Читать книгу Greatest Ever Boxing Workouts - including Mike Tyson, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Roberto Duran - Gary Todd - Страница 11
ОглавлениеCountry: Australia
Date of birth: 2 June 1955
Wins: 48 (15 KOs)
Losses: nine
Draws: three
Australian Lightweight Champion
Commonwealth Lightweight Champion
Australian Light Welterweight Champion
IBF Super Featherweight Champion of the World
Fighting out of Melbourne, Australia, Barry Michael was a working-class man that the people could look up to and admire. In a 14-year professional career he travelled the world, chasing a dream, fighting guys like Najib Daho, Lennox Blackmoore and Rocky Lockridge.
Michael wasn’t a huge puncher but he wore his opponents down with his debilitating combination punching and a non-stop, in-your-face attacking style, which entertained fight fans every time he stepped through the ropes.
In his 60 fights, only two men would stop him: Lennox Blackmoore and Rocky Lockridge.
Blackmoore was a skilful boxer who carried his punching power right to the end of his fights. He stopped Michael in the seventh round of their non-title fight in 1978, and would later go on to challenge the legendary Light Welterweight World Champion Aaron Pryor for his WBA title in 1981, but was blasted out in two rounds by ‘the Hawk’.
Rocky Lockridge was a devastating puncher who had beaten Roger Mayweather for the WBA Super Featherweight title in explosive style, knocking him out in the first round in 1984. He also took the great Julio Cesar Chavez the distance in 1986, and, earlier in his career, narrowly missed out on a split decision to the brilliantly talented WBA Featherweight Champion, Eusebio Pedroza, in 1980.
When Barry Michael faced the dynamite-fisted American in 1987, Lockridge was at his awesome best and stopped him in eight rounds, taking away the tough Australian’s IBF Super Featherweight Championship belt.
This was the title that Michael had won from fellow Australian Lester Ellis in Melbourne, in 1985. Michael and Ellis fought out a gruelling 15-round battle at the legendary Festival Hall, with Michael dominating the final round to win on points and win the hearts and minds of Australian fight fans forever.
BARRY MICHAEL’S TYPICAL DAY
What time did you get up in the morning to run? 6:30am.
How far did you run? Ten kilometres [eight miles] took me 48 minutes.
After running, what did you do? Shower, then breakfast.
What did you have for breakfast? 1500-calories-a-day controlled diet: porridge, with skimmed milk, one piece of toast with vegemite, and one glass of orange juice. (No sugar or butter on the porridge.)
What did you do after breakfast? Back to bed for a few hours sleep.
What time did you go to the gym? 4:00pm.
What time did you finish your workout? Between 6:00pm and 7:00pm. (I also taught the kids in the gym when I finished.)
What did you do after training? I went home for my dinner.
What did you have for your dinner? Fish, steamed veggies with lemon juice and rice.
Did you have any interests or hobbies? I liked playing pool, I liked watching the fight tapes, and I also enjoyed reading.
What time did you go to bed? 10:00pm.
What was your favourite exercise in the gym? I loved sparring, I would spar anyone.
How many days did you train? Six days. Saturday off.
Did you have a job before you won the world title? Yes, I was a groundsman at Melbourne airport.
BARRY MICHAEL’S WORKOUT
WARM-UP: ten minutes.
SKIPPING: 15 minutes, non-stop.
SPARRING: work up from six rounds to 15 rounds. (Three sparring partners, always hard and fast.)
SPEED BAG: two x three minutes.
HEAVY BAG: two x three minutes.
FLOORWORK: sit-ups, leg raises, crunches. 300 total.
SHADOWBOXING: ten minutes non-stop.
(At the weekend, I occasionally ran 15 to 20 kilometres. Everything I did in the gym was hard and fast.)
