Hangin’ Out with Nashville’s Honkytonk Hitman

An Intimate Interview With Mike Rodgers

Mary: Do you remember the first country song that touched you, that gave you "goose bumps"?
Mike: The first song that touched me was not country at all. I was ten when I heard Simon & Garfunkel's song "The sound of silence". I remember how much I identified with that song and how it felt like it was speaking for me. It is still my favorite song to this day.
The first country song that touched me was probably "Misery & Gin" I sang that song to get into the church choir when I was eleven years old. In my song "Me, Jack, and Jesus" I said it was "Whiskey bent and Hell bound" , but only because it fit the song better.

Mary: If you could record one cover song what would it be?
Mike: I used to say that if I ever got a major label deal I would cut the Billy Yates song he released in 1997 called "Flowers". The season 4 Nashville Star winner Chris Young beat me to the punch and did a fantastic job on that song. It is one of my favorites on his new CD. So, I would now either do a remake of "Heaven Was a Drink of Wine" or 'Misery and Gin" by Merle Haggard.

Mary: How did you get into boxing?
Mike: My father has always been a boxing coach and cutman. He is now in the Silver and Golden Gloves Hall of Fame. Every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday the family went to the gym so that he could train fighters. I had my first amateur bout in 1975 at the age of five. I got knocked down about 8 times against an eight year old and just wouldn't quit trying to win. Back then we didn't even wear head gear or tank tops. The standing 8 count had not been invented yet either. It was just like a 3 round pro bout. I lost my first fight convincingly. They gave me a trophy for the "Most Courageous" fighter of the night. I think that bout defined who I was and probably who I would become. I boxed for 14 years as an amateur and finished with a record of 155 wins and 26 losses.
I also boxed for 5 years as a pro and finished with a record of 25 win's and 2 losses. 180 win's with only 28 losses in 19 years is not too shabby a record. But, I feel the effects of every single one of those bouts every morning when I get out of bed. I will have to pay a very serious price for the rest of my life for having been the "Honkytonk Hitman". My wife understands this better than anyone else.
Note: Mike also won the WBF Super Cruiserweight Title in 1992.

Mary: Why did you retire from professional boxing after you won a world title?
Mike: I was starting to suffer too many injuries that were just not healing right. Then I broke my shoulder in two places in a fall and it was never the same. That combined with the fact that they moved the Cruiserweight division up from 190 lbs. to 200 lbs. was too heavy for me. I can fight at 190 lbs. but it took me several months to put on the weight to fight for the Super-Cruiserweight title at 205 lbs. I was 32 years old, not 100% healthy, and now too big for the Light-heavyweight division of 175 lbs. and too small for the Cruiserweight division of 200 lbs. It just made sense. I had nothing more left to prove and God was telling me that it was time. So, I retired on top as a champion. Not many fighters ever get to do that.

Mary: Tell me something about you that not everyone knows?
Mike: I have several phobias. I will not eat off of silverware so I have to use plastic utensils. I am not really comfortable listing off all of my idiosyncrasies. Maybe I should have just said I am lactose intolerant. People don't know that either.

Mary: Do you have any pets?
Mike: I have a full-blooded male beagle pup that I got from Murfreesboro in April. His name is Sonny. I got him for my wife on her birthday. I also have a female part beagle and part one night stand that I got from Little Rock on Thanksgiving weekend in 2004.

Mary: Where do you live now?
Mike: I live in Rutherford County in a little town called Lavergne right next to Smyrna and Murfreesboro. My wife and I built a house there 4 years ago and we just love it there. Every time we talk about moving we back out because we couldn't leave our friends and our church behind.

Mary: What would you like people to say about you at your funeral?
Mike: Look, he's moving!

Article Written & Submitted by Mary Maggart