Vinny Paz: His Life Story Becoming the Next Boxing Blockbuster Movie and Some of the Greatest Stories from One of Boxing’s Greatest Story Tellers

Exclusive interview by Jesse “New School” Wright

“You know, in life, a lot of times you need to do some crazy things to make yourself get better; to make yourself be better. To do what you wanna do, sometimes you gotta do things that are a little crazy or out of the ordinary. This movie is gonna inspire a lot of people because of that.” —Vinny Paz

When you talk to Vinny, you feel like you’ve known the guy for years. There’s something comfortably familiar about the guy when you meet him. He’s like that one friend we all have that’s the life of the party and always has a great story to tell. Before I met Vinny, my publisher “Bad” Brad Berkwitt told me “Vinny’s crazy, but he’s the good kinda crazy.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.

With his wild and humorous personality, Vinny is magnetic by nature. He has the attitude that makes him so big, the only channel of media that can fit him is the big screen. That’s exactly what is going to happen in the Martin Scorsese produced and Ben Younger directed film, “Bleed for This.” It’s not just a boxing movie, it’s an inspirational tale of redemption and never accepting your fate, even if you have to do some crazy things. Vinny gives great insight on the film, but the stories he tells are as hysterical as they are heart wrenching. This is the true story of “The Pazmanian Devil”.

JW: You have a hell of a story and it’s probably going to make a hell of a movie. Tell us about your story and what we can expect from that.

Well, it was filmed a lot here in Rhode Island and I am amazed in how great it came out. I saw it a couple weeks ago in New York City after Martin Scorsese had edited the whole movie. It’s so good. It’s devastating. It’s gonna inspire and give a lot of people around the world a lot of courage. It’s a great story; it’s my story. You know it’s like nothing for me. It’s really cool after seeing it on the screen all played out.

JW: You say it’s gonna inspire a lot of people. A lot of people find inspiration in boxing movies. For you, I believe it was “Rocky” that did it.

That was the fish that grabbed my hook, yeah.

JW: What is it about the boxing stories that inspires people and makes them fall in love?

Well, my story is I won my second world title and I was back on top again and I thought life couldn’t get any better. But you ALWAYS gotta realize that anything can happen at any time, and boom I get in a car crash a couple weeks after I win the world title. So the doctor told me “That’s it son, you’re not gonna fight anymore, it’s over,” and I just didn’t want to hear that. I was in the prime of my life. I just had the fight of my life. I was like what are you talking about doc? There’s no freakin way I’m stopping now. I got lucky you know. A lot of hard work; you gotta be lucky in life and it happened.

JW: Take me through this, because nobody’s gonna know what it’s like to be told you can’t box when it means everything to you. What are the emotions that you felt when the doctor told you you’re lucky to walk, and boxing is out of the question?

I’ll never forget that moment. I was lying on the table and they had just taken x-rays of my neck. When he said that to me, my heart dropped, and I just got mad. I said “what are you talking about?” There’s no way I’m not gonna box. That’s just not gonna happen. He just shook his head and walked away. I knew he felt bad for me, but everything worked out. You know, in life, a lot of times you need to do some crazy things to make yourself get better; to make yourself be better. To do what you wanna do, sometimes you gotta do things that are a little crazy or out of the ordinary. This movie is gonna inspire a lot of people because of that.

JW: You got back to training almost immediately; you still had the halo in your head. Was there ever a time where you thought “This is crazy, what am I doing?”

Plenty of nights… Plenty of nights when you’re home alone, and I look in the mirror and I’m seeing the halo on my head, four screws in my skull and I wish I could shake my head if I was able to. I look in the mirror and I say “What are you doin?” What are you doin man? Are you really gonna do this? Well yes, yes you are, so let’s just f’n do it and get it over with. We’re gonna make this happen.

I remember talkin to my mother, and my mother was so cute. I had the greatest parents. I got really lucky to have great parents. I just remember one night I had the halo on, I was in the house and I was sittin at the table. My mother was at one side and I was on the other, just the two of us. She said to me “Vinny why do you gotta do this? Vinny stop, please. You don’t need this, there’s so many things you can do.” She says “you’re gonna get hurt.” I said “Ma, listen, you know I love you, but listen to me, I’m gonna make this happen, or I’m gonna die tryin.” She started cryin! Oh boy. She said “Vinny don’t talk like that!” I remember that moment like it was yesterday.

JW: People get told they can’t do things all the time. In your situation, there was probably a legitimate claim when they told you that, but you did it anyways. What advice would you give to somebody being told that they can’t do what they love?

Well, I’m not one of those guys that say to people you can do whatever you want to do, you can do anything. Because that’s not true, you can’t do anything you want to do. You know, I wanted to play basketball when I was a kid, but Shaq would’ve ruined me. You know what I mean? I can’t stuff a basketball. At 5’8 on a good hair day, you’re not gonna be a basketball star, but I boxed, and at boxing I wanted to be the best I could be. I wanted to be the greatest fighter. That’s what you can do. When you find what you like to do, you be the best at it, and that can definitely happen.

I hate when people say that, “You can do anything you want to do.” You can’t do that, it’s impossible. I wanna be taller, I’m not taller, there’s no way I can be that. You know, people have to be realistic and when you find what you really like to do and what you can do, you be the best at that. That’s a fact.

JW: Getting back on the movie, the cast is reeediculous, it’s stacked top to bottom. Now you’ve got a kid Miles Teller, and recently he’s been getting on people’s radars, but they’re saying he might be the next Leo (DiCaprio).

You know what’s gonna make him the next Leo? My story “Bleed for This” is gonna make him the next Leo. It’s so crazy my story. I just sit down and shake my head at times and go “I just wanted to box when I was five.” How did all this happen? But Miles is gonna be a big star after this and that movie’s gonna win a lot of awards. I saw it a couple weeks ago in New York City, and when I tell you it was absolutely fabulous. I couldn’t believe it. The whole way through my girl’s wiping my face to get the tears out of my face.

JW: Do you think he did a good job playing you?

He did great job playing me. He didn’t do a good job, he did a great job. He was really good. It’s pretty funny when I’m with him, like one day I wanted to go watch him box. So he says to me “Vinny, you know, maybe you shouldn’t come because you’re kinda gonna make me really nervous.” I’m like Miles don’t worry about it. He’s like “Nah Vinny, you’re gonna make me really uncomfortable, you know you’re like a great fighter and I’m just an actor and I’m gonna feel like maybe I’m not gonna do a good job, I’d like it if you weren’t there.” So I’m like alright, I won’t come. He did a great job though. He’s an actor, not a boxer, but he just did a super job.

It’s funny, cause when I first met him, he’s like “Vinny, let’s talk a little bit because I wanna get your accent down.” I says to him Miles, what are you talking about? I don’t have a fuckin accent. What do you mean? What do you mean!? He’s like “Uhh, yeah you do Vinny.” I’m like uhhh, no I don’t Miles! It was pretty funny. He got me down pretty good.

JW: (Still laughing) He probably spent a lot of time with you. You’re a pretty particular guy, and you definitely do have an accent!

I guess I do… (both laughing )

JW: So he probably had to spend a lot of time getting your personality and mannerisms down right?

He pulled it off really good in the movie. It just came out excellent. Like you said, the cast of characters were just off the hook hot. Aaron Eckhart played the greatest Kevin Rooney. He was tremendous. Ciaran Hinds played a great Angelo Pazienza who was my dad. Katey Sagal played my mom, which was awesome. When I first met Katey, she goes “Oh my God Vinny” I says Katey, you’re way too sexy to play my mother, how are you gonna play this off? (both laughing hysterically). She goes “Oh you’re so cute.” I’m like no serious Katey. I swear though Jes, when you see her, it looked like my mother. When you see her, it was amazing and she acted like my mom: very docile and a real worry wart. It was… it’s just the greatest movie. When you’re in it, and you see it and you’re watching it. It’s gonna come out around September, and when you’re watching it you’re gonna go damn, you know Vinny was right.

JW: And a lot of people who don’t even like boxing are excited for it.

Yeah, and you know it’s not a boxing movie. It’s a story of a comeback and a story of determination and persistence and doing your own thing, getting done what you want to be done, making it happen. It’s really not a boxing story. Boxing is just the back drop that it happens to be. People are gonna be really inspired by it. It’s gonna help a lot of people.

JW: So here’s one that’s kinda funny. You look through it, and it’s got an amazing cast. Then for Arturo Gatti, it’s Jerry Ferrara. How did he get in the role of Gatti?

You know what, they talked about him playing me at one time and I talked to him. He’s a really nice kid and he boxed a lot when he was younger. So that’s what they go by. I don’t know how they’re gonna make him play Arturo Gatti, but I guess he’s got boxing skills and he has that experience and he loves it. He loves boxing, so he asked for the role, but I don’t know how he’s gonna pull it off. We’ll see.

JW: I wish him the best, but in the Entourage movie he got his ass kicked by Ronda Rousey.

You know what! I just watched Ronda on Ellen (laughing)!

JW: You a big fan?

I’m a big fan of Ellen, not Ronda. No, Ronda’s cool too! I like her even more after I saw her on this interview.

JW: If she learned how to box she’d have a solid game. As a person she’s pretty cool.

Absolutely.

JW: Now here’s the big one. You have Martin Scorsese on the movie!

That’s Marty Scorsese. That’s the Diamond

JW: That’s the “Raging Bull” Scorsese. That’s the man. What’s his role on the movie?

He’s the producer, he was the main editor. He edited the movie, and when I went to see it, it was right after he completed the editing process. He usually brings his movies to a silence. I don’t know if you’ve seen this in his movies. He did it in mine, I think he did it twice. I watched it with my girlfriend, I think she remembers more of it than me because I was just like, this is unbelievable. It’s like a fight, like I don’t remember. When I get out of the ring I don’t remember everything that happened in the ring. It was the same thing when I watched my movie, like I kinda blacked out from it.

Scorsese did the greatest job of editing. He brought it to silence once I know, but I think he did it twice and it was just devastating. The music in this movie was devastating. It’s not the music that I like, but it was unbelievable. The director sat right next to me and my girl was on the other side of me. After every big scene, which was every five minutes, he’s looking over at me to see my reaction. It was great, he was great. Ben Younger is just great. He is the writer and director of it and he just did the greatest job ever. I went and watched him a couple of days while he was directing, and I couldn’t believe how unbelievable he was at that job. Like we were talking about earlier about how people are meant to do things. He was meant to direct movies.

JW: I’ve been watching a lot of video on you, and I swear to God I get motion sickness watching you fight because you move so much.

That’s funny you say that, and not a lot of people say that to me. Not a lot of people realize that. My success was, I was a great fighter because I was lucky that I was fast. I was really fast. I really considered myself the fastest white boy in the game, but I had some good power and I was just lucky to have the skill to do what I did. Like when I was talking earlier, Shaq was born to be a good basketball player, you know Kobe Bryant was born to be a good basketball player. You know I was not born to be a good basketball player; I was born to be a good fighter. You know, it didn’t roll in to place, because I worked hard. I had to work hard so much because so many guys were better than me and maybe had more talent, but not more heart. That’s what I won on a lot of times.

JW: That fight against Roger Mayweather, I just finished watching it.

That’s how the movie opens up, with that fight.

JW: Really?

Yeah, because it had me on the bicycle, wrapped up in cellophane trying to lose weight to make weight for the fight because I couldn’t make 140. I finally made it and he had a great fight, and he kicked my ass, he had a great fight and I was dead.

JW: We’re you feeling that though? Because that’s serious stuff, you were so dehydrated that by the end of the fight you collapsed.

I was so dehydrated I almost died after the fight. The nurse said to my father, because they took me to the hospital when I passed out. I was on the table, and they had the needles in me filling me up with fluid in both arms, and the nurse said to my dad… and it’s so unbelievable, my life’s so crazy, because if my dad wasn’t with me I would’ve died. Thank God I had the greatest father or this movie would’ve never been done because none of this would’ve ever happened after the Mayweather fight.

I was literally on the table, and I was so dehydrated and so depressed, I remember, vividly, just me saying, you know fuck it, I lost the fight, I don’t care I’m gonna die. I saw myself going up through clouds, and going up and up and up. The nurse says to my father, she says “Mr. Pazienza, we’re losing your son, he’s only got one heart beat every six to seven seconds.” And when she said that to my dad, my dad grabbed my shirt that I had on, and he started shaking me violently, and boom, I came back down. I was gone, I was literally dying. Not a lot of people know that story, but that’s a fact. I would be dead right now if it wasn’t for that. Because I was going through it, and I thought, this feels good, I was going up through clouds and it felt great, it felt so relaxing. It felt awesome like I was going to a greater place. Believe me, I’m not a religious guy and for me to tell you that is a fact, it’s not an exaggeration or anything. I was going up in white clouds, and when my father started shaking me, it stopped and I came down, and my heartbeat came back to one every three seconds.

JW: Wow… So you go from getting in the ring with a good fighter, you fight your heart out, you give it everything you got and you never quit. Then all of a sudden when you’re in this bed, the time finally comes where you just… I mean where does that switch come from where you’d do anything to win at one point, but then call it quits afterwards?

That’s just how it went down. You know, Sylvester Stallone’s in the front row, it was a world title fight, I felt embarrassed. It was the first time anybody put me on my ass. You know, I immediately popped back up, but I was so embarrassed and I couldn’t believe it. That don’t happen to me. I was just lettin go. I just said fuck it, you know it feels good and fuck it, I just lost the fight and that’s part of why I did what I did and I am who I am. You know, but at that moment, I was just giving up. That’s good inspiration for people because, you can’t give up!

Thank God I had the greatest parents. Thank God my dad was there, because if he isn’t, I’m gone after that fight. At that moment, you know the nurses and doctors in the hospital, you know, it’s not that they don’t care, but they’re not gonna be with you around the clock. They’re not gonna bring you back to life and my father was amazing. I’m lucky he was there because if he wasn’t, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation. It’s so amazing how life goes.

JW: Especially your life. I’ll be honest, it’s very moving. I say this with all due respect, but when we see this in a movie, that’s going to be an amazing thing to watch. It really is.

That’s cool. I like you saying that. It really was awesome. It was better than I thought it was gonna be, because they did a couple of things that I didn’t like and I didn’t think it was gonna be that good. But all the things I didn’t like, they didn’t put in.

JW: Last few questions will be some light hearted fun ones. Fun and funny thing about you is when you get in the ring you really screw with guys: you leave the hand in their face, shove them, hit them until the ref breaks it and you talk! You get in their face and you talk. So I’ll give you an example and you tell me if you remember what you said. In the end of the first round of Roy Jones, JR., you two were talking a lot back and forth. Do you remember the way that conversation went?

Some fights I get so amped up for, and for that fight, I tell this to people a lot of times, I say out of 60 fights, I only had five bad fights. You know I can name them off the bat, five bad fights. It was Haugen 2, Loreto Garza, Roger Mayweather, Aaron Davis and Roy Jones, JR. I don’t remember much about the fight, it was just a bad, bad night. When I was walking to the ring against Roger Mayweather, I was saying oh God please have this guy have a bad night because I feel like shit. Haugen the same thing, you know I beat him two out of three times, but in the second one I couldn’t make the weight and I was dying.

I lost twelve pounds in one day. Aaron Davis the same thing. I felt terrible. Roy Jones, JR., I might not have beat Roy Jones, JR., because he was the greatest at one time. He was the heavyweight champion of the world. I might not have beat him, but I definitely wouldn’t have gotten stopped. I was so mad about that. I was so so mad. I come back from everything strong though as I did after that fight, and after that fight they asked me who I wanted to fight. I said you know who I want to fight? Everybody wants to say I’m done because Roy Jones, JR. stopped me? I want to fight this undefeated kid from Boston. He thinks he’s a badass? He thinks he’s gonna be the champ? I said I’ll kill this kid. So I took the fight with this kid Dana Rosenblatt, and he’s acting like I’m a stepping stone for him. I’m like, are you out of your mind kid? I’m gonna kill you, and sure enough I knocked him out in the fourth round. It ended just how I thought it was gonna go down because I saw things in him that I knew he couldn’t beat me.

JW: You still don’t like him, right?

I still hate him, yeah. (both laugh) I swear to God it’s so funny you say that Jesse. Two weeks ago I had a friend call me. He goes “Vinny I’m with somebody I’m gonna put you on the phone with him.” People do that to me a lot. I go who is it? He goes “just talk to him, come on.” I go Big Joe, his name is Big Joe, I go Big Joe, Whoooo is it? Don’t just put me on the phone with somebody, just tell me who it is and then I’ll go on the phone with them. “No Vinny no Vinny, here here here!” He hands over the phone to the kid and the kid goes “Hey is this Vinny?” I go yeaaahhh this is Vinny Paz… And who is this? “It’s me Vinny, Dana!” I said, Dana, I don’t really know anybody named Dana that I like. I know one Dana, and I really don’t like that Dana, I’m sure this is not him.

He goes, “Vinny, come on Vinny it’s me, Dana Rosenblatt.” I go Ohhh My God! Dude I hate you! Why would I want to talk to you? Why would he put me on the phone with you! “Oh come on Vinny, come on you’re a good guy, let’s just meet up.” I go Dana, I can’t hang out with you I’m sorry (I’m laughing hysterically). I’m sorry, I’m gonna end this phone call now. I hope you’re doing well and that’s as good as I can get for you, and I hung up (both laughing hysterically).

JW: That’s great! (still laughing)

That was literally two weeks ago!

JW: IF you were a little bigger, you could’ve been a WWF wrestler right?

Absolutely, Oh my God yeah.

JW: So they bring you in for a fight between Bart Gunn and Butterbean!

Oh My God I’ll never forget that.

JW: What were they thinking?

Jes it’s so funny. McMahon calls me and asks if I’ll ref a fight, I’m like yeah sure. I said what’s it like, who’s gonna fight who? He’s like “Well a guy named Bart Gunn is gonna fight Butterbean. I’m like really, wow, so who’s gonna win? He goes “what do you mean Vinny, it’s real.” I said what do you mean it’s gonna be real, who’s gonna win the fight? He’s like “No Vinny, it’s gonna be a real fight.” I’m like, you mean one of your wrestlers is gonna fight for real against Butterbean? I said Oh my God! Yeah I’ll ref your fight that’ll be cool. 20,000 people in the place it was sold out in Philadelphia, the Spectrum.

So before the fight, I’m meeting all the guys, I meet The Rock and I’m meeting all these guys. So I ask, what do you think, my guy is going up against your guy Bart Gunn. Ahhh you know Vinny, Bart Gunn’s a bad dude man, I forgot which guy it was, but one the guys says “Vinny, Bart Gunn’s gonna kick his ass, he’s gonna kick his fat ass all over the ring.” I’m like reaaallly!? So I wanna see my guy, I wanna see the boxer win over the wrestler. So I go to Bean’s dressing room and I say hey Bean how you doing. “Good Vinny, good good.” I say you feeling good? He says “yeah, yeah I’m feeling good.” I said, did you train hard for this like a real fight Bean? He says “Yeah Vinny I’m good I’m ready to fight.” I said good good, because they say this guy’s a bad dude, don’t take him for granted. He says “I’m good Vinny I’m good.” The fight starts, I get them in the middle of the ring, read them their rights, boom, the fight starts. After the first, ten seconds of the fight, I go oh my God, Butterbean’s gonna kill this fuckin guy. Sure enough, boom, drops him, and there were so many fans in there that wanted to see the wrestler win.

I should’ve called it right when he dropped the first time, but I didn’t want to stop it (pauses for laughter) and make them feel like somebody was dead! So I literally took his arm, and put it over my shoulder and lifted him up! I says come on you’re all right! I says, you can fight right!? You’re good right!? Let’s go Bart Come on! He goes “Uh yeah, umm I’m good.” Butterbean comes at him with a bomb and boom, drops him again and that’s it, I stopped it then.

JW: So after you picked up a half knocked out Bart Gunn and throw his ass back in there, is it safe to say that was your last day reffing?

hat was my last day reffing. (both laughing hysterically) That’s the last time they let me close to ring.

JW: It’s been a great interview. Last question is the same one I ask every fighter because it’s the one that really matters. How do you want to be remembered?

I want to be remembered as “The Pazmanian Devil”, and I was a badass and I fought my balls off for my fans.

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