Untapped areas UK/Ire boxing

[mickey1975]

Loads of gyms for him both pro & amateur to get some great sparring at in the midlands & surrounding, Errol Johnson’s gym in wednesbury, pleck ABC in Walsall, Pat benson boxing academy in Birmingham, Aston ABC, Red corner gym Coventry, bell green gym Coventry, gyms in Leamington, Stoke, Wolverhampton, John Costello gym in Birmingham, the list is endless really for him

I'll tell him. He's only had a few bouts, all at top level because he has previous combat experience. Undefeated world kickboxing champion who fought all over the world. Won the Yorkshire elite belt in his first bout.

[Pugilist-specialist]

Leeds has been really poor. The only 3 of any note in the last 10 years have been Warrington, Adams & Ajisafe & the last two have done now I think.

Ajisafe is due to box on Saturday.

[Pugilist-specialist]

Leeds are coming with a vengeance. But most are travelling boys who generally drift away young. Hopey will hopefully change that.

Hopey trains in Rotherham.

[mickey1975]

Leeds are coming with a vengeance. But most are travelling boys who generally drift away young. Hopey will hopefully change that.

Hopey trains in Rotherham.

He's from Hunslet and lives on a site in Leeds. Has done all his life. I know where he trains. Don't get mistaken. Just like Herol was from Nottingham and Witter Bradford.

[peter barlow]

Portsmouth is another area that seems like is unexplored talent wise.

Over here I reckon Derry, pretty deprived area struggling to think of much since Paul McCloskey. I'd also throw in Dublin not deprived as such in most areas. But for sheer size and history, the Pro Boxing scene is not producing much. Most of the best Irish boxers in recent years aren't even Dubs.

Parts of Dublin are very tough & deprived, produced & still is some great fighters, Steve Collins, Paul Griffin, Bernard Dunne, Kelly Harrington, Darren Sutherland, quite a few really, could name more, Dublin not that big of a place at all really, My cousin is a great prospect born & raised in Dublin & boxes out of Crumlin boxing club, just boxed again here in Birmingham on Show on Saturday just gone, had his second fight, he’s a right handful he is and will be very exciting pro, keep a eye out for him, willo Hayden is his name

Yeah there's still very tough parts no doubt. Even the city centre itself is rough in many areas.

Some great fighters there but mostly amateurs. Steve Collins was the best but he's retired 25 years. Paschal his brother be one of the main trainers in Dublin. And Philip Sutcliffe in Crumlin where McGregor trained.

Pro scene very quiet since Bernard Dunne retire though really. Yeah I've heard of Wilo Hayden actually mate, he's young too so plenty of time, I'll keep a watch on his career

Few others like Gary Cully, Jono Carroll, Pierce O'Leary. It hasn't helped that there's no shows in Dublin for so many years now. Means they're always on the road up in Belfast or abroad.

[Pugilist-specialist]

Leeds are coming with a vengeance. But most are travelling boys who generally drift away young. Hopey will hopefully change that.

Hopey trains in Rotherham.

He's from Hunslet and lives on a site in Leeds. Has done all his life. I know where he trains. Don't get mistaken. Just like Herol was from Nottingham and Witter Bradford.

Did that mean that Bradford were coming with a vengeance?

[mickey1975]

Hopey trains in Rotherham.

He's from Hunslet and lives on a site in Leeds. Has done all his life. I know where he trains. Don't get mistaken. Just like Herol was from Nottingham and Witter Bradford.

Did that mean that Bradford were coming with a vengeance?

Yes, they've got some elite guys. Harris Akbar has just got back from the worlds .......

[mickey1975]

Hopey trains in Rotherham.

He's from Hunslet and lives on a site in Leeds. Has done all his life. I know where he trains. Don't get mistaken. Just like Herol was from Nottingham and Witter Bradford.

Did that mean that Bradford were coming with a vengeance?

And don't get clever. I watch an awful lot of amateur kids.

[Boxingcutsman]

Portsmouth is another area that seems like is unexplored talent wise.

Over here I reckon Derry, pretty deprived area struggling to think of much since Paul McCloskey. I'd also throw in Dublin not deprived as such in most areas. But for sheer size and history, the Pro Boxing scene is not producing much. Most of the best Irish boxers in recent years aren't even Dubs.

Parts of Dublin are very tough & deprived, produced & still is some great fighters, Steve Collins, Paul Griffin, Bernard Dunne, Kelly Harrington, Darren Sutherland, quite a few really, could name more, Dublin not that big of a place at all really, My cousin is a great prospect born & raised in Dublin & boxes out of Crumlin boxing club, just boxed again here in Birmingham on Show on Saturday just gone, had his second fight, he’s a right handful he is and will be very exciting pro, keep a eye out for him, willo Hayden is his name

Yeah there's still very tough parts no doubt. Even the city centre itself is rough in many areas.

Some great fighters there but mostly amateurs. Steve Collins was the best but he's retired 25 years. Paschal his brother be one of the main trainers in Dublin. And Philip Sutcliffe in Crumlin where McGregor trained.

Pro scene very quiet since Bernard Dunne retire though really. Yeah I've heard of Wilo Hayden actually mate, he's young too so plenty of time, I'll keep a watch on his career

Few others like Gary Cully, Jono Carroll, Pierce O'Leary. It hasn't helped that there's no shows in Dublin for so many years now. Means they're always on the road up in Belfast or abroad.

Yh I know pascal, good fella, I’ve spent time in his gym also, in the shopping parade where it is in Blanchrdstown, I was there, ray moylett, Sean turner was in there, a few others also who I know while I was there, we used to go up to Jay Byrnes gym in Bray Aswell, Declan Gerhaty was in that gym also when we was there.

Yh I know Phil Sutcliffe & Brady, I seen Mr Brady Saturday night he was over with willo from crumlin, Yh willo will do well I reckon, no reason why not, Yh some good fighters from Dublin, as you say obviously Steve Collins is the most famous/biggest name, but has you say with the situation with boxing in Ireland & no shows it’s gonna be very hard for them coming through, which is a massive shame & loss for Irish boxing

[Pugilist-specialist]

He's from Hunslet and lives on a site in Leeds. Has done all his life. I know where he trains. Don't get mistaken. Just like Herol was from Nottingham and Witter Bradford.

Did that mean that Bradford were coming with a vengeance?

And don't get clever. I watch an awful lot of amateur kids.

You were rambling about Herol from Nottingham and Witter from Bradford.

[mickey1975]

Did that mean that Bradford were coming with a vengeance?

And don't get clever. I watch an awful lot of amateur kids.

You were rambling about Herol from Nottingham and Witter from Bradford.

It's true. I watched Ryan Rhodes smash his nose in in the abas at the Leeds Irish centre? He was boxing for Karmand.

[Pugilist-specialist]

And don't get clever. I watch an awful lot of amateur kids.

You were rambling about Herol from Nottingham and Witter from Bradford.

It's true. I watched Ryan Rhodes smash his nose in in the abas at the Leeds Irish centre? He was boxing for Karmand.

Bradford Police

[high tower 1]

Parts of Dublin are very tough & deprived, produced & still is some great fighters, Steve Collins, Paul Griffin, Bernard Dunne, Kelly Harrington, Darren Sutherland, quite a few really, could name more, Dublin not that big of a place at all really, My cousin is a great prospect born & raised in Dublin & boxes out of Crumlin boxing club, just boxed again here in Birmingham on Show on Saturday just gone, had his second fight, he’s a right handful he is and will be very exciting pro, keep a eye out for him, willo Hayden is his name

Yeah there's still very tough parts no doubt. Even the city centre itself is rough in many areas.

Some great fighters there but mostly amateurs. Steve Collins was the best but he's retired 25 years. Paschal his brother be one of the main trainers in Dublin. And Philip Sutcliffe in Crumlin where McGregor trained.

Pro scene very quiet since Bernard Dunne retire though really. Yeah I've heard of Wilo Hayden actually mate, he's young too so plenty of time, I'll keep a watch on his career

Few others like Gary Cully, Jono Carroll, Pierce O'Leary. It hasn't helped that there's no shows in Dublin for so many years now. Means they're always on the road up in Belfast or abroad.

Yh I know pascal, good fella, I’ve spent time in his gym also, in the shopping parade where it is in Blanchrdstown, I was there, ray moylett, Sean turner was in there, a few others also who I know while I was there, we used to go up to Jay Byrnes gym in Bray Aswell, Declan Gerhaty was in that gym also when we was there.

Yh I know Phil Sutcliffe & Brady, I seen Mr Brady Saturday night he was over with willo from crumlin, Yh willo will do well I reckon, no reason why not, Yh some good fighters from Dublin, as you say obviously Steve Collins is the most famous/biggest name, but has you say with the situation with boxing in Ireland & no shows it’s gonna be very hard for them coming through, which is a massive shame & loss for Irish boxing

Pro boxing was almost non existent in the Republic of Ireland until
Brian peters started up. So there’s not been the same depth or history as there had been in Belfast.

But amateur wise all of Ireland has to have the richest history in amateur boxing. The amount of gyms in the cities is crazy , and almost every town in the arse end of nowhere had a gym.

[watsupdoc87]

Crumlin is my old club. I thought phillys son jr was gonna go further than he did. Phil Sr represented Ireland at the Olympics

[Boxingcutsman]

Crumlin is my old club. I thought phillys son jr was gonna go further than he did. Phil Sr represented Ireland at the Olympics

Yh that’s right, not sure what his dedication was like, if that played a part, could punch a bit Phil Jnr for his weight, you from crumlin Aswell or just box there ? that’s where we’re all from crumlin, & surrounding, my uncle still lives right behind the club, next to the park, do you still go down to crumlin boxing club ? love Thursday evenings when they get everyone down from across Ireland etc and have inter bouts in the club with everyone coming in to watch, more clubs need to do that, especially here in UK, great experience/fights for the lads without it going on there records etc

[bennie]

Crumlin is my old club. I thought phillys son jr was gonna go further than he did. Phil Sr represented Ireland at the Olympics

Yh that’s right, not sure what his dedication was like, if that played a part, could punch a bit Phil Jnr for his weight, you from crumlin Aswell or just box there ? that’s where we’re all from crumlin, & surrounding, my uncle still lives right behind the club, next to the park, do you still go down to crumlin boxing club ? love Thursday evenings when they get everyone down from across Ireland etc and have inter bouts in the club with everyone coming in to watch, more clubs need to do that, especially here in UK, great experience/fights for the lads without it going on there records etc

Phil Sutcliffe was a cracking fighter who boxed for Ireland in both the 1980 and 1984 Olympics but had the misfortune to run into Daniel Zaragoza first time and Maurizio Stecca the next, both of whom outscored him in the preliminaries and went on to enjoy major success. (Zaragoza also eliminated Ray Gilbody in the Games but lost in the quarter-finals on a cut.)
I thought Phil might have the beating of the clever but largely overrated Stecca but he fought the wrong fight, allowing the Italian to hit and move instead of really pinning him down. Stecca kept on winning and avoided Sung-Kil Moon of Korea, who went out on cuts, but his reaction when he won the bantamweight gold was disgusting as he jumped up and down in the face of Mexico's Hector Lopez at the verdict. The 17-year-old Lopez, who spent his whole adult life in and out of jail and died some time ago, showed remarkable self-control.
Sutcliffe also competed in two European amateur championships, winning bronze on both occasions. His brother, Derek, boxed successfully at featherweight and was based in Birmingham for a while.

[mickey1975]

You were rambling about Herol from Nottingham and Witter from Bradford.

It's true. I watched Ryan Rhodes smash his nose in in the abas at the Leeds Irish centre? He was boxing for Karmand.

Bradford Police

My error, I knew it was a Bradford club.

[bennie]

It's true. I watched Ryan Rhodes smash his nose in in the abas at the Leeds Irish centre? He was boxing for Karmand.

Bradford Police

My error, I knew it was a Bradford club.

Hey Mickey, did you know Leeds man Tony Silkstone? He put together a fine run as a fighter but lost to Bradley Stone and then jumped in a river and drowned himself.

[mickey1975]

Bradford Police

My error, I knew it was a Bradford club.

Hey Mickey, did you know Leeds man Tony Silkstone? He put together a fine run as a fighter but lost to Bradley Stone and then jumped in a river and drowned himself.

Yes, I was only young but he boxed from St Pat's and was on most of the early Wharton shows. He was very good, as was his dad, and the fight with Stone was brilliant. It's horrendous two lads like that lost their lives in their twenties.

[bennie]

My error, I knew it was a Bradford club.

Hey Mickey, did you know Leeds man Tony Silkstone? He put together a fine run as a fighter but lost to Bradley Stone and then jumped in a river and drowned himself.

Yes, I was only young but he boxed from St Pat's and was on most of the early Wharton shows. He was very good, as was his dad, and the fight with Stone was brilliant. It's horrendous two lads like that lost their lives in their twenties.

Yes, very sad. I've just watched Tony's fight with Bradley Stone and there are plenty of clean exchanges but Stone's extra power proves the difference. Tony bails out in the third round by walking to his corner and forcing the referee to stop it. Maybe that's what got to him. Bizarrely, both Bradley and Tony are Cartel fighters (Lawless, Astaire and Duff) and I find it strange that they should meet. Perhaps, the Board forced their hand with its final eliminator status or maybe the Cartel just decided to find out which fighter was best and could make them more money.

[mickey1975]

Hey Mickey, did you know Leeds man Tony Silkstone? He put together a fine run as a fighter but lost to Bradley Stone and then jumped in a river and drowned himself.

Yes, I was only young but he boxed from St Pat's and was on most of the early Wharton shows. He was very good, as was his dad, and the fight with Stone was brilliant. It's horrendous two lads like that lost their lives in their twenties.

Yes, very sad. I've just watched Tony's fight with Bradley Stone and there are plenty of clean exchanges but Stone's extra power proves the difference. Tony bails out in the third round by walking to his corner and forcing the referee to stop it. Maybe that's what got to him. Bizarrely, both Bradley and Tony are Cartel fighters (Lawless, Astaire and Duff) and I find it strange that they should meet. Perhaps, the Board forced their hand with its final eliminator status or maybe the Cartel just decided to find out which fighter was best and could make them more money.

Young Silky had outside the ring issues. I was at an amateur show a couple of years ago where a presentation was made to his family. All the Leeds boxers were there. Crawford Ashley refused to get in the ring because Henry was there. He keeps a grudge that bloke!

[bennie]

Yes, I was only young but he boxed from St Pat's and was on most of the early Wharton shows. He was very good, as was his dad, and the fight with Stone was brilliant. It's horrendous two lads like that lost their lives in their twenties.

Yes, very sad. I've just watched Tony's fight with Bradley Stone and there are plenty of clean exchanges but Stone's extra power proves the difference. Tony bails out in the third round by walking to his corner and forcing the referee to stop it. Maybe that's what got to him. Bizarrely, both Bradley and Tony are Cartel fighters (Lawless, Astaire and Duff) and I find it strange that they should meet. Perhaps, the Board forced their hand with its final eliminator status or maybe the Cartel just decided to find out which fighter was best and could make them more money.

Young Silky had outside the ring issues. I was at an amateur show a couple of years ago where a presentation was made to his family. All the Leeds boxers were there. Crawford Ashley refused to get in the ring because Henry was there. He keeps a grudge that bloke!

What's the beef with Crawford Ashley?

[mickey1975]

Yes, very sad. I've just watched Tony's fight with Bradley Stone and there are plenty of clean exchanges but Stone's extra power proves the difference. Tony bails out in the third round by walking to his corner and forcing the referee to stop it. Maybe that's what got to him. Bizarrely, both Bradley and Tony are Cartel fighters (Lawless, Astaire and Duff) and I find it strange that they should meet. Perhaps, the Board forced their hand with its final eliminator status or maybe the Cartel just decided to find out which fighter was best and could make them more money.

Young Silky had outside the ring issues. I was at an amateur show a couple of years ago where a presentation was made to his family. All the Leeds boxers were there. Crawford Ashley refused to get in the ring because Henry was there. He keeps a grudge that bloke!

What's the beef with Crawford Ashley?

Henry doesn't have one. The fight was scheduled and Henry retired a few weeks before. Clinton Woods stepped in and stopped Ashley. Henry and Crawford trained only a five minute walk apart for years. It was always talked about up here. They simply don't like each other.

[maley1984]

Hulton Abbey (Which is now in City Centre)
Impact (Scott Lawton’s Gym)
Queensbury (probably the best known one )
There are quite a few of them gyms that have just popped up as they do, ones that I don’t think have Am boxers more white collar in Stoke

Near by Newcastle Under Lyme has Both Silverdale and Orme (Heaney Boxed here i think )and then Leek has Keatsy (former area champion)Boxing Academy. There may be more but those are the ones from stoke and surrounding area I know of.

Your point about the white collar gyms is the same in Birmingham,loads about now at the detriment to amateur gyms

I know a very good amateur looking for sparring in the West Midlands. He's lived up here for a while but returned home. He will spar pros at any level as well. 10st.

Tell him.to contact bcb boxing in Wednesbury. Erroll has loads of fighters.

[583940]

Southampton/Portsmouth area (& nearby Bournemouth )

Very working class places. Feel and look more like Northern cities than the other south coast towns.

A lot of talent around there - Chris Billam-Smith, Michael Mckinson, Joe Pigford, Ryan Garner, Mark Chamberlain, Lewis Edmondson, Ebonie Jones, Royston Barney-Smith

I think if a Hearn or Warren or whoever put on a show there it'd sell well. But for some reason they never do.