Quotes from Riddick Bowe

I always tried to be different from everyone else. Then I found out about boxing. That was the way I could be different from everyone else. I always went against the crowd.

In the ghetto we didn't even know there was such a thing as a private jet.

My toughest opponent is me. My mind has a tendency to wander during bouts. I tend to focus on things other than the bout. I have to work at staying motivated, getting my head right.

So many people were ready to write me off as being washed up at 20, I started to believe all that negative stuff myself.

I'm a big cat. I'm 6-5. I'm not worried about weight. Nobody's coming to see a weight fight. They're coming to see the Big Dog fight.

I'm capitalizing on a lot of mistakes that champions made before me. I hear a lot of guys say if they were champion again they would do things differently and respect people more. I plan to do that while I'm still champion.

Don't worry about me. Worry about the next man. If you see me in a fight, don't help me. Pour honey on me and then help the bear. Don't worry about me. I'm Dorothy Bowe's baby boy. I'm going to be all right.

One fight, I went away to train and my little girl was in Pampers. I came home and she was potty-trained. She was crawling when I left and walking when I came home. These are things I don't want to miss anymore.

People have said I have brain damage, but I've passed all of my physicals, all of my medicals. They've checked my head so many times it's crazy.

The thing is this sport doesn't have a heavyweight who is prettier than I am and can get down.

You need to have that killer instinct. It can't be taught. Where does it come from? A couple slaps. A couple things you had denied to you.

Any promoter who wants to put me on their card, I'm willing to fight.

Chris Byrd is a good fighter, but I put him to sleep in five, seven rounds.

Man, I'm gonna tell you something about Evander Holyfield, when he fights a guy like me and I fight I guy like him, we always bring the best out of each other so by no means should anyone out there ever think that a fight like that is a cake walk because it's not.

I have a bus that's 40 feet long. When I was in training camp, I was scared to fly, so I used the bus.

There's a lot of racism around. I am always puzzled when people have that attitude. I went to a place where people were nice to me. It was something that stuck with me. I learned to treat people the same.

A program like the Fresh Air Fund gives people a chance to break away for a while. I've been fortunate to be able to raise my family that way.

I have a great responsibility, not only to my fans, but to kids who are going to look up to me.

For me, hard work and determination got me in the Hall of Fame.

When you get hit in the head, you don't recover from that.

Oh man, I would love to fight Evander Holyfield. I don't think any of the other great heavyweights fought four times - that's history in itself.

I know I can win the heavyweight championship.

The heavyweight champion of the world shouldn't just be heavyweight champion of the world. He should use his position to help other people, such as myself.

I want to be more than the heavyweight champion. I want to do great things.