Pushing to the Limit
Nearly 29 years ago, a 20 year old Mike Tyson won the heavyweight championship of the world in Las Vegas.
He inspired a young five year old kid who was so impressed with the energy and the aura that surrounded a young and fearless Tyson.
I started boxing three years later at All Stars Boxing Club in the deprived area of Paddington, London.
Coming to America was always a dream. A scary big dream, but if you’re not scared of your dreams they’re just not big enough.
New York City was my first stop, where I met Harry Keitt (who I still work with) at Gleason’s Gym back in August 2005. We did some good pad work together on my first day there, but I ended up joining forces with former commonwealth champion, Lennox Blackmoore. He was at the time, the head trainer to world champions, Vivian Harris, Wayne Braithwaite and Elio Rojas. I’ve always looked to surround myself with quality – people that had top level experience and were full of rock solid advice.
Harry was working with Dmitriy Salita in 2006. They would fly me from London to New York City for his training camp in the Poconos Mountains, Catskills and Florida. I helped him in his world title challenge to Amir Khan back in 2009.
Stan Hoffman, manager to over 30 world champions, gave me my big break in America, after watching our sparring sessions. He believed I had championship potential. Floyd Mayweather saw the same thing in me 6 years later, which resulted in my signing up with Mayweather Promotions.
For five years I trained at Gleason’s Gym and Starrett City in Brooklyn. Sparring with a who’s who of boxing, world champions and world rated contenders. It enabled me to learn my trade the hard way, and the best way.
I became world rated number four and British champion against all the odds. The next stop had to be Las Vegas, to become a member of the number one boxer in the world, Floyd Mayweather’s promotional company.
Despite that, I’m still always pushing to achieve more.
I’m finishing a successful, but strenuous year with a ten round fight on Friday 12th December in San Antonio, Texas.
The Main Event is my team mate and friend, Ishe Smith against WBA world champion, Erislandy Lara.
Ishe became the first Las Vegas native to win a world title last year. I’m backing him to be a two time world champion on the 12th.
From humble beginnings in London, England to the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas in the United States of America.
Only those who are prepared to risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.
