YOU would have to be a damn fool to mess with the new BA Baracus - because he is a real-life street fighter from America's rougher side.

QUINTON "RAMPAGE" JACKSON has taken over from MR T as the famous Mohicanned tough guy in the much-anticipated new A-Team film.

And when I meet the muscle man in the flesh I am glad I haven't stepped out of line when he says: "It's a good job you didn't call me Mr T - we would have had a problem."

I think he's joking, but I wouldn't want to take any chances.

For the straight-talking Rampage then adds: "I came from the streets. A lot of people I grew up with died or were on drugs or are in prison.

"All my close friends, apart from one or two, are like that. Sometimes I feel guilty or I feel like, 'God, why did you spare me?' I now make a good living and travel the world."

The 32-year-old born-again Christian continues: "My cousin named me 'Rampage' as a kid. I have been fighting my whole life. I had to know how to handle myself.

Money

"I had to protect myself from everybody and everything. Fighting as a sport changed my life, it gave me something to focus my aggression towards in a positive way."

Rampage is unusual among stars in that he admits money is his main motivation in choosing work - chiefly so he can care for his four children, D'Angelo and Raja from earlier relationships and Elijah and Naname with Japanese wife Yuki.

He says: "For what I get paid for doing movies now I would end up in the poor house. I have a lot of bills. I make more money fighting.

"I don't know if it is politically incorrect to talk about money, but I didn't start fighting to be famous, I started fighting to put food on the table - I got kids, you know?

"My family in Memphis are quite poor, so I have to take care of them."

Rampage had originally wanted to be a pro wrestler when he left school in Memphis, Tennessee, but then discovered mixed martial arts, or MMA - a blend of oriental fighting sports, wrestling and boxing.

Although he built up an impressive record of 11 wins and just one defeat, it wasn't until he went to Japan in 2001 that he found real success.

There he fought Japanese superstar Kazushi Sakuraba, and although he lost, his performance impressed both the fans and the fight promoters.

Returning to the US, Rampage joined the Ultimate Fighting Championship promotion, where he won the light-heavyweight title - and was spotted by The A-Team movie's casting team.

For Rampage, who had grown up watching the famous Eighties TV series, it was a dream come true.

Now, in the big-screen version of The A-Team - out in cinemas now - he stars alongside LIAM NEESON as John "Hannibal" Smith, BRADLEY COOPER as Templeton "Face" Peck and SHARLTO COPLEY as HM "Howling Mad" Murdock.

He recalls: "My childhood memory of my dad is watching The A-Team. I wanted to be Mr T - everybody wanted to be Mr T. He stood out the most."

While touring the UK, Rampage struck up a friendship with Liverpool fight promoter Anthony McGann and has now signed with his British team, Wolfslair, training with them for two months a year at their base in Widnes, Cheshire.

And after finding success, Rampage now wants to give something back to the community, both in Memphis and in Liverpool.

He says: "I want to go back to those streets and let those kids who think that's all they got, that it ain't all they got. If you believe in yourself you can do anything.

"I want to teach the kids. I want to create centres, first in Memphis and then Liverpool, because Anthony is from Liverpool."

But Rampage would far rather be home than touring or being away on location filming and he adds: "The best bit of making the movie was when I could go home and see my kids - because it was a long five months."

It seems that Bad Attitude Baracus is actually a softie after all. Just don't tell him that to his face.

g.rollings@the-sun.co.uk

From cancer to a cameo

TV'S original A-Team cast have had very mixed fortunes.

DIRK BENEDICT, aka Templeton "Faceman" Peck, follows a strict macrobiotic diet after getting prostate cancer in 1975.

He wed actress TONI HUDSON in 1986 after she was in The A-Team. They divorced in 1995.

He appeared on UK Celebrity Big Brother in 2007, coming third.

Mr T, alias BA Baracus, was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoma - a rare form of cancer - in 1995 but competed as a WWF wrestler until 2001.

GEORGE PEPPARD, who played John "Hannibal" Smith, was married five times and died from lung cancer in 1994.

DWIGHT SCHULTZ, aka Murdock, played Lieutenant Reginald Barclay in TV and film versions of Star Trek and filmed a cameo for the new A-Team film.