Getting to know...Billy Bessey by Kevin Taylor Feb 28th 2008

BBN caught up with former ABA champion Billy Bessey to chat about his career and his forthcoming fights which include a fight in Portsmouth this Sunday (March 2nd) and participation in Matchroom's Prizefighter Heavyweight Competition at Bethnal Green in April. Part of a boxing family, Bessey began his career as a young boy. "I started boxing when I was ten, my brother Chris won the ABA's six times (between 1993 and 2000) in probably the hardest weight divisions, welter and light-middleweight." Unlike Billy who won the ABA title in 1999 at super-heavyweight, Chris decided to stay in the amateur ranks. "The reason Chris didn't turn pro is because he has a good job in the army and when he was boxing you couldn't turn pro whilst serving, "Maybe he should have got out of the army and turned pro but he gets out of the army in four years with a full pension and he'll only be 40. There's no pensions with the pro game unless you get to the very top of the game. He's a legend in amateur boxing and he is a top coach now, a bit too honest and critical at time, but a top coach" After turning pro in October 2000, Billy turned pro with trainer Neil Fannon in Hartlepool, but after four fights, three wins and a loss to Mark Hobson, who challenged for the WBU title in his next fight, Bessey drifted away from the sport. "I didn't box for three and a half years, firstly because I fell out with my manager, my fault, and I just fell out of love with the game and in love with Pukka pies." Billy returned to the sport in November 2004 with a points win over Ebrima Secka in Reading, by this time he'd also returned to his native South. "I changed trainers because I moved back home to Portsmouth from Hartlepool (I missed my mum too much, honestly) so I had to change trainers. "Neil Fannon was my trainer up there, he is a top man and a top trainer he has a good stable with Michael Hunter, Chris Burton and David Dolan amongst others, he absolutely loves the game and I honestly believe when he is making love to his wife at night he is thinking about the combination one of his boys had landed earlier, lol. "He also had one of my very best friends Kevin Bennett there, who although only being a lightweight, I can honestly say I have never been hurt so much in a fight as I did when I was sparring with him, he had me hanging on for dear life but I landed one of my big bombs in the end and sent him to A&E." Before Billy appears in the Prizefighter competition he is taking something of a gamble by fighting in his hometown of Portsmouth this Sunday, 2nd March. "I wouldnt have risked the Bonson fight if it had been anywhere else or for anyone else but I love Portsmouth and I love Jack." "It means the world to me to box in front of my own crowd most of my life I have been in the Army or lived in Hartlepool and only now I'm getting to box in front of my own fans, the atmosphere for my fights is amazing. I don't know why maybe it's because I'm one of the lads, got a beer belly, down to earth and I'm a bit of a showman. I don't know why but they love me and I love it, I get goose bumps when my music comes on." Tickets are still available for the show at the Mountbatten Centre in Portsmouth on Sunday, at £25 and £40 they can be purchased from Jack Bishop on 01329 28478, As well as Billy former Southern Area title holder Paul Dyer takes on Steve Ede, and prospect Paul Morby also boxes. The show starts at 3pm. Billy's fight is now under the promotional banner of Jack Bishop, and he's a man he clearly has a lot of time for. "Jack Bishop is the nicest most genuine man I have ever had the pleasure to meet, he is 84- years-old, but he has got the mind and spirit of a 24-year-old, he is an amazing man he has almost single handedly kept boxing alive on the South Coast. He was ill not so long back (he's fighting fit again now) and I was frightened to death we would lose him, without him I dont think I would continue. "Not only is he my trainer/manager/promoter he is one of my very best friends and I love him to death I just wish he was fifty years younger so I could take him out on the lash with me. (And I wish he gave us a minutes rest instead of 30 seconds)." Matchroom's Prizefighter competition will see eight heavyweights battle it out over 3x3 minute rounds, there a four unbeaten fighters in the competition, with one more boxer to be confirmed, Billy takes place alongside stablemate and friend Colin Kenna. "I've not really seen a lot of the competitors apart from Dolan who is in with a really good chance with his amateur experience and it being 3x3's. Theres a few good young prospects in it, but hopefully the two old boys (me and colin) will show them a thing or two." Although the competition is a great opportunity for Bessey unfortunately without sponsorship he can't afford to train full-time for the fight and will continue his job of driving a refuse collection lorry. "I've got a young family to support so I cant afford to train full-time as I can't get the time off even though the money in this tournament is good. Unless you're at the top or a good journeyman the money really isn't that good. My gym is in Southampton, I live in Portsmouth, so it costs me £50 per week in petrol and what with gym fees, boxing kit e.t.c it's a struggle to keep it up. Your brain scan, medical and licence comes to £600. I would love to get a sponsor/sponsors to help offset some of the costs (any offers would be very welcome). With the tournament being covered by Sky, and also already grabbing a lot of media attention hopefully Billy will find some sponsors. Although not welcomed by all Bessey feels the tournament can only be good for the sport of boxing. "I think it's a really good idea, anything to get the limelight off of UFC is good. I don't see the fascination of it personally. I went to one not so long back it made me feel sick but it was packed to the rafters. "I think what is as much of a problem than that though is the big time promoters putting on small time fights trying to fool the public by putting the likes of Bobby Gunn and Tucker Pudwill in against some of our top lads. As the saying goes you can fool all the people some of the time you can fool some of the people all of the time but you can't fool all the people all of the time, and the general public are waking up to this. "Okay there might not be any World champions in this tournament, but what you will see is equally matched boxers giving it 100%, not American club fighters fighting World number ones and promoters trying to bluff the public to think otherwise." As Billy eluded to earlier he is a showman and obviously has a great sense of humour, in one of his ringwalks at the Southampton Guild Hall he came out to the Culture Club hit 'Do you really want to hurt me', complete with hairbrush for mircrophone, this time though he says they'll be no antics "No I won't be playing any joke songs for this one, for the first time in my pro career I'm taking this seriously, although if I win you may well see the 'Bessey Caterpillar." BBN wish Billy all the best for his fight on Sunday and also for the Prizefighter tournament. Just think how many pies Billy could buy with the 25K prize winners cheque.

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