E70 | Monty Betham
Episode summary | Monty Betham
Monty Betham had a reputation as one of the most feared players in rugby league in the early 2000s before taking that aggression into the ring and starting a professional boxing career.
Despite a challenging and sometimes violent upbringing under his father Monty Betham Snr – also a boxer – he has now taken the discipline learnt from the sporting realm into a successful business career helping Maori and Pacific Islands start ups get underway.
Monty was captain of the Warriors during their most successful period when they reached the playoffs three years in a row. He also earned the title as the player most of his opponents would least like to fight. He was also at the helm during a spectacular fall when they just avoided the wooden spoon before heading to the UK for a lucrative contract.
He walked away from rugby league to pursue a professional career in boxing winning eight of his nine fights, including a bout with Shane Cameron at The Fight for Life, before retiring in 2016 after a health scare caused by a brain bleed.
Show notes | Monty Betham
1.38: Winning the morning, losing touch, good comms, 26 years of marriage
5.18: Warriors and Team Talks on Instagram and the obligatory Emma Twigg mention, plus Steve’s white gloves memory
7.02: The relationship with Monty Betham Snr: growing up around violence and abuse, life lessons, bullying, and redemption
17.30: A leader of men as the youngest ever Warriors captain
21.12: “Putting on the ugly head”: Monty on his role as the enforcer
29.37: Highs and lows at the Warriors
32.11: Walking away from rugby league and the transition to boxing
36.00: Fighting Shane Cameron at the Fight for Life
39.51: Rugby league v boxing
40.52: Looking back at the boxing career and eventually retiring from boxing
48.14: Continuous improvement, a comeback of sorts at The Fight for Life, and training Jimmy Spittle
55.37: Punditry, interviewing, and the art of asking good questions
1.01.18: Last words from Steven, Seamus and Monty
