Burt Watson Discusses New Book, Leaving Lasting legacy

Burt Watson has seen and done it all during his long-tenured run in combat sports, from working with Joe Frazier in boxing to his time in mixed martial arts with the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Bellator MMA. Watson in July released his own tell-all book, “Being Burt Watson: Greatness Through a Legend’s Eyes.” With his having had experiences to which very few can relate, he let readers know they should expect the truth from the moment they turn to the front page.

“The first thing is the truth and the likeness thereof,” Watson told Sherdog.com. “It’s been a great ride. It’s finally come to fruition, but I actually take time to sit down and write some of the things that have happened to me over my career—some of the things that have led up to my career, some of the people that have been important in my career, some people whose paths I’ve crossed during my career and learning as I’ve gone along the destination of my career. I’ve always had three things in mind throughout my career, and those three things are mindset, game plan and commitment.”

While those three focal points have helped Watson develop and maintain relationships with professional athletes, they have also allowed him to succeed in day-to-day life.

“I’ve always been involved in professional sports, and those are three things that you need to achieve in professional sports,” he said. “I also learned that the same things that you need to achieve success in professional sports are the same things you need to achieve success in everyday life. They’re parallel. Everybody somehow in their life equates things to professional sports.”

Given the times he has enjoyed and the prominent names with which he has shared them, Watson indicated that his motivation for writing the book was to leave something that will let his memories carry on long after he is gone.

“The biggest motivation was I felt that everybody needs or wants a legacy,” he said. “Not only do you want a legacy, but you want the truth and you want the truth to be told. You hear so many people speak of others and the journey they’ve had with other people, and it’s always his story, her story and the real story. History has a way of making you a part of it without you asking. It does that to you. It did that to me, and there was no way to document that because it happened so quickly.”

With so many countless memories and stories attached to his 40-plus years in combat sports, Watson pulled back the curtain to relay a story he has never told, not even in the book, when he shared a special moment with Muhammad Ali. Despite his close connection with the aforementioned Frazier, Watson had an opportunity to help out Ali, and the legendary boxer made note that his former rival would not be happy to see Watson assisting him.

“We did the ‘Night of 100 Stars’ on ABC, and Muhammad Ali [was there],” Watson said. “We were all downstairs, and we were sitting there with Muhammad, Garth Brooks and others. Muhammad was about to put a vest on, but it was at the beginning of his stages of him being sick and there was nobody down there. He had to put that vest on and he had it on wrong, and I had to go put that vest on Muhammad Ali. I will never forget that for as long as I live. It’s etched in my head, in my mind. That was the last thing that I did for Muhammad Ali, and he said to me, ‘You know damn well Joe Frazier ain’t going to like that.”

Those are the kinds of beautiful, behind-the-scenes stories Watson reveals and details in his new book. He does so eloquently, honestly and in entertaining fashion. Not many people can say they have been in combat sports for as long as Watson—a fact which figures to make his book a must-read for all fight fans.