Exclusive Interview - PART ONE: Martin Sax talks about the career and life of his grandfather, and Britain's youngest World champion, Teddy Baldock

I recently attended the Teddy Baldock statue unveiling on Friday 16th May in Poplar, East London where I met Martin Sax for the first time, although I have spoken to him many times since meeting him online two years ago. He gladly gave up his time, despite his busy schedule, to share the story of his grandfather Teddy Baldock with me. Teddy Baldock won the World Bantamweight title on May 5th 1927 and to this day is still the youngest British world champion of the modern era. He was one of Britain's finest boxers, and at the height of his fame was one of Britain's most celebrated sportsmen. Martin Sax talked me through the life and career of his grandfather. I hope you enjoy the interview as much as i enjoyed doing it.

Part two can be read here:

http://noholdsbarredboxingtalk.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/exclusive-interview-part-two-martin-sax.html

No Holds Barred: Firstly, can you tell us a little about yourself Martin?

Martin Sax: Well, I joined the Royal Marines at seventeen and had a career with them for twenty-five years. When I was a young kid I had an interest in boxing; I would watch fighters like Frank Bruno, Barry McGuigan, Tony Sibson and Mark Kaylor. I always watched boxing on TV but there was no way my mum would take me down to the local boxing gym because she was dead against boxing, mainly because of what had happened to her Dad I think.

No Holds Barred: Twenty-five years in the Royal Marines! That must have been a very tough job?

Martin Sax: It definitely had its moments. I suppose as a young lad you look forward to new adventures and I’ve certainly been to quite a few places and done a fair bit with my life. I enjoyed it but at the age I am now and with a young family, it’s now about paying off my mortgage and I’m looking forward to moving on and doing something different.

No Holds Barred: Are you much of a boxing fan today?

Martin Sax: Boxing is my passion. The only reason I subscribe to Sky Sports is for Ringside and the Saturday night fights. I used to make up scrap books from the fights each week using newspaper cuttings etc. I love the historical side of boxing. As I did research for the book I helped write about my granddad, I’ve got to know a lot of people in boxing. A good friend of mine was Bob Longhurst, the British Boxing Board of Control official. He used to ask me if I fancied going to weigh-Ins for fights or press conferences. I also joined LEBA [London’s Ex-Boxer’s Association] as well. That was a great time of my life.

No Holds Barred: I heard that you’ve appeared on Prizefighter shows. How did that come about? 

Martin in uniform

Martin Sax: A few years ago a good friend of mine [ring announcer] John McDonald asked if I’d mind presenting the Prizefighter trophy in my Royal Marines dress blues uniform. It meant a ringside seat, so of course I accepted. I was based in London at the time so it was perfect to go to York Hall or Olympia etc. Most of the Prizefighter tournaments have a Marine present the trophy to the winner. I think I must’ve done about nine or ten of them.

No Holds Barred: Did you ever take up boxing?

Martin Sax: Yeah, I started boxing at about twenty-one years old when I was in the Marines. I began at Exmouth ABC and then moved to my local club Watchet ABC. I had a couple of fights as an amateur but I found making the weight and the discipline a bit difficult. I remember the first fight I had was at Butlins holiday camp in front of all of my mates and I knocked the guy out in the first minute of the first round. Barry McGuigan presented me with the winner's trophy and people came up to congratulate me. I felt like Champion of the World for weeks afterwards, at least until I lost my next fight! After fighting in the ring, I got my assistant ABA coaches award and became a coach at Minehead ABC.

No Holds Barred: Did any other family members take up boxing?

Martin Sax: Teddy's father Ted was a professional who used to fight at the Wonderland Arena in the East End of London and his grandfather Jack was a bare-knuckle fighter. Obviously my Mum wasn't going to get involved in the sport because she had witnessed firsthand what had happened to her father and she felt that boxing was to blame.

Teddy as a young professional

No Holds Barred: Do you know much about Teddy's grandfather Jack's career?

Martin Sax: I really have very little information on Teddy's grandfather unfortunately, only snippets of information from when he was mentioned in the press alongside my grandfather.

No Holds Barred: How did you come to know about your grandfather's boxing past?

Martin Sax: My first memory of finding out about his career was when I was about twelve years old. My grandmother had just died so my mum had cleared out her flat and had come across a couple of old scrap books that my grandmother had made and kept. My mum gave me the books. They charted my granddad’s first trip to America and included photographs, newspaper cuttings etc. I was fascinated by it all. I was already interested in the sport and found out the grandfather who I’d never met had been a World champion, so naturally I wanted to find out more. So that was when I first found out about my granddad.

No Holds Barred: Did you know much about him growing up?

Martin Sax: My Mum never mentioned her dad’s boxing past, mainly because he had walked out of her life when she was just a young girl. As a father he had only ever been a failure, but to me he was a boxing hero.

No Holds Barred: When did you start finding out more about him?

Martin Sax: After I joined the Marines at seventeen, I think I had a certain amount of confidence so I wrote off to a lot of the newspapers asking if they had any information on my granddad in their archives. Some of them would send back some little snippets of information. My first big break was when I spoke to the late Harry Mullen, then editor of Boxing News, over the phone and explained to him who I was and asked whether he had any information of my granddad. He said he’d have a look and it turns out he had a portfolio of about seventy or so black and white photographs of my grandfather. He said to me if I wanted to go to London and have a look I was welcome to, so I got on the next train I could and went there.

No Holds Barred: Did he give you the photographs or make copies of them

One of Teddy's many
appearances in Boxing

for you?

Martin Sax: At that time nobody had laptops or printers really. There was a Ryman’s stationery shop just down the road and he allowed me to take ten photographs at a time to get them copied. I’d laser copy them then go back to his office. I think I managed to do them all in about two visits; to have those photos was just fantastic. After that, I started going to the Colindale Newspaper Library and read through every copy of Boxing, the forerunner to Boxing News, from 1921 to 1931. I photocopied every article I could find featuring my granddad then I put together a scrap book of all the photo stats in chronological order. Then I’d go through the national newspapers like the Daily Mirror and the Daily Sketch, which was a big boxing newspaper. I’d look through the news from about a week or two before one of his fights so I could read the build up to his fight and his training, then I’d read about his actual fight and the news in the days following his fight because it would have the after-fight reports. I’d put all of this in my scrap book in chronological order. I spent a long time in the library; I’d get there as soon as it opened, I’d miss having lunch, and the time would just fly by. 

No Holds Barred: There must have been hundreds of articles on your grandfather during that period considering how famous he was at the time?

The Mumtaz Mahal of the Ring

Martin Sax: Well, when you read through Boxing, from 1921 you see small snippets talking of a young, undefeated Teddy Baldock, then you see a sort of rise to fame. For example, in about 1925/26 he’d be in Boxing nearly every week, then you start seeing the slide where he wasn’t quite getting the results he was used to. He wasn’t the same fighter who had won the World title in 1927. Here’s another example of how famous he was: You can do a search for "Teddy Baldock"of a PDF document in the Express newspaper and you find all sorts of news about him. For example, there was a report about my grandmother and how she had gone to watch him fight at Premierland without him knowing because he didn’t agree with women watching boxing, and I think his parents had a bad car crash, and that made the Daily Express news because of who their son was. It’s quite amazing to see just how popular he was back in those days. 

No Holds Barred: He was born Alfred Stephen Baldock. Where did the name Teddy come from?

Martin Sax: His Father was called Edward and had boxed as Ted Baldock. He boxed at fairs and also fought a number of contests at the old Wonderland Arena, a legendary boxing venue that stood on the south side of Whitechapel Road in East London. I think matchmakers gave my granddad the name Teddy because his backers were people his father knew, so they probably gave him that name because it was the same name his father had fought under. In one of his early appearances at Premierland, he was billed as "The Mumtaz Mahal of the Ring" after the Aga Khan’s record breaking racehorse!

No Holds Barred: Is it true that before becoming a boxer your grandfather was an apprentice jockey but was fired after he had a scrap with a stable boy?

Martin Sax: Yeah, I think it was at a stable in Epson. He was sent down there as an apprentice jockey but within a few days of being there one of the head stable boys had called him out, so to speak, and my grandfather ended up flattening him and so he was fired. I think at that point his father told him he’d blown it as an apprentice jockey so if he wanted to become a boxer they’d have to go get some professional training and I think that’s how he found the professional ranks.

No Holds Barred: He turned professional at just thirteen. Why did he make his debut so young? 

Martin Sax: My granddad had eight siblings so the money he earned in the ring obviously went a long way to helping put food on the table in the Baldock household. Although he came from Poplar, which was a pretty rundown area of East London, the Baldock family wasn’t poor by East End of London standards but every penny counted nonetheless. It wasn’t a case that had my grandfather not fought they wouldn’t have eaten though. I think the reason he turned professional so young was because as a young kid he was brought up on the stories about his grandfather who had been a bare-knuckle fighter in his day and his dad who had also been a boxer. Also, at school my granddad had excelled at most sports like athletics and football and because of his father’s own interest in boxing he was steered towards that.

No Holds Barred: Did he have any amateur bouts before turning professional?

Martin Sax: I have never seen his amateur record, but I did read that he had won an East End Boys Championship at five Stone, so he must've been active as an amateur.

No Holds Barred: Do you think he may have benefited from a longer amateur career and perhaps turned pro at a later age?

Martin Sax: No doubt what amateur experience he had prepared him for the professional ranks. His father taught him how to box from an early age while growing up in the Baldock household and there were always plenty of opportunities to practice these boxing skills on the streets of Poplar. On one occasion, Teddy’s older brother came home having taken a beating from a kid from a nearby street. A few days later my granddad bumped into the kid and set the record straight. The boy’s mother turned up at the Baldock’s front door demanding an apology, but when Teddy stepped forward and she saw just how small he was, she gave her own son a clip around the ear for being bettered by a boy half his size. Maybe an extended time as an amateur may have given him a longer career as a professional. Those early years as a teenager fighting fifteen rounds against grown men must have taken their toll.

No Holds Barred: How would you describe his boxing style?

Martin Sax: Teddy was an old-school fighter competing in as many as a dozen fights a year.

No Holds Barred: After he lost for the first time in 1926 to George Kid Nicholson, he traveled to the USA to fight a dozen times in New York in just four months. Had the trip to the USA been on the cards all along or did his defeat make him take that decision?
 

Baldock, Mancini and Hood
before trip to USA in 1926

Martin Sax: He had already made the decision to travel to America a few months before meeting Kid Nicholson. Ernie Jarvis, the Millwall flyweight, had first given him the idea when, after their contest at Premierland, he said that he was going to try his luck in America. He said Teddy should join him. The fight with Nicholson was a chance to earn some extra money for the trip.

No Holds Barred: Why did he decide fighting in the USA was the right decision for him?

Martin Sax: He decided that fighting in American rings would help him to gain new skills and would therefore improve his ring-craft. If he was going to become World champion one day it would be an advantage to experience how the Americans fought. He heard that fight manager Ted Broadribb was taking Jack Hood and Alf Mancini to New York, so he approached Broadribb and made arrangements to travel with them. Both his Father and manager Joe Morris were against the idea, but he eventually convinced them to let him go despite him only being nineteen at the time.

No Holds Barred: He fought in some very prestigious arenas in New York, including Madison Square Garden, Broadway Arena in Brooklyn and the Pioneer Sporting Club. What sort of reception did he get from the boxing-mad New York fans?

Martin Sax: In his first fight at the Steeplechase Athletic Arena, Rockaway Beach, New York he only had three supporters: Ted Broadribb, Alf Mancini and Jack Hood. But as he left the ring he was given a standing ovation; his style of fighting had been an instant hit with New York fight fans. A local newspaper report read: "Wizardly boxing skills combined with blinding speed and aggressiveness marked the debut of Teddy Baldock. It will take nothing less than a champion to beat him".

No Holds Barred: He appeared on cards featuring such legends as Tony Canzoneri, Billy Petrolle, Maxie Rosenbloom, Phil Kaplan, Joe Lynch and even future World heavyweight champion Jim Braddock. Do you know if Teddy left a lasting impression on them due to his talents?

Martin Sax: Jess McMahon, the matchmaker for Madison Square Garden, had been at ringside for Teddy’s debut at the Steeplechase Arena. He had been so impressed that he immediately signed him up to appear at New York's famous fight arena on the undercard of Tod Morgan’s Junior Lightweight title defence against Joe Glick. Teddy was likened to a young Jim Driscoll, combining hitting ability with bewildering speed and baffling cleverness. Ring magazine described him as "the most sensational fighter sent to this country in many years". This praise was backed up when, at the start of 1927 Tex Rickard, the promoter at Madison Square Garden, rated Teddy Baldock twelfth in the bantamweight rankings which, considering he wasn’t European or British champion, was a great accolade. In less than four months he had taken part in twelve contests winning eleven and drawing one.

No Holds Barred: Fellow Londoner Alf Mancini also featured on many of the same cards as Teddy. Were they close friends?

Baldock and Mancini on
board Berengaria

Martin Sax: Alf Mancini, Jack Hood, Teddy Baldock and Ted Broadribb all travelled to America on Cunard’s RMS Berengaria. My Granddad shared a cabin with Alf Mancini. They also trained together and often boxed exhibitions for the Ship’s passengers. Alf Mancini was held up on Ellis Island due to a technicality with his visa so Teddy stayed with him until the problem was sorted out. They then both stayed with a German family in Woodhaven on Long Island just outside New York. When they were not in training they would often go to one of the many cinemas to watch a film and relax. During their stay they met up with Ernie Jarvis who suggested they put their money together to buy a car and drive to Philadelphia to visit the training camp where Jack Dempsey was preparing for his forthcoming fight with Gene Tunney. They ended up staying there for four days and saw the World Championship fight in which Dempsey lost the heavyweight title to Tunney.

No Holds Barred: Was it a common occurrence at the time for fellow Britons to travel to the USA together to fight?

Martin Sax: British fighters from that period would often travel to America to learn new skills and styles of fighting. If they performed well they could build a reputation resulting in a possible shot at a World title. It would make sense to travel together as they would be able to continue training and sparring during the passage. There were already a number of British fighters campaigning in American rings when my granddad arrived; among them was his former opponent and friend Ernie Jarvis, as well as Pop Humphries and Johnny Sullivan. When Teddy sailed to the States for a second time in 1929 to fight the famous Panama Al Brown, his travelling companions were Archie Sexton and Jack Harris. As luck would have it Packey O'Gatty, an experienced American bantamweight, was employed as the SS Leviathan’s fitness instructor and took on the role as my grandfather’s trainer. He was so impressed with his ring-craft that he took time to write to his friend and boxing celebrity: none other than the legendary Jack Dempsey. The first my granddad knew of this was when a letter addressed to him arrived at his Orangeburg training quarters. The letter started "Packey O’Gatty has written to me saying what a clever kid you are, and if Packey says that you must be the real goods". Dempsey went on to explain that he was busy film-making in Los Angeles, but intended to travel the 3000 miles to New York to watch the contest with Al Brown and, if possible beforehand, visit Orangeburg to watch Teddy train.

Teddy Baldock & Packy O'Gatty
sparring on Leviathan in 1929

No Holds Barred: The fight with Panama Al Brown was eventually cancelled, but did Teddy get to meet Jack Dempsey nonetheless?

Martin Sax: Martin Sax: I really couldn't say whether my grandfather met the great Jack Dempsey, it would really only be speculation. However, the extract below from his life story makes it seem that it was a strong possibility, perhaps not in 1929 while he was training to meet Al Brown in New York, but perhaps during his first visit to America in 1926: 

"With a roll of dollars in our pockets we decided to buy a car. I believe it was a bright idea of Jarvis’. It cost us ninety-five dollars, and we had our money’s worth out of it. As the brakes weren’t too reliable, it was safer to run it alongside the kerb to bring it to a halt. As we hadn’t got another fight for a few days we thought we’d run over to Philadelphia to see Jack Dempsey training for the coming defence of his title against Gene Tunney. Mancini drove, and I remember that Jarvis’ brother Joe came along to. Gus Wilson, who in days gone by had been trainer to Georges Carpentier, was in charge of Dempsey’s camp, and he made us very welcome. With him was Johnny Sullivan, the Covent Garden middle, and of course he was delighted to see us. We stayed there four days and saw the World’s championship fight in which the old Manassa Mauler lost his title in a downpour of rain. Although he lost and was obviously ring rusty, I thought Jack Dempsey, the greatest fighter I’d ever seen and I still hold that view, had he been given a warming-up fight and the ring hadn’t been so slippery, I’m sure he would have retained his title. How we got back to New York, I don’t know. We gathered a puncture on the way, and it is a wonder that we didn’t finish up in a heap. We kept the car for a while, until it wasn’t safe to drive for another mile, then we parked it by the side of the road one night, got out and tip-toed away. It was gone the next morning and we never saw or heard about it again."

This concludes PART ONE of my interview with Martin Sax. Be sure to come back to read PART TWO tomorrow as Martin details the life and career of his grandfather from his days as World champion, to his retirement and finally to last month's statue unveiling.

Teddy Baldock Statue unveiled in East London

A statue commemorating Britain's youngest World champion of the modern era was unveiled on Friday 16th May in Langdon Park, Poplar, East London.

Teddy Baldock was one of Britain's finest boxers of the 1920's and one of its most loved sportsmen. Teddy won the World Bantamweight title on May 5th 1927 at the Royal Albert Hall in London beating America's Archie Bell on points over fifteen rounds. 

The Pride of Poplar

World title victory propelled him to stardom in Britain, as his grandson Martin Sax attests: "There was a report about my grandmother and how she had gone to watch him fight at Premierland without him knowing because he didn’t agree with women watching boxing, and I think his parents had a bad car crash, and that made the Daily Express news because of who their son was".

His world title shot didn't come easy. By the time he fought Bell, he had been a professional boxer for six years and had competed in fifty-seven contests, compiling a record of 54-1-2. Another four years passed with some further success, but by 1930 Teddy's best days were behind him. He retired in 1931 aged 24 with a final professional record of 73-5-3. 

Archie Bell (left) shakes hands with Teddy Baldock (right) ahead of their world title fight

The event was made possible by the hard work and dedication of Teddy's grandson Martin who campaigned tirelessly to have his grandfather's achievements remembered. Martin's efforts were made a reality thanks to fundraising, donations and the Poplar Housing and Regeneration Community Association (Poplar HARCA). Sculptor Carl Payne's craftsmanship must also be recognised as his work now sees Teddy immortalised in bronze.

"I hope that the statue will now serve as an inspiration to the Spotlight Youth Club members and also the students attending the nearby Langdon Park Sports Community College, highlighting the achievements of a local youth who, through hard work and determination, rose to the very pinnacle of his chosen sporting career", says a proud Martin Sax.

Martin Sax with his mother and two sons

When Teddy died aged 63 in 1971, only a handful of people attended his funeral. On 16th May 2014, this was put right as over three hundred people, including over a dozen former British boxing heroes, turned out to pay tribute to this once-great hero of the ring. 

Many of the former British boxing heroes who showed up on the day including Nobby Clarke, Vernon Sollas, Sylvester Mittee, Gary DeRoux, Charlie Magri, Sammy McCarthy and others

The statue now sits just a few hundred yards from where he grew up in Byron Street, next door to the new Spotlight Centre, within which can be found a boxing gym. Perhaps Teddy can once again inspire local youths to achieve the lofty heights of this once great East Londoner. As Martin said on the day: "When Teddy fought, he was known as the Pride of Poplar. Well, he's back here now and I hope the people of Poplar can be proud of him again".

Plaque below the statue

Immortalised in bronze

Martin Sax's speech from the event can be viewed here: 

No Holds Barred's Boxing Preview: Carl Froch vs George Groves

The first fight between these two was met with scorn by many boxing fans who claimed George Groves had no right to share the ring with a four-time world title holder. Those fans had their reasons, after all Groves' best opponents up until that fight had been fellow British novice James DeGale, continental-level Mexican contender Francisco Sierra, and a past-his-best Glen Johnson. This is no longer the case as George Groves proved with his stellar display against Froch in their first fight last November.

George Groves' combination of boxing skills, hand speed and power, proved too much for Froch in large chunks of the fight as Groves floored the champion in round 1 before building what most fans seemed to believe was a comfortable lead heading into round 9. It was not to be for the challenger that night as Britain's Howard Foster controversially stopped the fight as Froch continued to apply pressure and punches.

The war of words is now over, the referee is neutral (American Charlie Fitch), and the fighters have weighed in. Now all there is to do is fight. Fans seem to be split down the middle on who they think will win: Some preferring Froch's power which eventually led to victory last time out, and others preferring Groves' speed and boxing ability which built up a good lead heading into the last round the two shared a ring.

Personally, i think the fight could go a couple of ways which i will try to breakdown now:

Froch managed to win last time out due to his stamina which has always been one of his main attributes. He has never struggled to make weight in his 12-year professional career as far as i'm aware, and getting rounds under his belt has always been a breeze (he has fought 240 rounds in 34 bouts as a pro). It was his world class stamina which kept him in the fight despite being outboxed for much of the first half of the fight, whilst his relentless pressure and application of power punching late on are what eventually broke Groves down. Considering Groves had only fought 95 rounds against far inferior opposition to that Froch had faced going into their big showdown (Froch had fought 104 rounds against world class opposition), and taking into account Groves doesn't have anywhere near the experience of Froch, it's plausible to think Groves fought the wrong fight and then gassed late on.

Critics of Froch will say he was being outboxed by Groves before he forced the stoppage but this isn't abnormal for him considering he often starts slow before building momentum as the fight goes on (see fights with: Pascal, Taylor, Kessler and Groves). Some have even pointed to his 'lack of power' claiming he has only stopped 4 of his last 11 opponents. However, it must be remembered that his opponents have been of the highest calibre and 11 of them on the trot no-less. How often do we see that level of opposition being fought one after the other? Not very often at all. Many boxers take a 'warm up' bout before a big fight, whilst others will take a year or so off of fighting the top opponents as they rebuild their career after a loss, for example. Not Carl Froch. Froch's opponents during this time included the rugged and future WBC light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal, one of the best super middleweights of his generation in Mikkel Kessler, the elusive Andre Dirrell, the resilient and almost unmovable Arthur Abraham, chin-of-steel Glen Johnson, and arguably the world's number one boxer in Andre Ward. When faced with opposition like this it is very rare a boxer will be able to win inside the distance. Froch's ability to put opponents away was certainly seen in his fights with Jermain Taylor, Lucian Bute, Yusaf Mack and George Groves though. In fact, it might be worth mentioning that Froch has stopped 3 of his last 4 opponents.

As for Groves, he has one major advantage: Speed - and they say speed kills. Groves caught Froch out in their first fight with his speed and timing. The shot which put Froch down in round 1 was not anticipated and certainly wasn't part of Froch's gameplans. It's arguable that had Groves stuck to the boxing and managed to avoid getting into an all-out-brawl (which you would imagine favours Froch) that Groves might have held on for an unlikely points decision. Groves was winning going into round 9, even according to the judges who had it closer than the fans, and Groves will be buoyed by this. The plan for Groves is how to stop the Froch onslaught late on. I do not think either guy will be going full on for an early stoppage win as it doesn't suit either guy. I think both guys will be prepared to dig deep and ride the fight out into the championship rounds or thereabouts. The later the fight goes, the more it favours Froch who has the stamina, experience, and relentlessness i mentioned earlier. Groves must bring with him a plan which will help override anything Froch is planning.

The obvious critic of Groves is that he was stopped, whether people think Howard Foster was right or not. It's also important to mention that Groves isn't the first fighter to feel the sting of the Cobra's fangs late on. Groves could very well be stopped once again in the rematch no matter how long he prepares for the fight. His stamina is not as good as Froch's but that doesn't mean it hasn't improved or that he hasn't worked on it. Groves also needs to keep his defence tight all night as we don't know just how tough he can be, whereas we all know how tough Froch is.

In conclusion: I believe Froch's greatest enemy right now might be father time. He is nearly 37 and has been fighting for 12 years as a pro. On top of this, throw in the fact this is his 12th fight against world class opposition on the trot and it's obvious to any boxing fan that the battle scars are going to start showing at some point soon; it happens to all the best boxing warriors. Another point that could be emphasised is that we know Froch gathers momentum as the fight builds but do we know the same for Groves? So far, i'd say no - although this could change over the years as Groves gains experience. For example, i distinctly remember James DeGale winning later rounds against Groves despite the latter building a slight advantage as the fight started to enter the championship rounds. If Groves does indeed fade late, then a fully fit and focused Froch will be highly favoured to win late on. Finally, one glaring advantage Groves also has is that Froch is unlikely to change now at 36 whereas Groves, 10 years his junior, has plenty of time to learn new things and modify his style. Froch has pretty much fought his entire pro career the same: getting hit a lot, throwing leather in return, losing early rounds, pressuring opponents late on... If Groves and his team have worked on the perfect gameplan we could see this Londoner pick up two world titles in his hometown, inside London's greatest sporting arena, and in just his 21st bout.

The one thing we all hope we don't see is any controversy. The draw seems to be stuck in my head.

Verdict: I'm going for the outsider in this fight. As i concluded above, Groves has the speed advantage, the boxing ability, and perhaps he also has the willingness to modify what went wrong first time around. If he does, he might pull off the win and be crowned world champion in his home city. GROVES by split decision.

Exclusive Interview: Talented prospect Noemi Bosques discusses her career to date and ambitions for 2014.

I recently caught up with Florida resident and talented flyweight prospect Noemi Bosques for the second interview I have done with her. She talked to me about her upcoming fight on Valentine's Day, her career to date and ambitions for the future.

No Holds Barred: Can you tell us a bit about your family background?

Noemi Bosques: My family is all Puerto Rican. They all came from Puerto Rico. In fact, I'm one of the first to be born over here in Florida - my mother came here when she was pregnant with me. I grew up in what you could say was a religious background. My father was a pastor, my grandfather was a pastor… That's probably why I'm rebellious! [Laughs]. So definitely a traditional Puerto Rican family: Family is big, hard work is big, women are usually in the kitchen, wives attend to their husbands… Old school traditional Puerto Rican family.

No Holds Barred: Why did you decide you didn't want to be a housewife?

Noemi Bosques: I just thought it was so boring. Don’t get me wrong, when people come to my house, I'm a server; I make sure I take care of them, I make sure they have something to drink… I'm traditional in that sense. But in terms of just being a housewife who cooks and cleans, I just want to do more than that. Even as a child I was very ambitious and wanted to be the best at everything.

No Holds Barred: I read an interview you did where you said you were very good at sports even when younger.

Noemi Bosques: Yeah, I was. I was named something like most athletic of the year when I was younger. I used to be involved in so many sports back then. I was lead scorer in the women's [American] football team, I was good at hurdles, I got MVP for defensive basketball position. I won a lot of these awards because I was really into these sports.

No Holds Barred: How old are you now?

Noemi Bosques: 30

No Holds Barred: What is your nickname?

Noemi Bosques: La Rebelde - 'Rebel' in Spanish.

No Holds Barred: What weight do you fight at?

Noemi Bosques: I can fight anywhere from 110-115 lbs for now. Once I get the opportunity to fight for larger titles I believe I can eventually get down to 108 lbs for those. I can make 110-111 quite easily really. I often fight at 115 because it's sometimes easier to get fights if you're flexible with your weight, especially as a woman.

No Holds Barred: Who is your current trainer?

Noemi Bosques: My current trainer is Arturo Ramos. He's also the trainer of Celina Salazar, who beat Ana Julaton last year. I think he's a wonderful coach. He's over here from San Antonio, Texas. Alessi, who are promoters here and also sell bakery goods to the public, hired him to run a boxing program here in Florida. I think he's a great coach.

No Holds Barred: Arturo must see a lot in you to dedicate time training you?

Noemi Bosques: Yes, I feel that way. His interest in me has really motivated me even more to be a better fighter. If you read up on him he was an amazing amateur boxer and he then turned pro with Top Rank. So he is very experienced as both a trainer and fighter as well. So I really appreciate the time he dedicates to me.

No Holds Barred: Can you give us details of your training routines?

Noemi Bosques: I alternate between long distance, where I do between four and eight miles, and sprinting days. A lot of days where I don't do long distance running I'll do like half-mile sprints and try to keep under a certain time. Then as I do it faster the time I give myself decreases and also my resting time decreases to make sure I'm in really good shape and so recovery time is up to par too. I do my strength and conditioning maybe three times a week. I leave the heavier stuff for maybe five or six weeks before the fight and as the fight gets closer I'll have more explosive drills, less time as far as training time goes, and focus on less weights and do more rapid movements and things like that. I box every day and will spar maybe three times a week.

No Holds Barred: Do you spar mostly men or women, or anybody fans might have heard of?

Noemi Bosques: Mostly men. Although in the last couple of camps I was fortunate enough to be able to spar Celina Salazar. She's an excellent, excellent fighter. I love working with her. She's definitely one of my favourite fighters to spar now because she's beating fighters of the calibre of Ana Julaton, so she's great for me. I was sparring with her not too long ago. We were in the middle of the ring, going at it and she did the Mexican thing where they get lower than their opponent. It's something I've been learning with [Arturo] Ramos recently too. So we were fighting on the inside and as she went down I made the mistake of going over her and when she lifted up she lifted my entire head and she shifted my tooth! It's a good thing I went to the dentist when I did because he said had I left it another week my tooth would have died. Can you imagine that?

No Holds Barred: [Laughs] Yes, basically a toothless hag!

Noemi Bosques: [Laughs] Exactly! I kept laughing because I have a bunch of friends over here that we call 'rednecks' and they all kept telling me they have some redneck cousins who would love to marry me now.

No Holds Barred: What is a typical day for you?

Noemi Bosques: Depends on the day I guess. For the most part though I'd say the day starts when I wake up and take my daughter to school. I live in an apartment next door to my grandmother so I help her with anything she needs. My great-grandmother is very sick right now so I help her with anything she needs too around the house. Then when all of these things are taken care of I'll commute over to Tampa where I do my training. I do fitness instruction classes there for people too. I've also had a lot of meetings lately with sponsors and things like that. I'm trying to pick up sponsorship because I'm noticing now how important it is for a professional fighter who is developing to have sponsors and a team behind them. So I'm really trying to focus on those kind of things now too; promoting sponsors, having them sponsor me, those kinds of relationships.

No Holds Barred: Describe your style to fans who may not have seen you fight?

Noemi Bosques: Well, I have different styles I guess. I like to box, that's what I like to do. I like to move, I like to counter, I like old school boxing; head movement, you come back with these shots, move this way then come back with these shots… Some say this is a bad thing, but since I've had so many trainers I've learned many styles. The one style I would say I needed more experience with is the rugged inside Mexican style. I can't say enough good things about Arturo because he has helped me so much with learning to deal with that sort of style. I think it's necessary for a fighter nowadays to be able to fight a different way every time out because there's so much information out there on fighters nowadays on websites like Youtube. Also, in order to be world champion you've got to be able to switch it up and have different styles because somebody can just study you and it would be too easy for them. So I'd say I have different styles. My preference is to box but at the moment I'm learning inside work and I feel like I'm very strong on the inside now.

No Holds Barred: You drew against Vanessa Greco in your second pro fight. Can you tell us about your performance in the ring that night?

Noemi Bosques: If I'm being honest, that was a fight I should have never taken because of where my mind was at the time. My mother had just recently passed. I'm not making excuses or anything like that, but it was a difficult time for me because of my mother and anything like that will distract you from a fight should really lead you to pulling out of the fight. I took that fight less than two weeks after we'd buried my mother. I'd spent two weeks with my mother before she passed; sleeping on the floor, eating hospital food, I wasn't running or staying in shape. But I couldn't fathom the idea of going home to sit in a dark room and face that. I mean I probably would have gone into some dark depression. So I was silly to make a bad business move and take that fight because I guess I needed some kind of release or distraction. I actually think I was lucky to get a draw because I think it could have actually been quite ugly for me. Vanessa is a very tough fighter, a very strong fighter and I'm lucky I didn't get hurt. I feel quite fortunate I actually got a draw and wasn't knocked out. I'd love to have a rematch with her to sort of redeem myself and it's a great fight.

No Holds Barred: Did you try to have the fight postponed?

Noemi Bosques: No. Everything was already sorted, tickets were already sold. Like I said earlier, I definitely don't think I could have just gone home to the realisation I'd lost my mother and being in a dark corner. Even now, I'm glad I took the fight now and got the draw instead of going home and facing whatever I would have faced at my house. The draw was a small price to pay.

No Holds Barred: Have you tried to negotiate a rematch with Vanessa?

Noemi Bosques: There was talk right after the fight where we both agreed to a rematch. But when we tried to make it and spoke to her management team or her coach that the only way they would do it is if it was up in New York and at a higher weight class like 117 lbs. I already walk around at about 115, so I'm giving up weight as it is. They were being really picky about things so unfortunately we haven't had the rematch yet but I hope we do one day.

No Holds Barred: The best flyweights in the world currently are probably Susi Kentikian, Melissa McMorrow and Ava Knight. Can you emulate that calibre of fighter in your opinion?

Noemi Bosques: McMorrow beat Susi and I was really surprised by that because she'd had less than fifteen fights going into that fight. In fact, that win really inspired because she beat somebody who has been one of my favourite fighters for so long. I didn't think anybody would be able to beat Susi. I think I'm humble enough to say that I need more experience as that's what it all really boils down to. I'd say with experience, yes I can. Right now that is what all of these international fighters have over me. They've been professional fighters for longer than I have and have the experience. I think that with the way I train, with my condition and with my mindset, I can definitely emulate these girls. It needs to be at the right time though. I'm not naive enough to say 'I can beat this girl or that girl' because I need the experience first.

No Holds Barred: One thing with women's boxing that is perhaps different to men's boxing is that women can often get title shots despite a poor record due to the shortage of world class contenders. So even if you do end up being dreadful, don’t just give up, you might still get a title shot. [Laughs]

Noemi Bosques: [Laughs] Yes, that's true. It's a good thing!

No Holds Barred: Have you improved since your debut in May 2012 in your opinion?

Noemi Bosques: Oh, absolutely. I've improved in ways such as I feel a lot more comfortable and confident now. When I fought Monica Flores I was a little nervous - she was 3-0 compared to my 1-0-1 - she'd just beaten a 6-0 fighter and she was a top amateur. Yet, I walked through her. I think it was after that fight that I realised I needed to be more confident and give myself more credit for the hard work I put in at the gym.

No Holds Barred: What are your ambitions for the coming year?

Noemi Bosques: My main ambition is to get as many fights as possible and stay as busy as possible. Ideally I would like to fight every six weeks. I'd like to fight at least six times this year. As long I have the support from people and keep selling tickets and keep involving people in what I'm doing then I'm happy and I'm happy people enjoy being involved in my career. You have to stay active and constantly improve on your record if you want to reach the top. I'd like to fight in other places too at some point. I love fighting in Tampa, but I do want to get experience in fighting in other places because I think it's important to put yourself in front of different crowds. I know some managers don't like doing that because you're potentially facing being 'robbed' in somebody else's backyard but personally I think the challenge would make me work even harder and I like that challenge. I think it would help me grow as a fighter. Or if somebody in Miami, for example, wanted to put me on one of their shows, I'd love that.

No Holds Barred: You're fighting on Valentine's Day. Can you tell us about that?

Noemi Bosques: I'll be fighting Marisol Miranda. She's a tough fighter and i expect her to be a good challenge. She's got a lot of experience as a fighter. I was scheduled to fight on January 18 but the whole card got postponed to Valentine's Day. I must be the only woman in the world who, instead of eating chocolates and being wined and dined, will be trying to make somebody bleed! [Laughs]

No Holds Barred: What is your opinion of women’s boxing currently? Has it come on since London 2012 or does more work need to be done?

Noemi Bosques: I think women's boxing is very underrated. In my opinion I think it's because of a lack of exposure for the most part. MMA is doing a great job with female fighters. I'm sad to say this, but it does seem to be the truth: The general public doesn't seem to be so interested in skills so much. It seems to me people tend to be more interested in the blood and guts aspect of the sport. Fighters in general need to market themselves well and all the time, which could mean having a manger constantly calling television networks or magazines because they need to get the exposure. You could have the greatest skills in the world but people aren't going to know about you unless you're out there for the public to see and the only way promoters are going to put you on their shows is if people are buying tickets to see you fight. I think women's boxing is amazing and sometimes I think the women's fights are more entertaining than the men's fights. The problem is there isn't enough exposure and nobody knows these women who are fighting. Has it grown more since the Olympics? Well, I'd say people know the names of some amateur fighters now like Marlen Esparza and Clarissa Shields but do they know Tiara Brown? I doubt many people know who she is, but she's one of the greatest fighters I've had the privilege of working with and I'm proud to call her a friend. I suppose you could so that the Olympics has at least pointed out that women boxers are doing something. I don't think it's grown much around here [Florida] but maybe in Texas it has or in New York; New York is good for women's boxing.

No Holds Barred: Could you tell us some of your favourite fighters and fights?

Noemi Bosques: I love watching Yuriorkis Gamboa. His speed, power and explosiveness are amazing. I watch a lot of his fights and he's a fighter I'd like to be like. He goes from 0-100 in a flash. It's almost kind of careless the way he does it. But he's just so comfortable with the way he comes in that it seems effortless. Pernell Whitaker was a great fighter I loved watching too because of his talents. Mayweather is another fighter I love watching now because of his pure precision and amazing defence. He's such a classy fighter. In terms of favourite fights, recently I loved the Maidana-Broner fight. I'm proud of the way Maidana fought. He went in with a big 'f-u' attitude and completely shook Broner up. Broner was confident and was expected to win but Maidana made an example of him. Definitely one of my favourite fights recently.

No Holds Barred: Who are your favourite female fighters? 

Noemi Bosques: Melissa McMorrow is somebody I definitely look up to. I don't think anybody had really noticed her I guess or given her much respect until she beat Susi Kentikian. She went over to Germany and I was in disbelief at how well she did against Susi who had been champion for so long. So she is one of my favourites for having the confidence to take on Susi and come out victorious. Ava Knight is another girl I'm very proud of because even from early on in her boxing career she was already stepping up and fighting top contenders. Even though she's in my division, I respect her greatly. Kaliesha West is another fighter I really look up to. Not only is she a great warrior and has a great record, but she's also expanding into other areas. She's worked in the TV business, she's interviewing people, she's doing other things and I think that's great and that's something I'd like to do. Boxing is a very short term career so you have to develop yourself into other ventures. Celina [Salazar] is another one of my favourites, of course.

No Holds Barred: How do you relax in your spare time?

Noemi Bosques: I like to read. I go on runs and my daughter follows me on her bike. I like to spend time with my family because that's the only time I get to see them.

No Holds Barred: What sort of music, films, television, books do you like?

Noemi Bosques: Reggae and house are my favourite types of music. In terms of films, I like watching comedies and stupid/funny types of films. I watch a lot of reality junk like Bad Girls Club and Jersey Shore. To be honest, I don’t watch much because I don’t have the time! [Laughs] I like reading mind-empowering books which help strengthen my mind.

No Holds Barred: Do you have a promoter or manager?

Noemi Bosques: I'm self-promoted. I'm online, making videos, getting lots of help from friends and people online. I'm calling everyone, selling my own tickets, meeting fans, just trying to sell hundreds of tickets.

No Holds Barred: Where can fans contact you for tickets? 

Noemi Bosques: Contact me on my cell phone: 727-678-5886. Or contact Arturo Ramos: 210-380-8955.

No Holds Barred: Where can fans find you online?

Noemi Bosques: On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noemi.bosques & https://www.facebook.com/FanPageNoemiBosques; On Twitter: @NoemiBosques.


No Holds Barred: Thanks for talking to us and best of luck on Valentine's Day!

Exclusive Interview: Jamie Bidwell talks about his amateur career in France

No Holds Barred: Firstly, how old are you Jamie? 

Jamie Bidwell: 21

No Holds Barred: You currently live in France but are originally from Chatham, Kent. Can you tell us why you moved abroad?

Jamie Bidwell: I was born in Chatham but my parents moved us to France to change our lives. It's actually quite a nice calm life and I feel settled.

No Holds Barred: Did it take long for you to learn French and are you fluent now?

Jamie Bidwell: Well, you learn something new every day. I'd say it took me three to four years to be fluent. 

No Holds Barred: Do you have any plans to move back to the UK one day?

Jamie Bidwell: I come back from time to time to see the family and train at the Horton Kirby boxing gym. I wouldn't mind coming back to fight as a pro because in France it is very hard for the French boxers to make it at pro level. I have a few mates who are pro and they're trying to push themselves to European level.

No Holds Barred: How old were you when you started boxing and why did you get into it?

Jamie Bidwell: I Started boxing at 18. I was playing football at that time too. The thing with football is that if you make a mistake everyone is on your back, but with boxing if you make a mistake you only have yourself to blame. I also used to be quite arrogant, but boxing taught me self respect and respect for others.

No Holds Barred: What weight do you fight at? 
Jamie Bidwell: I box at lightweight. I have gone up to light welterweight a couple of times and welterweight once too.

No Holds Barred: Can you tell us about your amateur career to date? 

Jamie Bidwell: I started at my first club 'Boxing Club Coutances'. The first two seasons were a nightmare for me. My first amateur fight was against a very experienced boxer who had fought eleven bouts to my zero. Sadly, my trainer stopped the fight early. I was gutted but at the end of the day, my trainer knew best. My second fight was a farce. I was given the decision against another experienced fighter who had fought ten bouts to my one fight. Afterwards, I was in the changing rooms when the other trainer burst in ten minutes later saying the decision had been changed; I got my revenge this season though. I then lost my third fight and got robbed in my fourth fight. In my second season, I had two fights. I got a rematch against the opponent of my fourth fight [Anthony Larquemin] and got robbed once again. I then changed clubs and went to 'Boxing Club Granville' and went on to box in the regional cup final. I fractured my hand in the first round though and went on to lose the fight by one point. During my third season, I got employed at EDF [Électricité de France] in Rouen, so for the third time I changed club; I went to 'Noble Art Rouen' where I have Salem Hamraoui as my new trainer. My first fight was a quarter-final for the Normandy Championships. I wasn't ready for the fight at all and after being schooled for three rounds I lost on points. I then took on Anthony Larquemin for the third time - this time in his hometown. I refused to lose this fight and I went at it for all three rounds and won comfortably. I then moved up to light welterweight and beat Kalaidine Boina who was 5 kilos [11 lbs] heavier than me. I then boxed in the semi-finals of the Normandy Cup against a Russian called Rubik Gryvorgian; I lost to him the year before in the final when I fractured my hand. For the third fight in a row I won another comfortable decision (21-10). I then lost a fight due to my own fault and misjudgement. I then moved up to welterweight and boxed for Team Normandy and took on the champion of Belgium Sergio Mirmina and won a very close points decision.

No Holds Barred: You recently finished in the semi-finals of a regional tournament. How do you think you did? 

Jamie Bidwell: I won the quarter finals against a guy called Guillaume Mahaut. He was the guy I boxed three seasons ago and was given the decision against, until it got reversed ten minutes later, so revenge was pretty sweet. I then got eliminated in the semi-finals due to very poor judging. My trainer Salem was disgusted with the decision. I was doing brilliantly in the Championships and I know I could have won it this season. I have now had 14 fights in total with five wins. I'm determined to get my win ratio up.

No Holds Barred: Can you tell us about your coach Salem Hamraoui and what he thinks of your boxing ability?

Jamie Bidwell: He trains fighters at my gym in Normandy and also trains the Algerian Desert hawks WSB team. For the moment he has got me working on my counter-punching. He is a brilliant trainer and he adapts himself to the boxer's needs. I have an excellent relationship with my trainer and I feel he's the only one who can get through to me when in the corner.

No Holds Barred: What is the competition like at amateur level in France in your opinion?

Jamie Bidwell: The boxing level in France is okay. It's just a shame that there is not that much investment and support unlike in the UK. For example, I boxed against the champion of Belgium in France so I was fighting on home turf. You'd expect to hear the home fans more but there wasn't one cheer from the French; all you could hear were the Belgian fans. My toughest fight to date was that one against Sergio [Mirmina].

No Holds Barred: How have you been received by French fighters and fans? Are you one of the boys or a "Rosbif" still [Laughs]?

Jamie Bidwell: Well, at the beginning of my amateur career I got racially abused by fans and fighters who had no respect for me. But I love it when the crowd is against me; It gives me that extra boost to win.

No Holds Barred: How would you describe your style?

Jamie Bidwell: At the start I'd say my style was hit and hope [laughs]. Since I have been with Salem I have now become so much better technically. I now box the way my coach tells me to and I'm more comfortable doing so.

No Holds Barred: What are your plans for 2014?

Jamie Bidwell: My plans for 2014 are to win as many fights as possible. We are waiting for a decision from the Federation to see if I can box in the French National championships, so fingers crossed. That would be great.

No Holds Barred: Do you plan to go professional one day?

Jamie Bidwell: Yeah, I would love to go pro. Only time will tell though. My trainer will be the man who decides when the time is right.

No Holds Barred: What is the best and worst part of being a boxer?

Jamie Bidwell: The worst part of boxing is the dodgy decisions and a corrupt Federation. The best part is fight night; Coming out to the music and the fans, having the fight and most importantly having your hand held up high at the end.

No Holds Barred: What is your proudest moment so far as a boxer?

Jamie Bidwell: My proudest moments in boxing so far are being the only winner of the Normandy team on the Normandy vs Belgium showdown. I was absolutely scared stiff as I watched the whole Normandy team get destroyed one-by-one. My other proudest moment was finally winning a fight in front of my parents. They had only ever seen me lose or get robbed up until then. I had never seen them look so happy after a fight.

No Holds Barred: Do you have a boxing nickname? 

Jamie Bidwell: [Laughs]. Yeah, my trainer gave me a nickname; He calls me the 'British Dynamite' because I'm an explosive fighter.

No Holds Barred: Who is your all-time favourite fighter and what is your favourite fight? 
Jamie Bidwell: My all-time favourite fighter is Ricky Hatton. I idolise the guy. He was a pure warrior; I would love to meet him. I'd say he's followed by Floyd Mayweather. My all-time favourite fight is Arturo Gatti vs Micky Ward. That was just a full-scale war.

No Holds Barred: Where can fans find you online? 
Jamie Bidwell: I'm only an amateur so don't really expect to have fans [Laughs]. They can find me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamie.bidwell.7, Twitter: @BidwellJamie; Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/Jamiebidwell01
My two biggest fans are my parents; especially my Dad who tries to be at every fight.

No Holds Barred: Do you have a message for boxing fans?

Jamie Bidwell: If any boxing fans out there want to try boxing or get fit I encourage you to go to your local boxing gym. It is definitely the best sport out there; especially for kids. The sport teaches them self-respect and respect for others. If anyone lives near Dartford or in the Kent area, there is a good gym, with a friendly environment, called the 'Horton Kirby Boxing Club'.

No Holds Barred: Thanks for talking to us today and best of luck with your career.