http://www.boxingnewsonline.net JANUARY 11, 2018 lBOXING NEWSl 25“I realised how much I needed to work on.
It’s a different game. I’m a lot more aware
about getting hit back, my defence. Back in
the day, as you know, I’d take one to land one
because I thought I’m going to overpower
you. I’d try to break kids down. Whereas now
I’m trying to hit them and be more conscious
about what’s coming back. Because with the
little gloves you can’t take unnecessary shots.
I’ve got a good chin and stuff but...”
As an amateur Fowler boxed at 75kgs.
Professionally he’s moved down to super-
welterweight and reckons that will now be
a key advantage. In his four pro bouts so far,
he’s halted three. “The lads I’ve boxed, three
of them had winning records and they’ve only
been stopped by a few kids so they were all
quite tough. I’ve gone down a weight now,
I’m down at super-welter. I was at super-
middle as an amateur so I’m a lot bigger and
stronger when I get in the ring,” Fowler says.
“The people I’m boxing, they’re very defensive,
they’re hard to open up. I reckon when they
start throwing shots back, I can use my slips
and counters and land my big headshots. At
the minute the lads are quite wary.”
In fact he was frustrated that Laszlo
Fazekas took him six rounds in his last bout:
“I went the distance for the first time, I wasn’t
too happy because I like to make
statements and just blast kids out of
there. It’s hard when they don’t throwDave Coldwell’s nondescript gym on a quiet
street on the edge of Rotherham. The roof is
low, the floor spacious and it has all the kit
you need, whether you’re a world class fighter
like Tony Bellew or Jamie McDonnell, or
aspiring prospect, like Fowler and new gym-
mate, Jordan Gill.
“No ego, no medal,” Fowler said. “I can
come to pro boxing as a novice and start
again. I love training, I want to train every
single day. As a whole I took it as a positive.
I come here with no ego at all... It’s made me
more humble and hungry.
“At the start I was struggling with Dave,
I felt like a novice the first few weeks. I was
proper struggling. But the good thing about
Dave as a coach, he’ll show you something,
he won’t just tell you how to do it, he’ll explain
why you’re doing it so it makes it a lot easier
than do this, do that.
“I’ve actually even sparred Dave and he’s
shown me stuff and I’ve thought, ‘wow, that is
effective’,” Fowler noted. “I mean, I couldn’t hit
him back.”
Generally Fowler has a take-no-prisoners
attitude in sparring and training. “People
spar me and they don’t really want to come
back. I do spar hard,” Anthony declared. “I’m
just enjoying learning. I love doing pads with
Dave, I learn every single session and
I always get stuff wrong that I want to
improve on.
back... The last kid it was like he was on a
hoverboard, whenever I’d throw a jab he’d be
circling me, it was hard to pin him down. It’s a
bit frustrating at times but that’s down to me
then to open him up. That’s for me to work
on. But I do believe the best of me will come
when I get people who throw shots at me.”
You’d think the change of pace, and
intensity, now would be welcome, but
Anthony insists, “People believe, ‘He’s had
hard fights.’ I’m fresh as a daisy. I’m fresh,
there’s nothing wrong with me at all. A good
night’s sleep and I’m ready to go the next day.”
He’s perfectly aware that this
apprenticeship phase of his professional
career will pass soon enough and he’ll face
real fights once again. “I’m having it all my
own way but it’s going to get harder and
harder and harder. As we step up, you’ll see
what I’m made of,” he said.
As a whole the 2016 Olympians have made
promising starts to their pro careers. But
Fowler says, “It’s all good now, having it your
own way, all the stars and the Olympians,
all the glitz and glamour. At the end of the
day it means nothing. We’re in a new game
now. Eventually we’re going to get dragged
through the trenches and like Bellew says, it’s
sink or swim. We’ll see who’s cut out for pro
boxing. It’s not three-threes now, it’s going to
be 12 rounds with fellas who are fighting to
feed their kids and they trying their best to
hurt you. Eventually we will see what we’re
all made of. It’s all happy days so far but
eventually we’re going to see what we’re all
made of.
“I know what I have myself and I’m going to
prove it one day. I know they’re all talented
and they’re all more than capable. But we’re
going to see.” bnEAGER TO PLEASE:
Fowler clouts
Fazekas in October
[above] but is
ultimately
disappointed not to
win inside schedule.
The Scouser, though,
is delighted with the
relationship he has
built with
professional coach,
Coldwell [left]
Photos: LAWRENCE LUSTIG/
MATCHROOM & ACTION
IMAGESI’VE EVEN SPARRED COLDWELL AND
HE’S SHOWN ME STUFF AND I’VE
THOUGHT, ‘WOW, THAT IS EFFECTIVE’”