BoxRec

Hi boxrecers, it is with a heavy heart that I write this. I was pulled up by the boxing board after my last defeat and they have taken my licence of me due to concerns that I was taking to much punishment for no reward and with little chance of getting any wins under my belt and progressing in the sport which is what I want. I could have appealed the decision of the central area council and probably got a stay of execution but to be fair if I had carried on the same way with no plan to change anything then things would have stayed the same and I would have kept losing points decisions and taking damage.

I had a plan to change my style, re-invent myself as a cruiserweight and become more elusive so as not to get hit as much but it was to little to late for the board and they took my licence anyway. I came into the sport late and was always playing catch up with lads who have been programmed since being kids and most of the time I was the much smaller man fighting at short notice against undefeated heavyweight prospects (ABA,Commonwealth, World Amatuer champs), 6ft8 lads 20st+ lads. Oliver always said to me I needed to work on not getting hit which I tried in sparring with the tricks he showed me but I have come to realise that I should have been drilling the defensive techniques more and not just when sparring to try and make it second nature so that in a fight it would happen automatically.

Anyway I have not given up yet, I am dieting down to cruiserweight and I intend to get my defence right in the gym and in sparring if I have to drill the techniques thousands of times I will. I also plan to box a few exhibitions on charity shows against ex-pros (Big Daddy B! If your listening) and film all my exhibitions with a view to going back in front of the board in september showing them a changed, more defensively minded, fitter, faster fighter who doesn't take fights at the drop of a hat. I am no longer managed or trained by Oliver Harrison who is my friend and who I will most definately ask to manage me again should the board decide to give me another chance. I trust Oliver with my life and would want him in my corner in a big fight (if I get there) to pull me out if I was on a hiding to nothing, there is no quit in me and I would never quit no matter what kind of damage I was taking. I think that was one of the things that concerned the board.

So thats it for now, thanks to Oliver, Johnney and all the lads in the gym for all the support and encouragement they have given me over the last 3years it has been great training with all of you and I have learned a lot from you. Special thanks to Scott Mitchell, Alex Matvienko, Jamie Moore and Paul Morris who have all taught me a great deal (when it wasn't their job to) and given me great sparring. Thanks to all you Boxrecers for your supportive words and I'll see you in September all being well if not before

Good luck with your life

Good luck mate , hope things go how you plan.

Fair play to you Howard. Sounds like a good plan, take your time mate and come back when you feel ready.

Love your positive spirit..........

All the best mate

Good luck- sounds a good plan. Just an observation, but Olivers fighters of note Murray, Moore and Matvienko use a tight hand defence to absorb punches rather then ilusiveness to evade them, granted they do it really well and it allows them to land bodyshots effectively but do you think it might be an idea to speak to some other trainers regarding defence. Perhaps the ingles or Dave Coldwell- Just for another POV? Heavies punching against your arms- especially big ones are just going to punch right through your defence and the punches will hurt anyway. Good luck though, your dead game and I think its a great idea to take a step back to go forwards. Wish i'd have being that realisitc with myself.

Limited size and elusiveness, combined with a good chin, no quit and a fight anyone, anywhere mentality is a recipe for sustained damage at heavyweight.

It's good to see the council protecting you from yourself pal. Anyone who has watched you has to admire your bravery and heart, but this is a very dangerous sport we're talking about, and they have to think about your long term health.

All the best at Cruiserweight if all goes to plan for you! Will surely be a nice change for you to be fighting guys your own size!! I'd certainly pay to come and watch your comeback! Good luck with it!!!

Good luck DD, the break and refocus should serve you well

Classy post, big fella.

Good luck to you.

Hope you find fights as easy to come by at cruiserweight, nice post

good luck mate

Good luck fella - you've got the right attitude so hopefully everything else will fall into place. Though by the sound of it you're going to have to change your nickname to Dancing Daley rather than Demolition Daley

all the best howard

All the best mate, you sound a total down to earth lad.

Good Luck with your future mate.. Ya one tough mo fo...

With perfect grammar and all the capital letters in the right place that fella doesn't need his licence taking away.

housesecond wrote:With perfect grammar and all the capital letters in the right place that fella doesn't need his licence taking away.

Ha ha! A granite brain me I think mate

Thanks everyone for the support, Billy I was thinking of an exhibition with yourself on one of your shows pal if you fancy it? 16oz gloves no headguards and do 6x2s or whatever you fancy (vests optional ) Facebook me if you get chance and you think it will be a good ticket seller for you (no rocky 4 shit!). I appreciate what you are saying about the unlicensed but I'm not finished with the licensed side of things yet. I've always said I would try cruiser and thats what I'll do. I don't want to look back and think "what if I'd been fighting guys my own size?". I'm going to do my best to get my licence back and give it a good 12months at the weight and see how I get on. Anyway I'm of out for a run now to burn some more fat

I hope you have made a bit at least and been compensated for the level opposition that you have faced

Hope you can get back to at cruiser and build up from there

Howard - no disrespect intended - you're clearly bright and articulate. So you should clearly give boxing a rest. I saw Zahid Kahut at Prizefighter live and at the time I thought he was the worst pro boxer I ever saw. And you lost to him twice. We all have our skills, and strenths and weaknesses. Yours is clearly not boxing - why are you willing to risk your brain doing something with so little gain???

reggaereggae wrote:Howard - no disrespect intended - you're clearly bright and articulate. So you should clearly give boxing a rest. I saw Zahid Kahut at Prizefighter live and at the time I thought he was the worst pro boxer I ever saw. And you lost to him twice. We all have our skills, and strenths and weaknesses. Yours is clearly not boxing - why are you willing to risk your brain doing something with so little gain???

Perhaps he enjoys it, its his life. If he was a terrible rally driver (and i'm not saying he's a terrible boxer) would you say the same thing?

Howard,

If you get your licence back as a Cruiser what are your ambitions?

i was at your fight against billy (oldham or rochdale) and in fairness you did seem ok for a novice.
slackend billys teeth if i remember.

reggaereggae wrote:Howard - no disrespect intended - you're clearly bright and articulate. So you should clearly give boxing a rest. I saw Zahid Kahut at Prizefighter live and at the time I thought he was the worst pro boxer I ever saw. And you lost to him twice. We all have our skills, and strenths and weaknesses. Yours is clearly not boxing - why are you willing to risk your brain doing something with so little gain???

Some people have said I'm stubborn, I would say I have a passion for the sport. I know I have been limited but I'm trying to change that.

winkveron wrote:Howard,

If you get your licence back as a Cruiser what are your ambitions?

Get a few wins under my belt and get an area or masters title mate.

demolitiondaley wrote:

reggaereggae wrote:Howard - no disrespect intended - you're clearly bright and articulate. So you should clearly give boxing a rest. I saw Zahid Kahut at Prizefighter live and at the time I thought he was the worst pro boxer I ever saw. And you lost to him twice. We all have our skills, and strenths and weaknesses. Yours is clearly not boxing - why are you willing to risk your brain doing something with so little gain???

Some people have said I'm stubborn, I would say I have a passion for the sport. I know I have been limited but I'm trying to change that.

good reply mate, there are many of us on here that are now 40+ and wish we had followed our dream and been a boxing professional. i managed 12 fights as a schoolboy, i just wish i had done it as an adult and even had a go at the pro game. i dont care if i had had 6 straight defeats as a pro..... i would still have loved to have given it a go. (not that i would have had 6 defeats, i would have at least KO'd spud !! ... )

hold your head up mate, you are living/have lived the dream. enjoy it while you can.