"James McLean Wants to Spar!" | Danny Simpson previews Misfits Boxing debut

what it's a strange one obviously I've covered boxing for a long time and S of the social media influencing influence of boxing came along and you know divided opinion and I think it's I don't think it's tried too much to sort of become to sort of get in boxing where it's kind of got its own thing and everyone's everyone's doing it how how aware of it were you before the last sort six weeks or so yeah I was I was aware of it and I've been like everyone else I've asked my mates and people what they think about it and I've asked loads of people and not anything the general consens was consensus was that um it's just bringing more fans to boxing and I spoke to someone recently as well and they're saying that the amount of kids now that are you know the gyms young kids are going in the gyms W you know getting boxing gos and going in so in that respect it's good but for me I've always been a boxing fan um what I thought I knew then and what I know now I very two very different things in terms of the skill and what I used to think someone when someone was winning a fight and stuff like that and know he looks like he's Levering him and he's just eting his his gloves and stuff and so even from my own knowledge it's it's been it's been even in the four or five weeks it's been H it's it's been like learning a completely new thing and I look at boxing completely different now it's like those fans of boxing who just shout things like you know just knock them out and then hey I was one of them you think why it's not I know and I've been having people saying that to me and I'm like it's not quite like that mate um but yeah listen I think I think Pratt you said you've been covering it and proper boxing fans and boxing people know the skill and and how difficult it is who was the first person to hit you in the face um yeah we we we the spa so what he was called it was called um he's called ped right and he um he was firing and bang he's caught me right right right there me and it was like right okay that's what it feels like um I don't think anything can ever prepare you for getting punched in the face um but yeah you have to just it's part of it and and and I've tried to just keep going um stick to what they've been taught uh and yeah I've been caught I've been caught and I've just been trying to to learn obviously on on Saturday night you I mean you're no stranger to perform but you'll be out there in front of thousands of fans so you can kind of understand the appeal to that but was there any point when you're in the gym you know no one's there it's a Tuesday afternoon and you're getting hit you're thinking what no what's this about I'd be lying if I said no we're we're human out way you know and and no do you know what it was a what what I've not about that CU I have been punched and stuff but what I have thought at time I was thinking them them doubts come in your mind of have I had enough time is it enough time am I learning this quick enough I've gone home certain days disheartened um but you said what am I doing U I'm in a gym full of pros and I'm looking at them and I'm like wow you know look how good you are and um but I think that's just been normal for everyone told me and I've took it on full on head on and I'm like I said with anyone I'm human and you know it's that you don't want to embarrass yourself but ultimately I got to remember I'm I'm not a boxer yes I played football but they're two different sports and ultimately is why I wanted to do it because I've missed the you know purpose and I've missed the challenges and I've missed I've missed football on a Saturday afternoon and this is kind of replaced that yeah did you were you one of those players who you know everyone talks about missing football you don't know what you'll do at the end of it but you just don't think about it because you think that'll be your you can't really see past your late 30s let's say yeah I was one of them just it's never just you kind of feel like it's never gonna happen to you um and all of a sudden it does and you're like question yourself like wow did I where's it gone how quick it gone did I enjoy it did I make the most of it and it's gone you can't get it back um and and I know what I'm about to do is he quite he's quite out there and his opposite yes walking out in front of crowds but you're with your teammates aren't you and if you're having a bad day you've got your mates to help you with this you're on your own um but again I've I've missed the prep I've missed the training I've missed I didn't realize as well like being in the dressing room I mean with my teammates football but then boxing walking in and they've been like my family for this last month you know from The Lads that I've been running with training with you know Pat the coach my nutritionist and and it's yeah it's i' Miss I've missed it talk about being on your own and you know yes as you say you've got your corner you've got your team but you know it is up to you do you think will you relish being responsible completely for what happened obviously your opponent but it's in your hands what you do with on the pitch you've got you know you could in the blame any one of other 10 other CL that's it yeah that's part of what what this is about is I think I'm you're going to learn a lot about yourself I think I already have I think I will do even more so come the night um I don't think anyone can prepare you to walk into a ring with 13,000 people you know on your own to have a fight in front of you know a lot of people on TV and it's growth in it I think you're going to you said is I know the consequences if things go can go one way or the other because that's what it is boxing but ultimately I think just taking on the challenge and giving it a goal is brave enough in itself um and uh and and yeah it's it's it's quite obviously ner bit of nerves but also bit of a bit of excitement and that's what I had when I used to walk out in in in the tunnel when I used to have big games and stuff know obviously you do have a profile I'm not saying you don't want but did missfit say why they sort of got in touch with you particularly to to fight yes so I it's weird because I I I'd probably said to Mom's like Mom's Taylor a long time ago yeah um I love boxing i' love to have a fight one day but you know you don't didn't really mean I I wasn't didn't think anything of it and I think what's happened is because it was Danny aens and I think because of his when he reached out it was out completely out the blue I just got back off holiday m r mz's wedding it was actually and and a stag do and he he just basically I think it could fit because with his with his uh his football you know his FIFA gaming and all that and obviously me being football ex footballer maybe it kind of works and obviously he's a Tottenham fan and stuff and his knowledge of football so he said it could work and I know it's last minute but you fany and that's where kind of where it came from I don't think if Danny was someone else and it wasn't maybe a football connection it might not have happened and I think that's kind of where it came from and obviously I was I'm retired and and available how much did you know of Danny before before this no I've said this before without any he knows this without being disrespectful I didn't know because we we're both from different worlds um the I think I don't sounds like I'm old right but it's the younger generation is it that know him right and I sound like one of those old X footballers that says oh yeah in my day but I'm you know I don't really do Tik Tok yes Instagram and that uh and the gaming and stuff it's not really me but I've obviously got to know I've got to learn and it's fair play to him you know with his the following and everything he does mate and I met uh not long ago I met angry ging and all these and you know what I mean it's and everything United fan any so but no it's it's it's all new to me this world and Steeps into their world haven't and you know even like around their you know the media stuff it's completely different to football have you had to try and build up a sort of rivalry in your head at all you've got I'm sure you've got nothing against Dan and vice versa but you do have to go in there and hit them is it is have you had to sort of yeah make him into some sort of enemy in your head you know what I think because it's been quite fast and like oh I only got conf confirmed a few weeks ago and yes I changed for a couple weeks before that and we just met a few times kind of hard to do that when he's not said don't know said anything he's been quite respectful so what you have to do is I'm have to like think about football and when I used to play against left Wingers and I used to have me one-on-one battles with them was come kickoff and get the it starting was right I have to win this battle with my left wing or whoever it was from Hazard to Bale whoever and go into mode then you know um and that was me S of like that was me focus and I think I going have to use that in this fight because he said as soon as that you know you walk in get ready in that Bell goes I have to try and draw back how I used to you know behave when it was football that Mak sense yeah yeah it does I know KSI is sort of promoting it so he's got to say big things but he said your footballing heritage is on the line in this fight which strikes me as you know maybe that's quite a lot but what what is what do you feel is on the L is there anything is it just a bit fun or um uh just I think intern just internal pressure really more on myself I don't think mate i' I said you can't say that really when you've been given four weeks to cut eight kilog eight and a half kilograms get fit and learn out of box and and the stay I don't I don't I think if if i' had a 12 weeks and stuff like that and I'd had a full thing I'm not making excuses but then I would think that but I think I've kind of just grabbed it and thought you know effort you know and football's fun thing and and and but the two different things and I know people keep saying oh yeah but he's been an athlete and stuff but he's not really that it's you can't that's just like saying any footballer can be a box or any boxer can be a footballer and you can't bit disres disrespectful to like boxing and the athletes and what they put themselves through because it's heavy what they doing on White Fire said that to the other day you know we have pre-season for four weeks boxing it's preseason every day and that's one thing I've realized so I know KSI has to say that um but I just think it's more about me going in and and giving giving an account of myself in the time I've been given yeah who can we expect any big names from your footballing pass to the ringside do you know what they all want to come if obviously it's greatest in dubling it's amazing I love doubling but yeah a lot of lads especially being transfer window this weekend and international Break um and in Dublin and they've got games and Saturday Ben Hill wanted to come I think Les got whated to go and he just got the England Co on the England coaching staff so I've just got like local mates that retired so like Fraser Campbell Chris Eagle some of my mates where Morgan couldn't make it um Michael Brighton he just retired he wanted to come but he's got work he's doing aler Villa game so it's a shame because like I said you know if it was in man now maybe another time in Manchester I'd love to see all the boys there to be fair like you know ringside it would be that' be quite special yeah and just finally whether you have another fight after this or not do you think it's something that's you will at least keep doing as part of just keeping in shape and and maybe it's good for mind and body yeah m i i i feel honestly if you would have whatever goes down me what if you would have seen me six weeks ago physically mentally to now it's two different people um and yeah it's even mental health and physically like I said it's I'll keep doing it it's it's it's just been like I said it's actually been really really good for me and just might oh like I'm just a better person now happier and you know even though it's tough so yeah I'm definitely going to going to keep it open and I said I've enjoyed like actually learning a new skill um because like I said every day there's something new that you're not doing right or this and this and because it's been you've been having to learn it like step by step within the time frame instead of being too much so yeah no definitely mate yeah definitely I know you probably asked this I asked this a lot but respectfully are there any football you like to fight oh it's hard to say that right now because do you feel like I'm representing footballs a little bit so I feel like it's football versus social media YouTubers so um I've said before I spoke to him only I'll say his name because I I used have those the battles of James McLean and he actually dm'd me and had a laugh for me about it and said we'll have to Spa sometime because apparently he's quite good um um but yeah no I think you know after this you I'm pretty sure I'm hoping actually like after this Lads do maybe other footballers that want to get into it as well and hopefully if I'm the first or I am the first and it might spare a few others to to have it a goal because I said it's been it's great for you especially if you're retired and stuff it's it's been it's been it's unbelievable [Music]