RG: If you had to compare your style of boxing to two legends that's ever done it in the ring, who would they be?
CMP: Pernell 'Sweet Pea' Whitaker and Meldrick Taylor.
RG: What are your feelings on the current state of men's amateur boxing here in the USA, especially with our disappointing performance in this year's summer Olympics in London? What needs to improve in order to regain respectability again around the world, in your opinion?
CMP: I just think that they need to take the politics out of boxing, and let the best fight the best.
RG: For boxing fans that are looking for the 'next big thing' in a sport that has struggled over the past few years - how would you promote your brand to convince them that you are the one to watch for the 'now' and for the future of boxing?
CMP: I want to be great both inside and outside the ring. I believe that how you conduct yourself outside the ring is what fans will connect with. I have lived a lot, seen a lot and having experienced what I have has helped me reach an awareness in the public by sharing my stories in such a way that others can find some comradery with me. I'm in the 'hurt' business and that's what I do every time I step in the ring. It's all about the victory in both my profession and my life. People are rooting for me and that's what motivates me to be all I can be. My brand is 'It's Doable' - all things are possible and I am living the dream. If I can do it, anyone can if they set their mind to whatever it is they want to do and achieve in life.
RG: You've sparred with some of the greats to ever do it in the square circle, such as Oscar De La Hoya and 'Sugar' Shane Mosley, just to name a few. How important were those experiences for you in your development early on?
CMP: First of all, I'd like to say it was a privledge to even be invited to spar with guys that have championship pedigree. Sparring with them showed me that I had what it takes to hang with the best, I had the talent and heart that it takes to be on their level and I had the talent it takes to one day be a champion. Looking across the ring and Shane Mosley or Oscar De La Hoya is looking back at you - it's a surreal thing - almost like 'Should I be here?'....It's amazing, and both of those guys said very encouraging things to me and said that one day I'd be a champ....What do you say to that?....I was both speechless and humbled.
RG: Do you worry at all about the risk of serious injury in this brutal sport? Do your children and loved ones worry about the physical danger that's involved in boxing?
CMP: I don't worry about it, and I don't say that to be flippant. I mean, if I worry - that takes the focus off the job at hand and off my opponent who's coming to beat me. Does it cross my mind? - Yes, but I train hard to not get hit or badly injured. I'm a WARRIOR, not a WORRIER!
RG: What's the best advice you can give to an athletically-talented young man/woman who has high aspirations to not only become a professional boxer in the future, but also become a successful citizen in the game of life?
CMP: I would tell any young male or female athlete to do everything it takes to be the best. Stay focused and healthy...Train hard...Dedicate yourself to your craft, and the rest will follow. Don't get sidetracked with distractions...Understand the measure of sacrifice it takes to get to the top....Don't let anyone or anything hold you back, and in life, treat people with respect and kindness. Take a few minutes to talk to a fan or sign your autograph on their picture because you never know what that gesture can mean to someone....Give your time to others and they will give theirs to you!
RG: What advice do you give to your two young children now that will benefit them in being the greatest adults they can be in the future?
CMP: I tell my children every day to be a leader, not a follower. Don't surrender to peer pressure, and always be kind to people. Education is a big thing to me....I want my children to go to college and get degrees. I want them to have fruitful lives, and I will always be in their corner, God willing. My children are great, smart and funny....They already have the foundations to build a bright future for themselves.
RG: Are you involved with any charities at this present time?
CMP: Right now, I am looking for a charity that will best suit my message. It will more than likely be something in the foster care system. I also want to do some type of fitness program and get kids and families involved in working out, eating right, etc. I want to also go back to my former high school and lend my name and support to them in anyway I can.
RG: In five-to-ten years from now, with God's will, Cleotis 'Mookie' Pendarvis will be -
CMP: The champion of the world in and out of the ring.....Living la vida loca (Laughs).....Healthy and being able to take care of my family the way they deserve to be! I'd like to thank my team: Warren Wilkerson, Pitbull Energy drink, Pitbull Boxing and my publicist Rachel Charles of Pitch INK Media! (Twitter.com @PitchINK)
www.pitbullboxing.com
Facebook.com/Cleotis 'Mookie' Pendarvis fan page
Twitter.com @MookieTheBoxer
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