➤That’s why they turn out tough fighters.
We’re all dead tough. I’ve only had four [pro]
fights but I’m very tough and seasoned.”
The first opportunity to qualify for Rio had
come in the World Series of Boxing. However
the schedule of that competition format in
2015 was unrelenting. “That didn’t help me,
that WSB, that didn’t help me at all,” Fowler
admitted. “It’s all experience. I boxed all the
best lads in the world. But it was brutal.
I was having five-round wars. I had five five-
rounders in 11 weeks, something stupid. They
were hard fights, I was headbutted, cut.”
Injuries collected there damaged him.
“I had a nightmare 2015 with my nose,
I missed the Europeans and the Worlds so
I lost all my ranking points. That’s why I got
a World champion first fight [in the Olympics].
I would have got seeded. That Mexican
[Misael Rodriguez] who won a bronze, I beat
him twice,” Fowler noted. “It would have been
easier over three. I had a bad year. That year
cost me.”
Now he is where he was always going to be,
setting out to prove himself in professional
boxing. Fowler has long held ambitions of
going pro. It was only watching London 2012
that persuaded him to stay with GB. But does
he now regret that decision?
“I was in two minds,” the Scouser said.
“I seen [Anthony] Joshua win the gold, I seen
the ceremony and I wanted to go to Brazil. So
I had to wait four years. I’m glad I did because
I reckon if I’d turned pro then I’d have a
different coach now, I wouldn’t improve.
I would be fighting the same way I was
fighting then. I might have got to a certain
level and plateaued. Now I reckon I can go
a lot further.”
His rebuilding process is taking place at24 lBOXING NEWSlJANUARY 11, 2018 http://www.boxingnewsonline.netHARD EDUCATION:
Battling strong and
skilled opponents like
Misael Rodriguez [left]
became a regular
occurence during
Fowler’s WSB daysHIGHS AND LOWS:
Fowler walks through
Baker in the 2010 ABAs
[above] but is left
shattered by his
Olympic exit in 2016NO HELP:
Fowler is
pushed back
in yet another
gruelling WSB
contest at York
Hall [left].
Today, Fowler
believes the
relentless
scheduling was
of little benefitPhotos: ACTION IMAGES & WORLD SERIES BOXING