The DIY Options

The DIY Options Knockout stories, boxing legends, and the future of the ring—all in one place!

'There is a thing with fighters - and I include myself - where they hang around too long. I figure, if I had been smarte...
02/09/2025

'There is a thing with fighters - and I include myself - where they hang around too long. I figure, if I had been smarter, I should've hung them up age 32. But, incidentally, here I am at the mature age of 42; and do you know, that I still haven't announced my retirement? I won't even do it now I have the opportunity with a story under my own byline. One of these days, I'll announce my own retirement. Meantime, I'll dream that there is 'one more time that I'll climb though those ropes.' You see, I have that great love for boxing, and I just hate to say goodbye to it.'

- Floyd Patterson

'When he hit me, it hurt. He punched with anger in his heart.'- Sugar Ray Leonard
02/09/2025

'When he hit me, it hurt. He punched with anger in his heart.'

- Sugar Ray Leonard

'Talk is cheap, actions take time and effort. Do not trust everyone who says the right things, they may be a wolf in she...
02/09/2025

'Talk is cheap, actions take time and effort. Do not trust everyone who says the right things, they may be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Remember every day to be nice to people, there is too much aggression in this world and that comes from a former boxer.'

- Frank Bruno

'For years I've been dogged by eye injuries. It's been said that I only have to wash my face and then dry myself with a ...
02/09/2025

'For years I've been dogged by eye injuries. It's been said that I only have to wash my face and then dry myself with a rough towel and bIood comes pouring out.'

- Alan Minter

'I take care of myself and my body. There are so many people in boxing who don't. There are too many people in this spor...
02/09/2025

'I take care of myself and my body. There are so many people in boxing who don't. There are too many people in this sport who care more about drinking and partying than about taking care of themselves. It's all about the choices we make.'

- Evander Holyfield

'Before Ali, they called me a third-rate club fighter. But I won 30 straight fights, 24 by knockouts. And it was tough g...
02/09/2025

'Before Ali, they called me a third-rate club fighter. But I won 30 straight fights, 24 by knockouts. And it was tough getting bouts. The young fighters coming up were afraid of me because I was an obstacle in their progress. The guys on the way down didn't want to fight me because if they lost, people would say he is really nothin', losing to a Ken Norton.'

- Ken Norton

'Boxing is a great sport, but it must be controlled and must be handled. It's making hundreds of thousands and millions ...
02/09/2025

'Boxing is a great sport, but it must be controlled and must be handled. It's making hundreds of thousands and millions now. What we used to get was pin money: ten thousand for a main event, fifteen thousand for 20-round championship fights. Now they get a hundred thousand out of TV. The crooks must be kept out of it. I think we should have a national board to control boxing and a man appointed in every state to keep it clean, to control the sport. It's a good sport and it'll make many a boy rich who might not otherwise have the ability to make very much in life as he can in boxing, like in all other sports. So I'm for it hook, line, and sinker.'

- Willie Ritchie

'Boxing has been very good to me. I don't think I'd change much. Boxing has taken me into Buckingham Palace and given me...
02/09/2025

'Boxing has been very good to me. I don't think I'd change much. Boxing has taken me into Buckingham Palace and given me a nice six bedroomed place of my own. I've been to nice places and met people that I wouldn't have done if not for boxing.

It was tough getting to the top. I had to dedicate my life to it, and I don't suppose it's any easier now. If you don't cut out the dances and go easy on the drinks and the girlfriends, you haven't much chance of succeeding in boxing.

My brother Jim and I probably missed a lot by being in bed at ten o'clock most evenings. But what you never have you never miss, they say. If you're really keen on something - it might be swimming or it might be athletics etc - if what you are doing gives you so much pleasure, then what are you missing?

When I turned professional all I wanted was a British Title and then a Lonsdale belt outright. Then I became the only British fighter to win three outright, so all the years of hard work were worthwhile.'

- Sir Henry Cooper

'I had four brothers and two sisters, but I had a different father from the others. I was the kid nobody paid any attent...
02/09/2025

'I had four brothers and two sisters, but I had a different father from the others. I was the kid nobody paid any attention to. I was neglected and completely lost. Some nights I just said to hell with it and slept in a doorway somewhere. Wasn't anything at home for me anyway.'

- Aaron Pryor

On this day...'For those last few fights, my body was in bits. A lot of people didn’t realise just how bad my injuries w...
02/09/2025

On this day...

'For those last few fights, my body was in bits. A lot of people didn’t realise just how bad my injuries were. Towards the end, I was hardly sparring at all. To be undefeated and at the top is a minor miracle, especially with the injuries. I’m very proud watching the fights and still get excited. I sometimes stop and think, 'S*** – that was me!'' - Joe Calzaghe

Two division world champion and International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee, 'Super' Joe Calzaghe celebrates his 50th birthday today.

He is one of very few world champions to retire undefeated with a perfect record of 46-0 (32 wins by KO), which includes 21 successful super middleweight title defences - more than any super middleweight in the history of the division.

Happy Birthday Champ, many happy returns.

Where does Calzaghe rank in your all-time greatest British boxers list?

'The other day in the mall, an elderly lady comes over to me and gives me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. She told me...
02/09/2025

'The other day in the mall, an elderly lady comes over to me and gives me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. She told me, 'I don't even like sports, but I love the person that you are.' Dear God, if I touched one life because of the person that I am, let it be to Your glory. It brings a man down to his knees.'

- David Tua

'I do remember one time when a guy pulled a knife on me and shouted, 'I've got you now, you dirty low-down so and so!' A...
02/09/2025

'I do remember one time when a guy pulled a knife on me and shouted, 'I've got you now, you dirty low-down so and so!' And his wife is hollering for him to stick me. I was so shocked I turned and ran. I later found out that the night before I tried to rob him and he'd gotten away. I'd been so drunk I just didn't remember.'

- George Foreman

'Basically, my style was always my own. I pressed. Once you get a guy in the corner, he has nowhere to go.'- Rocky Marci...
02/09/2025

'Basically, my style was always my own. I pressed. Once you get a guy in the corner, he has nowhere to go.'

- Rocky Marciano

'One time, Joe Frazier told me that there were three things going against me: one, I was black. Two, I was a southpaw. A...
02/09/2025

'One time, Joe Frazier told me that there were three things going against me: one, I was black. Two, I was a southpaw. And three, I was good. He was right, it was never easy.'

- Marvelous Marvin Hagler

'The thing about pain is, if you ignore it, it goes away. And then you're free. That's the kind of free I was. I didn't ...
02/09/2025

'The thing about pain is, if you ignore it, it goes away. And then you're free. That's the kind of free I was. I didn't care if I lived or died. That's where I lived. Didn't care anymore. My life meant nothing to me. And that's what made me stronger.'

- Johnny Tapia

George Foreman: "I knew that bitter taste of rejection when I lost my heavyweight boxing title to Muhammad Ali. Everyone...
02/09/2025

George Foreman: "I knew that bitter taste of rejection when I lost my heavyweight boxing title to Muhammad Ali. Everyone loves a winner, but few reporters want to interview the person who loses. My friends in Hollywood stopped calling me. When I was champion, Bob Hope called me to be on his shows. After I lost to Ali, he never called again. One rejection after another seemed to have a domino effect. Fewer people were asking for my autograph. The sports magazines wanted pictures of Ali instead of me. In the world of sports, sometimes you're only as popular as your last victory.”

5 years ago today Jake Paul turned pro. How do you rate his boxing career so far and what does he need to improve on?Jak...
02/09/2025

5 years ago today Jake Paul turned pro. How do you rate his boxing career so far and what does he need to improve on?

Jake said: “2020 to 2025, from not knowing boxing to becoming the face of it.”…

Sugar Ray Leonard: “Everybody says their era was the best, but we had Hagler, Hearns, Duran and me. Whoever Pacquiao and...
02/09/2025

Sugar Ray Leonard: “Everybody says their era was the best, but we had Hagler, Hearns, Duran and me. Whoever Pacquiao and Mayweather fought, you know who's going to win, you just don't know how. When we fought, maybe you bet on Hagler or Hearns or Duran or me. But you didn't bet your house on it.”

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