Blair Cobbs is walking boxing's tight-rope: Win, and he backs up his big talk. Lose, and he becomes a meme

• Blair 'The Flair' Cobbs returns to the ring for his biggest test Saturday in Los Angeles.
• The American boxer talks a big game, and it could spectacularly backfire.

LOS ANGELES — When Blair Cobbs walks into a room, he woos and barks, "the champ is here!"

It is big talk from a boxer who has yet to compete in a world championship contest, let alone win one.

But if there is one thing Cobbs is known for, it's commanding the attention of people, media, and executives. He likes to entertain.

On Saturday, March 19, Cobbs is thrust into the headlining fight of Golden Boy's boxing event at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, competing against Alexis Rocha.

But not only does Cobbs want to entertain in the ring, he wants to win, become a star, and win world titles.

Cobbs, an unbeaten boxer, is walking a fine rope.

Keep winning, and he will elevate his name value far beyond the marketing roadblocks he'd have encountered had he not been born with an in-your-face attitude.

Lose — or worse, get knocked out in brutal fashion — and he becomes a boxing meme for the ages.

Cobbs occasionally breaks character to show his human side

Away from the stage and away from the flashes of cameras, Cobbs sometimes breaks character.

His backstory involves flirtations with poverty, and he's been close to crime as his father was on the FBI's Most Wanted list for drug trafficking. Eugene Cobbs fled, with the family, to Mexico. When Eugene was caught, young Blair returned to the US and began boxing.

Cobbs talks in the third person. "Blair 'The Flair' does not represent one culture," he tells Insider. "Blair 'The Flair' represents all culture. Blair 'The Flair' wants to be the people's champion."

He has said multiple times about getting out of his comfort zone. It's why he joined Freddie Roach's Wildcard Boxing Club and stayed there, even though he was barely winning one round of sparring in his first few days in Hollywood. Now, he claims to barely lose a round.

But is there anything in boxing that can really put him out of his comfort zone, intimidate him, or scare him when he saw and heard the things he did growing up?

"No!" He laughs at the question. "Not really! When God is with you. Nothing can be against you. I'm a shot in the dark."

Is there anything in life that scares or intimidates Cobbs? "Not too much," he said, before thinking more about the subject, and elaborating.

"Yeah, actually. We have crazy politics, wars going on, and financial disparity between cultures. I've been in the midst of everything," he said. "I've been rich. I've been poor. I've been homeless. I've been on the streets.

"I've built myself up and learned what it takes to be an entrepreneur. And I learned how to fight, and not just in the ring but in life when it comes to depression, anxiety, and mental toughness."

Suddenly, Blair 'The Flair' stopped speaking in the third person and talked like Cobbs, the human.

So how does Cobbs deal with those darkest moments, those born from enduring a tough childhood?

"I take time out to be with my creator, in nature. Where I live, I live in Malibu, right? That place I live used to be a rehabilitation center for people who used to be strung out on drugs, alcohol — you name it. They were there.

"It's a place for healing and growth. I overcame many struggles. Sometimes you have a fight, and you're not even a fighter.

"Fighting small things that become big things in your head, like depression. Depression and mental health are serious issues, and I hope people take it more seriously, especially when it comes to men."

Cobbs is a hard worker, according to Freddie Roach

According to Freddie Roach, who is accustomed to big personalities, having coached dozens of world champions, MMA fighters, and celebrities from his Wildcard Boxing Club, Cobbs is "a hard worker."

"He talks a lot," Roach told Insider. "But he talks a lot, anyway. That's just him."

Roach expects a resounding win for his fighter on the grandest stage he's fought.

"He's definitely ready for this fight," said Roach. "Both guys have gotten Manny Pacquiao ready for fights, and have been good sparring partners for him along the way.

"I think this is a very good fight. I think Blair is probably a little bit of a better puncher, and that's why I like him to win by knockout Saturday night."

Cobbs sees his weekend opponent Alexis Rocha as "a good fighter, a top contender."

He said: "He's going to come to fight and will want to bang until I shut him down."

Cobbs then said he'll be interested to find out how Rocha responds to being hit hard in the face. He thinks Rocha anticipates Cobbs to fight like a rabbit in the ring.

"You know, I am a rabbit. But I happen to be a rabbit with a gun. Ain't nothing worse than chasing a rabbit with a gun," he said.

Both Cobbs and Roach are expecting a statement win Saturday.

Beyond that, they want championships.

"I want the best," Roach said. "We want the world champions. And Golden Boy has to give us a shot at the world championship. Bring anyone of them on."

Cobbs, too, is concentrating on reaching "championship status" and competing in fights that make him a star.

If he fights anyway like he talks, becoming a star will only be a matter of time.