That’s how it was with me. If the gate of opportunity arises, then jump at it. Fuck the consequences, coz if you don’t act on it you may live to regret it. It’s like walking down a street and you see a security van pull up outside a bank and a hatch opens and two bags of loot are slung out. There’s just you, one guard and two bags of loot. What do you do?
Years ago I’d have chinned the guard and done a runner with the two bags. I’d have been a mug not to! Now I’ve no need to do that, but then I wouldn’t have hesitated. It’s a golden opportunity that 99 per cent of guys only dream of taking. They dream their boring lives away. Me, I’m what you call an opportunist. I’m just born lucky or unlucky, whatever side of the wall I’m on. It’s a prisoner’s duty to escape isn’t it? I’m not so sure nowadays. Maybe it’s just old age and the thought of forever being on the run. I guess I prefer to “walk out” the right way, simply as my crime days are well over.
Believe me now, you can’t relate to my world. It’s fucking crazy, inhabited by crazy people, and I love ’em all. I’ve grown up with loonyology. It’s in my blood, in my brain. I eat it, shit it, sleep it and I’m in control of it. Nothing or nobody can ever drive me over the edge again. I’m now the driver on this journey. You have to trust me. So put your tongue into my mouth in the dark. Will I or won’t I? Trust me …
Right now my last seven years have been closed visits. I’ve not had a hug for over seven years. I actually feel dehumanized. I probably am. I no longer feel human. I feel different, not the same. Bear in mind that I’m forever in isolated conditions. Hey, people shout about human rights, well let me tell you something: human fucking rights don’t exist for Bronson. I’ll tell you now. I don’t have animal rights let alone human rights. It’s a fact.
I’m a born poet but yet to be discovered. I’m a philosopher but silent within. The late Lord Longford told me I’m a genius. How? Why? Don’t ask me. I don’t know. I’m an artist. I’m an author. Me. So how the hell does my label stick to me like shit to a blanket? Somebody tell me before the hearse arrives. Tell me before my bones crumble. For God’s sake fucking put me out of my misery.
WALKING ALONG THE EDGE
A tightrope
No net
No harness
Just you and the drop
The bottomless hole
Black as the night
No stars, no moon
Only shadows
Have you ever been there
Well?! Have you?
Have you felt that sweat drip down your spine
The stinging of the eyes
The tremble of the lips
That’s looking at hell
You can smell it
You can taste it
It’s in your veins
The big rush
Like a volcano in your heart
Just waiting
Throbbing
Pulsating
Bubbling away
Have you been there?
Come on … tell me
If you’re afraid to say then whisper
You’re safe with me
Trust me
I’m one guy you can trust
I know how it is
I’ve lived on the edge all my life
A fingertip job
Hanging on, holding on for the hell of it
Laughing all the fucking way
I’ve laughed so hard I’ve shit myself
Everything is so fucked up
It’s unreal
A giant circus
Forever on the road
I can’t get off
Of course I tried
Many times
It don’t work
It’s in your blood
You are what you are
Accept it
The sooner you accept yourself
The sooner you laugh
Tears turn to laughter
Fear turns to pleasure
Pain becomes a thrill
Join the circus
The Bronson Loonyology Tour
Grab a midget
And throw him as far as you can
Yippeeeeeeeee!
Look at the little fucker fly
Look at the bearded lady
The lizard man
The two-headed dog
We love ’em all
I mean them all
Monsters in human form
Men and women from the unknown
We loved the Elephant Man
We love an ugly bastard
Don’t you?
Political correctness
Kiss my arse
You fucking wimps
Keep away from the tents
It’s not for wankers
Seeing is believing
Believe or fuck off
Faith and hope and ugliness
Wicked
Pukka
Magical
It’s my old woman all over again
The Queen of Tarts
The local bike
Don’t forget to pay the bitch
No freebies
And wipe your shoes before you go in
And don’t wipe your dick on my towel
Why?
Coz I’ll rip your head off
That’s why
So what’s it gonna be, buddy?
My way or your way
Sheep or lion
Butterfly or maggot?
Make up your mind, you sad bastard
It’s your life
Your journey
Your crash
It’s not if … it’s when
But you’re gonna crash
We all crash in the end
One way or the other
Fast or slow
It don’t make no odds
Your time will come
Until it does
Go kick some butt
Kick it black and blue
Keep on kicking till you die
Die kicking
Kick it till the light goes out
Smash your way out of this ugly world
Don’t crawl out, OKAY?!
DAVE “BOY” GREEN (UK)
Former British and European Welterweight Boxing Champion
Introducing … Dave “Boy” Green
THIS IS THE first of two contrasting interviews by writer, actor, martial arts expert and former doorman Jamie O’Keefe. An undeniably hard man himself, in this interview Jamie talks to British and European Welterweight Boxing Champion Dave “Boy” Green about what really makes a tough man tough.
As a professional boxer, under the guidance of his manager Andy Smith, Dave won the British Light Welterweight championship against Joey “The Jab” Singleton of Liverpool on 1 June 1976. A few months later, on 7 December 1976, Dave also won the European Light Welterweight championship. Three months later at Wembley, as a final eliminator to challenge for the WBC (World Boxing Council) title, Dave “Boy” Green fought former WBC World Champion John H. Stracey and won, earning Dave a shot at the WBC title.
Dave’s first WBC welterweight bout was on 14 June 1977 at Wembley against Carlos Palomino of Los Angeles. “I was winning the fight right up to the tenth round when my eye closed up and he knocked me out in the eleventh. Full credit to Palomino, it just shows you what world champions are made of,” remarked a humble Dave. It was the first time Dave “Boy” Green had been floored as a professional.
Andy Smith got Dave another fight for the world title against Sugar Ray Leonard on
31 March 1980 in Maryland, USA. He was knocked out in the fourth round and respectfully says of Sugar Ray; “That man was the best man I have ever seen in my life. I honestly believe that even if I had trained for twenty-five years I would have never beaten him.”
Dave “Boy” Green’s final bout was on November 1981 at the Royal Albert Hall against New York-based Reg Ford, a one-time sparring partner to Thomas Hearns. Smith retired Dave in the fifth round with cuts and closing left eye. It was the correct decision to end Dave Green’s formidable career as one of Britain’s most popular and exciting fighters.
Dave still lives Chatteris, runs a successful business, takes part in charity golf events and is a respected member of the local community. His success can be summed up by Sugar Ray Leonard: “Dave was a brave fighting man who never gave less than 100 per cent whenever he put the gloves on. He is a warm human being who does tremendous work for charity, and I’m thrilled he has made such a success in business.”
The reason for including two Jamie O’Keefe interviews in this book is to show the complete contrast in beliefs, thoughts and philosophies between a trained and professional boxer, who is not a criminal and has never been to prison, and, later in the book, a champion bare-knuckle street-fighter who has served many years inside. In their professions both are, unquestionably, some of the hardest and toughest men on the planet, but for each toughness has manifested itself in completely different and contrasting ways.
A CHAMPION
By Jamie O’Keefe
Jamie: Dave, we have known each other for over fifteen years now. We also worked for a year together on a project, giving us plenty of time to get to know each other. At the time, we were both proficient in our own fighting arts. Yours being boxing and myself with martial arts yet even then when things became a little strained or we clashed on things, neither of us ever resorted to physical solutions or attempted to use our art to resolve things. For me personally, I was in awe of you and your achievements in boxing and had bundles of respect for you but I don’t think you ever recognized it as such. From my perspective, you were bit of a tough guy who had a heart of gold. I truly admired you. Many people took to you as their boxing hero and would certainly regard you a tough guy. What are your thoughts on that?
Dave G: Well as you say, at the time you knew more of me due to the TV coverage than I did of you as a martial artist but the word that really comes to mind is respect! And that’s what it’s all really about. You knew that I worked very, very, hard to get where I got and the word respect is what it’s all really about.
Jamie: Do you feel that some people are naturally more respectful than others though, because there are a lot of disrespectful people around.
Dave G: Oh yeah! There is definitely. But I think that people respect you for different things. If you’re in a pop group and have a hit, some people respect you for that. If you are a boxer and make it to the top, some people respect you for that too. If you’re a politician some people respect you for that. It’s all down to the effort you put into something that makes people respect you for that particular thing.
Jamie: Do you think that discussing a problem is much better than resorting to violence? Because you fought Sugar Ray Leonard and many other boxers, over 105 amateur and forty-one professional fights, so being physical and using your fists to solve a problem would have come easy.
Dave G: Yeah, but that’s not the answer. It never finishes there does it! It just goes further and further and adds more people into the world of violence, including your family, etc.
Jamie: So you much prefer the discussion approach to the fighting approach!
Dave G: Absolutely! Every time.
Jamie: If I were to ask you what you feel makes tough guys tough, what would your answer be?
Dave G: Well to me, I think you’re born with it. It’s a mental attitude, it’s determination, you’re either tough or you’re not tough. I do think it helps, as well, coming from a rough background, although I’m an exception to the rule. I did not live in a rough area, my parents always loved me but you find that a lot of rough fellows come from rough upbringing.
Jamie: But that wasn’t the case for you?
Dave G: Not at all. My father had a farm; he was a farmer. I think I just had the determination to get to the top.
Jamie: Do you think you would have succeeded in anything that you went into?
Dave G: Well my manager Andy Smith said to me that I should go into business when I finished boxing and he was right. I’ve proved again that I can be successful. I have a company and factory that has been distributing to all the major banks since I left the ring, I have six houses, timeshares in Florida, a couple of Cash Converter stores, stocks and shares, and so on. I’m not saying this to be flash. I’m just trying to make the point that it was in me to succeed in whatever I went into.
Jamie: Your success is not that common for retired boxers, is it?
Dave G: Definitely not. In fact it’s not that common for sports people in general. When I turned professional and got married I had absolutely nothing! All my money came afterwards. I had a very good manager who looked after me and made sure I looked after my money and taught me the right ways to do it. I think whatever you do in life, you need somebody above you to look after you and make sure you do the right things. I was very lucky in that aspect because Andy Smith was like a father figure to me. He made me realize that boxing only goes on for so long, maybe six, eight to ten years. Mine was only seven years but he made me realize that there is a lot of living to be done afterwards and I’m pleased I took his advice.
Jamie: Yeah, I suppose you could have ignored his advice and stayed in boxing and ended up with nothing.
Dave G: Absolutely, that’s why he was such a good manager. I had won two British titles, two European titles and fought twice for the world championship and I was never going to be in the position to fight for a world title again so I took his advice and got out and did something else while I could.
Jamie: So to put it into a nutshell, you were born with that ability, and didn’t go and actually learn how to be tough.
Dave G: No, I don’t think so. I’ve always had it in me. I used to play a lot of football, then progressed to boxing, but was always aggressive with everything I went into. I would always put 120 per cent into everything I did, no matter what it was I was doing. It’s determination.
Jamie: I believe that anyone can go to a class and learn the physical, psycho motor skills, the physical movements, like taking a young lad through the movements of boxing, karate, etc. Also, I believe you can teach them how to think. For example, if a certain type of punch is thrown to bob, weave, duck, whatever. You can teach them to do certain combination of punches which draws on the cognitive thinking side like, but I do not feel that you can learn the feelings, attitudes, emotions, and values that you get from affective learning, which I believe can only come from your upbringing and life’s experiences, making you what you are, be it tough or soft, bully or victim, etc. What is your view on this?
Dave G: I think you’re born with it. You’re either an aggressive person, or have the will to win, toughness, call it what you want. You just can’t put that into someone; you’ve either got it or you’ve not got it.
Jamie: Toughness sounds a silly word but it’s convenient to use for the purpose of my research.
Dave G: Yeah, but I understand what you’re trying to say. Toughness comes in many different ways.
Jamie: Of course, but many people have watched people like yourself, Mo Hussein, Terry Marsh, etc. in the ring and want to be like that. They want to know what makes you that tough.
Dave G: I’m not tough in the world. I’m just as friendly as anybody else in real life. But when I put a pair of gloves on and got in that ring, my personality changed.
Jamie: That’s the same thing Mo Hussein said to me when I approached him for an interview; “I’m not tough.” It appears that all the guys that are tough in their own arena are also very modest
and humble and try to play down their aggressive, tougher side. If I was the most passive person on this planet, afraid of my own shadow, could I be trained and converted into a tough guy, afraid of no one?
Dave G: Again I would say no! You’re born with it, you just can’t teach people to be tough.
Jamie: You’re well known for your boxing ability and obviously you have had exposure to boxers of all levels. Does a boxing title mean someone is tough? If not, what does it represent?