Winner of 2017 vacant WBC FECARBOX light welterweight and 2018 vacant WBC United States (USNBC) light welterweight title! Born in Trinidad Tobago he move to New York at the age of 6 years old. Brooklyn native, he has had a very difficult life growing up in the streets of Brooklyn. Mikkel has dealt with being in shootouts, friends being killed and doing prison. He was introduced to boxing by his friend’s father and now trains in the famous Gleason’s Gym. He also work as a full time data specialist in the ENT department at Mt. Sinai Hospital for more than ten years and recently received the Heroes for Humanity Award by WBC. Dive in!
JabtoJab: How do you think boxing could impact the young men and women life’s in USA?
Mikkel LesPierre: Boxing gives people a sort of substance to their life. It helps them develop discipline, mental toughness, helps people find out about themselves. It helped me stay out of trouble and gain the values needed to finish things thru no matter what it is. Also taught me who i was deep down inside.
What American boxing style have that other nationalities don’t have and where is it going in the future? American boxing style has its own positives and negatives but boxing in general is universal. So there is no 1 style that’s dominant. If it works and you can execute then its Ok. I don’t think its going anywhere it has stayed this way for so many years it can only get better. How? I’m not sure we will just have to wait and see.
Sports at close doors. It is a completely different challenge. We were in quarantine for several months. No competition rhythm. Less training. How was the physical and mental impact in an athlete like yourself? It was extremely difficult and challenging for myself especially training with no facilities open etc. if gyms were open i would have been in better shape, sharper and more prepared for my fight. Im a gym rat so when i would have gotten the call i would have been sharp and in shape already because i spar twice a week just to work on things. Being quarantined slowed that down and threw everything out of wack. I just made the best of the situation and did what was necessary to be as prepared as possible.
How was fighting in these new conditions? No fans, no familly, friends… Fighting with no friends of family was not that bad actually dialed in a little more because all you hear is your trainers command so you react faster but it would be better to have family and friends there to cheer you on for that extra motivation
How can professional athletes and coaches that depend of the events revenue, survive and overcome these difficult times? Did the American government give any kind of support? It all depends on your source of income, the government aided those that had their own businesses and were affected by the quarantine once they deemed, they were qualified. If coaches have their own business or self-employed then they would be ok. Probably not as good as them having a heavy flow of business but something is better than nothing. Pro athletes should have enough money to take care of their expenses including fighters. If not then idk, i have a 9-5 and I’m an essential worker so i was frontline when the quarantine started. Thank god!!!
We know your still fresh from your previous fight, but what are your professional goals for the rest of the year? Well as of right now I’m just going to enjoy my family and get some much-needed rest. I would like to fight again before the year is out in hopes that by then gyms are reopened and I can get a full and proper training camp. If not pick it back up the beginning of the new year and go from there. I’m far from finished with my boxing career just got to make some adjustments and keep pushing.