Getting to know...John Fewkes by James Howard Jan 7th 2008

Central Area champion John ‘Fireball' Fewkes' career flourished in 2007, with victories over the recently crowned welterweight Commonwealth champion Craig Watson (February), former European champion Tontcho Tontchev (July) and Stoke's big punching and dangerous Gary Reid (October). The crowd pleasing Sheffield stylist talked to BBN about being crowned BBN's Young Boxer of the Year, his relationship with coach Glyn Rhodes, and his thoughts on sparring with Amir Khan. Beginning the interview by congratulating John on his performances of last year and the award from the site, the cheerful lightweight was still delighted at receiving the award, having pipped likely future opponent John Murray by a solitary vote. “I really wanted to have it because its been voted for by sports writers who watch boxing, who know boxing and have covered a lot over the last year, so I'm very privileged to have it.” “The Craig Watson result, I know it was good at the time but now that he is coming on leaps and bounds it's even better. And the Tontcho Tontchev result, which a lot of people thought I shouldn't have taken it, but I knew I could beat him and I knew he was a good name. Gary Reid was a good opponent as well so it's been a good year, I'm very happy with it.” Fewkes' sporting life began with football when he played as a right-footed left back for his local club, but it also opened up the door of boxing, as the Fireball explains: “I was eleven when I started boxing. I used to play football and I was always interested in boxing but never went, until my football manager took his son. It was some run down gym in a youth club, he asked me if I wanted to go and I did and I had my first fight after I had only been training about two weeks.” A post-fight meeting was to dictate the path Fewkes follows to this day. “After I lost I went to see Glyn Rhodes, who I'm with now, and I'd told him I'd only been boxing two weeks. I said I knew I shouldn't have been boxing but I thought I'd have a go. I've been with him ever since, been there eleven years now.” The first memory that stands out for the Sheffield man was a trip to Devon, “Travelling down to Devon for a tournament where it was the lads from our gym against the lads from Devon. It was my first fight with Glyn and I just remember the whole journey, we all went down crammed in a minibus all messing about in the back and stuff. When we got there I won in the first round by stoppage and it just set me off, I got the bug then and I have never looked back.” Describing his career in the no paid code as “not brilliant, average”, Fewkes' varied style and aggressive body attacks were always destined for the professional ranks. “Since eleven years old being in the gym, Glyn has been training with pros... when I was twelve I used to train with Paul 'Silky' Jones and Herol Graham. As an amateur it wasn't doing me any favours as it's a completely different style, a completely different game. I got to a Junior ABA final, where I lost by one point, and I represented my country twice. Out of 60 fights I won around 42ish, so it weren't too bad, it was alright. I wanted to be a pro ever since I started boxing so I knew that's what I was going to do, but you have to box amateur to get experience - it's your learning curve.” A dedicated student of boxing, Fewkes talks fondly of his love for the old fights and how he became a fan of the legends before his time. Who would he name as his favourite? “Sugar Ray Robinson. Glyn got me into watching the old black and white fights and I just got on to watching Sugar Ray Robinson and thinking he was absolute class. His boxing was just brilliant, if he wanted to stand and have a fight he would stand and have a fight, just everything about him was just class. Further down the line it was Roberto Duran, he was just exceptional. I try and watch everybody, pick up little bits from people and add it to your armoury.” His relationship with his coach, the respected Glyn Rhodes is something he considers vital, “I could not imagine boxing without Glyn. Like I said, from being the age of eleven he brought me up and I think he must have seen something in me at that age because I'd go to his house and we would sit watching videos of old time boxing. We'd sit in the gym after training and just talk for two hours about boxing. “I have been around a lot of trainers in America and England and I think he's one of the best out there. He didn't do brilliant as a pro himself and he is the first to admit that but he knows why he didn't do as well as he should have because he didn't train as hard as he should have, and he drills that into us. We are so close, he's not just my trainer he's my best mate - but if he tells me what to do, I'll do it.” The memory of the sport he cherishes most to date is his victory over Tony Montana for the Central Area title, “I trained really hard for that fight, I train hard for every fight but to have nine fights and be going in ten rounds for an Area title, I thought I was good. You don't see many kids boxing a ten round title fight after nine fights, and when I won in front of everybody it was just mad, everyone just rushed me. It was a real good memory.” He names the Montana as his toughest fight to date, although he had a special mention for another who he felt was the toughest man, “My hardest fight was probably the Montana fight, he was tough. I did box a guy call Chris Long and he was really tough. I know I'm not the biggest puncher in the world but I was hitting him with shots that would have got a lot of kids out of there and he just kept coming forward, he was tough. But the hardest actual fight was the Montana fight.” With his charisma, down to earth approach, and his relationship with coach Glyn Rhodes I can see some similarities in John's setup to that of Ricky Hatton and Billy Graham. Fewkes actually identifies Hatton as being the best British boxer, with his recent conqueror being the best in the world. “He [Hatton] gets a lot of credit but I have seen him box a lot, I have been down to the gym and his boxing brain is massive so I would have to say Hatton. Mayweather is just out of this world but I think the Kostya Tszyu fight proved how much heart and determination he has got and that he would walk through walls to win. I would say Floyd is the best in the world; I've been a Mayweather fan for a few years. I remember seeing him when I was 15 and he had only turned pro two or three years, I was just flicking through channels one day, I thought 'this kid looks good'. I remember reading up on him and watching him as a super-featherweight beating Diego Corrales and Angel Manfredy, he just looked class and he's got better and better now.” If John could fight anyone in the world, a dream would be the Golden Boy De La Hoya because he would like to see if he could stand “it with the Mexican machismo and the red mist, when he takes shots and keeps going”. The ever improving 22-year-old describes his best asset as his brain, “My brain, I can change and adapt. When I boxed Tontcho Tontchev it was about going forward and aggression and I knew that's how I had to beat him. When I boxed Gary Reid, I knew it was different; I wouldn't be pushing him back because he is strong as an ox, so I had to box him by using my brain, using my feet. I really think I have a good boxing brain that I can adapt, that if something isn't working in the fight that I can change it or try something else. Rather than be a one trick pony, you have to have a plan a, plan b, plan c...” The best thing about winning is the respect he gets as a boxer, “The best thing is the feeling that you won. I mean the crowd, apart from a few who shout rubbish and don't know what they are talking about, when you talk to them the respect that you get and the admiration they have for you being a boxer, it just makes you proud. Sometimes it does your head in when you're training and losing weight and you think what am I doing this for, but when you have won and you look around and see the faces of people who would love to change places with you. You're going out and doing something that most people never have the chance or bottle to do, and the respect you get for that is probably the best thing. I think myself lucky everyday.” ‘Fireball' Fewkes trains at the Sheffield Boxing Centre at Hillsborough and he enjoys the atmosphere and camaraderie of his gym mates, “When I'm in training I'll go every day, I might have just one day off I'll still go into the gym to help out. In our gym nobody is better than anybody from twelve-year-olds who have had no fights, to me who has had 16 pro fights. Everybody helps each other out, so even if I'm not training I'll go into the gym to help the kids, maybe take them on the pads. No one man is bigger than the gym, every body mixes in together.” He goes on to name the gym as the best thing about training, “The best bit is the craic in the gym, I look forward to going in and training and trying to learn new things every day. The atmosphere in the gym is probably the best thing about training. The worst part is making weight and dieting, because I love my food. I have got a really slow metabolism, I could train all week and lose three or four lbs and then Sunday I might have a bit of this or that and I'll put it back on, it's madness.” Highlighting some of his previous sparring he picks out Amir Khan and Antonio Mesquita. “I sparred with Amir Khan, after the first two rounds I went back to my corner and said 'you better get me a pay rise for this!'. I don't think he had a pro fight at that time or maybe one, I'd had four or five so I was settling into being the more experienced pro. Come out first round to have a look at him, didn't know how many rounds we were doing, and it was just bambambambambambambam. It was mad; I went back after the first and said 'what you got me in for here?' Second round was a bit similar, but slowly and slowly I was getting more into it and after three, four, five rounds I was getting in my groove. We were getting to the latter part of the fight and Amir Khan knows now you can't fight like that for six or seven rounds, it's good for three rounds. “I sparred with a guy in Las Vegas, Antonio Mesquita, apparently he is ranked three in the world at welterweight. He's unbeaten in 28 or 29 fights and he was class, a Brazilian lad. He were going for it because we came from England to their gym, especially in America, he's not going to let some fat ginger kid from England come in and show him up so he was really trying and I held my own with him. You could tell though there was another gear that he could have gone to if he had wanted. I watched him bash a few kids in Vegas.” Fewkes, who is likely to fight Murray for the English title and potentially Murray's WBC youth bauble, was in Vegas for the Hatton fight and was there to watch John Murray and Lee Meager the night before. He enjoyed the casinos this time as previous visits to Vegas had been within the constraints of a training regime. About Murray Fewkes said, “That will be a cracking fight if it comes off, he's obviously one of the best talents this country has got and I know I'll go in as the underdog because he has more experience. I know what I have to do to win, and I have no doubt that I will do.” How does John relax? “I hang about with my mates mostly, go for a game of pool or snooker, not when their in the pub though because they all get drunk and it gets on top. I just chill out and listen to music and stuff, I love listening to music, everything from Frank Sinatra to 50 Cent. Staying in the gym relaxes me too, if I finish training at four o'clock I might still until it closes at eight, because if you're at home you are just thinking you're hungry. “I'm a massive Sheffield Wednesday fan; my Dad's been taking me since I can't remember. I love football; I'll have a bet every week watching the scores. I don't get to matches as much as I used to because we train on Saturdays, but I always follow them.” Fewkes has also experienced the rigours of life as tarmacker, with all the travelling and long hours the job entails. “It's not too bad, it's my uncle's company so when I have a fight coming up he will let me pack in for four or five weeks before so I can solidly concentrate on the boxing. It's long hours, you are up at half past five in the morning, and you're not in until seven. I'll get into the gym straight from work but its nine by the time you get home for running. That's what I used to do, and it's what I do now when I have nothing coming up.” Signing off from the interview John, who tips Haye to beat Enzo but is not 100% “because any one who hits as hard as Maccarinelli has a chance”, just wanted to add thanks again for his award. “I just want to thank everyone who voted for me as Young Boxer of the Year, it's a massive honour. I'm doing something that I love and I know in my heart I have got the ability to be one of the best fighters Sheffield has produced in a long time. Touch wood Ill be British champion, European champion all the way to the world title. I'm loving every minute of it to be honest.” So are the fans.

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