1 on 1 with Natalie “Too Bad” Brown!
TheBoxingExaminer recently caught up with Natalie “Too Bad” Brown, the wife of former Canadian Olympian, Chris “ Showtime” Johnson at the new boxing club they recently opened in Mississauga, Ontario. See what Natalie had to say about recent performances and her new dedication to the sport!
TBE: How has your training been going?
NB: Training has been good.
TBE: You took some time before your most recent fight, why was that?
NB: I did, not because I wanted to but because there was no action. After I fought Raika in Japan I started focusing more on average “joe” stuff like getting a job, being a mother and wife, trying to develop myself aside from being a boxer and I think that was what my downfall was.
TBE: You lost a majority decision to Rachel Clark in Philadelphia recently; can you assess your performance for us?
NB: I’m not going to make any excuses; I probably wasn’t in the best shape to be fighting. I give her all the credit she’s alright but she’s not a girl that should beat me, I beat myself in that fight. My preparation wasn’t what it should have been, I wasn’t focused because I didn’t know if the fight was going to happen or not, so many fights fell through on me. Lisa Brown always told me “Natalie, you need to make sure you’re always in top shape, make sure you’re always training to fight, there is no down time”. Lisa Brown was right.
TBE: So you learned a valuable lesson!
NB: Yes, I learned it the hard way but I think it got my focus back. In the year of inactivity I was thinking because nothing was coming my way, “is this something I should be doing?” I think a lot of fighters question themselves when they have those times where there is nothing really happening for them. I was thinking should I quit this and just me a mom and a wife and figure out what I want to do aside from being a fighter! After the fight when they announced the decision it was a surprise to me because I thought I did enough to get the decision. I said to myself, “I quit”. I went to the dressing room and I told my manager that I quit, I’m going to retire after this but he begged me not to. He said Natalie you have to see the fight; I know you are better than what you did tonight so you can’t make any decisions until you see the fight. I was like a loss is a loss and my record is becoming crappy now. But I saw the fight and after they announced the girls name the arena actually booed, I didn’t notice it at the time not until I seen the tape. That was when I said to myself I need to get focused, I need to be a fighter again, I need to say all or nothing which is what I’ve done now. Whichever fight comes my way, whoever calls me, win or lose I’m going to fight now. I’ve gone a year and half without fighting waiting for the right fight. Maybe the right fight won’t come unless I’m fighting everyone regardless of what the decision is going to be if I go into the lions den, if I know I might get robbed, I’m going to fight regardless. You know the cream always rises to the top! Belinda Laracuente was at the fights and I look at her, she’s regarded a one of the best female fighters and she’s taken losses. I looked at her fight that night and she was flawless, that girl can fight. She’s always in the gym and she’s always ready and that’s what I’m going to do!
TBE: Now that you’ve rededicated yourself to the sport, I understand that you’ve going something coming up on November 5th.
NB: I just got a call to fight Adelita Irizarry 6-3 2KO’s. I’m not underestimating this girl by no means, especially after what just happened in this fight that just passed. She’s from Connecticut and we’re fighting in Baltimore, Maryland and I’m Canadian now so this is her home turf. If I just go out and let my fights be my judge, I think the old Natalie with a little more experience will resurface.
TBE: To you have any message for your fans?
NB: I appreciate all the support and all the attention; I just ask that ya’ll just stick with me!
TBE: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us.
NB: I always have time for TheBoxingExaminer.
Filed Under: Interviews
