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First Contract - Michael Williams

 

There's always some concern around a boxer when he decides to step-up and turn professional. Regardless how strong of a background they have in the amateurs, how many medals they've won or how much hype is being generated. If they can't adapt themselves to the pro game, they will be found out. Their debut will be against someone who's had more fights than them, someone who's had more experience than them against different styles, and someone who's been around long enough to know how to prepare themselves for a fight. But Michael, however, is an exception to the rule.

I've only had the pleasure of working with him for a couple of months now, but it's obvious to see that he's been a pro in waiting for a long time. His training, his nutrition, his dieting and his overall conditioning is incredible; he's an athlete first and a boxer second.

Every day is a training camp for him. Regardless whether or not he has a fight on the weekend, the intensity and commitment which he brings never changes. He lives the life completely.

With that sacrifice, I'm sure, will come success for Michael. As well as working with myself, he signed a three-year contract with manager Carl Greaves last week who has scheduled him in to make his professional debut on September 27 in Lincoln. Is it too early for him to have made the step-up? Not at all in my opinion. He's assembled a brilliant team who will advise and manage him correctly to give him every chance of fulfilling his potential.

In terms of his boxing ability, Michael is nicknamed 'El Pato' - Spanish for 'The Duck'. His style is modelled on the Mexican greats. So regardless how much more experienced his opponent may be come September on his debut, he'll be in for a war against someone who prides himself on taking two punches and giving back three.

 

AUGUST 13 2014

 

4am Shifts - The Amateurs

 

Preseason. It's that time of the year again. Like football, if you get it wrong in these six weeks, you'll spend the next 8-10 months playing catch-up. Fortunately, though, all of the amateurs seem to relish the opportunity of getting up before the sun does at stupid o'clock in the morning to do hill-sprints or road-work.

For most of them, this is going to be their biggest season so far, and will define which direction their careers are headed. Some are targeting England call-ups this year, others are looking ahead to competing in their first national tournaments, and a couple are planning to make this their final season in the amateur ranks.

Although different objectives, what they all have in common is that they'll be stepping-up in levels this year. A few of them have had experience at training camps with England and GB before. But once the season begins, every fight will become a cup final for them to prove that they deserve the opportunity to represent their country. Last year a few of them won county and national titles, so they'll need to demonstrate once again that they can replicate that and can consistently compete at this level.

For the ones eying their first major tournaments, it's going to be an exciting season. They'll face different styles, opponents with identical winning mentalities and that same steely determination and grit, and fighters with more experience than them who can cause them problems. Lining up against some of the best in the country will act as a barometer for them to track where they are, and secondly what they'll need to do to get where they want to be.

And for the few who are considering stepping-up at the end of the season, this is going to be their final chance to use what they've learnt and test themselves. It's an opportunity for them to further enhance their reputation and enter the paid ranks in the best possible position to ensure that they have some options.

Most of them have either won titles, received invites from England or have come through the same gyms as current and former champions. It would be impossible for me to pick only one who I suspect will stand-out next season. But what I do guarantee is that if they continue their preseason well and get it right, English boxing will have some new prospects to get excited about this year.

 

AUGUST 6 2014

 

Commonwealth Games - Charlie Edwards

 

I felt for Charlie when Reece's arm was held aloft after the three rounds. You only have to look at his predecessors who've represented England at major tournaments to see how high the standard required is to even receive a call-up in the first place. But he'd fully earned his spot in the team following another stellar season.

I think Charlie was able to leave the Games with his head held high because he had no regrets; he'd given everything he had in the years building-up to the Games, and left everything in the ring that night itself. But, as I said to him after, that's boxing. It may be the sweet science, but it certainly isn't an exact science. Like all sports, decisions are based on an individual's opinion and, on the night, that opinion didn't go his way. You can't take anything away from McFadden who had a terrific tournament. But Charlie's time will come. It's not often that you find that perfect balance between attitude and ability which he has, and I think that's why he received so much support heading into the Games. People related to him; he may have been fighting on tv, but they recognised his story that he was just a normal local lad who had never stopped working for his dream.

As the saying goes - adversity causes some men to break, and others to break records. Charlie will do the latter.

The Fight of the Year - Michael Devine

 

Michael Devine vs Danny Connor. This one really doesn't require a lot of selling. It's a domestic fight, they're two of the most promising talents in their division, and they're fighting for the British Masters Lightweight title, with it also being a final eliminator for the Southern Area belt. On top of that, there isn't much love lost between the pair.

It's a genuine 50-50 fight. Domestic fights like these don't come around often. I've only recently begun working with Michael, so I'm not entirely sure where the needle between the pair stems from. But from speaking with him, and reading Danny's updates online, they're both training for this one like they've never done before.

Growing-up with a season ticket at Pompey, I've been to some hectic games - Southampton, West Ham, Millwall etc. But I suspect that September 6 will be on another level. Danny's done a good job in selling the fight with his chat, but if it's a tactic to unnerve Michael or get under his skin, then he's barking up the wrong tree. What he's achieved already in winning two titles at different weights after only 12 professional fights is an incredible feat and, with it, comes the experience to know how to handle and approach the big pressure fights. 

Michael flew over to Belfast on Monday to begin his training camp and start sparring in preparation. In my opinion, it's his fight to lose. Although anything can happen on any given night, if Michael performs the way he knows he can, he'll go home with another belt. 

On a side-note, unfortunately a cause we've been supporting has been postponed until a later date. But keep an eye on Claire's YouCaring page where the new details will be uploaded, with info on how to donate - http://www.youcaring.com/other/sponsored-funrun-walk-for-maternity-unit/204633

The Beast is Back - Darryll Williams

 

I'll never get bored of talking about this guy. His style is infectious, I've personally never seen anything like it before. People compare him to Mike Tyson, including the former world champion's trainer Kevin Rooney who invited him over to New York to spar in Cus D'Amato's gym. But for me, it's unique enough and it's effective enough to stand alone on its own merits.

It's been a long road back for Darryll. To fight live on BoxNation, to be unbeaten, to have the former trainer of one of the greatest ever boxers take an interest you, and then to have it all taken away from you after just three fights through injury is devastating. The mental, physical and financial strain that must've put on him would've been unbearable. But when you watch him fight, you realise why he went through it.

You hear it a lot in boxing about who's going to do this or who's going to win that, but Darryll is genuinely one of the most dangerous prospects coming through. He's as much a fighter as he is a boxer, and I struggle to think of any super middleweight around his level who could stop him. His style is extremely difficult to counter. There are some brilliant videos online of past fights which illustrate it perfectly. He's been described as fighting like a 'bull', and I can't think of a better way of putting it. Check them out YouTube. He lowers his head down to waist level, drops his shoulders, and physically charges his opponent onto the ropes. Once he's there, his opponent is immobilised and can't move. They then attempt to swing at Darryll, but his ability to duck and move is surreal. And as he does so, effortlessly dodging the opponent's flailing arms, he lands devastating body shots or puts together combinations upstairs. 

He recently fought Danny Brown on July 19, his toughest opponent yet. After nearly a year in rehab, he would've been forgiven for seeking out an easier fight. But, as is his attitude and character, he pushed for it and won it, extending his winning record to 7(1)-0-0. The frightening aspect is that he's still so early into his career, and he's improving every day. He knows what he wants to do with his career and how to achieve it, and is always looking to step-up at the right time. 

He dedicated the win against Danny to everyone who supported him during his comeback. And I expect he'll be saying the same thing in the not too distant future with a belt around his waist.

AUGUST 28 2014

 

Mind Games - Michael Devine (Chunky)

 

A member of the audience, a mental skills coach, asked the table whether any of them had considered tuning-up on the psychological side of their game ahead each of their respective fights. An interesting question, considering the way the next half-hour of the press conference would pan out.

Danny has been in so many high-profile shows in the past through his ability to sell a fight, and this September 6 card is no different. From the moment the contract was signed, he took to the internet and interviews to ridicule Chunky (Michael). But as successful as that tactic may have been for him before in getting under his previous opponents' skin, I fear that he's badly misjudged this situation. 

Like him, Chunky has been involved in title fights before, and knows exactly what's required to both physically and mentally prepare for a pressure fight. As insulting as those lovely 'inbred' comments Danny made were in reference to the people of Chunky's home town, Luton, it was a swing and a miss from him. And Danny knew that from the moment he walked into the hotel lobby at the press conference.

From watching Boxing Evolution TV's footage of the presser, you can see the realisation set into Danny's face that his 'plan A' of mentally unhinging Chunky had backfired, that he wasn't taking the bait, and that he's going to have to headline a fight now in front of a hostile crowd after insulting them.

After replying to another question that he plans to retire if he loses to Chunky on September 6, that there would be nowhere else for him to go, Danny then makes it more interesting. Instead of talking about Chunky's own record, Danny instead precedes to listing, a little obsessively, the records of Chunky's previous opponents. He tells the crowd that he researched his opponents' backgrounds on the motorway en route to the hotel. You can only imagine what was running through the mind of the mental skills coach sitting in the first row at this point, watching on.

The difference between Chunky and possibly some of Danny's previous rivals is that this isn't personal to Chunky. This is just business. And maybe therein reveals where the fight could be won and lost on September 6. 

Danny is seemingly more reliant on Chunky's 'inability' to win him the fight, rather than in his own ability to do so. 

Although each of them said that they're going to win, only one of them truly believes it.

Nearly Made It or Nearly Missed It - Ollie Pattison

 

American basketball coach, John Wooden said - 'don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.' Are you going to be the guy who fights world champions, or the guy who talks about how he could have - but didn't?

Failure is a conscious decision usually made by people who are unwilling to do the work required to succeed. You can blame other people or other elements for stuff not working out for you, but everything which happens in your past and future is a consequence of a decision which you've made. 

And now, with the new season beginning in three weeks time, Ollie will make that same choice; is he going to fulfil the potential which we all know he possesses, or will he be a nearly-guy?

I posted a picture on Twitter last week with the caption - 'champions are made, not born.' It's something which resonates with Ollie. He has an incredible record in the amateurs, has boxed all over the world and has brought home various medals and trophies. He has arguably his biggest season of his amateur career so far coming up, and was given his first fight date last week - September 14 at The O2. An incredible venue to begin the campaign. 

He began his preparation for it a couple of weeks ago in anticipation, training with his old club-mate and Olympic gold medalist, Anthony Joshua who later, I believe, flew out to spar with world champion Wladimir Klitschko. 

This isn't me name-dropping, it's just spelling-out how close Ollie really is to making it. There's no question about his ability. Once you watch him, you immediately understand what all of the hype and excitement is about. Who knows what lays on the other side of another great season. But what is for sure, is that his future is in his own hands.

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