still 100% out the ring I respect everyone I respect everyone you know it's and he does you because I've seen Ross comment on your stuff and and he's always been very complimentary about you yeah always in fact he has he's complimentary about a lot he's very very nice guy nice guy yeah very nice guy indeed you know after I said some comments and said some stuff and I shook his hand after said nothing was meant by it it was all the s fight had to do what I had to do I was trying to get into him I was trying to Rattle his skin because I knew I weren't fit and I knew what I knew that I was up against it yeah the only way to try and push him off his wagon was try and get into his head but he was so still faced and straight stoic you could I could I said every Feet Under the Sun I couldn't I couldn't r well I noticed that you a couple of sort of pre pre-fight weigh-ins interviews you was quite provocative there was another one I saw you I don't know who the guy's name is but you was sort of having the pictures the way in you told him his breath stunk and it really rattled him does that ring a bell there was he was a taller guy sort of tall slender and he was in looked like a hotel room mom great fire you rattled him beyond belief and you seemed very cold and Casual about it you was blatantly provoking him get getting a reaction you got I'll never forget he when I throw you out this window within an Hotel I looked out the window I was on the ground floor and fat me I ain't going to go very far on the ground floor but um I used to yeah that's why they wanted me on the shows I used to be on all the shows because I would I'd get the I'd get it going I'd get it going so for 40 plus amount of Victories under your belt a dozen iies over 50 over over 50 am victories over a dozen or at least a dozen victories as a professional boxer lost lost seven out of box they a put it all in there but um I lost seven out of I think I had 28 I lost seven 21 wins seven losses box for a world title so that's a lot of that's you've you you've accomplished a hell of a lot by by this stage in your life and by this stage when you turned your back on the pro boxing scene to go abroad and deal with whatever you had to deal with how old was you then 26 26 and then did things take did they spirl out of control once you was out the gym at your church out your routine your raim listen I got mixed up with the wrong people out there in in cause um not really the wrong people I don't know I I ended up going out there and I've walked in a 24hour hotel right it's where everyone goes after the clubs to carry on drinking Yeah couple of great geers in there you I mean that gapers everyone's been talking don't [ __ ] about them you know what I mean you missing yeah yeah so I'm in this hotel anyway G after party of the club it's me first week out G walked in there I'll never forget like I yeah I end up becoming friends with n his name was so if you're watching night I'm sorry um and he com in jamming a back giving it all L to everyone dancing in everyone's faces right off his head he's come up to me and started trying to dig me out I said leave me I was sitting on the ice ice cream know the boxes the ice cream box sit on the ice cream box I'm sing a drink just try it's me first week I'm just trying to clock what and who's sitting there on me Js drinking drinking gazer kept coming over who are you who the [ __ ] are you in kept her kept on anyway put me drink down jumped up and I've just H him knocked his teeth out I to pay for his teeth and know so you still took the fighter on the plane to cause with you yeah you didn't leave the fighter behind you took him with you Le deep down I've never lost I'm always fighting in my own head you know sometimes I still still lost um yeah you feel like you're fighting yourself sometimes yeah life sometimes it gets hard it gets hard sometimes and people don't know what other people go through or how they feel or what's going on look to judge what's that just triggered the just that just not always got say in me always there's always say in the back of your head if one's got sank in the back of the red you just can't you just can't can't explain it you just can't explain it but every day I'm just trying to be a better person um and I've gone through so much so much stuff in life when I sit here and I'm talking to CU I know we're going to go on the subjects and it upsets me and I've just got something there just you're upset about what's coming next it's everything it's everything I messed messed I messed everything up in my life I messed my boxing career up I didn't talk to my parents I ended up being homeless on the streets I ended up becoming a drug user and they I've you know I've just I've just been through it I've just been through it and I'm 40 years old now and I'm trying to get my life together I'm so happy I'm not where I used to be I didn't want to be I tried to take my own life take a breath and let me just just got so much going on in my head honestly I know I can see it through so much and the reason why I've come on here today is just I just want to it's not about it is about that for you and for the podcast going right in on my life but I just want to send a message with you to learn from a full 40 years old I shouldn't even be here and I'm here and I push on every day and I do it on social media and I just want people just to learn from an idiot um don't go down my path because who knows if you're going to come out alive or not and you could end up with a very nice girlfriend with a baby on the way and your own business which I just want to I want to project forward to this current day because then we are going to flick back and we are going to go through the traumas and the things that are upsetting you and and the trigger points but so it makes it easier for you to to verbalize remember where you are today everything's Rosy right at this precise moment in time things are great so cling on to that and then now let's go back to where it's spoiled out of control that's making you sad and before you before you lose yourself in the sadness just remember where you are now don't completely immerse yourself in the past but just touch base on it to keep keep it together so you can verbalize it so people really understand it because you deserve to be sitting here smiling not crying but I get it like the next man things happen in life they're tough they hit a nerve and I get you you can't really put your finger on stuff because emotion's emotion it's like well how do I make sense of that so let's go back now with you remembering where you are today because this story ends well let's go where you spoted out of control the homelessness the drug taking in your own words just set yourself free by letting it off your chest CZ where did it go from there I ended up just becoming a pissed I come back to England how long so how long has you been ca for six months drinking every day yeah every day night and day drugs every day not not so much drugs just a drink um I was scat holding as well come back I work scat holding um and then yeah I ended up becoming this scaffolder becoming this looking at Jimmy down the down the road Fran longers about and I thought you know what I want to IM I'm going to imitate the scap holder that's how that started started doing social media well Dar scaper tattoos rollups done some great videos and he started just blowing through the roof I ended up becoming I was trying to show I was taking the piss out of scaffolders but I ended up becoming that character that ended up being me you know um social media I've seen that do that to a lot of people theyve they've they've played a character and then they've got in the source and they've become the character and they've lost and forgotten who they are which is so it's essential if you're going to go on social media and start becoming somebody that you're not remember you have to remember who you are and keep your feet firmly on the ground before you get lost in the character and then that must that's confusing for somebody who am I yeah did you does that sort of make sense to you I didn't know who I was Liam I was uh you know I was working for myself start own business in scaffolding because I was doing all these videos before I'll ever go and I was just a record but I was in too deep I was pulling scaffolds over I was doing video myself the why drink and drive when you could do packet and fly on Snapchat video myself okay so you come back from Greece you started scaffolding I was already scaffolding before so you scaffolding through your boxing career I started scold okay okay so you were scaffolding throughout your boxing career you took a break you went to C you comeb back then you picked up the picked up the polls again started scaffolding and started realizing about filming realizing that you could you could Harvest attention promote your business through social media through highlighting showcasing what you do a little bit after gree you know what I mean yeah when you when you come back when I when I no when I come back after that season at that age I was working and I ended up going back boxing let I end up going back boxing um I wasn't who I used to be after that loss you know and I was using I was drinking um so the loss was was the Catalyst to you spiraling completely and utterly out of control how did the drugs stop how did how did the scaffolding and the drug taking I mean I fully appreciate a lot of Tradesmen out there in fact a lot of people period they go to work they finish work they clock out a day-to-day mundane Life by drinking and suppressing themselves and by hitting the hitting the drink hitting the drugs but how do you how did the Two Become One how how did it get to a stage where you're actually taking drugs at work and doing such a job that is dangerous that's what goes on in this everyday life now you know I was following the crowd following the crowd I was still well you taking the drugs out of work and then the Habit becomes frequent that it then crept into work cool so I was always oh listen it's like I say to everyone out there you know it's all right doing a little dabble when you've had a few beers get old of yourself because it don't end well it don't end well um that's how I started having a laugh having a little dabble working doing videos and the man was you introduced to drugs by someone else or was you inquisitive and did you ask someone I want to try that remember see every day every day people were just S gear that so you so you asked for he's a scold I'm looking up to him he's got all tatto me beefy talking to the drive whatever shagging Birds I want to be a scap holder you know at first it was a character now I actually want to be that scab holder so you so in your eyes taking drugs was glamorous at the start yeah I have fun with it until it gets old here you know and then that's when the [ __ ] is the F and how long was you using drugs before it got a hold of you cuz some people can go 10 years every other few weeks every other weekend once a month they can dip their toes in dip out just doesn't affect them and then something happens and the gap between the drug use becomes narrower and narrower and narrower before they're using every single day and they think oh I spent 10 years as a casual consumer and then all of a sudden I've now got a raging drug habit how did that happen how did that happen with you that was the same I I was using at work thinking it was a laugh you know lunchtime having a stellar there' always be a drug dealer on the phone um get a packet in the morning take it to work lunchtime Stella boys I got a packet every like CH everyone have a bomb have a St have a giggle yeah get old was fun so if you're walking down the street right or you're at home and it's the birds are tweeting it's half 7 in the morning and you run out of gear and you cannot get hold of your dealer for love nor money because he's he's he's taking make sure you go work or go and not going to scaffold his van and say here mate it's one of you got to be thing y going to have the chances are you going to score is that right yeah you know that's what he used to be like I'm not L scaping is good to me scaping m sh I got notice from it um I'll always be a scaffolder um it's in me it's the only thing I know or knew um it's changed the year has changed now now these scaffolders now health and safety they put airspray on tight top and pair of pants and you know they do free cools with it long and before they pass it there because they want to go to the gym nice well that's that's that's that's a better environment to work in 100% better back in the day it was different back in the day it was I remember s some fella coming pulled up G a bit bre breast bre he pulled that here it is that's my [ __ ] breakfast you look back it was crazy days but I I get this cuz I told I was a hot carrier for four years I worked on the kend do for four years so I was WRA around brick lers and scaffolders and trades and laborers every single day morning noon and night so I I know the madness what goes on on site this is this is before you needed a cscs card where you didn't need your PPE I just used to wear a pair of rebot Classics skimpy pair of shorts Muckle down me back bricks everywhere used to have four conquers at once I [ __ ] loved it and I knew that I was one of the only people there that weren't completely and ugly off Mech canister drinking cans of Easy Rider in the van at your 10:00 break and then again at your 1:00 break it's I was using having a laugh started becoming that character um listen started videoing myself but I was lost I was lost until the stage where I was locking myself in my FL and I was using and I I would turn me phone off you know and then after the free day when I woke up I'll turn the phone on and I'll go hey what's happening guys where have we been sorry I've been out what we doing oh everyone's well I love you I love you I put the phone down and I'd sit there and quiet to myself and I'll be getting my phone thinking is it should I phone him no just just woke up a free day how much money have I got left i' got to go work let me go work for two days you know that's what I was living for I was living for drugs you know I was living I was living for the sesh so when you when you said you were lost and you didn't know who you were when you when you was a when you was a boxer you knew you was a boxer of course you knew who you were you were Chad Simmons professional boxer yeah then you went to co you probably lost over there because now all of a sudden you're a holiday rep and you're a drinker which is a far cry from being a professional fighter and amongst all that you're a scaffolder you must know that because if you got a scaffold pole in your hand you know you're you're at work you know you're a scaffolder but then it sounds like your dabling of drugs then become your identity you're now a drug user that's who you are and is that who you felt like you were I felt at the same time that I had a is it called a Persona yes a Persona where I started videoing myself having a laugh of it um and I was getting so much feedback attention feedback validation and I was feeling I had to do it because I like the attention because I was lonely and no one knew that again that's an addictive personality you're feeding off you're feeding off the comments you're feeding off the off the encouragement and really choosing your friends wisely also choosing your your audience wisely as well but then again if you're if you're you know if you're being the great Pretender and you're pretending to be that you're happy and they are going to encourage you but if you was to maybe have have got on your on your social medias and said look which I think you did eventually I am struggling I am using cocaine every single day to get by to numb the pain I'm in bits that's when you see a who your friends are and who really cares even even even social media fans like if that was me and I followed somebody well we have our chats outside of social media and yeah I would be saying the things that you needed to hear rather than what you wanted to hear because sometimes the ego forget massage in that you need to mend someone's mind don't tell them they're great don't tell them it's funny tell them it's [ __ ] to be like that you're better than that this isn't you is this who you want to be because in 5 years time it's going to be a hell of a lot worse if you don't take action now and I'm delighted that you you now have taken action which is why when this gets a little bit dark always project yourself to where we are now and what you're doing so the drug use I remember when you was taking a lot of drugs cuz I could tell as well I can see you know I was I was fed drugs by my my my own father when I was 14 15 years of age mind altering drugs drugs that people haven't even heard of df118 aoin substitutes LSD you name it bam I was getting it put down my neck by my own father so I learned from a very young age all the telltale signs people that are hiding it people that are masking it people that are blatantly blatantly blatantly on it and they're lying that they're not so I could see what was going on and it was around the time that you was then mixing with celebrity may be the wrong word but very very well-known established social media figures and you were sort of doing content with each other and I just got the I got the impression that you wasn't in a particularly good place and they seem to be in a good place and you always seem to be the Fair will or the brunt of the joke and I didn't like that I didn't like what I saw and it felt to me like you was completely sort of oblivious and lost within that Dynamic of what was happening because you were just pleased to be with people that were going to keep you company yeah during that yep yep you're 100% right exactly what you just said you know what so what was that all about how did you meet these people and from being an idiot um yeah it's a touchy subject but you realize some people are out there forsel they don't give a [ __ ] about you long as they're getting sank out of you you know I was made to believe I'm GNA do this I'm GNA make you I'm GNA do you ain't gonna do nothing now I'm older and wiser you all you was theread for was your hand out you know what I mean ping um they ain't doing nothing F they're out there to get what they can get and listen they they rob the next person next one you know um so yeah you in life you go across these Journeys but the these social media characters that that were in Limelight at the time they didn't they didn't seem like they needed to Rob and steal off anybody cuz they look like they was wearing Rolexes it's so fake Liam it seemed it seemed to me like they they'd stolen your soul but they didn't strike me as people that needed needed handouts you know certain people out there um you know groups of people saying no names be the first ones to go out go you got any you got any be on it what not um I'd go home and I'd be in my room for the next two days on my own depressed crying you know till next week I'll get a phone call come let's go out it's all on me you know don't be foed by social media all the times because it's 90% just rubbish and fake and people put up what they want you to see this is why I'm enjoying doing these podcasts because there's there's been several several people that have come on onto the show so far that their little snippets on social media is is so different to who they actually are and who they actually are by far supersedes the character they pretend to be they're like actually you're an excellent human being with ambition and drive and determination and you got so much more to offer than selling your soul I'm guilty of it myself you know I've done the same thing I realized that uh attention was a currency so the more you harvest the more you can monetize it and promote this that and the other but I suppose you get older and wiser and it's it's how you go about doing it now and I think this long format content really gives people a better idea of of who you are yeah I can be silly yes I like a laugh but I'm not a clown and don't ever mistake me for being a Wally and I think that's where if you don't put yourself out there correctly people will make assumptions and then and then go in for the kill and then come into you with a with an agenda and they think they can steer you and man ulate you because you lead him to believe you're something that actually you're not so you're far more shrewder than you let on on the internet yeah look I I I lost I I lost I lost a lot of followers when I come out you know I tried to take my life I didn't want to be at what stag is you trying to take your life after I lost after I I walked away from everyone who I was with and I thought you know I I had a problem I had a problem I knew I had a problem and people were using me even though they knew I had a problem they knew I had a problem they were still using me and were they use were they using I yeah they was using with me I was life of the party and you know they knew it as a sesh but when they went on I'd say I was G them I wer G them did they know that yeah yeah they knew they knew they the text we going used still up they knew the next day like they had been asleep woke up you still up and you realize me and I just thought you know what where am I going in life I'm on a cancerous state I'm in a flat I'm searching for my next ten my next fix my next booze what am I doing where am I going I'm I'm working and I'm paying for this person p I don't want to be here M I don't want to be here and I been on a 3day bender and um yeah I took load of pills took load of pills and that was it I thought I thought that was it mate I just yeah I thought I've had enough I've had enough and then I realized what I've done and I I [ __ ] myself found an ambulance before I W going to wake up I thought I just took load of T what what tabl did you take I in the underneath the sink I can't remember paracetamol loads I had a box in there did you have any any prescription drugs sleepers there was the stuff to bring you down off the coke no no no I had nothing to bring you down I just there was loads of tablets in there just parac mes um there was tablets in there was for some illness that I had um yeah anyway I took all these tablets definitely would have gone man I definitely would have gone I had to get pumped out now was it I remember there was a time where you was on social media actually in hospital that's when I done my video I enough's enough so that was the so you you you attempted to take your own life and then once you realized what You' done the Panic kicked in you sort of regretted your decision called an ambulance I called an ambulance ambulance driver um I remember open the door and he was like he in a ghost he was oh what have you took I was like [ __ ] cocaine I said I've just done a load of tamb I don't want to be but I don't know what I've done I don't know what I'm doing I need help I need help was you when you took all these tablets I should I should have been asking a friend that I need help yes but many friends knew I needed help they knew I needed help but they didn't want to help it was there for the ride they didn't know how deep I needed help they didn't know how far I'd gone you know I can open the door and I can come and your ass I smile be happy yeah I'm sweet living a life of Riley I'm good I'd go home know like of f need a bit of gear you know and I was I was mess I was a mess I was a messed up I was a messed up boy you know and then well by this stage you was a man wern't you a man I I I was gone um only called the ambulance the ambulance driver took took me off he said now you still here three days I've done 12 grams of year three days 12 grams on your own on my own in a room and what would you do when you when you're sitting there consuming that amount that volume of cocaine and you're on your own in a room which I'm sure then seems like a cell what is it what are you actually doing what are you doing with yourself staring at a wall wanking to porn texting people what is it what can you actually do I wouldn't text no one I wouldn't text no one I just be pacing round put my phone on airplane mode and just be going through me phone I'm trying up and down I'm trying to pick the scenario so looking out the spiral looking at the window earing noises this is this is the thing paranoia and I I I yeah when I called the ambulance I took the tablet I I was parano I could E I thought people was outside me ass could didn't want to call the old bill so before we talk about the hospital just quickly because what I want to do is drugs are glamorous and they're glamorized and I mean I know more people that are on drugs than I do people that aren't on drugs so for the people that start by dabbling with a little bit of cocaine or some MDMA or you're taking a couple of bumblebees of a Friday of a Saturday night every other weekend then it becomes at the weekend and you think it's great and you're having the time of your life and you're having Marathon sex sessions because it can do that to you if you got Viagra in your system and you feel like it's making you the man I just want you to stop and think make maybe I should quit while I'm ahead because from that moment from the Euphoria from the faux confidence and the actual Persona the person that you're not really that person without the substance but you're enjoying it from that moment there it can very quickly take a Sinister turn and it leads to sitting in a room on your own for three days not knowing what the [ __ ] you're doing riddled with guilt self-loathing depression anxiety fear parano rapid eyeon movement hallucinations you feel like you're losing complete loss of your mind now do you want to be in that place if you're a weekend warrior and you're having a great time maybe just maybe it's a good time to call it a day and maybe focus on something else like your future your career your mental health your physique your relationships your friendships something other than looking forward to the weekends you can take drugs again because it doesn't take long before you you sat in a room losing your mind and if you slip into a state of psychosis you may end up in a place where you never return and you change for the worst forever and you was very nearly there 100% look like I say it hurts but I tell my story because it helps many people it can help you know learn from a fool I'm 41 I'm 41 years old if you're going to call yourself a fool at least call yourself an honest fool an honest fool learn from honesty learn you know because if you're a fool mate so as 99% of the population because we all make mistakes yeah there's people out here now that be watching this and they probably haven't told us so and they might be going through this problem again know what that's me now I'm like that I go I go out at the boys and I go home and I lock myself in my my room cuz it happens but don't wait till it's too late stop it now go and speak to someone you know I used to go CA meetings after I come out of Hospital CU I videoed myself in hospital so did you do the 12ep program no I didn't do no steps and I used just go twice twice in Bromley um I got the little coins what's the coins not the coin 6 months 12 months oh the like the achievement yeah yeah the achievements I got all that and then I had a I had a bear with me Li I'm a little bit sponsor right you know you get a sponsor there and then they go through is that like an upline that mentors you so yeah they Mentor me so they they're up there they've been where I've been and they're like 10 years clean and they are a sponsor so if I ever felt like I want to use or I don't feel right I can phone them up anytime they and they T me through it and T me down and I can go and meet him you know um but I I become so by then I was going and I was going just to make sure it helped me it helped me I recommend anybody go CA meetings it helps you by explaining and talking about it but it done wonders for me because I stepped away but then I started going back back to back to the the meeting right just to show my face and support because I'm wanting to give back yes and I spoke to a couple of my friends and they was like what are you doing I was like I want to go back I just had it in me and was she still clean I was clean and how long how long did you clean for from from the moment you got rushed to hospital and did they pump your stomach did they flush it did you have all pumped got it all pumped let the remember the nurse come in saying you what you're so lucky like how are you still here and what are you doing and I I don't know I don't know two days later I come was in two days I come out and uh just have a thing I don't want to do it no more enough enough's enough I don't want to be no more I don't want to be in this situation anymore I want to change my life I'm fed up f up f up getting [ __ ] used by people I'm f f up with working to pay for a habit um I just wanted that's why I wanted to be out I wanted to go I didn't want to beer because I was Fed Up and the thing is when you're straight that was a wakeup call for me yeah when you're straight so when you're when you're when you're 24/7 tuned to the moon and Pie eyed off your nut on substances you can't even really see who's using you or exploiting you because you're completely lost in that tornado see now now that you straight as a d and you're and you're not suppressed with substances you could spot someone who wants to take the piss a mile off couldn't you I F the other day I going to say too much but um he was in shower and his M was downstairs and he was like on the on the record thing on Instagram and you could hear but he was saying I need help I need help and I was going to listen to me it's hard you can't you can't stop once you it's like Pringles once you pop you can't stop so I'm not going to say to him put the drugs down me I just said to him listen to me so you could hear him chopping up the gear I could hear him chopping right and he was like had to pretend I'm going to have a shower in the bathroom I'm struggling Chaz help me mate my Mage is downstairs I I I can't stop doing coke and I could hear him he never said he was doing it I could hear him and I said listen brother after you finished and you've woke up and you've got over this go to a c me I can't help you got to help yourself I can't help you I'm not your brother I'm not your family I'm not your friend but I will tell you to go to a CA meeting please brother please if you want to stop you got to help yourself you got to make that first step and that also goes for so I want to I want to I want to move on from the from the from the drug use but I want I want to summarize just there's got to be an impact to this we we can't be S we've got to be sat here for a reason doing this in this moment in time so before we move on from the from the drugs it's safe to say that you went from a professional athlete to a drug addict because of circumstances in your life and you didn't deal with them correctly or you didn't open up when you should have opened up you weren't honest when you should have been more honest you didn't want to admit weakness or defeat because you're a warrior and there'll be a lot of people out there that can relate to that that are suffering in silence and they don't they haven't got the courage to take the first step if a professional boxer can take the first step to recovery then I believe anybody can so people need to take strength from this chapter if you're in a rut if you're in deep water and you've got no armbands on and you think you're going to sink the first thing you need to do in order to get your life jacket back on is speak up and speak out and you tell a friend or you tell a family member and you do not be ashamed because you're a victim of a substance you didn't decide to be an addict you didn't decide to be a bum or whatever label you want to give yourself it started off as great fun and it spiraled out of control you haven't a lot of people I never told a family member or a friend my friend's new but I never told no one I was in the situation I was in I went myself I Googled CA meetings and went on my own everything there is confidential no one says nothing to no one no one needs to know you go there if you're worried about telling a friend or a parent only you know that you're going there you don't to tell no one and you go there and I'm guarantee you now after two weeks of going to this CA meeting you'll start thinking straight and you'll start becoming yourself and the rest is history if you want to tell a family member you want to tell a friend what you're going through that's down to you sorry for cutting you off D this what I want this is what I want this is what from this interview this is exactly what I want I'm just helping you I'm just giving you a nudge I was scared to tell anyone I'm just giving you a nudge this is perfect I was scared to tell anyone and I knew I wanted to stop and I knew I needed help and I I had certain friends that knew what I was doing and they they thought it was funny you know they didn't care I didn't think that I was I could tell anyone because certain of my friends would have thought I was a scumbag like oh [ __ ] off like what what going to State you may help yourself because they don't know what I'm going through so I found the CA meeting myself on Google and I was like right it needs to stop so your advice is before this is after the hospital when I come out but your advice to I'm watching is before you necessarily reach out to a friend or a loved one do it in a confidential manner where you go straight to the professional group reach out to S cocaine Cocaine Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous go to a group first yeah cu no one repeats what goes on no yeah I'm just I'm just saying basically not everyone's the same as us you know I videoed mine on social media cuz I wanted to tell the world far out I was far out I had enough you know I nearly just died I nearly just took my own life um I'm I wanted I want I wanted to tell social media I've had enough I'm I'm out I ain't doing this no more and then I come out of Hospital went to ca meetings the rest is history I'm sitting here now like you said I keep looking back on that life that I've got now and I'm smile because I made it and if I can make it anybody out there watch this can do it too because I'm just a normal cancel workingclass kid that wants more in his life and don't want to go down that road and end it before it's even started that is coming from a warrior that is coming from a warrior that's been on his knees taking the 10 count and he's rose up and he's bounced back from the ropes and he's now back in the center of the Ring let's cut the drugs out of it now because what I've seen since you've come off all the drugs you seem to be extremely happy with your friendships your relationships your new business I noticed that you're very tight with uh Daniel Raley Dappa laughs yeah and there was an interesting story how you met him yeah well R me past that one everyone loves Dapper he's like the OG of the inter that goes back to the sesh do last little bit talk about the SES but that's where it goes back to you know um I remember being in a club Daniel Riley in there I've come outside Daniel ry's outside having a [ __ ] I've come out I'm about to go on I knew of him you know never spoke but we knew of each other he's standing there I've got one one fell must have been about six foot on absolutely terrorizing him and damers against the wall like oh right all right boys and I going about the rape joke he lost on ITV too it's just after that I think so someone's sticking it on him because he cracked an inappropriate in in in joke in their opinion yeah calling him a scumbag you're a scumbag about doing the the joke you're a scumbag for cracking the joke yeah on it TV and then the other one started popping up I walked over I said boys leave me alone we are what you bullying him for I said you right then he was yeah I like shut your [ __ ] mouth I was like me whack knocked him clean out have one come and him out um done the pair of him and he was D was back at the wall he was like oh cheers mate and then we become best mate near not best mate we become mates listen we're good friends we're tight we're tight we end up going back to an house and getting on the SAR um I think most people would I mean that's an exciting moment yeah especially if you're mid party as well and then he text me on Twitter and she send me a number I send me number then he phoned me up and he said I've um the fell that you done last night has just put on Twitter that he got jumped by Dappa laughs and 10 of his mates and they're trying to find out um he's gone to the police he said just be careful Chaz that's what Dan said to me I said is that right so I went stra on Twitter and I see the post and on the did he tag me on the post or did he tell me the GE is he told me the's name CU I went on it and I typed in there saying 10 people never jumped you it was me on my because you two are bullying daa never heard nothing back from it never got nothing nothing but um you're nice yeah bullies shouldn't be running to the old bill when they get bullied 100% it's like listen look in the mirror how would you like a taste of that take your medicine shut your mouth and stop bullying people that's the lesson 100% it was it was phenomenal but um blessed Dan dam was like please don't write nothing don't do nothing stupid CH like they saying again that place or whatnot and I said just tell me to gaz's name tell me to gaz's name I put him on Twitter and put on the comment there CU he put a thing up and I said no you mate you've just bullied a gazer and you've just been knocked out I was on me own and I knocked a pair of you out don't bully someone leave him alone and everyone was obviously commenting going yeah that's true and well done nothing come of it they just go to the show yeah nice and so so now moving forward to the to the relationship now that there's no drugs involved cuz I I can see that the dapp is now sober and he's counting down he's cting he's now into months I think he's 10 months he's 10 months he's staring a year straight in the eye of sobriety which is absolutely brilliant because I can imagine he's haunted with his own demons and I like what he's doing the whole menace to sobriety thing it's a great name he's supporting men he's he's putting his message out and he's put his art on his sleeve and saying listen if it was if it was great I'd still be doing it it affects you relationships he went down the same road I went down with a with a gear is that do you think that's do you think that's your common ground while you while you seem so close now because you're both on the same Journey we want to be bigger and better versions of ourselves and we want to help people join us on the journey I I ain't used I ain't used it's got over six years now I can't even remember i' I'm not one of them ones oh so you're head of dapper yeah but with' done it was the booze and then it was the thing no I ain't got a problem with booze I ain't drunk in I was saying this I haven't had a drink in three months and two weeks and I feel great um not that I'm not going to drink I can go out and have a glass of wine I don't want to I felt me I found myself listen I'll let people inspire me I always used to look at Dan he kept posting yeah four months no drink three months whatever it is kep thinking but I was always I was finding myself after work I was going to the pub and then I found myself lying sing me misses ah oh yeah I'm stuck on a job job babe yeah I ain't going to be on about 8:00 put the phone down walk back in the p and I was going home and I was arguing and I was arguing we was biging and I W at me and I had a pin cell and I thought w i Ain I ain't a kid no more and you know Lion's a [ __ ] trait mate it's a [ __ ] trait that ain't me no that ain't me listen it's real talk that's Boo's talking again that ain't me and I thought I'll TI it my down that road I went down six seven year ago I'm G to knock it on the Ed I'm just going to knock it on the Ed not saying I won't have a drink again I just want to say let's knock it on the head and see how that works and now I've knocked it on the head three months two weeks my business is booming my home's booming relationship relationship is booming I got a baby on the way things are great but listen I didn't want to go down a path I thought I just knock on your head for a while if I want to go and have a bitor for thing I will but I don't want to at a minute I'm good I tell you what it's it's astonishingly amazing what happens in your life when you're not completely at your nut all the time or even at all the things that you can achieve you're not lazy anymore you you're not cuz when you're at your night or you're recovering yeah sure you could be reactive I'm going to react to that but you ain't proactive because if you can get away of doing nothing you will because you're on a cown or you're hung over or you're spaced out you just waiting for the rebound Pizza it's [ __ ] really in it everyone wants something though don't they with the characters we are it's like me I'm I'm on a vape I was smoking that's your new thing that's me nothing but I got to have something because that's what I am I've got to be doing same I'm I'm I'm I'm training now you let me put you you inspire me and I want to thank you for that um we used to talk and I remember you couldn't do the fight you you w a runner a a runner a a runner now look at you you're killing 5K in 24 and a half minutes tell me if I'm wrong I loved it as well and you're flying in I loved it yeah I love it People Like Us the reason why I'm here on this podcast in your house because I know a good everyone a good egg when I see one because I've been [ __ ] on so much in my life I appreciate that BR and and and I'm honored that you have come on and you trust me with your story M you know I'm I I love to see your success and you deserve credit because what you're doing here by giving awareness to everybody out there it's great and you're getting people like myself and the shadow and Collins and so many more you got in to come for the people to see m i I want a humaniz people you're inspiring me and I say the same to that one um he inspires me as well and like I say to anybody out there don't be jealous or hate on anybody out there no let them inspire you I've walked in here today I'm just going to go on this and I've seen this pad and when I say you wow what a pad you said you've done well here mate you've done well you done well and I said it nearly [ __ ] killed me building this bastard and before I started I had a full head of hair but thank you [ __ ] mate you've done so well and it makes me SP smile I know we've just like I feel like I'm n you for years mate but it makes me smile and it makes me push to think okay I've come from accounts all flat I've come now all my life we both have yeah we both have now I'm renting eventually oh it and and it will I War my gas and it will happen because now you you see life with 2020 Vision because you're not sedated with booze drugs you're not WRA around [ __ ] wankers that are trying to exploit you you now got you're now building a new network of people that are going in the same direction that you want to go different network different conversations different just look check this Vibe today we'll leave this we'll be buzzing off this for the next few days and then when there's something that you need or I need and we can help each other out we have a nice sober conversation I'm thinking about this do you know anybody that can do that yeah I know that person there I'll hook you up with that and I want nothing in return and you'll want nothing in return and I know that the karma train will pull up up on my station one day and I'll be I'll be eternally grateful for that make sure you send that train my way after it'll probably it'll probably be leaving your station on it on its way to M because you're now du a bit you're you're now duwi a stin a good karma and I feel like you're getting that now in abundance with the misses the new home you've got out the council uh Gaff you got a new kid on the way and going back to going back to Dapper because I used to I noticed you and him was doing you were doing sketches together Clips like like what sort of acting so like I'm assuming you must have a passion for acting cuz I would feel very uncomfortable doing that but you seem to take to it like a duct to W and you was like what's what's what's the thing with the acting no well the acting was another thing it's like listen Liam I've never been given nothing I've never asked for nothing I wouldn't ask I'm just very I do it myself um and I I was scat rolled in and I saved up my money and took myself to acting school got the qualifications basically I was an extra not an extra I was Brandon Block in Rise of the foot soldier uh Origins just a little bit so did you get that before you put yourself through acting yeah I got that before and I was I enjoyed it I enjoyed being on set and I was like I want more I want to I I want to do this I fancy some of that and I spoke to a couple of people there a couple of actors and uh yeah they said take yourself out you need qualifications you can't just jump into it like we we you can get little bits like little 2 minutes 5 minutes you're going to get no more that if you want to role and be a character in a film you need your qualifications so I saved and saved and took myself to acting school rolled on the floor like a baby kicked and scream I may was what is that what they make you do yeah well I I P I paid for it myself no one paid for that for me it makes me feel uneasy just thinking like imagining me doing it so I'll tip my hat to you mate cuz that takes some balls as well that take some balls well when I went in there so I saved up the money and I said to my sister can you put me on an acting call I want to become an actor and she was just like you're off your head and I was like no I want to be an actor I want I've got to have qualifications so I'm going to go to school um and yeah went there and go in a room and you go hi my name is chz and then you have to make a noise say hi my name is sh oink and then you go hi my name is Liam oink oink it was bad you're an oink an oink an oink oink the teacher go all of a sudden you go Chaz you're a two-year-old baby you can't get your sweet off the shelf mom won't give it to what are you going to do L of FL kick and scream honestly Liam I felt like an absolute prick Lou FL but it's about letting yourself go don't worry about who's watching you what you doing I bet that's liberating it takes it takes kahunas to do that because we're all more self-conscious than we pretend that we are and that's just got to be like I actually feel free like inhibitions have gone and you're losing your inhibitions without having to use drugs or drink to do so no yeah that's there's your Buzz the buzz was there there's your Buzz that you're searching for we had an exam to to two people failed um and yeah I was waiting for being there he was like CH Simon congratulations you pass I was just like everyone looking go [ __ ] yes [ __ ] some of that yes I was going manad um been a couple of little films at the minute um one was Dappers another one um so so he's including you in his project yeah he helping me listen he helps me um and I help him we help each other you know um he he's he's good and he he's he's doing well when his s and he's doing well in life and I wish him all the best yeah I do I don't want to see I wish everybody the best if I'm honest if you're a good soul I hope you win and I hope you win big and I hope you win bigger than me because I love watching people fly yeah I love it and and and you know what and if I see you down on your knees or down on your luck if I can if my cup's overflowing I'm going to reach my hand out and I'm going to [ __ ] pull you up love that and that's how we need more men to adop that attitude stop thinking you need to stitch people up and [ __ ] people over to get ahead of the game that's not how it is if you do you've got a touch you lucky but K Karma will come back and bite you on the ass the name of the game is to support and build other people up and it just comes around and the these big positive roundabouts keep coming your way and opportunities and love and stuff and you never know like just I know it's a cliche about you know being kind and a lot of wankers that sit there hash beind on their social medias have got a kind bone in their body but if you can help a brother out help help a brother out do you know what I've just had this just at this vision of how far you've come you've gone from standing up in a group saying hi I'm Chaz Simmons I'm a cocaine addict to hi I'm Chaz Simmons in an acting class full of people full of confidence with no inhibitions saying oink oink you know what oh it makes me feel good and so and so it should because that's awesome man that's uh that's that's light years away that's light years away that's that is such a gulf between well you're not that person no more I'm not that person you know sometimes it's okay to look back but just for a quick second just to realize how far you have actually come and and listen my journey ain't over listen I still have bad weeks Ash is natural in life and that's why I do my social media so people can see the real life it's real talk it ain't all plain sailing um that's just the nature of life we're going to hit rocks we're going to hit bumps we're going to hit bottom but we must keep going cuz it ain't over and look at the buzz in your eye look at the twinkle you've got back in your eye now that you're not even discussing that horrible part of your life now that you're in the now in the present thinking about where you are you're back the smile's back the glisten back Chaz Simmons's back it's almost like that person was chazza this person's Chaz yeah do you know what I mean you know the the character you were playing was a miserable character the person that you are is an upbeat person I was lost yeah man I was a lost soul and I went down the wrong path and like I said now I want on the right path we got some work to do because nothing's given to No One a and work is fun if you ain't if you're not lazy cuz the things you got to look forward to now now that we've now that we're well now that we're past the past now that that's well and truly in the rearview mirror we're talking about the things you got to look forward to you want to be an actor so you're going to keep chipping away at the acting you're going to keep auditioning you're going to keep networking you're going to be a dad you got to brush up on your on your winding skills and your nappy changing skills you you've got a lovely woman in your life so you've got to be working on your relationship and it's all positive energy and you have to take positive steps and you have to be a more positive person because your your mood is now going to affect the room and you've also got another bare knuckle boxing fight come up we've not even touch base on your on on your bare knuckle boxing so you went from all those dark ups and downs amateur professional boxer then you went down the rabbit ho drinking drugs and depression and then bam you've come back you've risen From the Ashes and now you've taken to to Bear knuckle boxing I mean you really are off your head that's the that's one of the most craziest things you've done I F what's what's that about it's in your blood it's in me it's in me you're a fighter I'm a fighter it's that's the only thing I got left from what's been with me from day one you know it's hard to explain a fighter will tell you a boxer will tell you it's hard to let go and I let go a box I box for a world title I must say I got a draw and I got robbed so I quit I retired and I felt lost I felt lost you felt lost you felt like there was something missing because you weren't fighting anymore yeah even though you were sort of back on track business was going everything was in its place but you just felt there was one thing missing five years ago five years I've been retired and I just you need the combat I was missed it you need the combat I need Sant a train for I I I miss yeah it's it's hard but but but you haven't chosen gymnastics or bodybuilding you've chosen combat I thought i' go with the arst spot out there that's knuckle boxing I thought i' T myself for that um and how you enjoying it it [ __ ] hurs um I bet it [ __ ] Hur no I love it I Dominic negas um you know D Dominic neas no he was on um has he got TS on his face no Dominic Nas was on Danny D arest men from he was a yeah anyway Dom was training me for the first B knuckle fight and I was fighting an Irish man and he said to me you right I said yeah I had the F jacket on and all that and a DIY bow on and I said don't worry about me I said he ain't a boxer I said I'm going to box his head off when I went out there and he broke me nose split me eye come back in the first round he what happened I went I don't know but this [ __ ] hurts he didn't have gloves on yeah and I lost that on a majority um was it a shock to the system to go from like traditional boxing with was it 8 O gloves you wear yeah 8 O gloves and then you go from that to no gloves different ball game it's a different ball hand speed more Furious listen it's yeah it's brutal that's what I going to say it's brutal when it hurts and you hear a crunch when your nose gets broke you w me nose you don't just dear it you can feel it and taste it oh yeah I mean I've had I've had plenty of wax over the years fighting out on the street but it's a buzz is it it is a it is a buzz but I don't think I'd enter into a ring out of choice I've all the all the fights I've been is because I had to be in them and I didn't really choose to be there but I think actually arranging and purposefully being in a place where you're going to exchange blows bare knuckle that takes a different kind of breed I mean I [ __ ] love it and respect anyone that does it me I think you know what I think I'll save that for when I'm in a real tight spot Rob and choose to do it for fun that's nuts so I fight I was fighting for an English company and everyone wants to get over a fight for bkfc American right it's like the UFC yeah in bare knuckle the bkfc is like the UFC you know and everyone wants to get out there and fight for them and anyway I had a Dan F me up O'Reilly O'Reilly that one and he said I just had a message do you want to find that bkfc I said no way you're joking in you he said no he said they're interested I said yes tell who whoa whoa whoa whoa let me send you the fell they want you to fight me I should have don't care I don't want to know tell him yes you been wait I'll send it to you he sent it to me I went like that for two seconds turn it off I went yeah but I'll fight him mate yeah tell him yes are you sure yeah tell him I'll fight him anyway I didn't want to know about the f I didn't know nothing when I've got the way and and he started going like this he's going to kill me he Spanish Argentine and he was and everyone keep going me CH you what you do know about I don't want to know I don't want to know if find out um yeah after he was King of the streets unbeaten that's anything go that's naughty butt elbow he was the one famous on Facebook for doing the Ed butt in the Giza he was unbeaten in bare knuckle the man was an absolute animal we can't get a fight no one wants to fight him no one wants to fight him but everyone was trying to tell me but I knew I knew that's what I didn't know they was going to tell me that I thought they was going to tell me he's a little bit naughty has to be careful but I didn't want to hear it I didn't want to know I didn't want to know my negativity I'm going at it for a fight I don't care I fight on the biggest platform in the world this is me I'm Gonna Shine but I never but God did we have a fight it was listen I'll give him as one two losses yeah I give him as much as he give me and that bkfc after they phon me up and they said we want you back there was my platform to get on the on the Americans you know what I mean Brant I showed art and I stood there Toe to Toe with the Geer um he dropped me at the end of the second round I got up but the referee waved it up I was ready to go again I'd split face all open you know it was great I think anybody out there would admit that although on the scorecard it said a loss the fact that you got in there and add it with this machine oh man that's a win like Picasso a draw that's a win that's a that's a win yes and so that so that so that was that one I tell you who else I like I know Danny Christie he's another one that top he's top of the bill one I think he's brilliant I I like his story I like what he stands for I like how he articulates things I like his moral compass I'm uh yeah I'm I'm I'm a fan of his so you have you do you know him I know Danny Danny's a lovely gazer he wants me to come up and seriouser to me before come up St at my ass Danny's a diamond well we've touched Bas on that as well so maybe we can incorporate the whole thing we can go some runs together we're all on the straight and narrow yeah Danny's Danny's a great guy great Fighter um he's like me scer he's an inspiring guy he's come from I won't talk too much about him because I want to get him here I'd like he's welcome in my house he's wel to stay at my house or I'll go up there to where he is but uh definitely yeah it's good to know that that that you feel the same way about him so your next fight coming up next fight is it I don't even want to mention the geer's name um don't like what you there's there's a personal beef Ben Woods Ben Woods no Ben Woods I don't really follow the scene sorry sorry sorry he changed his name to Ben the hatchet oh I see okay sorry s sorry Ben sorry I didn't mean toone no do you know what this is probably going to go out after when when is the fight 30th of September this this could come out just before or just after but be interesting yeah I'm just listen we've had beef for the last three years um he got out of jail and so forth we never seen either why I'm not going to go into it listen I like I've said on social talk cheap I've had a n slagging up and all this with his me to fight and I broke me I remember you broke your hand I broke my hand yes I broke my hand I went to hospital all night to get a doctor's night and I had to show to prove that I broke my ass he thought I pulled out of a fight the fell is just an idiot he thinks he's a CH he goes on like he's Charles Bronson he's not because he escaped out no he escaped out of um Broadmore and went on the roof um so this is a this is a grudge match and for the fans they're the best matches isn't they listen if we've already had the fight listen after we've had the fight I'll put my that I shake his hand like a man we've set our differences but the minute I Ain had the fight I think the geese is a bully I know for a fact um I can't stand him I'm gonna absolutely teach him a lesson you know he's saying that I'm an old man and he's gonna do this and he's gonna do that I say so he's younger yeah listen I don't like the fell he took a kid's life with a knife and everyone wants to give him this respect and this big oh he's he's he's a reformed character no he's not the geese is a sausage He's a Bully he goes on social media I don't know to try and get gifts and all this money on Tik Tok and the he's under me skin he's under my skin I want to teach him a lesson and what's his name Ben Hatchet so if I I can follow him and you can follow him mate he's just an absolute because I always Reserve judgment until I've yeah spoke or met met the person I wish him all the best after I find him I wish him in recovery I wish him on sober Being Sober taking stop taking drugs you know don't try kid kider I not I know what channel he's on but I'm fill up with him keep bringing my name keep slagging me keep telling lies and believe in his own lies the boys deluded we got beef we're going to sort outl men shake each other's hand off the go separate ways and if he needs help the sort of man I am I'll help you Ben I'll help you get sober I'll help you get away from drugs because there's more to life I don't want you to go down a path I went through even though how much I don't like you I'll still help you that is Honorable that is Honorable okay so I'm going to look into him I'm sure people that follow the bare knuckle will know Ben actually is and they'll probably know about the beef between the two of you and everyone's probably looking forward to this this Grudge Match it's going to be one of the biggest fights in BR yeah I'll make sure I'll make sure I'm watching that so apart from The Grudge Match you got coming up I'm assuming you're going to train like an absolute Beast for that I think we're going to do a few days ourself yes Liam try together like I said again I let people inspire me I don't hate on anybody or Envy anybody and with the way you're going at the minute you're a lot fitter than me and I put it to you I said mate I want to go Spain for a training camp um to get fit loose and wait and right work and here we are after this podcast we're on a plane that is what you didn't see coming from this podcast we've got I'm looking at my watch we got to catch a flight in about 3 hours we got we got to be in the airport in an hour so I think this is a good note what just I can't wait to come and train with you to I'm going to be because you got remember I'm now training with with a professional athlete whether you're you know I feel the way is we're going to push each I'm in the zone you need to be in the zone in the zone we're going to go out there feed off each other we're going to train our bollocks off we're going to remin this we're going to get some great content to push these guys out there INSP them Inspire them to let them know we can do it two Council kids and look at us now yeah M we would have 48 we're going out there we're now doing 5K on the beach in Spain 10 year ago we' been pissed out and not falling asleep on the beach if we were G to Spain 5 years ago well they could imagine how how it would have gone there it have been no running that's for sure but yeah definitely any M out there stay tuned to Liam social the links hit them all check him out this guy is inspiring and what what's next for you chazza before we wrap it up what is next for you what do you want to do with your life with with my life um I want free trucks outw working I'll always work um and what's your company called Real Talk clearance Real Talk clearance and so you're going to take people's junk scrap clear houses garages buildings Dees anything that you want remove we remove it so you want to get a fleet of trucks a fleet of trucks I've got two I want one more um uh yeah I want to carry with my acting acting expanding your business becoming a father thank you for coming on and sharing that with me I thoroughly enjoyed it and I will see you guys next time on the Dozen podcast

Channel: Liam Tuffs

Views: 45,400

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Id: k0qiMGl5Tns

Length: 115min 45sec (6945 seconds)

Published: Wed Oct 18 2023