Life On The Road

Declan Taylor talks to the wandering Malik Scott about Charles Manson, insane logic and sparring Usyk and Wilder.

- Declan Taylor

TOTALLY one of a kind,” Malik Scott says before raising his middle finger. “And if you don’t like it, this was always the message – F**K YOU!”

The Philadelphian could quite easily be discussing one of the two world champions he has most recently sparred with, on different continents during the same week. Having spent a month helping cruiserweight king Oleksandr Usyk prepare for Saturday’s (November 10) showdown with Tony Bellew, Scott embarked on a 16-hour, multi-flight trek from Ukraine to Alabama, where WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder’s latest training camp is in its burgeoning stages ahead of the December 1 challenge of Tyson Fury. But he was talking about neither fighter or indeed any boxer. Instead, Scott was discussing his fascination with one of America’s most infamous serial killers, Charles Manson.

“I’ve got a tattoo of him,” the 38-year-old says casually. “I’ve been up to the house in Beverly Hills where the Helter Skelter murders took place. They still have Sharon Tate’s room, the one where they caught her and murdered her.”

Pregnant actress Tate was one of seven people murdered in a killing spree orchestrated by Manson in the summer of 1969. He spent the rest of his life in prison and died at the age of 83 last November.

“I am fascinated by him because he is the only cult leader who, when they caught him and called him a cult leader, he said, ‘Yeah!’

“You are what you are, even if he was an awful guy. He was like, ‘I get why you guys are saying this is wrong, but still, f**k you. I’m everything you’re saying I am, I won’t hide nothing.’ I’ll be all up there at the Spahn Ranch in San Fernando Valley where he used to live. It’s where they did their dirty work, all the planning and stuff. I nearly moved into a place a mile away from there.”