Danny Reynolds: Leeds’ next British champion? by Paul Concannon Nov 30th 2006

Light-middleweight Danny Reynolds has been billed as Leeds' new punching sensation, and when witnessing his blistering southpaw combinations bounce off trainer Mark Bateson's pads at the Burmantofts Gym where he trains, it's easy to see why. He's undefeated, hungry and a banger, and like his old army teammate, Carl Johanneson, the current British super-featherweight champion, he's a proud Leeds man, born and bred. Reynolds will be hoping some of his old army colleague's sheen rubs off on him as he continues his forward march to the ultimate goal of winning a British title of his own. Danny kindly took some time out of a training session to speak with us ahead of his highly anticipated bout in Wakefield this Sunday against fellow prospect Prince Arron of Manchester. BB.Net: Hi Danny, how's your preparation ahead of Sunday's bout with Prince Arron? Danny Reynolds: Fine, just finishing off the final stages of preparations now. Everything's good. BB.Net: What poundage will you and Arron be fighting at? Danny Reynolds: We are scheduled to fight at 11 stone 2 lbs. BB.Net: Typically how are you finding making light-middle? Danny Reynolds: Yeah, I manage okay, it was a little tough, but I had a dietician help and it's not a problem for me anymore. BB.Net: What's you walk-around weight? Danny Reynolds: Normally about 12 stones, though sometimes 14, (with a smile) - not really! BB.net: Your bout on Sunday afternoon in an anticipated cracker; what do you know about Prince Arron and what sort of problems do you anticipate from him? Danny Reynolds: He's gangly, and awkward, over six feet tall and he's lost just once in six fights. Mark Bateson: And that was against Anthony Small who's a good boxer. We are going to need to get close and work inside with this guy. BB.net: He's come in a pretty late notice; have you found any sparring partners tall enough? Danny Reynolds: I had been sparring with Leeds fighter Darren Rhodes who is pretty rangy. Mark Bateson: He's also sparred cruiserweight Phil ‘China' Clark in the past too. Him and Darren Rhodes haven't been holding back in sparring either, and we have also had Mark Franks down here to help. BB.net: Mark, I suppose you being taller on the pads will help with the height difference too? Mark Bateson: True, I hold the pads pretty high in any case! BB.net: Danny, last time out, your bout was scuppered with a shoulder injury, how's that holding up? Danny Reynolds: I am pleased to say, the injury is fine now. BB.net: Mark, Danny is undefeated in 5 with four inside the distance, from a trainer and manager's perspective, are you pleased with his progress so far? Mark Bateson: Very pleased, he's rated 25 in great Britain, a big achievement and hopefully this coming year he is going to be higher. It's getting hard to match him. Journeymen don't want to fight him, because he stops everyone, and they don't want a 28-day suspension or even 45 days for a knockout and no decent lads want to fight him because he's too risky. Mick Marsden has told me he's one of the hardest lads to get matched that he's been involved with. There's lot's of people saying they are not interested in fighting Danny. For his part, he realises that he needs to be at the top of his game, he's stepping up to 6 x 3 minute rounds for this next bout which will more of a challenge but the longer a fight goes the better it is for Danny because of his strength, I can't wait to get him up to 8 x 3's and beyond, I feel at 6 x 2 minute rounds, he may just be beatable but over the longer distance, he's very hard to live with. BB.net: Mark; describe Danny in the gym, in terms of his attitude commitment to training. Mark Bateston: In the gym he's fantastic; he will do anything that you ask, he will exercise straight after he's done 10 hard rounds on the pads. It's what he does outside the gym that worries me, with all the pies he eating! It's a good job there's no pubs on the way to the gym – he'd have a drink on his way to his training (laughs)! Danny Reynolds: He should know, the amount of time he's in there! Mark Bateson: Seriously, though, if we need him in every night he will come every night, he's very dedicated. BB.net: Danny tell us a little about your background in and out of the sport. Danny: I have been boxing since I was 11. I started at the Market District Club in town. After school I went into to the army. I was in combat services for 4 years, including a couple of tours of Northern Ireland – I was in a pretty rural area so nothing too dangerous! BB.net: Danny you turned professional pretty late at 28, does that give you a sense of urgency in terms of reaching your goals in boxing? Danny Reynolds: It does yes, but before I go too far ahead of myself I know I need to keep winning; that's the important thing. Mark Bateson: Around about the middle of next year, after a bit more experience over the longer distance, I will throw out a challenge to whoever is holding the Central Area title. BB.net: One potential name in that frame could be Leeds experienced campaigner Lee Murtagh? Danny Reynolds: Possibly, he's a good guy, very tricky, I know Lee well. Mark Bateson: Lee's a good stylish boxer, we have sparred him in the past. BB.net: Danny, for people that have yet to see you fight, tell us a little about what we can expect from Danny Reynolds in the ring? Danny Reynolds: An exciting fight! Mark Bateson: He puts bums on seats, people know he's always going to be entertaining, you're not going to get a boring fight with Danny, he always gives value. It's great having such confidence in a fighter from a manager's perspective; I can put him in with the best in country. BB.net: Danny and Mark, when did your association begin? What sort of relationship do you have? Danny Reynolds: We are great friends and there are no secrets between us, we met when Mark was training his son at the Star Gym, helping Steve Franks train the amateurs. Mark Bateson: I tell him how it how it is and he always knows where he stands. I saw Danny's potential back at the Star Gym, he was about 24 at the time. When he asked me to train him when he turned pro, I said, ‘No problem'. BB.Net: There had been talk of a TV date earlier this year, are there other opportunities in the New Year to debut on TV? Danny Reynolds: I was gutted I wasn't on last time, but couldn't take the risk with the injury. It was the same tendon problem that affected me for the last fight; I have seen a physio now so it doesn't cause any more problems. Mark Bateson: Mick Marsden has put his name forward so it's likely we will be seeing him on TV in the New Year. Bb.net: Mark, what are your expectations of Danny's career direction in 2007 and beyond? Mark Bateston: Danny hasn't been in wars, I would say he has a good four years boxing in him, he's not been in back-to-back tear-ups, but we are not rushing. I'm taking each fight as it comes; he needs to keep winning though. In 2007 we would like to get a rematch with Darren Gethin, and a Central Area belt, then we can take it from there. Danny Reynolds: Last time I stopped Terry Adams in one, he went seven for the British masters title in his next fight – more of those sort of performances in 2007. BB.Net: Danny, you exploded onto the scene with a brutal dismantling of Karl Taylor in November of last year; what are your memories of that bout? Danny Reynolds: I wasn't nervous, more anxious to do the job and sure enough, everything came off in the end. I got a real lift from the supporters too. The good thing about the Leeds fans is I don't need to go out and sell tickets; they come to me. I have personally sold 200 tickets for this fight on Sunday. BB.Net: Danny, so far, there is just one minor blip on your record, that being a controversial draw with the tricky Darren Gethin, what are your thoughts on that bout? Danny Reynolds: I struggled because I boxed at 10 stones 10 llbs. I rushed my weight and fought a bit drained, and fought the wrong fight. My head movement wasn't what it should have been. I still thought I won the fight though. Still, it was a learning experience, and I have put the fight to the back of my mind. Mark Bateston: It may have been a good thing – he learned a lot from that fight, like I said, I am looking to make that rematch in 2007. BB.Net: Danny, talk a little about your amateur bouts with Anthony Farnell and Ricky Hatton? Danny Reynolds: I fought Hatton in my second amateur fight, it shows some footage of it on the documentary they had about him on TV last year. He's a good lad Ricky, every time I see him he knows who I am and always says hi. As for Farnell, I gave him two standing counts in a Junior ABA bout and still didn't get the decision! Mark Bateson: Farnell even said in Boxing News about Danny that, ‘He was stopping them all until he met me'. We are trying to get a tape of that fight at the moment! Danny Reynolds: I beat Bradford's Nadeem Siddique four times out of four and also hold a win over Ross Minter as well as having beaten Naseem Hamed's brother Ali. Overall in the amateurs I had about 63 bouts and lost 10. BB.Net: Danny do you have any favourite fighters and who would you most like to fight? Danny Reynolds: I like watching the old fighters like Marciano and in terms of who I want to fight, I will leave that up to my manager. Him and his brother have 66 years boxing knowledge between them, so I trust his judgement, he's my trainer, manager, and the promoter - he has the whole bank account, so I know he's looking after me! BB.Net: Danny as an amateur you trained alongside current British champion Carl Johanneson, what are your memories of Carl and your thoughts on his impact on the boxing scene in Leeds today? Danny Reynolds: I have known Carl since I was 11; he was boxing for Burmantofts at the same time I was boxing for Market district. Then when I went into the army, there he was, in the Duke of Wellingtons, while I was in the Prince of Wales regiment, it was just a nice coincidence. I hooked up with him again when he came back from America and signed with Leeds promoter Ricky Manners. I'm really pleased for him and think he can all the way and win a world title. BB.Net: Danny, what are your goals in boxing? Danny Reynolds: I want a British title, everyone wants that Lonsdale belt, but I have to keep focussed, keep winning and keep getting those rounds under my belt. If I do win a British title, I have the added incentive from Mark Black of Life Homes of the promise of a Ferrari. I will probably sell it straight away though; there are way too many speed ramps around here! Photos by Caroline Michael: www.myspace.com/fotofillia

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Dreams can come true! A inspiration in the making.... Jan 18th 2008, 07:29:49 by michaela This article is a great read Paul, very informative and protrays Danny as a lovely dedicated lad, who is determind to work hard in order to see his dream come true, an true inspiration to others. Congratualtions Danny, best of luck. Rgds Kayla Hill