Malik Scott Interview: Deontay Wilder Has Huge Options, He Would Knock Ngannou Out!

 

Former professional boxer turned world championship level trainer Malik Scott has spoken about the current state of the heavyweight division in an exclusive interview with Spaceportsweden.

Scott has teased a blockbuster match-up between Deontay Wilder and Francis Ngannou which could take place in Africa, as he continues to train the former world champion boxer.

Scott has also discussed how he cleared the air with Jamie Carragher, how his wife Kate Scott could make her boxing debut and why Micah Richards can be the Misfits heavyweight world champion.

Deontay Wilder vs Francis Ngannou, what are your initial thoughts? Is it something that excites you and Deontay?

Malik Scott: ”It’s tough because at this point of our lives, especially Deontay, I would believe that any fighter that’s in the second half of their career that has had this much success, what gets them excited is the revenue. It’s the number. That’s what would get them going and get them motivated – and get him going and get him motivated. He has to be paid very, very well. Like every other athlete has to be paid very well, that’s in the second half of their career.

”It’s something to get excited about because it’s Wilder and Ngannou. Especially them doing it in Africa, two African kings going at it and basically providing a better life – not that they don’t have a good life, but they adding on to the life that they had – going against each other for the type of money that they will make. And doing it in Africa would be incredible. And if there’s one man that can get this done, it’s Turki Alalshikh.”

What ballpark figure are we talking about that Deontay needs to be offered to take the fight?

MS: ”Deontay and Ngannou fighting in Africa. That’s really tough because it’s not a title-sanctioning fight, it’s more of a fight for the entertainment of two big men, two big punchers going at it. So the type of number that it would take, there is no telling. I don’t think any of us would know that besides Deontay and Ngannou. But I also hear Ngannou. I’ve seen a couple interviews where the only name that he’s saying is Deontay.

That’s a good thing because Deontay is big time boxing. It goes to show, regardless of his last couple of outings, he still has big options out there on the table. And it’s just up to him on not just what he wanna do, but when he wanna do it and if he wanna do it.”

I’m sensing maybe the motivation isn’t there unless it’s a big payday. Is that roughly where we are?

MS: ”No, I would say that’s a wrong read, but I would definitely say the revenue is very imperative. It is very important because these fighters are getting in here putting their lives on the line, especially Ngannou.

Ngannou knows what it feels like to get knocked out cold. He experienced that the first time when he stepped into a boxing ring. And Deontay knows what it feels like to get hit with big shots by these big heavyweights guys.

So it’s not just Deontay. I believe this is very important for Ngannou too. It should be important for all fighters, all heavyweights. These are two concussive punchers. Money is very imperative. Them going against each other. Money is definitely imperative.”

How do you evaluate how Francis Ngannou dealt with being put down by Anthony Joshua?

MS: ”It was a heavy knockdown. The knockout was even worse. But I will say this, those right hands that he hit AJ with, those right hands could clip any man. Especially that second right hand.

When Ngannou got up after the first knockdown, he was still out on his feet. I don’t even know how he got up. But when that second right hand from AJ hit him, anybody AJ would have hit with that right hand would have been lights out – because that’s AJ.

AJ got a chance to get his back foot on him. He had a chance to bend his knees. He had the chance to put his right shoulder back and he delivered everything from his right side and went right through Francis Ngannou. I don’t know nobody that that same punch wouldn’t have affected like that. So we can’t really judge that because it would be different when he fought Tyson Fury. Tyson Fury couldn’t do that. Nothing, nowhere near close to that.

We shouldn’t judge him really off the AJ fight. We shouldn’t really judge him off getting hit with Anthony Joshua’s best shot and being knocked out cold. Everybody that Anthony Joshua hit with his best shot, they all have been out cold. Ngannou was concussed, very much so. He came out there, he was trying to jab, trying to move his head. He’s not a boxer. He’s just doing a little bit that he learned in a short time.

You’re wrong to expect him to go out there looking like a boxer. He wasn’t gonna go out there looking like that and don’t forget he’s in there with Anthony Joshua. It was really just a matter of time, the way the fight was progressing in such a short time. It was a matter of time and AJ was really switched on that night and when AJ is switched on like that, he’s very dangerous.”

What do you think of Francis Ngannou saying he is a bigger puncher than Deontay Wilder?

MS: ”I haven’t seen Ngannou work enough with 10 ounce gloves in a boxing ring. Is he a big, strong, heavy-handed guy? Yes. But with Deontay, Deontay’s power is blessed because he gets to the target so fast. He puts his hip through you, he puts his shoulder through you. It’s just so many different dynamics with the way Deontay has always knocked guys out.

He has a long resume of knocking guys out cold. That didn’t happen overnight. I haven’t seen Francis Ngannou enough in a boxing ring to think his power comes close to Deontay Wilder’s. I just haven’t.”

What are your early evaluations of Francis Ngannou as a boxer?

MS: ”When he fought Tyson Fury, I was very impressed. I’m a fair man, so I like to be fair and be honest at the same time. When he fought Anthony Joshua, the fight went so quick. The first big shot he got hit would basically put him down.

But we got to give this dude credit. He’s coming right into boxing, fighting the cream of the crop. This is totally different. He’s fighting the cream of the crop knockout artists. He’s not like Conor McGregor that’s coming over to boxing and you’re fighting the cream of the crop but the cream of the crop is a boxer – somebody that uses angles, gets on their toes. You’re going to get plucked up a little bit but you ain’t going to get concussed fighting Floyd Mayweather.

Francis left the Octagon, came to boxing and is fighting guys that can concuss you. In the heavyweight division it is a totally different type of decision that he made than these other guys that tried to go into boxing.  He hopped right out of the Octagon and went in with the heavyweight champion of the world. That’s a movie. Francis Ngannou, his journey is a movie. They have to be doing his story.”

Will Deontay Wilder put Francis Ngannou to sleep?

MS: ”I think Francis Ngannou is doing well. I think he’s a very brave man, I think he’s very courageous. He’s always called out the best in the UFC. He’s calling out the best in boxing. His journey is unmatched. He literally earned it the hard way. Everything he had, it came from his hard work which is his hands.

If we get to go against him he is going to get to feel the wrath of Deontay Wilder because the closest thing he felt to it was AJ. But AJ and Wilder power is different. So if he thinks AJ can hit him with his best shot and hurt him, imagine if Deontay Wilder hit him with his best shot. He goes to sleep, just like he did with Anthony Joshua.”

How do you prepare Deontay Wilder for Francis Ngannou?

MS: ”There’s enough footage of him to do film study because his base is his base. His MMA base is a little bit different from his boxing base because he’s just not a boxer. So his MMA base is a lot more mastered because he did that longer. But his boxing base isn’t really that good. It looked like something that he’s trying to get better at.

He’s learning on the job and he has committed to a hell of a task to be learning on the job. Usually when guys are learning on the job they fight basically nobodies and they get to learn their craft on the job. Imagine you’re a football player but you’re going against the Eagles in your first game. You have to commend him.

We’d put it together and Deontay would go in there and be himself. And if Deontay gets to him the same way AJ got to him, then he’ll be knocked out again.”

Where is Deontay Wilder’s mind at right now?

MS: ”He got through a lot of recovery stuff that he was doing to his body. He’s really just into real estate, working out, spending time with his kids. He went so long without having time to do so many things that now that he has the time, he’s really just zoning in on it. I’m about to see him now in a little bit too.”

What happened with fighting on the BLK Prime Card in April?

MS: ”We’re in a place now where things can be true and things can’t be true. And we’re in a clickbait time now too, so you gotta keep in mind that you just never know the truth.

So the way I handle that is I go right to the source. And if I can’t get the information from the source, then that means nothing must be happening. And if it is happening, then you will hear from the source. I know if the deal is big enough and Deontay Wilder’s involved in it, then we will all hear from Deontay Wilder.

But what I can tell people is he’s so happy with his investment in real estate. He’s so happy to spend this much time with his kids. He did everything right to make sure that boxing is not something that he needs.  Boxing is not something that Deontay needs. He’s always been keen on being in the position that he’s in right now.”

Does Deontay Wilder carry on or does he retire?

MS: ”Fighting is in Deontay’s heart. He’ll fight again. Deontay will fight again. He just moves on his own terms and does things how he wants to do them. Especially when it comes to the business aspect of things because like I said he doesn’t need this, so he ain’t going to do it if all the terms are not right.

He’s still Deontay Wilder. He’s still big time boxing and people still want to see him. He’ll fight again.”

Is Turki Alalshikh going to keep coming with the money?

MS: ”What Turki has done with boxing has been crazy. Think of a match that you could think of and you’d be like ‘Wow, I would love to see them fight’. It’s either that fight is getting made or it’s cooking and about to get made

If Turki says he wants Deontay Wilder and Francis Ngannou in Africa and both of them want to do it, then the fight is going to happen.”

What country in Africa could the fight take place?

MS: ”I don’t know but Deontay always wanted to fight in Africa anyway. So I’m sure he’s very excited about it. If there’s something that he’s going to entertain, this is something he’s always wanted to do anyway.

There’s so many times he was supposed to go over there just to visit and do a couple events for people that wanted him to come over. So I’m sure if everything is right he definitely wouldn’t mind going over there.”

How big is Deontay Wilder vs Francis Ngannou in Africa?

MS: ”The best way I can answer that is we know Ngannou wants to do it. Turki is saying this thing can happen. Deontay is going to fight again. So it’s all just a win. Boxing fans can be very fickle sometimes. And not just the fans, just the way things go.

I don’t know when the last time Francis was in the ring so there’s just no telling. I know he wants the Wilder fight. He always speaks about it. But we just have to see. Him and Deontay will do big numbers, especially in Africa.”

What was your CBS debut like?

MS: ”They came in and basically asked me if I would mind hopping on for the segment. We went over it for about two minutes and it literally happened at the end of the game. It was a real spontaneous move.

I hopped on, people enjoyed it, I enjoyed it. You know how I feel about that panel. It was just good. And Jamie has been getting it ever since.”

When did you make the decision about the hoodie?

MS: ”Well I had that hoodie and we just put a little flare onto it for the show. It was good. People loved it. About six or seven months ago, Jamie Carragher was on the Champions League coverage – he works on the panel with my wife, Kate Scott, Thierry Henry, and Micah Richards – they were doing a game and it was an outside game and Kate was explaining to Jamie that she was loyal to Manchester United.

Jamie acted like he didn’t hear it so he said ‘Loyal to who? Not to Malik.’ And that went pretty bad. And it was probably the wrong kind of joke. And it just got out and when the word got to me, I put a couple of statements out that really went crazy. 

I was just verbally protecting my wife on the internet about that thing Jamie said. So time passes and here I am at the game the other day and I have my Champions League sweatshirt on and the best panel on sports is up there.

They came to me asking would I hop on the last segment. I didn’t have the hoodie like that but by the time I got up there I had Jamie’s name crossed out and they basically asked me what I had on so I opened the shirt and I said, ‘I’ve got to get me another one because I basically crossed Jamie’s name out on that’. That was a little get back at him from the beginning of the story, just the comment that he said about Kate.

Then as the show went on they were asking me my favorite (on the panel). Of course, I’m going to say my wife. The one that I married is my favourite, Kate Scott. Then I said Micah. Then Jamie said, ‘Who’s next?’ I looked at Jamie with a face and I said, ‘Don’t you do it, Jamie’. And then we all had a good laugh and it was just good.

It was a really good experience. That’s a very good crew. Best panel in sports in my opinion, chemistry wise. The producer really hit it right on the button with them. They got a great thing going. It was incredible. They got the right individuals there and it was fun more than anything.”

Do you regret saying you would turn up in a physical manner to Jamie Carragher unless he apologised?

MS: ”I didn’t have any plans on fighting Jamie. But at the same time, I put it out there because my wife was hurt and I’m here to protect my wife and that was that. But Jamie, when we see each other, we shake hands, give each other big daps, have a laugh and move on.”

Social media said Jamie looked a bit intimidated by you. Do you want to shut that down?

MS: ”It wasn’t his first time seeing me. We’ve seen each other earlier. Me and Jamie always see each other, so it’s not an intimidating thing. It’s just a respect that men have with each other. That’s all it is.

I respect him, he respects me, and my wife respects him, and he’s going to respect my wife. And he does respect my wife.”

There’s no grudge there at all?

MS: ”Not at all, man. No. I love that whole panel. All love.”

We saw you with Micah on the pads. Has he got a bit of power?

MS: ”To my shock, he was very coordinated. It didn’t take me long to get him in a good base at all. You could tell he dibbed and dabbed with boxing before.

I put him through a good session. We got together that morning, did a good session. I think we had some coffee beforehand or after, something like that, and talked about life. Micah’s good. Heavy-handed, obviously strong. He’s not slow. Athletic and got coordination. I enjoyed the whole session. I’m trying to get him in another session.”

Do you think he could be Misfits heavyweight world champion with you training him?

MS: ”If he wanted to, absolutely. I’m backing Big Meeks, baby. If he he wanted to do it I would train him, I would get with him and he would go and win that s***. Absolutely.”

If you trained Micah from 12 years old, do you think he could have made it as a fighter in any way?

MS: ”He’d be the heavyweight champion of the world. If he trained since he was 12 years old and I trained him the whole time, he’d be the heavyweight champion of the world.”

What about Kate’s boxing debut?

MS: ”It’s the schedule more than anything. The schedules just don’t go. We just do so much,

But that’s something that is always on the table. We just have to find the time. It’s very time consuming to get in a full camp, five days a week, working in between time. We talked to Mams (Taylor) about it a few times, he’s definitely still interested. They will love it on a platform, just to make the time. That’s all.”

Does that happen this year in your opinion?

MS: ”There’s no telling. I can’t even say, I doubt it. But it’s never no telling. You get those pockets of time, you’re able to do it.”

Is your son a future champion?

MS: ”Absolutely. He’s fighting at 140lb in the Golden Gloves right now in Pasadena, California. So once he wins that, there’s going to be other tournaments. He’s going to do it the right way, you got to get these amateur fights in, then we go from there.

But more than anything he has incredible character. I’m big on character because that’s something I’m always praying for. So it’s the character first, then it’s the athletes, then the goals get accomplished.

So more than anything, right now we are getting his bags ready, we’re about to go to the gym. He’s just left school. He’s in college. Go to the gym, come back, have dinner, then move on to the next day.”

How is married life treating you?

MS: ”Incredible, best thing that ever happened to me.”

Has it changed you as a person?

MS: ”I’m sure it has. I don’t smoke in the house. I have my man cave, though, so it’s cool.”

Is Tyson Fury retired?

MS: ”I don’t think so. He said that but I think he and Anthony Joshua will fight.”

What do you think happened to Daniel Dubois?

MS: ”I do not know. He got sick from what I heard. But I do know one thing, I hope whatever it is that they got it taken care of, that he’s better because it’s health first.”