From April 2007. I remember that night well because I was teetotal at the time - it was a warm April day, the fights were good, and it was my first time at that venue. I travelled down to Nottingham with Karl, and the two of us went back to Billy’s house after the show. They got wrecked and I laughed at their ridiculousness. We got up early the next day and had a fry up, went to a carboot sale and then went training.

Sometimes I get a bit blasé about the fact I share the mat at Straight Blast Gym Manchester with a bona fide celebrity like Rosi.

Rosi isn’t just a training partner though - she’s a good friend and a colleague, so I do sometimes take for granted the fact she is a rather exceptional person.

She’s intelligent (when she’s in the mood, fiercely so). She’s talented (you don’t win fights against world class opposition by pure luck). She’s a very generous person (my neck would probably consist of ground-up bits of leftover vertebrae without the many free sessions of osteopathy she has kindly given me) and recently, she’s been the centre of attention for British and international press.

Believe it or not, the multi-talented Ms Sexton is actually quite shy, although you might not think it from her many TV and radio appearances (everything from Richard and Judy to independent documentaries). She’s becoming quite the professional - it’s a shame I can’t find the Richard and Judy piece online, although there is this following two-minute segment from a local TV station here in Manchester. Enjoy.

An oldie, but a goodie. From 2005

Wow, this month has been TOUGH.

Whatever your preconceptions of life in the publishing industry, putting together Fighters Only isn’t rocket science.  It’s more like juggling about 20 different odd shaped objects all at once, while standing on a skateboard that someone is trying to kick from under you.

This is what rules my life month to month - the flatplan.

And all at the same time, there are people stood behind your back talking shit about you and waiting for you to fall so they can step in and claim they could do a better job.  Not to mention the few members of the audience who boo incessantly, really wishing you’ll fail.

Well guess what?  We got juggling skillz, for real.  Everything that could have gone wrong, did, but fuck it if we didn’t pull it together, turn it around, slap it’s ass and call it daisy.

Next issue is gonna kick ass - you’ll see it in a week’s time.

I don’t play that many computer games, which is weird considering I’ve had some kind of computer or console since I was 8 years old. The most recent console I owned was a Playstation. I used to shred the PS2 back in the day, but that was a loooong time ago, when my house mate had use of one.

My new house mate brought with him an Xbox 360. Now this is by far the most evil invention to have in the house ever, especially if you work from home like I do. I don’t play it that much, rationing myself to a couple of tunes on Guitar Hero III a few nights a week - but with the release of the actual gameplay (and not just a pretty trailer) for the new UFC game, I’m thinking I might waste some serious time on that if I’m not careful. It doesn’t come out until next year though luckily, so that means my work won’t suffer until at least 2009.

Check out the video here

My apologies, it’s been a tough week or so in the ‘real world’.  Print deadlines, last minute changes, sleepless nights and stress headaches are becoming so common it’s scary.

Going to take a few days off this weekend to recharge the batteries and come back at things with a vengeance, and hopefully that will mean here too.  Expect more posting when I’ve managed to get to the top of this hill.

Until then.

Outside

Inside

This left me almost speechless.