PRESS RELEASE 11.05.12
Why would any British fighter sacrifice a world number 4 ranking to compete solely on the British domestic scene for a year?
It perhaps doesn’t sound commercially astute, but then you’ve probably never met Ashley ‘Treasure’ Theophane, the current British Light Welterweight Champion.
There is nothing normal about Ashley.
Being successful means everything to him. He has come from the most humble of origins; he has had a short spell in jail, but was found ‘not guilty’, and that served as the catalyst for a truly amazing story.
After racking up a string of wins in the UK he was still failing to attract a promotional deal, despite his obvious talents and success. Ashley headed off to the tough and unforgiving rings of the USA for a few intense and defining years.
Recognition and respect from his peers, the boxing cognoscente, and most importantly the fans in the US, has given him a platform that the UK boxing industry has again been slow to recognise and truly appreciate.
Outperforming in foreign rings against home town favourites in the USA, Germany and St Lucia to name but a few, has toughened him, honed his skills and encouraged him to return home in order to leave a positive legacy for many who also strive to deliver despite the odds stacked against them.
This is no ordinary man, or ordinary boxing champion. In these extraordinary tough times, we are always looking for ordinary people to achieve extraordinary results, and provide necessary hope borne out of self-belief and determination.
Ashley sacrificed material gain to come home and try to make a ‘positive difference’ for those whose ‘shoes he has walked in’.
We all need local role models.
He has been world ranked for the last twenty one months; he beat DeMarcus Corley, who de-railed Paul McCloskey’s push for world title contender status. He beat world light middleweight number 4, Delvin Rodriguez, and dropped a controversial and ‘wafer thin’ decision to Danny Garcia, the current WBC world champion.
On May 19th at Aintree Racecourse, as chief support to the David Price Sam Sexton British heavyweight title fight, Ashley will defend his British title against Steve Williams.
Our largely unknown UK ‘Treasure’ will win the Lonsdale Belt outright by defeating Williams.
This will enable him to return to the world scene and fight the top ranked fighters where his skills and talent clearly belong.
He is an author, a social activist, an elite athlete, but most of all a role model for all who have faced adversity.
He is currently an ambassador for Ted Baker clothing, where the best of British boxing meets the best of British clothing.
Ashley will also feature in the Vitabiotics Wellman nationwide advertising campaign that starts this month in tube stations, taxis and magazines.
For more information on Ashley please go to www.ashleytheophane.com
Facebook Ashley ‘Treasure’ Theophane
Twitter @ashleytheophane
See a brilliant article on Ashley, ‘Life with a Legend’ in May’s issue of Boxing Monthly.
For interviews please contact Penny Goldwater on 01892 513601 or penny@carayol.com
