Meet Matteo Papa | Professional boxer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Matteo Papa and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Matteo, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
Most people don’t imagine that behind a 36 minutes boxing world title performance there is countless sacrifices, hard work, dedication and discipline. The most difficult thing in this sport is not the 30 miles a week runs, it’s not the 25-30 hours spent training at the gym weekly, it’s not even the blood, the sweat and the tears; it’s actually making sure that you arrive the day before the fight on weight. Making the weight in a healthy and functional way so that you keep strength and speed while avoiding to be “weight drained” it’s actually not a diet that you do just a few weeks before the fight, it’s a lifestyle. This means, that comprimise of living a healthy lifestyle is all year round, in fact, I have to keep my weight in check no matter what the holidays of the special occasions. Unless you live it yourself, it’s hard to understand, the mental pressure that making the weight causes a fighter is far greater than the physical sacrifice and hard work.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a professional boxer, so fitness, nutrition and sport medicine are day to day, and some of my biggest passions. Besides being an athlete I enjoy all aspects of fitness including health and recovery, I like to train motivated individuals and help them to achieve their fitness goals. I lead by example thanks to my career and I also find time outside of my busy schedule for a few exclusive clients that want to level up their lives. I always say, we only get one body to live in, so you want to make sure you treat it as such, cause we don’t get a replacement! I help my clients to turn their lives around, change their routine and bad habits that affect positively their mental health, and that for me goes further that what I charge them for personal training..

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Despite my healthy lifestyle I love to have fun and I lived in many cities, but Miami holds a special place in my heart. It’s my favorite city, and I often get friends and family visiting town.

My favorite plan would be: breakfast at Rosetta Bakery, that’s my “go to” for a good Italian espresso. I love the ocean, so one of my favorite plans is go out on a boat with friends, good music, food and great vibes, I like to wake board and ride jet skis, gives me a sense of freedom and connection with nature. As a good Italian there’s nothing better than sharing a night at dinner with your favorite people, I love Forte dei Marmi in Miami Beach for pasta and their pistachio ice cream, and if I allow myself a pizza, O’ Munaciello is my absolute favorite spot.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Floyd Mayweather.

I fall in love with boxing at very young age because of Mike Tyson, which I really hope to meet one day.

Floyd Mayweather changed my life, I met him at his gym in Las Vegas 3 years ago, and he gave me the single most important opportunity that anyone could give me, signing a professional fighter contract under his boxing promotion and allowed me to train alongside world champions and high profile athletes. Since we met, he shared with me his knowledge and love for this sport in multiple occasion, helping me to become a more well rounded athlete inside and outside of the ring. Furthermore, I was also given the opportunity to share the ring with him, and be his sparring partner, an absolute privilege I will always cherish because it allowed me to learn so much and gain confident, mental strength and motivation to continue to work on my dreams.

Website: https://mayweatherpromotions.com/fighters/matteo-cyborg-papa/

Instagram: Matteopapa33

Youtube: Matteo Papa

Image Credits
@theycallmemendez @kerryfoley