#63 Cairo George: The “Waikato Warrior” | From Near-Death Experience to Boxing Champion
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How did Cairo’s early life and family background shape his path to boxing?
Cairo George just sat down with an old friend, uh also a top trainer, now top coach. I've known him for a long time, been a great friend of mine, even let him sleep at uh my sleep out on a mattress on the floor when he was coming up and preparing to fight. Coached by his dad, also by Lola.
Lawler was a blessing to my career and yeah things really took off. So then I moved up and way and I won a New Zealand title in the next fight.
Became as he calls it an ABC champion. Like there was all these different types of belts he won. I've won
multiple
national
and international titles, uh eighteen wins, two losses.
He's had an amazing journey, you know, growing up pretty similar to me. His dad was a member of a gang, being around gang pads and not being too good at school, actually being asked to leave at third form.
The light bulb moment that sort of switched me and brought me back on track was like a near-death experience. I come off my motorbike, I fractured my spine, I broke my leg. Shit.
From being a PT in Les Mills, Hamilton to now owning his own gym and having one of the best stables of fighters in this country. I think you'll learn a lot from this episode. So don't forget to like, share and subscribe. Cairo George, enjoy. This podcast is made by the amazing team at Fanaticals. They put out with me, so they're pretty epic. Cairo George, how's it going, my brother?
I'm good, bro. Yep, pleasure to be here and um great to see what you're doing here, bro. So thanks for me. I've seen a few episodes, I've seen some of the guys you've had on and honor for me to be here in such great company.
Well you're Dave um Naika's coach as well, eh? So y you watched his uh what did you think of his podcast?
Yeah, no, it's like uh it was interesting 'cause I've known him for quite a long time and I'm still learning stuff about him. Um one of the things I picked up was the nice guy, the nice guy Nika name. I didn't realise uh the moment that the light bulb moment that gave him that name was what it was. Uh I was there when that happened. Yeah. Um we were going into the car park of the junior pharaoh Joe Parker fight and Where Israel's car was, like no one could get in there, but Liam pulled up there and was like Just talking to the security guard and then he let us in and parked next to Israel's car.
What the what like the Lamba or something?
Yeah, yeah. And then so when we get in there, Dave's like, Man, how did you manage to pull those ones? And he's they uh Liam said, I'll give you guys one word of advice. Just smile and be nice. Yeah. Any situation just smile and be nice. I didn't realise that that was the moment that he came up with the name until I watched the podcast there. So interesting, always learning stuff, eh?
What was the near‑death motorbike accident and how did it become Cairo’s turning point?
Yeah, well that's how we got our saying of no excuses. Similar sort of thing. Uh I was training, very lucky to train do some do some training with Mark Hunt 'cause he was training his trainer was uh Alex Slint from Body Talk and um DJ Reminis took me into some of the training. So I was really, really lucky to have that experience early in my career. And one morning I didn't turn up, so I the next morning I saw Mark I was at the We're at the cafe. And he said, Why didn't you come to training yesterday? And I started to mutter my excuses. He said, No excuses. And I said, Fuck, you're right. You know? And you don't want to upset Mark. So, you know, I said, You're right, there was no excuse. I just slept in. That's how we got the no excuses, this the whole mantra of no excuses.
Um funny how this whole circle works because um Lawler was also Mark's coach as well and that was my coach as well. So funny how things kinda go um yeah, full circle or in the same circle almost. When did we meet? I can't put an exact date on it, but one of my earliest memories, like we had just started sort of hanging out And um I was training with Laurel during my training camps in My sleeping situation wasn't the best. I'd sleep in the back of my car because I live in Hamilton and my coach lived in Auckland. So I was either sleeping on the gym floor or sleeping in the back of my car.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
How did Cairo’s early life and family background shape his path to boxing?
0:00–2:29
2
What was the near‑death motorbike accident and how did it become Cairo’s turning point?
2:29–8:34
3
How did Cairo transition from amateur to professional boxing and win his first New Zealand title?
8:34–17:32
4
What challenges and injuries did Cairo face during his pro career and how did they affect his mindset?
17:32–28:05
5
How did the COVID‑19 pandemic lead Cairo to retire and become a full‑time coach?
28:05–37:55
6
What lessons has Cairo learned from coaching his son and other fighters about discipline and motivation?
37:55–46:23
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from Unfiltered with Dave Letele
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