Marty Cornish teaming up with former world champion boxer Michael Katsidis in new venture

Michael Katsidis was a former world boxing champion who spiralled into a life that landed him in jail for two years due to drug trafficking. Fresh from prison Katsidis has opened up what led to his decline and his future plans.

Boxer Michael Katsidis with Marty Cornish. Picture: Liam Kidston

For Marty Cornish, the Toowoomba PCYC was the perfect place for him as a child to turn his troubled life around.

This is his happy place - a sanctuary for him to move away from his past and strive to becoming a better version of himself.

Through boxing, he had found a way to challenge himself, learn discipline and surround himself with positive influences.

What should have been a normal day in the gym, turned into something far greater when he looked into the corner to see an elusive figure.

“I moved to Toowoomba because I was quite a troubled youth in school and my grandparents took me in and they put me in boxing with Michael Betros,” Cornish said.

“I remember seeing this guy in the corner of the gym and he had a tracksuit on and I still remember it so clearly because he had two black eyes and he was skipping.

“He was in a hoodie and there was like an aura, it was like a scene out of Rocky and he was just in this zone in his head and he just looked serious and everyone was like ‘that’s Michael Katsidis’.”

At the peak of his powers, Katsidis was one of the most devastating boxers in the world but a stunning fall from grace following the passing of his brother Stathi meant his life changed forever.

Marty Cornish with boxer Michael Katsidis. Picture: Liam Kidston

However, despite this downfall - which hit its lowest in 2022 when police raided a home Katsidis lived in - Cornish has remained by Katsidis’s side and was eager to help turn the former world champion’s life around.

Katsidis had lived at a cocaine “safe house” regularly and helped a drug ring monitor cocaine stocks and cash levels.

A court heard Katsidis was entrusted with the code to the safe containing 8g of the drug and $42k cash.

After spending nearly two years in custody, he pleaded guilty to drug trafficking offences in February and was released.

Now out of prison Katsidis has teamed up with Cornish to form a new program which aims to improve the mindset and mental health of young Australians.

“Essentially our whole mission is to help people find their best and build a bullet proof mindset,” Cornish said.

“The number one problem that we’re getting day in day out is that a lot of athletes and young Australians, they have a lot of limiting beliefs and lack self-confidence and also the guidance on what it takes to accomplish their goals.”

Katsidis found it amazing how he had gone from being idolised by Cornish, to now working side-by-side with him to help the lives of others.

“I met Marty at PCYC in Toowoomba, so he would have been about 12 years old, I was this legend to him,” he said.

Michael Katsidis. Picture: Liam Kidston

“Then of course I’ve gone overseas and hit the big lights, everyone knows about the troubles I was having over the years, how I was masking my pain and how I struggled with alcoholism and addiction and I ran into him I was at the Gold Coast at a Bottle-O.”

The two then connected and Cornish has helped Katsidis improve his life and help others.

“Looking back, when I’m a troubled guy and I can’t see past my two feet in front of me because I’ve got this narrow vision and constantly masking my pain, I’m never going to be able to help anyone,” Katsidis said.

“He got to know me personally and all he wanted to do is help me find my best and that’s our mission is help other people find their best.”

After meeting Katsidis again, the duo became friends while Cornish was living on the Gold Coast and on one fateful night, the vision was realised.

During this period, Katsidis was near his lowest and Cornish saw an opportunity to help not only a good friend, but many others in the process.

“I remember I said to him (Katsidis) one night, ‘I can’t let you go out like this‘ and this was before he went to prison,” he said.

“You can let that be how the story ends or you can start the next chapter of your career, where you pay it forward and help the next person find their best and pass it on and start to make a real difference,” he told Katsidis.

The former world champion boxer revealed his gratitude towards Cornish and the impact his support has had on him.

Katsidis in his Spartan helmet, referencing his Greek heritage (Photo: X/ Boxing History)

“It just was remembering who I am,” he said.

“That’s the big thing, not forgetting who you are.

“I can’t fault the guy, he says what he means and he means what he says - he’s got dignity. “He’s on this mission now where he wants to prevent the stigma around mental health and that was the very first podcast I did out of jail.

“Now I know the value that I have, I can’t say that I wouldn’t have gone on this road after I met Marty, but what I can say is that I have and I did meet him and I’ve got nothing but thanks to him for helping this finds its way.”

Since Katsidis has found a purpose, Cornish believes it has had a huge impact on his business partner on a personal level, with a major difference in character that people around Katsidis had not seen in years.

“He got caught up in the wrong crowd, he thought his career was over,” he said.

“Michael has found purpose again and that’s why I am such a big believer in young people finding a purpose because when we don’t have a purpose we will find things to keep ourselves busy.

“But these things will be hanging around the wrong people, doing things that aren’t taking us towards the best version of ourselves, we’ll drink, party, do drugs and that’s what happened with Michael.

“Michael lost his purpose and he hadn’t healed himself, and that’s where he ended up in prison.”

Katsidis believed that his new venture where he is holding himself as a role model will not only help others, but also himself.

With this increased responsibility and influence, Katsidis believes this will help him ensure he does not return to prison or a life involving drugs and alcohol.

“Just seeing the impact how I can help people and it’s about having self worth,” he said.

“I didn’t really hold myself in that, I was a world champion, what was I doing getting my hands on drugs and alcohol?

“I shouldn’t even be touching them, I can’t believe that became part of my make up.

“You are who you hang out with, so that’s why I have decided to hang out with the guys that I was hanging out with when I was at my best.

“I am so passionate about helping other people and making sure that everything is done the right way because it is so important and being part of the community, it is very important for everyone to contribute.

Boxer Michael Katsidis with Marty Cornish. Picture: Liam Kidston

“There’s a massive youth crime crisis going on right now and I just can’t wait any longer and sit back see all this stuff going on because I can make an impact and Marty’s help me realise that.”

Cornish revealed how his difficult childhood growing up in housing commission was a major inspiration for him to help the lives of others now.

“My mum had me at 16, and my father pretty much left straight away, so essentially we had a teenager raising a baby,” he said.

“Everyone was suggesting for my mum to have an abortion because she was too young, and she was actually going to do it.

“I think when she got that ultrasound and she heard my heart beating she decided not to.

“It is hard because our environments play such an important part in our belief system and what we think we’re capable of but for me, I used it as ambition.

“I used the pain as motivation to say, ‘I don’t ever want my life or my kids to ever to be like this or have this’.

“I used it as fuel, and I didn’t know how I was going to do it, I didn’t know what vehicle or how but I had that desire, that ambition.”

Cornish believed the difficult pasts of himself and Katsidis will be an inspiration for those who are going through tough times that they can turn their lives around.

“They’re the people I love working with as well,” he said.

“It may be a relationship breakdown, they may be starting to party a little bit too much and that’s where our systems and our process is helping that person get back to where they want to go.

“The worst thing is the pain of regret so if I’m speaking to somebody who wants more for their life but they’re stuck with poor habits and then they think ‘I may as well give in’, they’re the people where we really like to work with and really help them find their best again.”