Joey Freid: “I will fight with everything I have!”


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Joey Freid: “I will fight with everything I have!”

Interview by Benny Henderson Jr., Doghouse Boxing (Aug 14, 2008) DoghouseBoxing.com

Bumps, bruises and blood, just a part of the everyday life of the twenty-one year MMA fighter Joey “DieHard” Freid (5-3), and come this Friday night at the Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport, LA, the young fighter will be doing what he loves most, throwing down. And Freid has a tough customer in front of him in the hard hitting Cecil Stroud, but it is a challenge that Joey gladly accepts and strongly demands, will be a great show.

A fighter he is, but at one time, fighting was something he did not do. From being an oversized kid tipping the scales at 280-pounds, and getting jumped and suffering a beat down, Joey went on a mission to lose weight, and in doing so found the fighter inside him that rules his ways today.

After two years of studying Ju-Jitsu, Joey, who stands at 6’1” weighs in around the 170 mark, and has fought in eight amateur bouts for Ring Rulers, looks to a bright future in the fight business in hopes of one day stepping in as a pro. And come this Friday night “DieHard” takes another step towards his goals as he takes center stage in what is being anticipated as a heck of a throw down. In this exclusive interview we get the thoughts on the young fighter as he talks about his career and what is to come, enjoy.

Benny Henderson Jr.: What inspired you to become a fighter?

Joey Freid: The reason I started because I was a fat kid, I was around 280-pounds, I got jumped outside of a Circle K, and got my butt beat a little and it scared me. So I said to myself that I needed to learn how to fight. So I started Ju-Jitsu and I found out that I really enjoyed the competition and fighting and I have not looked back since, I really enjoy fighting.

BH: What were your emotions making the walk to the ring for your first fight?

SF: I was kind of goofy to be honest, I was excited to be there, I was there to have fun. I was trying to get the crowed hyped, I am not one of those intense fighters, in fact one of the nicknames that I wanted to use was, Joey “The Goofy Bastard” Freid, but nobody will let me use it. But I do come out there goofy, I am just happy to be there and fight.

BH: What do you feel your best qualities are as a fighter?

SF: I am hard to knock out.

BH: Yeah, I seen you on You Tube and you took some punches, and from what I have seen you can take some shots

SF: Man, I will send you this fight, you know who Cale Grady is?

BH: Yes, I know Cale.

SF: I fought him in my second fight, I beat him for the sole reason that he could not knock me out. For a round and a half he beat on my face, kicked me in the head, punched me until he was so tired that he could not stand up anymore. I kneed him a couple of times and got on top of him and was able to win. I have pretty good Jiu-Jitsu, I have a pretty good guard, but my main strengths are that I have a hard head and I am to stupid to quit.

BH: Having a hard head, and being to stupid to quit, per se, it can be a blessing and a curse. Do you ever worry about getting seriously hurt in this game?

SF: I am worried about that, my last fight I was hit in the left side of my head and fought the rest of the fight blind in my left eye. It sacred me, but fighting is an addiction, I cannot not do it. I tried to quit but I could not do it. (Laughs)

BH: What does your family think about you fighting?

SF: They love it, my family comes out whenever they can, my Mom has been to all but one of my fights, she hates it when take a lot of punishment and gets mad and tells me, don’t make me take my shoe off and get in the ring because I will beat your butt boy. (Laughs) They love the fact that I am a fighter and they support me.

BH: What has it been like working with Ring Rulers?

SF: It has been great, I have learned a lot about the behind the scenes of the fight game, to work with these guys and see how the game works really helps because when I do go pro I will be able to understand more how things work.

BH: The hardest aspect of being a fighter?

SF: For me it is the diet, I used to be 280-pounds, I love to eat. I enjoy working out and all the training, but when it comes to eating a salad or a cheese burger, that is the hardest aspect of being a fighter for me.

BH: What is the best aspect of being a fighter?

SF: The comradely for one thing, being a fighter there is a certain comradely between certain fighters. There is a special feeling about being a fighter.

BH: You will be taking on Cecil Stroud this Friday night, you two have fought on the same card before, from what you have seen of him what are your thoughts on him?

SF: Cecil, we are actually friends, when I found out that I was going to fight him I called him up and we were making fun of each other a little bit, but Cecil is a great guy. He is strong, he has heavy hands, I have seen him knock a couple guys out. I am looking forward to fighting him, it is going to be a good test, I have been working on my stand-up in boxing. When we get in there he is going to throw down and I am going to throw down, then afterwards we are going to be cool.

BH: What can the fight fans expect out of you come fight night?

SF: They can expect me to put on a good show, win or lose I am going to put on a show, I will fight with everything I have.