Although it was a great accomplishment to win a gold medal, as soon as they put it on you, that's it; your career is over.

To be honest, I don't know. I started one [book] back in 1982 or '83 when I first retired. But I was only 25 or 26 and not ready to write my memoirs.

Before I fight, I always pray that no one gets hurt.

I want to be great, something special.

Boxing's a poor man's sport. We can't afford to play golf or tennis. It is what it is. It's kept so many kids off the street. It kept me off the street.

I've always been quiet and kind of shy. I'm sociable, but I would probably migrate to a corner.

My very best memory of Montreal was the moment inside the Olympic arena when I was waiting under the stadium and those majestic gates opened up. It was a whole other world.