John Wayne Parr: ‘I still get just as excited when I win now as I did when I was 14 years old’

What’s infectious about John Wayne Parr’s appearance on Obviously Fight Talk is that the Muay Thai legend told stories with genuine enthusiasm and child-like happiness.

The interview commenced with Parr’s most recent achievement, winning on his Bellator Kickboxing debut with a second-round knockout victory over Nando Calzetta.

“I didn’t wanna just win I wanted to go out there and put on an exciting fight for the fans. I didn’t want to just sort of play the game. The head kick was just the ultimate slam dunk,” said Parr with a smile.

A smile that remained present throughout the 40-minute discussion.

Does kickboxing, with its professional promotions like GLORY and Bellator, have the potential to be as popular as MMA?

Parr replied: “I hope so, especially with the exposure it gets on Spike TV. We’re putting on exciting fights, crazy knockouts just like the MMA guys are. We get to prove that we are just as exciting and there’s no ground, there’s no stalling, so you’re guaranteed action. I think it’s amazing.”

The Aussie fight veteran suggested ways Muay Thai could grow into a similar commodity as the UFC.

“It needs a personality that will grab the imagination of the crowd to draw them in, exactly like Conor McGregor. Since he’s been on the scene you’ve got grandma’s talking about him on the bus that he’s fighting in two weeks’ time.

“We need someone with a billion dollars like the Fertitta brothers to push the profile of the Muay Thai guys. There’s so much culture and so much tradition in our sport. It’s so exciting there’s no reason why it can’t, it just needs exposure.”

Parr showcased his admirable humility when he said, “It would be nice to be the Roger Federer of the Muay Thai world. It would be really cool.”

Interviewers Noel O’Keeffe and Robert Pallin, visibly grateful for the opportunity to interview Parr, then asked the fighter about the beginning of his career.

“I had this belief in myself that I was destined for greatness,” Parr said. “I wanted to be the best in the world.

“Since I was about 13 years old I didn’t wanna just win a world title, I wanted to go to Thailand and fight the Thais and I wanted to win a real world title. I didn’t wanna beat someone down the road and be a paper champion I wanted to be the real thing.”

It was an answer that demonstrated Parr’s old school approach to combat, similar to boxer Nigel Benn who was also inspired to fight the best with spectacular aggression.

Parr then relived one of his greatest memories from when he was 20 years old, becoming the first Australian to fight in Thailand’s famous Lumpinee Stadium. His voice was alive with pride and exhilaration as he described his second round KO win.

“The first two rounds I was losing, the guy I was fighting was pretty strong, pretty slick, and I remember getting yelled at by my trainers. So round three I remember landing a nice combo and the punters started putting their money on me.

“I could feel that my roar was getting more and more louder until my roar was overtaking my opponents. That’s when I knew I was looking good and then the fourth round I landed a nice combination with my hands and I dropped my opponent and about 30 seconds later I dropped him again. That feeling like you’re walking on a cloud, there’s no greater feeling, especially in Lumpinee too. it was like the ultimate dream. “

For aspiring fighters, Parr offered advice on how to become the best version of yourself.

He said: “It doesn’t matter what number you are on the card you always wanna be that one when people leave the venue everyone is talking about your fight, you wanna try steal the limelight from the main event even if you’re the first fight of the night. People leaving the venue you want them to remember your name so that when your name is presented again on another fight show they wanna come see you and that’s how you start getting the big paydays and the opportunities to fight overseas.”

“You can go to the pub every Friday and Saturday and see the same faces every weekend but you’re not going to see them faces in the magazines or on the TV. You wanna look back in ten years’ time and say ‘I remember that time I fought in Lumpinee’, ‘I remember that time I fought on the Kings birthday’ or even if it’s in small clubs or in front of 500 people, it’s still that opportunity to perform in front of your friends and family where you are put on that pedestal for 20 minutes, stuff like that you take to the grave.”

After thanking Obviously Fight Talk for the interview he expressed his appreciation to his Irish fans. He also summed up the type of character he is as he ended the SKYPE call with some words of wisdom.

“Lots of people are getting depressed these days. I think it’s because people are putting too much pressure on themselves whereas with martial arts you will learn to expand the mind where you’re in a more higher and happier place and you can achieve greatness through what you are doing.

“Be positive, be happy and smile.”

And with that, John Wayne Parr, like the great Muhammad Ali had done throughout his life, left the people he had spoken to feeling inspired.

Watch the interview through the link below where Parr also discusses his daughter’s journey in Muay Thai.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxACBGbpRdA