I recently sat down with First Ever Inductee to the Hall Of Fame, First Ever 4-Division World Champion, the only former Jr. Middleweight to go on to win the World Heavyweight Championship, Successful promoter, Undefeated, CyruS "Touch oF SleeP" ViruS, and here is what he has to say in this candid interview.


FH : How are you today, TOS?

TOS : I'm good. Making money.

FH : Congrats on the success of the Only Built 4 TOS gym. You currently have 2 World Champions including Joan Guzman the #1 pound for pound fighter in the world and the greatest lightweight of all time.

TOS : I appreciate that. I tell you that Guzman has really made me proud. 7-Times Lightweight champion and if you including his other 2 weight division titles he is a 9 time World Champion and the best fighter in the world. I used to think and sometimes still do, that I am the greatest fighter of all time but Guzman has beaten on everyone in his path, he is truly a special fighter.

FH : You don't think you are the best fighter ever anymore?

TOS : Sometimes. Other times when I am at the arena and see some of these fighters I just think to myself, "look at all these fuckin bums."

FH : You've been getting called out regularly by Dipsy Gawn and Harold Angus. So first part of this question is, what do you think of Dipsy Gawn calling you out for a fight?

TOS : I don't think anything of it. He's 6 foot 10, 213 pounds, 20 title defenses at heavyweight. He's been in life and death struggles against pretenders which is why alot of people don't respect him or his fighting style. Hell, If I was in his position and I was that big and people didn't respect me I would call out an undefeated HOFer Jr. Middleweight aswell. Easy fight.

FH : So you don't believe you can beat Dipsy?

TOS : I'm saying that matchup is just mythical. Not even probable. If we had the same weight, same height etc. etc. I'd whip his ass all over the united states.

FH : Part 2, your thoughts on Harold Angus calling you out for a fight?

TOS : Man, fuck Harold Angus.

FH : Care to elaborate?

TOS : We're beating a dead horse. I called him out when I was at Middleweight and he was the cruiserweight champion and he didn't want any then. When Harold switched gyms and started training at the Krumbsnatcher, they wanted to book Harold into tuneup/bum fights so they could train Harold into their style of fighter. When I retired with the heavyweight title, Harold started calling me out. I'm not like those other Krumbsnatch fighters, I don't "retire" and then come back to fight 2 weeks later.

FH : So you won't ever fight Angus?

TOS : Never say never in this business but I don't see it. Harold has been retired and isn't a pound for pound fighter anymore. He's not a champion. Nobody is clamoring for that fight. Back in the day Harold didn't want to give me a fight, so I won't give him a fight.

FH : Is this a case that you believe Harold needs you more than you need Harold?

TOS : Yes. I mean look at me, who the hell is going to go from being Undisputed Jr. Middleweight Champion all the way to the World Heavyweight Championship? Nobody. I never lost a fight, I don't see the point.

FH : The sport seems to be on a downslide and in need of more stars, you coming back to fight would be a shot in the arm the sport needs. Everyone saw what you could do promotion wise for the sport when you fought Jerry "The Moose" Drake for the Lineal Heavyweight Title in an exhibition bout. Nobody had ever seen that kind of promotion before, you really got the people talking.

TOS : That's because I am one hell of a promoter. I still believe in order for the sport to grow, it needs to stop relying on the old guard and move on with the new guard headed by Joan Guzman although Guzman doesn't have much time left.

FH : Are you saying Joan Guzman is going to retire soon?

TOS : Possibly, Guzman and myself have to sit down and talk about that. No one has ever had the schedule he has had. He's been beating on undefeated #1 contenders like no other fighter before him. Taking on the unknowns with no regard. So when some people like to argue that Gamboa is the #1 P4P Fighter, I simply ask them, "The fuck are you smokin dawg?"

FH : Let's change gears and talk about your career. What were thoughts when you had your debut fight against Diego De La Vega?

TOS : Tough fight. Vega already had a headstart of my ass because he was undefeated at 1-0. Good outside range fighter, If I remember right he banked the first 5 rounds.

FH : Ringsiders had the fight 105-104 for you going into the 12th round.

TOS : Yeah, close fight. He went for broke on the 12th and I hit him with the ridiculous right hand. It was a thing of beauty.

FH : Who would you say was your most difficult opponent?

TOS : That's a good question. Scoring wise it would have to be Bugsy "Long" Gawn, the only fighter to come close to getting a W off of me. I think that's the fight I won by majority decision. Besides that, I would have to say Larry Holmes because of the size difference between us.

FH : Your easiest opponent?

TOS : National Velvet. This guy was a cruiserweight knockout machine and I blasted his ass (no homo) in one round. Everybody was talkin about that fight when it was over.

FH : Is there anything you regret in your career?

TOS : Not a damn thing. I've done amazing things that nobody will ever replicate.



Stay tuned for part 2 of this interview... but here is a preview....


FH : Let's cut the bullshit Sleep, How big of a deal does there has to be to get you in the ring again for a major fight?

TOS : You wanna keep a real dawg? First of all, watch yo mouth befo I break yo face. Secondly, You wanna know how much it's gonna take me to get in the ring? Shiiiiittttt, I'll let you know right now . . . .

Great interview. Ive gotta say an Angus vs. TOS bout wouldnt hype me up anymore... Angus isnt the dominant Cruiserweight champion anymore, hes just there taking on bumbs. But probably it wouldnt even be possible to rule Cruiserweight because I think the division is pretty good right now.

Nice interview, looking forward to reading the next installment.

Angus is just keeping busy and his next fight against Shabazz isn't a bum fight. Shabazz is a good fighter so it'll be a nice win if Angus gets it.

I still think Angus-TOS is a good fight and I still think Angus is the best cruiserweight around. Fought everyone at the weight and never lost at the weight.

Codrington has sparred with Angus since coming here and he gets fucked up, whatever style he adopts. Angus also beats Kinto Mulberry in sparring so he's equally as good at heavyweight.

I think Angus-Sleep is a huge fight but I admit Angus perhaps needs the title to make it warrant TOS coming back. It gives TOS the chance to beat his long time rival and earn him a 5th division world title. If more characters emerged, better fights will happen.

TOS is a great character and thats why he keeps getting called out.

Harold "Harry" Angus has once again moved to dispel TOS' comments regarding why a fight between the two of the never happened.

In a brief statement he said, "He called me out when I was at Big Pineapple but it wasn't realistic for us to fight then because we were in different weight classes, he wasn't ready. When I moved to Krumbsnatcher I was always ready and willing to fight him and I called him out 3 days after he said he'd quit. It was all about timing and he was the master at manipulation and he has played a role of the coward ever since.

Dipsy "Lipstick" Gawn was also quick to seize on comments made by TOS in part one of his fighthype webl interview.

Gawn said, "Look, I called TOS out when I was just a novice up and comer...he dissed me back then, which is all good...I know I'm too big, too strong, too quick and too damn good for the little guy but I only call him out cos it would make me a billion dollars. He don't want none of me, he's right, I'm too big, too damn good. Thats fine, I accept that, no problem. He's a little guy afterall and he couldn't get paid enough to take the beating I'd give him. He don't need that kinda punishment and I don't wanna seem like the big bad bully in this shit. I won't call him out cos it's, as he said, not a possibility. I'm still got my eye on one more massive fight but right now there ain't nobody viable, nobody big enough, good enough. I don't even care if TOS fights Angus, it's a non issue to me, something that really isn't important to me. Above all else I want a big fight for myself...and Angus actually fits the bill."

UPDATE: I'd like to loan Harry Angus to any given gym for 3 weeks so that I can match Dipsy against Harold. I can't make the fight myself so who would be interested in having Angus on loan? I'd want the taker to help build the fight up over a 2-3 week period but they wouldn't be allowed to take any dangerous fights before meeting Dipsy....

Man, I dont know if hearing that Angus beats up Codrington and Mulberry will make TOS more interested in that fight

Angus vs. Dipsy would be nice although unfortunately both have been out of the picture for a while. Im surprised you wouldnt wanna handle Angus yourself though. I dont know if I would help out there ... Kinda wanna keep that mystery how a fighter like Angus is built

Holmes take on the Heavyweight Dvision & TOS:

FH: What do you think of TOS calling you his toughest opponent?

LH: Well obviously I was..I mean..I am the most talented fighter he's ever fought..PERIOD. When I fought TOS, I was physically and mentally prepared. I came to win. It's just that I fought a more experienced ring technician. TOS beat me like no other, so I'll give him credit.

FH: What about Lanky?

LH: Yeah..although me and him don't like each other..OBVIOUSLY..I dont like ANY of my former opponents....I respect his game tremendously. I was robbed in fight 1....Lost because of 2 knockdowns late in fight 2...and lost a close one in fight 3. He clearly beat me in fight 3...that's all I'll say.

FH: What about Alexeev?

LH: He's not very hard to outbox. I didn't expect him to be strong as he was though. He worked my body, wore me down late. I was beating him easily...even playing to the crowd. But by round 9 I was tired. Next time will be different, I promise you. I will dominate him.

FH: What about the whole TOS-Dipsy, TOS-Harold thing? The boxing world's been talking about these fights since like last year..We'd like to know your take on these matchups?

LH: Look...I fought Dipsy and TOS...I'll tell your right now...Dipsy is ALL wrong for TOS. ALL WRONG. I mean, first of all, Dipsy is a foot taller with skills. The size difference is too big. Harold-TOS on the other hand is a pick em'. Harold is definitely naturally MUCH bigger...but Harold never seen nothing like TOS before. I don't know. I don't know about that fight. If TOS is retired then more power to him. I don't really care. I want a shot at the title soon.

FH: Future of Larry Holmes?

LH: Bum of the week tour for a while....contender....then title shot. I actually have alot of fight left in me. I'm young. I just got caught in my last fight. It was a fluke.

FH: Thanks Larry.

LH: No problem.