Boxer Will Stronghold talks Celebrity Boxing, acting, & mentoring youth

What's up? Y artist is Doug E. Fresh and you're watching and we talk weekly. You're listening to right here. We talked weeks after. They're talking to w PPM P Philadelphia one on six point five and we talked week these after. They talk with your boy char and Beautiful Classic and Beautiful. And the beautiful Tenisa Henry. And we are in the building with someone with whom I have a tremendous amount of respect for class. You're gonna tell me who we got today? Yes, today we got William William Young in the building. He's a Philly born actor, undefeated amateur boxer, and a youth mentor. And he's also a proud dad on his way to going pro. Y'all already know what to do. Let's give a warm we talk weekly. Welcome to William Young. What's going on, my brother? What's going on? Hey? Peace loving? Like, how y'all doing today? We got you, We got you in the building. I heard you had a little childnge getting here today. Huh, yes, yeah, it was a it was a rough you know. I got the little one with me. I got a young king here with me. The weather traffic bus is highly crazy out there, cold, very cold. They still say hawk talking talking out. Yeah, it's a Philly thing because you go somewhere else they be like, what you talking about? And so let's talk a little bit about my brother. So you've been here a few times, so we spoke to you a lot, you know, so we want to jump right into what you got cooking, man, undefeated. You got the belts in the building highlights really cooking. Yes, I had. I had to bring the belts in a building just to let y'all know what I've been up to. A few weeks back, these are I told y'all, you know, my goal is to set out to be champion. So a few weeks ago January tenth, twenty twenty six, I've won these belts on Insiration One. I am the first Insurrection One middle eight Champion of the World. Fantastic, fantastic, fantastic. The Celebrity Boxing. One is heavy, this one is nice. Oh yeah, that's. So this So this one is the Celebrity Boxing X Rumble Middleweight super Middleweight Champion of the World, the US super Middleweight Champion. And this title is the Insurrection One super Middleweight Champion of the World. So this belt I've originally fought for on Celebrity Boxing. The guy that I fought was a Brandon Curry. It was we fought last March. Yeah, last March. This is right after the second interview I had with you guys. The fight was supposed to you know, I did well in the fight, but they leaned towards him. It was a split decision, but they leaned towards him. So we got a rematch in this was about I fought for. We got a rematching on the Insurrection card. And not only I beat him for this one, but they put an extra bed on the line and I got it. And also it was just my birthday, so yeah. No doubt. So yeah, yeah, yeah, you're moving up the ranks. My brother, you're fighting and you're doing really well. Uh, there's there's a lot of actually it's a fight that they as a matter of fact, yeah, fight on. Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna talk a little bit about that. And then you know, so who do you who do you have right now? As as you know coming away on the wind for this evening, it's a. Few a few big fights too. Corus Stevenson and the other guy. The other guy's a tremendous great fighter was. I've seen the way he trained and seen the way he fights compared to Chakorus style, got his own unique style. He's actually adapting and becoming better himself as a fighter, you know, versus him running, you know, throwing hits and slipping all the time. Then his last fight, you know, he did the telephone booth where he just stood in the pocket and you know, threw punches and took some punches, which is quite dangerous and I think that's very new to him. But he definitely did hollywell in that last fight. So I'm either way with it. It's either way at this rate. So mm so you son, So it can go either way, is what you're saying. Yes, it could go either way, and it's anybody's fight. Whoever makes the most mistakes loses. I'm currently middleweight. You feel comfortable there? Do you? Like? You know you could possibly go up? Or is there any benefit. For each engine your weight class or staying where you are for now? For now on the under the promotion, on the Insurrection promotion, I'm gonna stay at middleweight. Actually I may I may drop down for my next fight at one five to I believe that might be welter waight, Yeah, walter Way, I'll drop that. I'll drop at welter way to fight uh Trey Kwan Newisen. Yeah. If he takes this fight, then I'll drop to that weight class. I have no problem dropping at one fifty because I've done it before when I fought at Lundy last year, well two years ago on Celebrity Boxing. Yeah. Yeah, so now you have a target on your back. You got the belt? Yes? So is there any. I won't use the word fair, but there do you feel there are some things that you need to work on to make sure that you keep and retain them belts. Just back to the drawing board. I looked at the footage from my last fight, made some mistakes, and now it's time to rectify those mistakes and perfect my techniques. Perfect my agility must be up in my cardio more other than my spar and more and. I'll be fine. Yeah. What when is your next fight? If Tree Kwan takes this fight, it will be May thirty if in ac at the Showbo Hotel. Okay? Under who under uh Insurrection one park Parkers Parkers Place Boxing Okay? Interesting Okay. Shout out to Parkers Place Boxing by the way they're always in Staten Island, New York coach Joe, that's the guy right there, that's the man. How do you prepare for a fight? Do you ever look at your opponents, like their style, at their south south Paul, like you said, telephone booth, What do you look at in order to you know, beat your opponent and then what strategies do you do to better yourself from your previous fights? So definitely looking at footage. So you have to look at the footage of your opponent to see where their mistakes may lie at where what you know, what is their weak points? Are they a sucker for the right are they a sucker for the left hook? Do they have do they stumble over their feet? What's their pattern? What's their rhythm? And it's all about throwing your opponent's rhythm off, throwing them off their game. Also with dieting, you have to of course, we have to work out, we have to stay fit. Also I mentioned before seeming retention. At least yeah, at least two months before fight. We can't no drink, getting no smoking. I actually quit smoking if I was if I'm gonna if I'm gonna go pro uh like this year or next year, then quit. Yeah, I gotta just stop. So for sure, for sure? What good? What are your thoughts on like the pressures of having to stay within a weight class or like get down to a weight class and and and you know, I'm asking that because you know the UFC fighter Cameron Smotherman who passed out after making that weight. What are you about that? So that is a great question and I can give you a great explanation about that. There are fighters that they do weight cuts at the last minute, so they don't they don't lock in the entire fighting fight camp. I have a couple of fighters that I know they actually fight for bare Knuckle. So what they do is crazy. Wow. Yeah, I actually had an offer to join bare Knuckle, but I'm like nah. But to answer your question, the pressure of it's all about it's all about taking your camp serious. Certain fighters that I know they would not eat for twenty four hours straight and they would sweat in this on which is which she would drop twenty pounds in one day. So it was it must have been something that he did along those lines at the last minute, maybe two to three days straight or maybe a week straight to drop all that weight and possibly not eating like he should have, and of course after and it's crazy because my girlfriend she sent me that video like yo's like he did the weight and then as soon as he get dropped off the scale, he just fainted and fell right on his face and now the fight's canceled. So it's crazy. It's a it's a to some fighters, depending on how they move. It is a lot of pressure. But if you if you do what you're supposed to do, stay locked in, stay focused, you know, you really won't have nothing to worry about. Now. On the darker side of boxing, boxing for too long could be detrimental to your health. I mean, you got so many boxers like you got Muhammad Ali, you got you know, other boxers who you can get concussions in your head. You can get they call it punch drunk. What is your outlook of saying, hey, when I get to this stage in my life of accumulating this amount of belts or this age or whatever. Where what is the time where William says, Okay, I'm retired or I'm gonna put my health first. It will be when I turn at least forty forty two years old. Because of course, I have a child, right, you know, Liam, I have, and possibly I do plan on having more children. I do want to be functional and and aware and extremely healthy to the point I can keep up with my children and teach them ways of life and show them to be the best version of myself so they can be the best version of themselves as they get older. It's also a matter of training. I was going to say, not getting hit right. Yeah, even during sparring. I just learned this. Even during sparring when spark. You know, fighters fight, they spar hard. They can get punched very hard, and they even with the head gear on, which is not good. It's good to know what to do under pressure, but it's not good getting punched that hard every day going through Yeah, you're only going through sparring just to learn techniques and all that. It's not good because even getting punched very hard in the head or training will take a toll on you and will add to that major effect in a fighter's career. What have you been doing, uh to you know, promote yourself a little more so people know who you. I mean. Of course you come on, we talk weekly. We got you. But what's what's what have you been doing to show people like who you are and the things you've been doing, you know, as it relates to your rise in boxing. I've been basically training at certain gems. I post my training videos on my stories and my my reals and on my major page. Basically, I also collaborate with certain fighters and with what Parkers Playboxing. It's crazy that you said that because being a part of Insurrection one and being one of the fighters from Parkers Plays Boxing. I just found out that I went viral. My biological brother just hit me up, was like, well, you know you went viral, right? I didn't know that. He's like, yeah, one of one of the few people came up to me like, yo, you know your brother went viral. I was like, no, I didn't know that. So I just I basically been training, uh, just putting content out there. And my girlfriend, she's also a content creator. She's a hair stylist, so she puts her own content out there. She studies the algorithm, so she's basically teaching me like, listen, babe, this is what you need to do to push more content out there, you know. And I'm and I also teach boxing as well. I work at a a disciplinary school CAPS Academy. So teaching my students, you know too control their emotions. And I also work with the parents to tell them that, you know, I put the idea and the parents here like, hey, you should get some blocks and lessons as well, because some of those parents they are just as angry as the kids are. That's why they come to school and give us a hard time. So but I love that you're you're working at a school and that you know, a lot of young male students get to see you because there's a shortage of men teachers, specifically men of color in urban schools. So I love that you're doing that and making that contribution to you know, black and brown community. So and you're coming at them with a different angle because it's not books for every it's not music, but what you have to offer, I feel like kids want and if you can get their attention with that one thing, do you all leaps and bound together. Yeah. It's crazy because I came in school with these two belts in my medal. They came in, especially my boys, they came in hype as ever. They came and hugged me and squeezed me, and they took my belt He's like. Yeah, I'm the champ. Now. It's like, yeah, mister Will, I work with middle school. Kids, so I work with seventh and eighth grade boys. So when I came in, they were hyped. They were overly hyped. They was happy. I gave one of them my belt, the other one my belt. When it was time to line up and transition, I was like, all right, y'all, hold onto this, and I let one of my girls wear the medal and all that, and they were. They were highly psyched and happy. They always remember that. Yes, yes, just the respect and admiration that you get from that, and you don't know that goes so far because it just inspires them to be more and just to think outside the box. Because you know, I was having the conversation I think it was my nephew probably again, but like we were talking about how schools don't really have much to offer and they don't see that much in schools but just the regular stuff like basketball and stuff like that. But when they're able to see, you know that you can get into boxing, you can get into other things that are not just like the traditional like the stem and like you know, mock trial and stuff like that. You know, Yeah, it's yeah, it's actually great that we have certain staff in that school that offers a lot more like we have a couple of basketball coaches. We have like a couple of guys that own their own business, like security business. We have a couple of mentors that work in mentoring programs and stuff like that in these schools that work outside these schools that help the youth outside just to lean them towards, you know, the right way instead of getting you know, getting out these streets and from doing the wrong things and stuff like that. I recently, I have one of my students is actually on house arrest. Uh, So I'm doing my best to get him together and just to get him to like, you know, in the right direction, just to reach out to me. Yeah. Yeah, and that's important because that may be something that he doesn't get at home. Yeah. Yeah. And then you did mention that you're training you're training. Boxers as well. Yeah, can you talk a little bit about. That, well, not training boxers, but just training like the youth like train Yeah, just training. Like at school. Yeah, okay, sometimes train them and work with them just to get that anger out because they come to school highly angry. And you know, of course take it out on the staff, you know, in the regular schools. I will say this because I come from We all come from where they come from. We all felt the same way that staff. Certain staff just there for a check. They don't really care about us, you know. And I had that mindset as well. But coming from where they come from, I let them know, like, hey, listen, I get where y'all coming from. I was in y'all shoes when I was your age, so I get it. But what I'm telling y'all is the way y'all going about it is the wrong way. You have a right to your feelings because they're your feelings. You have the right to feel how you feel. But let's work on approaching the situation in a better way. Yes, yes, Well it also shows that you've done six film projects and multiple stage productions. Yes, and I'm and I currently just got done my seventh project. I did a project called Vote. My part of this, I'm a part of this group called x Labs Entertainment. Shout out the x Labs Entertainment. We're basically a group that work on giving new people opportunity of these to film, to direct, to write, to also do fight choreography as well, So we've been doing a lot of choreography, even like I help out on assistant directing when when even like when when if even if like nobody steps up, I'll step up to the plate and just help out one set. So basically, Vault is a project that's based on African mythology. I play a teacher that uh that teaches the main character on how to control his powers and stuff like that. So it's based on martial arts and superpowers and stuff like that. And it's a real good, dope and cool project. So so with all of what. You said, from teacher to boxer to actor, which which feels more like. Well, oh that's that's a great one, I would say more so actor because I always had a love for acting, even when I was a kid. I would say, honestly, let me rephrase that. A little bit of will is in a little bit of all. Of them because I always I'm naturally a fighter. Ever since I was a kid. Looking at Bruce Lee film, I always wanted to do fight choreography. I always wanted to be an actor on screen, and I have a passion for helping people, whether it's an adult or a child. So I always had a passion for helping kids just to be better, helping adults to be better, you know, giving them that positive energy. Fantasic real quick. You're you're a role model and a and a pseudo dad too many. You have your son here today? Yes, if he come to you and say, you know, Dad, I mean because they say that dads are their boys first superhero right. So if he come to you and say, Dad, I want to be a boxer like you, what would what would be like your thoughts on that? I would definitely tell him you have to mentally prepare yourself because boxing is not It's not something that you can just jump into easily. I would I'm I'm that type of parent that keeps it real. I gotta I gotta give it to you straight. There's no sugarcoating around it. I gotta go straight to meating of potatoes for you to understand. So I would look him square in his I'd be like, are you sure you're ready for this? Because it's hard, hard dedication. You have to make sacrifices. You have to, you know, be locked in to be a great, a good fighter. Yeah, So I would just have him ponder on that and think about that before jumping into it. Already teach him boxing already, just so he can know how to defend himself, how to hold his own. He's he's six years old. He's a big boy. For six years. Everybody think he ate because of his size, but. But he's, uh, he's six years old. He's actually about to turn seven next month, February the ninth. So that's my that's my guy, that's my young king right there, for sure. Amazing, amazing. We only got wet about two minute stuff. What is it anything you would like anyone to know that's watching, about anything that you have coming up or. About you that you know you you would love to amplify. Right now, I will be having like some projects coming out. I will be on the fight choreography wave. I'll be putting out fight scenes on social media with x Labs Entertainment, and I'll just be keeping up with my boxing training. You know, if I have the May thirty a fight, I'll be you know, just putting out content for that for that timeframe. Fantastic. How can they get in contact with you and find you again? All that little stuff on Facebook? On Facebook you can find me as Will Stronghold Instagram. Find me Will Stronghold on YouTube. You can see my YouTube page as William Young. I also put content on on my YouTube page. So yeah, fantastic. Well, well, you already know you're a friend to the show, so you always welcome to come back, my guy. But I want you to, you know, continue to be great man, continue to protect yourself, you know, continue to you know, show show the future. You know that there's there's some light out there because that's what you're doing. I really appreciate some of the work that you're doing. Real quick. Why don't you let them know how to get in contact with you more again? Oh? Will Stronghold on Facebook and Instagram. On Instagram's Will Stronghold Warrior Underscore super saying God. So yes, thank you all for having me, and thank you so much for having me. When is your next fight? One more time? May thirtieth? If if my opponent takes that fight, it will be May thirtieth and on in Atlantic City at the show Bowl Hotel. Do you think they won't take the fight? It's a possibility, I'm I challenged them, I said the challenge. They say they want to fight, but you know, how some guys are some guys they say, they say they do, and then they won't. So for sure it's up in the air at this point. I got you, I got you. But then you have it. Ladies and gentlemen. Super excited for this gentleman. He's been doing a lot of work. He's a friend to the show and he's always been stands up God. So make sure you go and support them. So then you have, ladies and gentlemen. That's our show for the dam I'm your boy, Gregor, the beautiful ladies, beautiful and beautiful, Henry my guy, and it's our show for the night. Ladies and gentlemen were out here like last year. Hey, this is for saying chante. If we cannot be complete unless. You listen to or watch we talk quickly. Please believe me. Batter