Interview Dated December 2006

Trainer Tim Knight

Tim Knight is one of the newest trainers to emerge on the Houston Boxing Scene. The 41-year-old native of Louisville, Kentucky fought professionally beginning in 1985, and while putting together record some might see as questionable at 17-43 with five KO's, on the flip side one would also have to acknowledge that anyone with 60 pro fights knows a good bit about boxing, training and the fight game in general. I spoke with him recently at the Savannah Boxing Club.


HBS - How'd you first get involved in boxing?

TK - I started boxing when I was eight years old. I got tired of getting beat up and getting chased on by other bullies. I went to the Boys Club and my trainer James "Biscuit" Roberts, a professional from the late fifties and early sixties, along with all the rest of the legendary champions from Louisville Kentucky, Billy Williams, Billy Hester and all the rest of them, a young Cassius Clay and so on and so on.

HBS - It must be a heck of a boxing atmosphere in Lousiville, the home of Muhammad Ali.

TK - Well it has a reputation but the business itself comes and it goes. You have promoters that bring in fighters such as Mike Tyson, Laila Ali, Riddick "Big Daddy" Bowe, and them bringing in some of the biggest names in the business to Louisville, Kentucky, and promoting the premiere club fights that are inconsistent. It is more a reputational thing rather than an actual activity.

HBS - Tell us about your career.

TK - I had a 13-year career as an amateur. I was a two-time Golden Gloves champion, a three-time Junior Olympic champion. I was a Junior Olympic Bronze Medalist. I had a successful amateur career and I had a professional career that extended for over 23 years. Been all over the world. Fought about 10 world champions. I was ranked 13th in the world by the N.A.B.F., and I was ranked in the top 30 by the W.B.C.

HBS - What weight did you fight?

TK - I fought five divisions. I fought middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight, cruiserweight and heavyweight.

HBS - So you moved up in weight. Tell us about your most memorable fight as a pro.

TK - My most memorable fight was when I fought Chris Tiozzo in Madison Square Garden. He went on to be world champ, and I fought in Rome, Italy with Buddy McGirt, he was the WBC Welterweight Champion and I fought a former cruiserweight champion named Massimiliano Duran. He was the former W.B.C. Cruiserweight Champion, I beat him and they robbed me like a dog. They took it from me.

HBS - So when did you finally quit boxing?

TK - I stopped fighting about five years ago because I felt like I had come to the end of my road and I had a fight against Duncan Dokiwari on the undercard of the HBO show, Vernon Forrest versus Shane Mosley II in Indianapolis at the Conseco Field House and I was running but I tripped and I just came to grips with myself that it was over for me. So I wanted to take my career to the next level and become a full-time sparring partner, and blossomed from sparring partner to trainer.

HBS - How'd you end up down here in Houston at the Savannah Boxing Club?

TK - When I was fighting I was a frequent sparring partner for Main Events and doing my training with Hall of Fame trainer Ronnie Shields. I always worked at his camp, beat up on his fighters, and I was coming to Houston, sparring with Dominic Guinn, and he had put a bug in Mr. Willie Savannah's ear that I had the ability to train fighters because of my long run and longevity and all my experience in my boxing career which extended over a 33-year period and Savannah said if he ever considered bringing in a trainer he was going to bring me in. I've been in Houston for eight months on full contract, working with the pros in the morning and the amateurs in the evening.

HBS - Tell us about some of the pros you're working with now and what you're working on with them.

TK - I've got Maurenzo Smith, better known as Tuffy, and I have Third Ward Billy and I've got Star Johnson and I've got Lupe Martinez. He's a good fighter, he only lost maybe once and what I'm working on now is trying to get inside these guys' heads to build their confidence up. We already know they can fight but I'm trying to help them fight the fight that they're fighting with themselves, which is a confidence problem, and trying to get inside their minds, lift their spirits up, and let them know that if they just put forth the effort, if they try hard and trust in God, and have faith, they can make it if they want to make it if they set their mind on it.

HBS - What are some of the most common mistakes you see fighters making?

TK - It's simple. One of the biggest mistakes is not getting to the gym on time. Then besides that, dropping their hands. A lot of these fighters I notice around here lack the number one ingredient in boxing: basics and fundamentals. If you don't have the proper basics and fundamentals, you ain't fighting.

HBS - Such as stance, balance, etc.?

TK - Feet at a 45 degree angle, on the ball of your right foot, slight bend in your knees, elbows at your side, right hand by the right side of your chin, chin tucked. Extending the jab to shoulder level, and rotating your upper torso when you throw the right hand.

HBS - Who's your favorite pro fighter right now?

TK - My favorite fighter right now is Floyd Mayweather. Floyd Mayweather does all the right things, his basics and fundamentals. His defense is spectacular. It's like he's invincible, you know? His defense is phenomenal. Right about now, when you talk about basics and fundamentals I like Floyd Mayweather and then Jermaine Taylor.

HBS - So you're going to keep training here and try to bring up a world champion.

TK - My goal is to become a world championship trainer. My goal is to develop a world champion and I want to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.