Boxing Trainer Eames Looking Forward To A Special Season
Confidence is high down at the TKO Gym in Newham, East London, as preparations are well under way for the coming year of boxing. Trainer Johnny Eames, who has a broad range of fighters under his wing, spoke to www.frankmaloney.com about what the new season has in store for his fighters.
Currently recuperating from an injury which forced him out of a fight with Mehdrud Takaloo for the WBU Welterweight title, Eames is confident that Ross Minter, 16-1-1, is set for a match against the winner of Minter’s substitute for the Sept 2 fight between Takaloo and Michael Jennings.
Johnny said: “Ross is one of the lads who is looking to have a special season this year. He was gutted about that injury that meant he couldn’t fight Takaloo in September, but we have got an agreement to fight the winner of that fight, so Ross will get his shot.
“He has come on in leaps and bounds in training, and I’m sure he’ll go on to put up a real good challenge for the belt when he gets the chance.”
Minter, the English Welterweight Champion from Crawley, is out to repay the support of his trainer, and to fulfil the potential that he has shown by claiming the WBU strap.
He said: “I’ve hopefully got a crack at the WBU title sometime towards the end of the year against the winner of the Takaloo/Jennings fight, and hopefully we can get that sorted. Whoever I get from there it will be a big fight, but I know that they are both fights that I can win. It would be nice to face them a few months down the road when I’ve got a few more fights in, but I’ll take them when it comes.”
Another of Eames’ boys looking for a big few months is up and comer Matthew Marsh, who claimed two ABA titles, and the 24 year old Featherweight is currently 6-0 in the pro ranks.
Eames added: “He’s now got himself a sponsor, so he’s going to be training much more often and I can really see him doing things this season. How busy he is is up to the managers and the promoters, but we’re definitely going to keep him in good shape and hopefully they’ll get him pretty busy. The ultimate aim is that he is going to get an English title fight sometime this year.”
Current English champion Derry Matthews, 16-0, is set to fight Rendall Monroe, 10-1, on the undercard of Joe Calzaghe’s latest IBF/WBO title defence in Manchester on 14 October.
The Sidcup fighter is hopeful that there is a title fight for him in the pipeline, saying: “I’ve stopped working now, and I’m full time in the gym, so I’m hoping that I can get a few more fights under my belt this season. What I really want to do is get some sort of a title fight, even if it is just a Southern Area fight, I just want to get that first title under my belt and then look to move on from there.
“I’ve asked Johnny if I can have a crack at Michael Hunter, but he said it would be better if I had a few more fights under my belt first. I saw his last fight on the television and he looked pretty good, but those are the kind of fighters that I’m going to have to face if I want to step up.”
Also looking for positive seasons are lightweight Graham Earl, along with bantamweight Martin Power, who suffered a surprise stoppage against unknown South African Tshifiwa Munyai in June, losing the chance to claim the Commonwealth Bantamweight title.
courtesy www.frankmaloney.com