Spotlight On Super Middle Prospect Craig Willshee

Super-Middleweight Prospect – Craig Willshee – is looking forward to his first professional outing this year and took time out from training to talk to Saddoboxing.com

The twenty-four year old from Swadlincote started boxing at his local amateur boxing club with older brother Dean when he was just twelve years old. But only now, twelve years later and under new trainer Paul Webb, has Craig got the motivation and ‘drive’ to finally enter the professional ranks.

“I had 15 amateur fights in total with Burton ABC. I boxed in Jersey for the midlands squad at the age of 16 and boxed twice in the ABA’s, the first time at 15 when I won the junior Staffordshire golden belt but lost in the midlands final.

“The second time I was 18 and got to the midland final in the under 20 novices but lost in the final to Curtis Valentine.

“This loss knocked my confidence and made me realise that I needed to really commit to the sport if I wanted to get the desired results, but family work commitments saw me struggle to make the training and so I decided to concentrate on a career outside of boxing.

“Three years passed and I started talking to a friend of mine who used to box professional boxer Scott Conway, he had opened his own gym up in Derby and told me to come down for training. I started doing his boxing sessions twice a week and the ‘buzz’ came back.

“Scott would box in local shows sanctioned by the EBF (European Boxing Federation). He asked me if I fancied having a go and I thought ‘yeah why not’? By this time I think my adult strength had developed and Scott got my fitness level back up. I had two EBF fights and won both.

“Then a few people started saying I should have a crack at the pro’s. I spoke to Paul Webb (wbcfightclub.co.uk) who I’d met at a boxing show, and we arranged a training session. He began training me at The Butchers Shop gym in Chelmsley Wood on a weekly basis. He took me right back to basics – starting with my stance, jab, everything!

“I learned more in five weeks with Paul than I had the whole of my amateur days. I’d never really settled in to any gym before but straight away I knew I was happy at Chelmsley Wood, there was always a good vibe in the gym.”

Paul Webb added, “I saw that Craig had potential and recommended he consider becoming a licenced boxer and start to achieve things – as I thought he was wasting his talents.

“I could see he was strong and had power but he was losing that power because he wasn’t using the correct technique, so I had him sitting down on his shots more. It worked and he went on to win his third EBF fight by first round TKO, in April 2012.”

“Unfortunately, during that fight, I ruptured a radial sagittal band (aka boxer’s knuckle)”, said Craig.

“I had an operation to repair it but this put me out of training for three months and in a cast for six weeks. I had a lot of time to think about what I really wanted in boxing. Paul and I sat down and agreed that if I put the effort in he would take me to the top of my potential as a professional.”

Paul continued “After eight months of sparring the likes of Jordan Clayton, Alan Higgins and English Title Challenger Thomas Costello – Craig signed with top Midlands Promoter PJ Rowson and is due to make his professional debut in May.”

Craig says he couldn’t be happier working with Paul and PJ. “They’re both honest, genuine blokes. Paul’s training works well for me, he puts a lot of time in to my training schedule taking me up and down the country sparring every week and he watches over every single training session of mine -whether it be swimming, track or circuits – picking up on any mistakes and giving me pointers.

“I’ve also got a nutritionist on board (Justine Roden), she’s put me on a great diet that I’m really happy with. Well-known Promoter PJ Rowson puts on a lot of great boxing events in the Midlands area so I’m looking forward to showing what I can do.”