Photography by Simon Howard
Everyone’s eyes were turned to man mountain Martyn Ford and his opponent the Iranian Hulk as their notorious rivalry heated up ahead of their epic showdown in the O2 Arena. Now, with the fight cancelled and speculation rife, we’re all wondering what’s next for Martyn.
“I’ve got The Machine being released later this year, then I’ve got Sandman, a Netflix show being released this year too,” reveals Martin.
“I’m turning the ‘monster’ roles down constantly because I don’t want to be seen as the big guy who just goes in and beats someone to death anymore.”
“These last two roles have been by far the biggest and best roles I’ve had,” he says. “They’ve given me a chance to act. They’re not fight-based. It gives me a really nice collage of work to go forwards and really demand that lead acting role. There’s no denying I opened the doors into the film world by being huge and it gave me the opportunity, so I wouldn’t change that and I’m grateful. But now I’ve opened those doors and I’ve seen new opportunities. I’m turning the ‘monster’ roles down constantly because I don’t want to be seen as the big guy who just goes in and beats someone to death anymore.”
Business-wise, Martyn fancies turning his hand to the world of fitness centers.
“I’m really keen on opening functional gyms,” he says. “I travel the world and go to a lot of different venues, and the old-school bodybuilding gyms are becoming a thing of the past. We’re seeing more cages and lifting platforms, kettlebells and band work. I think people have started to become more open-minded and in it for the long-term, rather than just short-term aesthetic reasons.”
Not one to turn a blind eye to a challenge, Martyn has his sights on center stage when it comes to selecting future opponents in the ring.
“I’d love to challenge The Rock to a fight,” he says. “We’d make a fortune. It would be a phenomenal fight, because he’s a great athlete. He’s very mobile, strong, and comes from a wrestling background.”
Dwayne, are you game?
Inspiring the youth through the sport of boxing is also something close to Martyn’s heart.
“The kids who attend these boxing and MMA events have so much hunger and ambition to be successful, but they don’t get the opportunity,” he says. “I really want to look at working to bring a little bit of hope to the lads who are lost in the street world and give them that through sport. There’s a movement called Gloves Up Knives Down, which aims to bring kids off the street into the boxing world. You look at these kids who are deemed criminals and they really haven’t been given a choice. And then you look at the politicians who are scamming us for billions, and it’s almost brushed under the carpet. Now, who are the real criminals?
“It’s a backward society we live in, and I think when you get the opportunity to have a voice that’s heard, you should use it to try and help those who are in a position you could easily have been in. Being able to use this platform to give something back is a big ambition of mine. It’s a great way to use energy.”
