00:00My name's Simon Taylor. I'm the owner of Ringcraft ABC. I also do pro stuff down there as well.
00:05Work a little bit for Matchroom. We've got Ian Jumbo Johnson working alongside me down there as well.
00:09Started about three years ago. I wanted a place, a nice family-friendly place where people could come and feel safe.
00:15We deal with a lot of mental health. We deal with obviously a lot of boxing.
00:17We've got a lot of England boxing carded fighters down there and pros.
00:20Yeah, it really went from there and we're building every time.
00:22We've come a long way in three years. We started off with a small building and we're up to over probably 100 members now.
00:28I've loved boxing since I was about four. If you look at photos of my bedroom when I was younger, I had gloves up.
00:33I had pictures of Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson, my favourite fighter.
00:37But I've studied boxing all my life, all the way back to Jack Johnson, back in the old days, through to Rocky Martiano, all the greats.
00:43And all the way up to basically the modern day fighters. So I boxed a lot as a kid.
00:47It's pretty much a non-ego gym to be fair. Everybody gets on down there.
00:51Old people, young people, we have all sorts of people down there, all level boxing.
00:54Yeah, it's just a nice feel and people feel safe down there. It's a nice, nice gated off community sort of place, if you like.
01:00We've got the outside land and the inside. And I think people just come down there, they feel safe.
01:04They deal with their mental health down there. They can work down there, just put the wife on and sit and chill for a little while.
01:08So I think we're very different from other gyms in the respect that we are quite a high level boxing gym as well with the fighters we've got and the things we do.
01:14But we also have that community down there as well.
01:16Jokey Amici, he's my lad at the moment. We just had a good win at York Hall last weekend.
01:20Hopefully now I'll go on to December for a Southern Area title, which is big for him as well, because he's a great lad.
01:25We've just taken on Danny Pearce. He's 58 fights in the amateurs, 52 wins, three London ABA titles.
01:32He's a very talented young lad, 24.
01:34We've got lots of good amateurs coming through as well, people you probably wouldn't have heard of, but they are good.
01:38We've got a good female base as well, boxers.
01:40We've got four or five very good high level boxers down there, female-wise.
01:42So yeah, we're trying to promote both. It's very big with the ladies' boxing at the moment.
01:47So it's really nice to see down here. It's really nice to see.
01:50We've got an amazing junior team as well. We've got five or six lads down there, all Cardiff, England.
01:54Phenomenal. For their age, they're so good.
01:56And obviously with the good coaches we've got down there, we've got a good coaching base to be fair as well.
02:00Very experienced, good coaches. We've got level ones and level twos, pro coaches.
02:04We've just had a couple get their pro licenses as well.
02:06As I say, plus with Jumbo down there, it's the best place to be.
02:10We get a lot of people come down from different gyms and spas.
02:12We've had some famous fighters come down recently as well.
02:14So yeah, moving in the right direction, I think.
02:16My name is Joe K. I'm Echi.
02:19I'm a professional boxer. I've had six professional fights, five wins, one loss.
02:25Boxed September the 6th against, on paper, a quality opponent.
02:29He had eight wins, zero losses.
02:33I was his first loss, so I'm buzzing for that.
02:35The past month, the past two months, has been a lot.
02:39So the camp in itself, it was a funny one.
02:43I do think a lot of prospects will doubt me.
02:47I think, especially having a loss on my record, I think people see that and think,
02:53oh, okay, I've got a chance here.
02:54And I do think he doubted me, to be honest, because why else would he take it?
02:58I doubted him. That's why I took it.
02:59I was given, I was told three days before, do I want to fight him?
03:05I said, yeah. Do you know what I mean?
03:07Three days, I said, yeah.
03:08I said, I was offered, I don't even know the guy, Shere Khan.
03:12I was just told, here's a fight, would I like to take it?
03:16I was like, yeah, yeah.
03:17I said, Simon, I want to take it, if you would let me take it.
03:19I said, I know our camp hasn't been the greatest.
03:21Because I was meant to fight a week later, Saturday the 13th of September.
03:26I said, I know our camp hasn't been the greatest, but I know I can do this.
03:30I'm stressed at the moment.
03:33I'm just going to go in there and just beat him up.
03:35Not as if I have something against him, but I just thought,
03:39any opponent I was offered, I'm just going to go in there and just beat them up.
03:42It went the distance on points.
03:45I was surprised at how tired he got.
03:49Yeah, like, I don't know if it's because work rate, but he got very tired.
03:56Particularly round five and six, kept falling on the floor after clinches and stuff.
04:04Yeah, and it was surprising for me because no excuses, but it wasn't the greatest camp.
04:09In December, the date's yet to be confirmed, but I know Goodwin, my manager,
04:15I know he has a few shows lined up, but in December, I should be boxing for my first title.
04:22It should be a southern area.
04:23So that's going to be, yeah, I'm looking forward to that.
04:27I need to train properly.
04:30Any stresses that come along the way, I need to park them.
04:34Ironically, I feel like I boxed very messy.
04:37The fight's just gone.
04:38A lot of people said I boxed well, but I know that how I boxed that day and how I know I can box.
04:45So, yeah, I'm just looking forward to having ten rounds where I can really just not feel like I have to rush.
04:56I get it, you have to work still, but, yeah, I'm looking forward to it.
04:59Southern area.
04:59I'm looking forward to it.
04:59I'm looking forward to it.
Comments