I am seeing all the guys, like Earnie Shavers, Tex Cobb, and Larry Holmes all the time.

You have a small period of time when you can perfect your career and become good at it. A lot of guys get distracted, which only hurts them. You must stay focused and work very hard at boxing.

Boxing was not the sport that I thought is was due to all the politics.

I was a small kid from Huntington, Long Island. I never imagined that anything like that would happen to me.

You take that walk from the dressing room to the ring and that's when the real man comes out. Then you climb up those four stairs and into the ring. Then finally, you can't wait for the bell to ring.

I lost three times in my career. Losing to Holmes I could deal with, because I lost to a true champion.

All of the sports have a safety net, but boxing is the only sport that has none.

Muhammad Ali was the kind of guy you either loved or hated, but you wanted to see him. I happen to really love him. He brought boxing to another level and always made you laugh.

Roberto Duran was the kind of guy who was a true fighter and you hardly see guys like that anymore.

By the time you're 30 years old, you can be on a nowhere street, if you're not careful.

The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before going in with [Larry] Holmes. That would have made all the difference.

...and the country is like a great unfolded mantle with a green velvet cape bordered with a fringe of silver.

We dare to dream.

To have the reputation of possessing the most perfect social tact talk to every woman as if you loved her and to every man as if he bored you.

I lived for two years in Odawara, a castle town an hour outside of Tokyo, near the sea. It's a beautiful place, and I drew on my experiences there when writing 'The Lake of Dreams.'

I want every math teacher to know math. I want every science teacher to have expertise in science. I want them to know how to inspire and engage young people.

I once got sacked for laughing ... mind you, I was driving a hearse at the time.

I've reached the age where competence is a turn-on.

The difference between playing the stock market and the horses is that one of the horses must win.

A careful and sympathetic sense of humour can also be a great asset when there is need to get out of difficult situations gracefully.

Only poetry inspires poetry.