ENGINE ENGINE ROOM

INSIDE THE

ENGINE ROOM

HREE days before Anthony Leaver

bites my head off for asking him

how many people have crammed

into Madison Square Garden for the

Anthony Joshua-Andy Ruiz Jnr weigh-

in, he insists on buying me a pint

at one of his favourite New York

watering holes. Anyone who has had

any dealings with Matchroom Boxing’s Head of Media

will know that’s the kind of guy Leaver is: A loveable little

bundle of fun with a fuse even shorter than he is.

Affectionately known as “Winkle” by his Matchroom

colleagues, the diminutive Leaver became a familiar face

at British rings over the last decade, building relationships

with the fighters and the media, before his “dream move”

to New York in 2018 where he now plays a key role in the

promotional outfit’s US invasion.

Residing in the Big Apple, with an office that overlooks

the Manhattan skyline, Leaver is not quite kicking back

and enjoying the view – there’s too much work to be

done for that – but he’s certainly feeling at home in a

country he’s always admired. After sacrificing a one-year

relationship with his girlfriend to make the move, Anthony

is now suitably excited about the task ahead.

T

34 lBOXING NEWSlJULY 25, 2019 http://www.boxingnewsonline.net

ANTHONY

★LEAVER★

IN-DEPTH WITH