Scotty “Bulldog” Olson: An Example of Persistence Both Inside and Outside of the Ring

Exclusive Interview by Dave “Mythical” Siderski

“My outlook on life has significantly changed. The importance of family and friends, and quality time spent with them is so important. I have come to the realization that life is precious, and to try not to take things for granted….Thank you to boxing fans……Thanks for your support in my career and your well wishes on my health.” – Scotty “Bulldog” Olson

Scotty Olson’s moniker of “Bulldog” is an entirely appropriate representation of who he is both in and out of the ring. Seeking his own niche in the sports world, he found one as a teenager in boxing. Scotty wasn’t the most skilled fighter in the world but he made up for it with hard work, tenacity and dangerous punching power. These qualities propelled him to a stellar career at both the amateur and professional level, representing Canada at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and capturing the IBO Flyweight championship in 1995. Scotty talks with RSR today about his boxing career, life after boxing and perspectives about his recent health challenges.

DS: How did you first become involved in boxing? What made you want to become a boxer?

At the age of 13, my mom recognized a fighter at a mall, and introduced me to him. His name was Al Ford, former Canadian Lightweight Champion, and he took the time to sit with us for a bit. I quickly noticed the scarring around his eyes and when I asked him boxing questions, he often elaborated his stories with his head movements and the odd descriptive punch! At that point I knew I wanted to become a fighter. I had tried several sports and did not have much athletic ability. In team sports, I was always the one making mistakes, and the whole team would suffer.

I knew that if I wanted to compete in a sport, it would have to be an individual sport so that the blame would be only on me if I did not do well. I asked my mom immediately to take up boxing, and she of course said “No”! From her point of view, having a son with little athletic ability, she certainly did not want me to be involved in boxing! My family bought me a heavy bag and set it up downstairs. I hit the bag for much of every day and it was discovered that I was skipping school to hit the bag. This carried on for a half a year and my mom noticed that I had a passion for it. She said that she would allow me to try boxing with the condition that I stay in school, and that was how my involvement in boxing began.
I watched CBS and NBC fights on television every Saturday they were on, and I truly felt that I could become a name fighter like Ray Mancini. Watching the fans cheer for Ray made me want the same for myself.

DS: When did you first realize you had the ability to be special in the ring?

Well, it became evident early on that I was not fast. I did not have great foot work and my defense was not stellar. However, I was incredibly strong and had the natural ability to transfer my weight, which really increased my punching power. I also did not have a fear factor and had the ability to take a punch. So, I had the punching power and the chin and my amateur coach Paul Hortie had to figure a way for me to catch my opponents. Another asset I possessed is that I wanted to win so much! I had to train so much harder than the others in my gym but my conditioning was tremendous and it seemed to more than make up for my lack of speed and footwork. In my first fight at 95 lbs., I knocked out my opponent! This was seldom seen at my weight. When people cheered for me, it was the roar of the crowd that I loved and I was on my way!

DS: How did you get the nickname of “Bulldog”?

In 1985, at the age of 17, I made the Canadian National Team. All of my teammates knew that any fight I was in was going to be a FIGHT! I remember some of the fighters watching me bark while I was fighting. “Woof-Woof!” That would spur me on to go after the guy. One of the coaches, Russ Amber, nicknamed me Bulldog, and that stuck with me throughout my career.

DS: At 18 years of age, you represented Canada in the 1986 Commonwealth Games capturing the gold medal at Light Flyweight. What are your memories of that experience?

Well, most of the attention at the Games was on fighters like Lennox Lewis, Egerton Marcus, Howard Grant, Asif Dar and Danny Sherry. This is the tournament where I had to make a statement and solidify my spot as an international contender. I stopped an Irish fighter in my first fight and defeated a fighter from England in the final to win the gold medal. When I stood on the podium and was given the gold, the Canadian Flag rose as “Oh Canada” was played. It was a very emotional moment. I was so proud as an athlete to do something positive for my country. It was a tremendous highlight for me!

DS: What were your feelings about representing your country in the 1988 Olympics? How do you look back on the experience?

I expected to win every fight I was in. In the Olympics, I got off to a great start by knocking out a fighter from New Guinea and winning a decision over Wayne McCullough of Ireland. That set up my next fight in the quarter final against Michael Carbajal. I beat Carbajal in our first fight and he beat me in a USA vs Canada tournament in Charlotte, North Carolina a few months before the Olympics.

I was having an increasingly hard time making weight at the Olympics. I could make weight much better in a one fight or two fight tournament. I typically lied down in hot bathtubs to cut a few pounds to lose weight. However, the Olympic Village where we stayed did not have a bathtub so I was left to run the weight off. I ran 5 miles in the evening before the Carbajal fight and went to bed without any food or water and ran another 5 miles in the morning before the weigh in to make the 106 lb weight. I had some breakfast and after a quick lie down, I was on a bus to go to the venue as we were scheduled to fight in the afternoon. I was pretty drained, and lost a decision. My dreams were pretty crushed from not medalling at the Olympics. I was truly proud to represent my country in the Olympic Games. Being part of an outstanding team was memorable.

DS: Please tell our readers about your transition from the amateur ranks to the professional level. What, if anything, did you need to change about your style and training regimen?

Not being a very fast fighter turning professional was a huge relief! In the amateurs, 3 rounds go by really quickly. I would be outpointed quite a few times because I ran out of time. I looked forward to having longer fights that would provide me with the time to slow my opponents down. Turning professional made me feel at home. I was way more at ease knowing that, unlike the amateurs, the scoring would take into account my aggression and punching power. I turned professional in Las Vegas with Top Rank Inc., which was an incredible opportunity. In training, I continued doing what I had done – just more of it. I ran a bit longer and sparred longer to increase my stamina.

DS: You won your first 23 professional fights, 18 by stoppage. Of these, which victory was most satisfying for you and why?

There are really two significant fights I had that were extremely satisfying. I had back to back fights in Montana on ESPN. Those were my 15th and 16th fights. I had been a bit protected until I came into my own and it is the fights when you step up in the quality of opposition that show your worth as a fighter. The first one was against Mexican Ramon Solis. I dropped him with a right hand in the first round. By the sixth round, I was out on my feet but survived to win an action packed decision. My eye was swollen shut for the majority of the fight and I had done well in my first big test as a pro.

The second one was my next fight against Dadoy Andujar, a really tough and established fighter from the Philippines. I hit this guy with everything! You know it is going to be a long day at the office when you hit a guy with a great shot and he does not go anywhere! Lol! I won this one by decision too, and Top Rank Inc. was happy with both of these performances. Winning my first small title, the USBA title, was a satisfying win as well.

DS: You lost for the first time by a close, majority decision to Jose Luis Zepeda in December 1992. Did you feel the verdict was fair?

The Zepeda fight was pretty entertaining. He was a really tough fighter. I broke two of my metacarpals in the second or third round so it was a difficult fight for me. Personally, I thought the decision should have gone to me. A draw would have been fine too. I had been number two in the world with the IBF, and declaring the fight a draw and having us go at it again would have been a treat for the fans.

DS: You captured the International Boxing Association Flyweight championship with a 12 round decision victory over Roger Espanola in April 1995. What are your memories of that fight and how did it feel to win a World Championship Belt?

Winning a World Title meant so much to me! It was the International Boxing Organization title, and I proudly defended it I think five times. I never lost the belt in the ring, but had to vacate it as I could not make the weight anymore. Finally having a shot at a World Title thrilled me. I knew it was not an IBF, WBA or WBC title, but it was sensational for me to finally get a shot. With Top Rank, they tried to earlier secure me the IBF title fight with Dave McAuley, then Rodolfo Blanco. If I had beaten Zepeda, I would have had the opportunity that Zepeda took which was against Pichit Sithbangprachan for the IBF title. That fight is on YouTube and I thought that Zepeda clearly won. He hurt Sithbanprachan so much, it was the Thailander`s last fight. As for Roger Espanola, he was a good fighter. Very agile and could take a hell of a shot.

DS: Close to two years later, in March 1997, you dropped down in weight to face old rival Michael Carbajal at Light Flyweight and lost by a 10th round knockout. After fighting your entire career at Flyweight, did the move to Light Flyweight affect your performance and was that an unfair advantage for Carbajal in your view?

Over the years, I have reflected on the Carbajal fight frequently. I was offered the Carbajal fight recently after arthroscopic surgery on my knee. My weight was high, about 130 pounds. I had always wanted the opportunity to fight Michael. Training in Las Vegas, my knee was very sore. I had numerous cortisone injections in training so I could do my best to lose the weight. I believe I had 5-6 weeks to lose the weight and prepare for the fight and making the 108 pound division was severely hard. However, I wanted the fight and Top Rank was very gracious to give me the opportunity. I lost and I was happy to take advantage of an opportunity to fight a good fighter. I was at a disadvantage with my lack of strength, but fighters fight and I did the best I could that night. I do often wonder how I would have managed in the fight under different circumstances.

DS: You retired after a February 2002 loss to Steve Molitor. What prompted you to make that decision?

In fighting Molitor, I moved up three weight divisions which was okay with me. My daughters at that time were one and three years old. I thought it was best to put a cap to my career while I still had the speaking ability and clearness of thought so I could do other things with my life in a productive fashion. Retiring was an incredibly tough decision, as I always envisioned ending my career with a win. I made the decision to end my boxing career so I could be a good husband to my wife and father to my kids.

DS: What attributes of yours do you believe allowed you to achieve elite status at both the amateur and professional level?

My desire for success in life and never letting anyone set limitations on what I thought I could accomplish were attributes that proved valuable.

DS: After your professional boxing career, you eventually went into a career in Sales. Please tell our readers about the challenges of your post boxing transition and what made you choose that particular career?

Very few athletes have a multitude of options once their career is done. Truthfully, I had no idea what to do when I retired from boxing. I knew I loved and enjoyed helping people and I had sold vacuums for a bit prior to turning professional. I thought that sales would be a positive thing for me to do but I was not sure what to sell. So, I decided to give car sales a try! I really figured I would try sales for a few months and then get back into the boxing game in some capacity. I really was not thinking it would be a long term gig. I began working at Kentwood Ford in Edmonton, my home town, and my success there has been amazing.

DS: What did you learn from your boxing career that allowed you to be successful in Sales?

My work ethic in my boxing career has helped me tremendously in sales. There can be good days and bad days in sales, and focusing on positive things and bettering yourself to achieve goals has helped. I think the goal setting format I had in my boxing career has significantly rolled over to my career in car sales.

DS: You suffered a severe heart attack last year. How are you doing now in the aftermath of that?

In January 2015, I suffered a cardiac arrest. I was pretty much done then as it was hard for the Emergency Responders to get my heart going again. I had four stents put in my heart and began my road to recovery. However, in June 2015, I had another heart attack so they inserted a couple more stents in my heart. The second one deflated my sail a bit but I want the readers to know I am doing really well now. In the aftermath, I am not quite back at work yet, but will be very soon. I have been doing speaking engagements for the Heart and Stroke Foundation and speaking at schools to help students so that has been very special to me.

DS: How has your outlook on life changed as a result of that experience, if at all?

My outlook on life has significantly changed. The importance of family and friends, and quality time spent with them is so important. I have come to the realization that life is precious and to try not to take things for granted.

I would like to take a moment to thank RSR for the opportunity to have this interview! Thank you to boxing fans, and I hope you enjoyed my comments. Thanks for your support in my career, and your well wishes on my health. I would also like to thank Top Rank Inc. for allowing me to fight for them, and a big thank you and shout out to my trainers Richie Sandoval and Jerome Coffee for getting the best out of me during my career. Thank you to the best of managers, Bruce  “Mouse” Strauss for helping me so much! Thank you Dave  for the great questions you asked me and to “Bad” Brad Berkwitt for coordinating our interview! Much success to Ringside Report.

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