Get to know Brentwood brawler Joe Mullender as a series of quickfire questions are thrown his way
Name: Joe Mullender
Record: (11-2 5KOs)
Weight: Middleweight
Born: Brentwood, Essex
Residence: Brentwood, Essex
DOB: 07/08/1986
Nickname? “Smokin' Joe.”
Favourite all-time boxer? “Joe Frazier.”
Favourite current boxer? “I’d have to say Golovkin. I like styles like Ruslan Provodnikov – out-and-out war merchants; a bit like my style, not a style that a boxing purist would love but one that a fan would love.”
Favourite fight? “I would say Gatti v Ward. Mickey Ward, again, one of my favourite fighters of all-time.”
Boxing clubs? “Five Star ABC – boxed for them as an amateur, then turned pro at Legends Gym in Dagenham.”
Amateur honours? “I won the London Senior Novices and got to the semi-finals.”
Biggest achievement in boxing? “Winning the English title.”
Toughest ever opponent? “First fight with Lee Markham, I had a broken hand and broken elbow on different arms! My left hand went in the fourth-round and I had an elbow injury before the fight and then that went in the fifth. It was my hardest fight to date; just getting through it, really."
Goals in boxing? “British title, at the minute.”
Retirement age? “For me, I’d like to say 35 or 36. I like to think of myself like Carl Froch, someone who’s always fit, I keep in shape and I want to box for as long as I can to win as many titles and earn as much money as I can.”
Team? “Jamie Williams is my head trainer, Alec Wilkey is my cut-man, Stevie O’Shea has been with me since I’ve turned pro, he’s been with me since day one in my corner and is like my old man in boxing! My two mates are with me all the time when I fight, that’s Mark Neatherway and Billy Smith, who also helps me a lot with my training by putting on the body suit in the gym for me. I want to mention my sponsors that back me – LMAC Construction, Grilla FitnessJ.Ebsworth Brickwork Services and AB Salute Gym and my Agent Tim Rickson, who gets me sponsorship backing and exposure."
Boxing style? “Aggressive!”
Ring walk song? “I have a little bit before I come out which is a saying from the film Snatch, which is basically, “I’m an ‘orrible c***!”, and then the tune from the film 300 starts. My manager Andy Ayling from and Box Nation put that together. It basically just sums me up!”
Pre-fight rituals? “I always go for a walk with my old man in the morning, done it ever since I first turned pro. Fight week, I always go away and stay at my dad’s so I'm away from my family. I need to be solely on my own to focus. My dad does all my nutrition and cooking, and he knows the crack, we have a routine, really.”
Favourite brand of gloves? “Cleto Reyes. Got a black pair, white pair, the red pair that I fought Lee [Markham] in, got loads of pairs; I’m very comfortable in Reyes gloves.”
Best venue? “The O2.”
Favourite football team? “Arsenal FC.”
Other sports? “Boxing and football. I also like car racing, I like fast cars like Formula 1.”
Favourite holiday destination? “Tenerife. Nice and easy with the kids and ain’t got to worry about anything. I’d love to take the kids to Disney in Florida when they’re old enough.”
Favourite TV programme? “Only Fools and Horses.”
Favourite film? “I’d have to say Forrest Gump.”
What actor would play you in a film of your life? “Loads of people say I look like Jason Statham.”
Favourite music? “House music.”
Favourite food? “Kebabs.”
Favourite restaurant? “Called Smith’s in Ongar, Essex.”
Favourite brands? “Adidas, I live in tracksuits.”
Favourite superhero? “Ninja Turtles.”
Phobias? “Snakes.”
Motto? “Not really got one but I focus on me a lot. I leave everything down to me so if I put the hard work in, then I know I’ve done my bit. If I don’t, then I’ve got no excuses. I know I’m not the most talented boxer so I have to put more work in, and I will always walk through more than what you’re willing to walk through.”
Next fight? “March 8 against Liam williams for the British middleweight title.”
What fight do you want to see happen this year? “Canelo v Golovkin is the fight I most want to see. I think GGG wins on overall strength and power. Canelo will start fast and outbox him to win the early rounds but he will get caught at some point and get worn down. There’s no quit in Golovkin and he’s a hard man. He’s mature, at his peak and at his strongest.”
If you could fight anyone, past or present, who would it be? “Someone who’s gonna’ stand there and have a fight like Mickey Ward. I can’t stand people that run from me, I want to be in fights where people wonder at how are we doing that, how are we still standing?”
Tell us something that not many people know about you? “I’m just a dad that gets in the ring and fights for money. I don’t go out, I stay at home with my family and everything I do is for my kids. I keep a roof over their heads and fight to hopefully give them a better life.”
Twitter? @joe_mullender