David Haye: this much I know

The 32-year-old boxer on the joy of fighting, courage and who his hero is
David Haye
Body blow: David Haye celebrates after his fight with Dereck Chisora in July 2012. Photograph: Andrew Couldridge/Action Images

Throw as few punches for free as you can. I'm a natural-born fighter: when it's in front of me, I react, which is how I ended up in a press-conference brawl with Dereck Chisora.

Courage is putting your life on the line for other people's entertainment. Going in the ring against someone bigger, stronger, more experienced – and knowing that if you get it wrong you could be dead.

Apparently women like guys with a six pack because it means they're strong, a hunter-gatherer. But since I've been in the jungle [on I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here] and had those naked showers, it seems like everyone's talking about my rear end.

Muhammad Ali is my hero. Yes, he was the best boxer in the world, but he also put himself on the line. He talked when black Americans had to be quiet.

In every loss there's a road back to victory. I hate losing; I don't like anything about it – when I lost my [world heavyweight title] fight to Wladimir Klitschko, I was distraught. But that led to me getting a fight with Dereck. And winning that catapulted my career back on track.

I've got good genes. My dad was a martial arts instructor – and he was good.

I was born with a black eye. When they pulled me out with the forceps they clamped them round my face, so I had a big bruise from that. I was proper ugly, my fists were clenched, and they said: "He looks like he's done 12 rounds already."

People said I couldn't take a punch from a cruiserweight, let alone a heavyweight. It was nice to prove them wrong when I beat Nikolai Valuev [for the WBA title]. I'd promised my mum when I was three that I'd be the heavyweight champion of the world. And I was.

I don't mind getting old so long as I don't look old. I'm 32, but I feel 22.

I don't regret anything I've said about an opponent. Even the things that seemed close to the bone were said tongue in cheek and to get headlines.

Put all your eggs in one basket. Then you're less likely to drop that basket. Many people want to do a million things, but they don't focus on any one. They don't have a path. Find what you excel at as early as possible and focus on that.

No one's going to hold your hand in the boxing business. And the people who do end up ripping you off.

The secret to a happy relationship? Keep it to yourself.

When you're in the ring, you're in a different place. Your senses are heightened, you have to be fast – I'm not a spiritual person, but that's a higher state of consciousness.

I'd fight for pretty much anything. I like fighting.

David Haye's Box & Tone: The Ultimate Fighting Fit Workout DVD is available at hayemaker.com