"The Knock Out" is now considered the "prettiest boxer in the world", and that includes Iran Barkley, and Daniel Zaragoza. Ha, ha!
Mid-April I contacted Mia’s publicist, Debbie Caplan, to co-ordinate schedules and set up the meet with Mia. What followed was three months of phone calls and e-mails, back and forth, but - no connection. I began to think I had a better chance of baggin a unicorn than snaggin a Mia but then on July 29 my phone rang and…... it was her. Mia.
Mia St. John, Mia the Knockout, Mia the Model. Mia the soon-to-be palm induced frenzied fantasy of little boys sneakin a peek at their daddy’s issue of Playboy all over the USA come this October.
To not get the conversation off on the right foot I began by confessing. I admitted to being a typical male, with all the qualities and shallowness inherent in the breed. In other words, I told Ms. St John that having heard she was a model, having seen "the face", I figured she was….a Bim’. Boy, was I ever wrong. She’s turns out to be that rare, tough combination of street smart and school smart. The Stones have a song with a line in it that says "when you call my name, I salivate like Pavlov’s dog". It’s something Mia is familiar with if she sees the reaction and hears the wolf whistles and cat calls coming from the crowd as she steps through the ropes and the ring announcer introduces her. And as the holder of a degree in Psychology she even knows who Pavlov is.
Here’s "10 Questions" with Mia:
RS: Let’s start with a couple "W"’s, - Where, When, and Why did you start boxing?
MSJ: I started studying Tae-Kwan-Do when I was about 11 or 12 years old. I was always interested in it. My family moved around a lot but I spent most of my time in the western part of the states. I was different than other kids in school. I was not the same "color" and some kids picked on me because of it. I escaped into the martial arts.
RS: Was childhood a tough road for you? Have you always taken the right turns?
MSJ: No, I haven’t. Alcoholism was a problem in part of my family. Then I started drinking and partying. Before I knew it I had a drinking problem at a very young age, and I started getting into drugs. I realized it wasn’t a realistic or healthy way to escape. Again, Tae-Kwan-Do helped me through those bad times. And my mom, my mom was always there for me. Still is. I got past drinking and partying and started concentrating on fighting.
RS: I didn’t mean to pry, that’s some pretty revealing stuff you just hit me with.
Mia: It was part of growing up, I’m stronger for it. It was a fight I had and won.
RS: Now that you’re popular and have a high profile, with the modeling, the fight promotions, Playboy, Hollywood, the TV appearances, etc., have you slipped back into any of those bad habits or are you OK?
Mia: I’m doing great!. I put alcohol and drugs behind me and never looked back. I finished high school, went to college, got a degree and got married. I’m a single mom now, with two children. I do the typical mom thing, get the kids up in the morning, breakfast, and then off to school. Then I head to the gym to train. I really look forward to my work outs.
RS: That’s great. Why did you switch from Tae-Kwan-Do to boxing?
MSJ: Women in boxing were beginning to get more exposure. The womens side of boxing was growing in popularity, Chrissy Martin was becoming well known. I saw that it offered me more opportunities than Tae-Kwan-Do so I switched about two years ago.
RS: Are your looks both a blessing and a curse? Do they provide opportunity and open doors, but cause people to not take you seriously, to not see your skills as a fighter?
MSJ: They’re kind of a mixed blessing. People just don’t realize how hard this business is! They think all you have to have is a nice body and a pretty face. They don’t know about the training, the hard work, the hours spent in the gym, the toughness of the competition, stuff like that.
RS: It’s kind of ironic. A lot of people boo Oscar because of his looks. They call him pretty boy, probably due to petty jealousies. But on your side of the sport good looks are considered an attribute.
I was at your last fight, on the Tapia/Ayala undercard, and I heard some boos as you left the ring. It seemed to be because it went to a decision. Do you feel the pressure to win by KO every time you get in the ring?
MSJ: I try not to put pressure on myself but you do feel it from the crowd. They want action, they want a KO everytime. They don’t realize how tough it is to do. I only have four rounds, at two minutes per. That’s not a lot of time.
RS: Let’s talk about that, the difference between the two sides of the sport, women’s boxing vs. men’s, other than the main difference - that low blows don’t have quite the same affect. Are you happy with two minute rounds and four round fights? Do you spar in two minute rounds or the standard three?
Mia: I train in three minute rounds, that’s what the bells are set for. In fights, two minute rounds are OK, but four rounds at two minutes per - like I said it’s not a lot of time to KO somebody.
RS: Can we talk briefly about your recent Playboy shoot or is that an off-subject?
Mia: Sure, I don’t mind.
RS: You’ve done swimsuit layouts in the past but this was a little more revealing. Was it hard posing nude?
Mia: Yeah, it was weird at first but everyone at Playboy was very professional, and it wasn’t that bad.
RS: Let me guess what they’re making the title of the pictorial, knowing Playboy - "Momma Mia!", right?
Mia: (Laughing) No, nothing as bad as that!
RS: I’d like to see it and then again I’m not sure I want to. I mean, when I see you at your next fight I want to look at your eyes when we talk. If I see your layout in Playboy it might make it hard to keep my eyes AND mind from wandering and wondering.
I better switch subjects. Let’s do some word association. Quick question, quick answer.
Oscar or Felix?
Mia: Oscar. He’s training very hard and he’s in great shape.
RS: Manfredi or Johnston?
RS: I’m an Angel fan, definitely Manfredi!
RS: Holyfield or Lewis?
Mia: Are you kidding? Lewis!
RS: Mia St John, model or fighter?
Mia: Both!
RS: Saint or Sinner?
Mia: Neither!
RS: I want to wrap this up with a strange question. Our typical readers are male, ages anywhere from 18 to not-dead-yet, with a healthy dose of testosterone being that we’re fight fans. I was thinking "what would our readers like to ask Mia if they had a one-on-one with her?" All I could come up with is - "will you marry me?"
Mia (laughing): I don’t know if that’s what they’d ask. We’ve never even met, is that a proposal, are you really asking me?
RS: Nah, it’s not a real offer. I work out regularly and I’m in pretty good shape but I’m not professionaly trained in Tae Kwan Do. I don’t think I’d like having a wife who might be able to kick my ass. It would upset the natural order of things in my world. But maybe I’ll ask you again when I see you at the next fight. Instead of a "yes" though I’ll settle for an autographed picture. But only if you like the way this interview looks when it comes out in print, only if it puts a smile on your face.
Mia: It’s a deal!
So I leave, impressed. Not with the fighter, not with the model, but with the lady. To climb into the ring for a fight? That ain’t so tough. It’s what fighters train for. To bare your body for a Men’s magazine? That ain’t so tough. If you look that good, what the hell. But to bare your soul for the world to see? To openly, willingly, and uncoerced, admit in an interview to past problems like alcohol and drugs, to reveal yourself, blemishes and all, nothing retouched , nothing hidden - that’s tough. In a world full of phonies who put up a false face nothing is as refreshing, as attractive, or as admirable as "real". I want to say thanks to Mia, for her time and her honesty. Come September 18 she’ll be on the undercard of the most anticipated, high profile fight of the year, DeLaHoya-Trinidad, with the eyes of the world upon her. Regardless of what happens in the ring, she’s a winner. Best of luck, kid.
I’d be remiss not to say - to Lee Samuels of Top Rank and Debbie Caplan of Caplan Promotions for their help in setting this up, thanks guys……..SP