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When Kim Poulsen signed a professional contract with Risum Boxing in the summer of 2006, he was fortunate to get an experienced and knowledgeable trainer such as Brian Mathiasen.
Having trained some of the biggest names in Danish professional boxing, from beginner-level as well as for European and world title fights, Mathiasen was the perfect man to help Poulsen prepare the then 19-year-old for the biggest night of his life; his pro debut in Vejle that upcoming September.
Eleven fights later, the bond between the two is stronger than ever, and Mathiasen is full of praise for his young pupil. While he recognizes that there is still a long way to the top, he feels Poulsen has a bright future in “the hardest sport of all”.
The following is an interview with the 43-year-old trainer from Viby near Aarhus, speaking about…yes, that’s right…Kim Poulsen.
Question: How do you view Kim’s current level, and his development so far as a professional?
Brian Mathiasen: Kim has developed beyond expectations. Already from when he turned pro and up until h is first pro fight, he learned so many things. And he is still learning. Almost from week to week he is learning new things, and now, after eleven fights, I believe he can compete successfully at around top-20 in Europe.
Q: Is there anything special you feel you have to work extra on in the future, and how would you describe Kim as a boxer?
BM: Kim is a good all-round boxer; he is good defensively and offensively, moves well around the ring, takes good care of himself in the fights, and he is actually starting to punch 09 quite hard, which is something we will see proof of in the future.
I don’t think there is anything specific we have to work extra on in the future, because, as I said before, he is well-equipped in all areas. But he needs fights to build his experience, which is going to be crucial when he moves to the next levels.
Q: How would you describe Kim as a person?
BM: He is a trainers dream, I would say! He has the talent, he always shows up on time, and he has the right attitude as well as a great desire to train and learn. Outside the ring Kim is a very sweet and likeable guy, and he is very easy to care about. He is also a very social guy who always helps create a good atmosphere in and out of the gym. He is very well-liked by all the other boxers.
Q: What specifically in your boxers is most important to you?
BM: It is very important that the chemistry between us is good. That we can also talk about other things than boxing. Of course it is also important that the boxer is serious and doesn’t take any shortcuts. He should love to train. When it comes to Kim, one has to consider that he lives in Horsens but happily takes both train and bus to go and train in Aarhus, if his dad can’t drive him.
Q: What did Kim gain from his most recent fight, against Nugzar Margvelashvili?
BM: Well, that victory was the best one of his career so far, so obviously it has given him some confidence in himself. Margvelashvili came with a 16-4 record, and had, not long before the fight against Kim, beaten Barry Hughes in a title fight in Scotland, so of course you get a certain amount of self-confidence by beating a guy like that convincingly.
Q: After the best victory of his career, what kind of opponent would you like to see Kim get on April 5 in Berlin?
BM: We want him to continue his development, so I hope he will get another test in Berlin.
Q: How would you like to see 2009 unfold for Kim?
BM: We have the fight in Berlin on April 5, and then it would be nice to get one more before the summer vacation. And then preferably three more fights before the end of the year. And if one of those could be for some kind of title, it would be fantastic.
Q: Looking at the long-term picture, how far do you think Kim can go?
BM: How far he can go will depend a lot on how he is matched. And we all know that matchmaking can be quite a puzzle, and that you can’t always have things the way you would like. If he gets the right fights at the right time, I don’t see any limits as to how far he can go.
Unfortunately it doesn’t look as if t here are any TV stations willing to invest in professional boxing in Denmark, which means there is no income for the manager. It is hard for Kim’s manager, Henrik Risum, to set the fights up for him, but he has done a very good job under the circumstances so far.
