My first memories are of watching boxing bouts in the public parks back in Nigeria. Dad was a huge Ali fan and I became hooked. Ali’s fault!
I arrived in the UK on 14th October 1974, the original date for The Rumble in The Jungle, but it was delayed a fortnight because George (Foreman) got cut.
But I didn’t actually glove up until I was 19. I went to the All Stars gym over in Paddington – still The Mecca of gyms for me – and thought I could box cos I could mimic Ali.
I was self taught in my back yard but when they stuck me in the ring, reality hit and I got a proper hiding! I never went back for two years.
At the age of 25, I moved from Ladbroke Grove to Dulwich, South London and enrolled at the Brixton ABC in Herne Hill where I was coached by a fantastic trainer called Floyd Alexander. Guys like Danny Williams, Spencer Fearon and Marcus McCrae were there at the time.
I did a lot of sparring with Danny but, as I was 10 years older, I took it easy with him. I also sparred (future WBO heavyweight king) Henry Akinwande.
I boxed under the name of Charlie Eni. Eni is my mother’s maiden name.
‘Don’ is simply a nickname. I used to run security in the clubs and my team called me ‘The Don’. It just stuck.
