muhammadali calls the rock the peoples champ

“Tom and I had lunch in New York a couple of years ago he said ‘Michael, meet the writer, he is from Canada,’ and we talked about boxing, and life – the demons you have to overcome as a boxer, and so on,” explains Bentt. It was Bentt’s friend, Thomas Hauser, author of Muhammad Ali: A Tribute to The Greatest, who provided him with this unique opportunity. “It’s surreal too, man! ”īentt is referring to Losers, in which he speaks out about his life in and out of boxing in the opening episode. “It’s been overwhelming, and a dream, really,” says Bentt, with a smile. And perhaps coolest of all, he’s just featured in the quite brilliant Netflix original series, Losers, where he was able to tell his story. In the years that have followed, Michael Bentt has become a published writer, Hollywood actor, and off-Broadway theatre director. The former fighter admits his first reaction was one of total relief – but boxing had taught him some key disciplines, which he would use to channel his true passions: writing, and acting. That fight cut deep, and post-bout, doctors insisted that one more punch could end Bentt’s life, let alone career.

The British-born athlete was dragged into the sport by his father, and when he stepped into the ring to defend his title for the first time against the formidable Herbie Hide, something didn’t feel right. We chat about the massive highs and unbearable lows that have made him the man he is today, and how the arts have allowed him to excel in all he does, most recently in the quite brilliant Neflix docu-series, Losers, which focuses on the mental health issues that surround professional sports people. This time, Bentt’s first sensation was one of relief. A year on, he retired, after a near fatal loss to Herbie Hide. It took extraordinary mental strength to bounce back from that, but Bentt did just that, flooring Tommy Robinson with a formidable KO to become WBO World Champion some 10 fights later. A sensational amateur boxer whose career would encounter rollercoaster moments as soon as he turned pro: he was knocked out in his first professional bout, which put him at rock bottom. Michael Bentt’s life has been nothing short of remarkable.

Muhammadali calls the rock the peoples champ