Willie Ram At The Fights interview: His 51-pound boxing mismatch

The Willie Ram At The Fights interview on MILLIONS covered a boxing debut Willie had not expected: he weighed in at 110 pounds, then learned shortly before leaving for a Starboard Boxing event in Houston, Texas, that he would face a 161-pound man. Willie told Ram At The Fights he had never boxed in a ring or trained at a boxing gym, but the experience left him wanting to find a trainer.

What did Willie say about his first boxing fight and heavier opponent?

Willie said his first boxing fight came against a man who weighed 161 pounds, while Willie weighed in at 110 that morning. He learned they would fight each other roughly an hour before leaving for the event. Despite having no ring experience, he chose to go ahead with the bout.

The last-minute opponent change

Willie had expected to face a woman he described as weighing about 123 pounds. He said he already felt uneasy about that matchup before discovering he would instead face the heavier man. At the fight house, he had seen the man beat everyone who arm-wrestled him, which gave him another reason not to want the fight.

His nerves had been affecting his stomach all morning, Willie said. He had eaten a bowl of oatmeal early in the day, and the delayed start meant hours of waiting before he entered the ring. Afterward, he threw up. Still, he told his opponent not to take it easy on him, aside from his concern about getting hurt.

What Willie took from stepping into the ring

Willie had bought his gloves at Walmart and said he had not been to a boxing gym. He did not claim a result from the bout; instead, he focused on the decision to fight at all. Explaining why he was willing to show up even without a guaranteed win, Willie put it this way:

me stepping in the ring was a win for me, period.

He said the opponent’s punches hurt a little, but the fight made him curious about facing someone closer to his own size. Willie also watched clips afterward and was surprised by moments in which he looked more comfortable than he had expected.

What did Willie say about Starboard Boxing’s Houston event?

Willie said Starboard Boxing’s Houston card was the promotion’s first event and brought together content creators and influencers from several states. He enjoyed meeting the other fighters and credited the organizers for putting it on, while acknowledging that the schedule did not run as planned.

The fight house and Martinez boxing gym

The fighters met at a fight house before the card, Willie said, and the boxing took place at Martinez boxing gym. He is from Oklahoma and had been living in Houston for about a year. Other participants came from New York, Arkansas and California. Willie said the event consisted of boxing, with fighters walking out to music.

The card was supposed to begin at noon, according to Willie, but he said they did not end up fighting until around four or five o’clock. That wait mattered to him: he had eaten little, felt sick with nerves and was adjusting to a different opponent. Even so, he described the overall experience as fun.

Whether Starboard Boxing will hold another card

Willie said he had heard another event might not happen this year because of the money spent on the first one. He presented that as something he had heard, not an announced schedule. The first card, he said, involved the kind of trial and error that comes with staging a new event.

How did Willie get onto the Starboard Boxing card?

Willie found Starboard Boxing while scrolling through Instagram and seeing previews and advertisements for the event. After noticing that someone he knew appeared to be connected to the promotion, he contacted the organizers. His original opponent changed, but he decided he would still show up and fight someone.

He said the contact led to a group chat with the woman he initially expected to face. When that matchup did not happen, Willie did not want to lose the opportunity. He viewed the chance to step into the ring and gain exposure as worthwhile even if he did not win.

Following the card, Willie posted fight footage on TikTok and Instagram and gave his opponent a shout-out. He said he had shared the full fight in pieces so people could see it and planned to make his own clips and highlights. He also expected event highlights to appear on YouTube.

What fighting experience did Willie have before his boxing debut?

Willie said he had never boxed in a ring or trained at a boxing gym before the Starboard Boxing card. He did, however, have some experience outside boxing: he had taken MMA and wrestling classes and practiced with his brother, whom he said won two Golden Gloves.

MMA, wrestling and practicing with his brother

Willie drew a distinction between those experiences and a boxing match. He said he was familiar with fighting that allowed grappling or other techniques, but boxing required him to work within a different set of rules. Practicing with his brother had helped him learn to slip punches, he said, without giving him the boxing preparation he needed.

At five feet four inches tall, Willie said he had watched Yvonne because of the boxer’s similar height, along with other shorter boxers. Watching them was not a substitute for training, and Willie was candid about how much he still had to learn about throwing punches and moving in the ring.

What did Willie learn about his breathing and movement during the fight?

Willie said his main difficulty in the ring was breathing through a mouthguard he had fitted incorrectly. He also found it hard to act on instructions from his corner because he had never boxed before. Despite that, he landed punches that surprised him and drew a reaction from the crowd.

The mouthguard and corner instructions

Willie said he had prepared the mouthguard incorrectly and had not left enough space to breathe comfortably through it. In the ring, he told his corner he would do whatever they instructed. When they called for him to circle, he said he began spinning until they told him to stop. To Willie, the confusion showed why a first-time boxer needed clearer guidance.

He recalled ducking and throwing punches, then realizing one had connected when he heard the crowd. That response encouraged him to throw another. Looking back, Willie said he was pleased to have landed shots at all, especially against an opponent he had been reluctant to face.

Will Willie train for boxing and continue making music?

Willie said he wants to find a trainer and a gym, start working out and take boxing seriously. He also writes music and intends to go to the studio. Those are his plans following the fight; he did not name a coach, a gym or a date for another bout.

Finding a trainer after his debut

Before the card, Willie said, his days largely involved going to work, writing music and eating snacks rather than training. After facing the heavier opponent, he felt ready to build experience and see what he could do with proper preparation. His immediate step, he said, was finding somewhere to train.

Music and the walkout that changed

Willie said he had written music but had not released a song yet. He was supposed to walk out to one of his own songs at the boxing event, but a different song played instead. He uses the name Willy the Kid for his music and social accounts and said people could also find him as Willie Harris on Facebook.

Who is Willie?

Willie had long wanted to take on a more disciplined, active sport but said he had not had the courage to do so until now. His boxing debut gave him that first step.