Category: Fighters

Chris Jenkins

Post author By f/s
Post date October 24, 2019

“Boxing is my entire world. It’s my life. I have friends who have memories of climbing trees and playing, but all I remember is boxing. It’s a bug that I have forever.”

A few miles north of Swansea, lies the quaint mining village of Garnant. Since the closure of the village’s last big colliery in 1936, the noise emitting from the leafy suburb has been dampened.

That is until a young Chris Jenkins first wrapped his fists and eased his way into a pair of boxing gloves.

Growing up in a mining time might have its perks, sure its quiet and peaceful, but what does it have to offer for a 12-year-old boy? Perhaps the absence of theme parks and amusements worked in Chris’ favour.

“If I’m honest I started boxing because I was bored. I grew up in an area of Wales where there was nothing about and nothing really to do. I needed to get out of the house and focus on something, so when I was 12, I picked up a pair of boxing gloves.”

“Boxing is my entire world. It’s my life. I have friends who have memories of climbing trees and playing, but all I remember is boxing. It’s a bug that I have forever.”

The Welshman exploded onto the fight scene, after only seven professional fights he became the 31^st Prizefighter champion and is the current BBBofC British Welterweight champion.

Chris’ rise hasn’t been all smooth sailing though, in fact the last 12 months have proved to be the Welshman’s toughest test yet. In May of 2018 Chris picked up the third loss of his career against Akeem Ennis-Brown, followed by a draw in August against Darragh Foley.

“I had a sit down with my coach Gary Lockett around August time last year, and I’d said to him that I’m going to walk away from the sport, I’d had enough. I got cut against Akeem Ennis-Brown and then same again with the Darragh Foley fight.

“At that point I was ready to walk away from the sport….I had been as as low as you can be in boxing, but stubbornness and support from my wife and coach kept me going”

After talking things through with Gary and his wife Chris decided against hanging up the gloves and shortly after, the 31-year-old was selected to challenge Johnny Garton for the British welterweight title.

“I was called up pretty late for the Johnny Garton fight, but after talking things through with the wife and Gary, we decided to go for it. So put everything into the camp with the time I had, and, on the night, I won the belt.”

Chris put on a performance worthy of its stage, winning unanimously in the famous Royal Albert Hall. This fight seemed to be the turning point in Chris’ career and the British title gave him the driving force to dust off any remaining cobwebs and push on.

“Before the fight, I thought to myself, this is a last chance saloon. If I lose this one, I’m done. Things just seemed to fall into place for me and after that I went up to Belfast and defended that title and won the Commonwealth title at the same time, so you could say things were on the up for once.”

As if commitments to life as a professional boxer weren’t challenging enough, Chris has a strict commitment to follow outside of the ring. The school run.

“An average day for me starts with making breakfast for me and the kids, getting them dressed with the help of the wife and then get my gym bag ready and head off to Cardiff by about 10.”

The minute he’s in the gym, it’s all eyes on the prize

“Once I get there, I’ll train until around 1pm and then head home to chill out with the kids. At 7pm I’ll head to my local gym and get a nice cardio session in on the running machines, the bikes etc. Then its back home to put the kids to bed, spend some time with the wife and then get ready to start all over again the next day.”

Chris trains alongside another Welsh professional boxer, Nathan Thorley, who is currently making his own rise through the light-heavyweight division.

In a recent interview with Fight Scene, Nathan spoke of his fondness towards Chris and how much of a boost it is to have him in the gym.

Chris weighed in with his thoughts.

“Ahhh Nathan Thorley, he trains at the gym with me. He loves me he does. I’m a bit of a clown in the gym sometimes, we have a lot of banter between all the Cardiff boys, so it’s always a good crack. But when it’s time to work, we work and when you see the other lads winning, it rubs off on you and makes you want to win as well.”

Chris is set to defend his welterweight title for a second time in Birmingham come the end of November, against a tough opponent in Liam Taylor.

But given the opportunity, is there anyone in the fight scene that Chris would love to face instead, in a winner takes all dream bout.

With all honesty he admitted:

“A dream fight would be whoever pays me the most and that’s the honest truth. I’m not in the game to not make money, I want to make money now for the kids and so that I can be comfortable for a good few years.”

To finish off, we took a look at the impending second title defence and delved into Chris’ mindset going into this fight, considering that 12 months prior, he was prepared to hang up his gloves.

“Well once again we’re on the road – as the song says… we’re on the road again. Preparations are going well, I’m keeping steady, trying not to push myself over the limit. I’ve done 16 rounds in two days with Robbie Davies at one time with another 10 rounds with Kaisee Benjamin from Birmingham soon after.”

“I’m feeling up for it. I’m confident, but I wouldn’t say I’m arrogant, because it’s boxing at the end of the day and one punch can end the fight.”

Read more on Queesnberry Promotions HERE

Watch Chris Jenkins HERE

Ben Demmery

Post author By f/s
Post date October 24, 2019

“For me, I think having 75 amateur bouts was a massive achievement. I never turned down a fight and used to fight anyone whether it be on a day’s notice or a few months. My most memorable boxing achievement was getting to my first senior final at the Celtic Box Cup where I only lost to the current commonwealth games silver medallist.”

“I love training and fighting with my brother, it’s like having another coach. We get on each other’s backs about bad habits and help each other when making weight. Being able to share my pro debut with my twin brother was a dream.”

The twin brother dynamic has become an unlikely commonality within boxing in recent years with the emergence of the Charlo brothers in America and the McDonnell’s in the UK. Ben Demmery believes that his relationship with his brother Jake will only help to push the pair on and will enable him to reach his goals later down the line.

Jake and Ben had both been keen athletes in their younger years, but it was boxing that really peaked their interests.

“I got involved with boxing at the age of 11 with my twin brother at a small boxing gym in my local area. After trying every other sport you can think of, boxing was the one I fell in love with. It helped in every aspect of my life giving me discipline and confidence.”

Demmery endured a successful amateur career over the span of 75 bouts, with his biggest success coming in the Celtic Box Cup in 2018. Demmery ousted Norwegian Kevin Gronlund in the quarter final match and then Jordan McIntosh in the semi-final match. The final proved to be a bridge too far as Commonwealth silver medallist Aiden Walsh claimed a unanimous decision victory, but had been pushed all the way by Demmery.

Regardless of falling just short against Walsh, Demmery had accrued enough experience against a multitude of opponents to take the decision to turn pro under the tutelage of trainer and manager Chris Sanigar.

Ben made his pro debut alongside his brother Jake, with both claiming points victories to kick off their respective careers. Ben was able to carry over the success from his amateur career into his first outing in the pro ranks as he overcame a very awkward opponent in Paul Cummings.

Cummings provided a stern test as a 6ft2 Super Welterweight, just an inch shorter than heavyweight contender Oleksandr Usyk and the same height as Heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz, but Demmery overcame his rangy opponent over the four round contest and learned many a lesson about the pro ranks in the process.

“My debut went well; I fought a much taller awkward opponent who came to fight. The atmosphere from my fans was incredible though and I loved every minute of it! I learnt a lot from the fight as well. Smaller gloves, more rounds and no vest. All these things make a difference when taking the step into the paid ranks, but I felt I adjusted well.”

While he remains early in his pro career (current record of 2-0), and at a stage where many fighters would still have a somewhat undefined style, Demmery sees himself as a very technical boxer and prides himself on performing in a certain manor.

“I would say I’m a technical boxer and I can throw a wide variety of shots. For me, there’s nothing better than boxers who have the perfect basics, someone who can hit and not get hit.”

Considering Demmery’s preferred style of boxing, it’ll come as no surprise that the Super Welterweight sees Tyson Fury as one of his boxing idols, considering the excellent boxing and defensive skills of a fighter like Fury.

“Growing up I used to love watching the likes of Hatton and Pacquiao two absolute warriors. Now it has got to be Fury. For me, not only is he an unreal boxer, but he’s got to be the most entertaining bloke I’ve ever seen!”

With Demmery having now made his debut, progression through the ranks will be the key over the next 12 months, but Demmery also retains big hopes for the for his career as a whole.

“My plan for the next 12 months is to be at least 5-0 making my way up the ranks and rounds. As a massive Bristol City fan I would love to box at Ashton Gate if it was for a title that would be a dream come true.”

While the fledgling careers over Jake and Ben Demmery currently remain in their infancy, the pair will look to follow in the footsteps of the aforementioned successful twin brother pairings and will know that they’ve achieved immense success if they reach those heights.

Ben Demmery next fights 29.02.2020

Nathan Thorley

Post author By f/s
Post date October 10, 2019

“Without boxing I wouldn’t be the guy I am now, it’s helped me build massive amounts of confidence. Boxing turns a boy into a man.”

FIGHT SCENE CATCH UP WITH NATHAN THORLEY

Fairwater, the small town pocketed in the western suburbs of Cardiff, is something of an enigma.

Locals will recall that Fairwater provided the picturesque playground for a young Roald Dahl – the author of so many of our beloved children’s books.

But they might also remember the day that a liquored-up local decided to drive a van straight through the front doors of the police station.

Fairwater. A tale of two towns.

With its leafy-look, it’s colourful characters and its Tolkien-esque name, visitors might initially expect Cardiff’s favourite district to be more reminiscent of a fairy-tale village than a gritty, urban champion-making-machine.

But actually, it’s both.

While Fairwater might not cast the largest shadow, its six-foot-four heavy-hitting cruiserweight does.

Nathan Thorley currently sits high up into the highest-ranking cruiserweights fighting out of the UK and prior to his division swap the Welshman stood amongst the top 10 light heavyweights (Boxrec).

“Boxing turns a boy into a man.”

Like many professional boxers, Nathan’s first endeavour into the sport came during his youth.

“I started boxing when I was around nine or ten. I was out walking my dog with my dad and happened to stumble upon Pat Thomas’s (ex British champion) amateur gym in Fairwater. I’ve been boxing ever since. Without boxing I wouldn’t be the guy I am now, it’s helped me build massive amounts of confidence. Boxing turns a boy into a man.”

Nathan is the youngest fighter (excluding Jack Massey, Mikael Lawal and Lawrence Okolie) in the UK’s cruiserweight division to maintain an unbeaten record, boasting an impressive 14 wins and zero losses.

“I’m self-motivated really. The way I look at it is – no one else is going to pay my bills, buy me a house and pay for my trips away. Only I can do that. That’s what gets me off my arse and into the gym.”

In his eighth professional bout, Nathan fought Jermaine Asare for the vacant Welsh title in 2017.

Nathan took the opportunity of being in front of a TV camera to end the fight early, in a truly notice-me style.

“In the second round I threw a strong overhand right that landed beautifully on his left temple. The punch was that devastating it made him do a little dance before he hit the deck, so that stands out as one of the most memorable moments in my career so far.”

Had you not seen the replay, you’d have been forgiven for thinking Nathan had paid a sniper to wait in the crowd at Merthyr Leisure Centre. Or that they were fighting on ice.

“I’ve had harder sparring sessions.”

Looking back over the last 12 months, it is safe to say that Nathan has slowed in terms of progression.

Since October 2018 Nathan has featured in two fights of impact, with the first coming in the form of a fairly straightforward TKO victory over Jevgenijs Andrejevs.

And the second more recently against Remigijus Ziausys, a seasoned journeyman who has shared the ring with the likes of Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora.

“He had a head like a ring post, ultimately the fight was a walk in the park as it was to dust off the cobwebs. However, he was a tough opponent, very durable, I knew that he’d traded blows with both Whyte and Chisora, but still I’ve had harder sparring sessions.”

Nathan will be the first to admit that his success in the ring hasn’t come overnight. The Welshman follows a strict regime and is pushed to his very limits by those around him in the gym.

“I train closely with Gary Lockett, we’ll train most mornings at 11.30am and then dedicate two mornings a week to strength and conditioning sessions followed by a run and finishing off with some hill sprints.”

“Training with other top talents like Chris Jenkins in the gym helps massively, because all of us lads have a laugh, but at the same time it’s a competition, whoever can do the most sort of thing and this helps to push us all to our limits and get the most out of ourselves in the gym.”

But what is it that keeps him successful, what keeps him sharp, focussed and determined? What gets him up for the training? His mindset may hold the key

“Winning is my drug. It’s addictive once you get a taste for it. It’s everything, you just want more and more of it. I don’t listen to music in the changing rooms or whilst training, I make my own noise with my punches! And of course, it’s like thunder!”

Looking ahead, we asked Nathan if he had the opportunity to face anyone in the current cruiserweight division, who would it be? It appears that the Welshman’s dream opponent comes in the form of a Ukrainian enforcer.

“For me, a dream fight would be against Usyk, because in my eyes he’s a very clever fighter and the best in this division, even though he has moved up to heavyweight.”

“I’d like to mix it up with the best and to be the best you’ve got to beat the best.”

Aside from Usyk, there are a number of fighters who boast bold claims to be the current P4P number one, with the likes of Vasyl Lomachenko, Canelo Alvarez and Errol Spence Jr all ranking exceedingly well. But who does Nathan put at the top of his list?

“For me its Terrence Crawford hands down. What isn’t there to like about him? He’s fast, technical and he can bang, so in short he’s quality all round”

To finish up, we asked Nathan what makes him stand out amongst the competition and why fans of the sport should come and watch him fight.

Thorley continued with his familiar direct style:

“People should watch me because I’m exciting. I carry power, but I’m fast & accurate too, so nine times out of ten someone is going over. I’d like to say a massive thank you to all my fans. They’re amazing, without them I would struggle to get out there. Support means the world to a fighter and I will reward the fans with entertainment and with more titles… #teamthunder!”

Welshman looks announce himself on the big stage against Billam-Smith
Nathan Thorley is determined to announce himself on the big stage when he challenges Bournemouth’s Chris Billam-Smith for the Commonwealth Cruiserweight Title on Week 2 of Matchroom Fight Camp in Brentwood, Essex on Friday August 7, live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US.

JAKE DEMMERY

Post author By f/s
Post date September 19, 2019

“I think my experience as an amateur does help with the mental aspect of boxing, its taught me how the sport works and the sacrifice that is needed to achieve.”

FIGHT SCENE CATCH UP WITH JAKE DEMMERY

It’s often said that boxing is a thinking man’s sport and not a tough man’s sport. Albeit the art of the practice is to incapacitate your opponent and deal as much physical damage as possible, the methods in which this goal is achieved can only be executed by the fighters who are able to think the smartest.

For Jake Demmery, the art of visualization is as crucial as punching itself.

“I really like to think and visualize fights in my head from the ring walk all the way to the end. This is such a big motivator for me as I have already seen myself do it and it’s an important part of preparing.”

The Bristol-based fighter began his boxing journey alongside his twin brother: Ben, when the two curious schoolboys stumbled across Downend ABC.

“My first boxing gym was in a small temporary building near my school. Me and Ben had tried many sports and always had an interest in boxing but I don’t think either of us thought that 12 years on we’d be turning professional together”

Under new manager and trainer Chris Sanigar’s expertise, the Demmery twins are ready to bring double trouble to the payed ranks after enjoying championship success as amateurs.

Now outfitted stablemates with the likes of Lee and Andrew Selby, Gavin Gwynne, Tamuka Mucha and Lee Haskins, the Demmery’s have all the fundamentals required to begin visualizing and pursuing prizefighting success.

“I prefer to do all of my talking in the ring. Too many fighters who turn pro say they want to win world titles right from the get-go and that goal is so far away it’s hard to really push for it. My aim at the moment is to fight for the British title, I believe I’m able to reach that level and then look to push into different avenues from there, maybe then for major titles.”

Jake Demmery’s journey to the famed Bristol Boxing Gym, which has produced nine champions over it’s 30-year history, stemmed from his eagerness as a vested amateur. Growing into the sport from the age of 11, Demmery had a strong belief that practicing as often as possible would make perfect and prided himself on being available whenever an opportunity to develop his skills would come to fruition.

“I had 64 contests as an amateur and it could’ve been closer to the 80 mark if I hadn’t had periods of injury. I’ve always boxed at a high level against top-quality opposition and I’ve had experience at major tournaments like the Celtic Box Cup in Ireland and the Haringay Box Cup. I think that’s where my experience and understanding of the sport comes from, I know the importance of being ready at all times and if I ever had a last-minute call, I’d always cancel plans and make sure I was able to fight.”

Jake enjoyed his first piece of silverware in the sport at the Haringay Box Cup where he won a silver medal in his fourth time entering, just coming short in the 69kg final against Germany’s number three. For Demmery, it was an indication of things to come and after a promising amateur career, the headguard was abandoned and the professional contract signed.

“There is nothing better than getting your hand raised after the hours of training and sacrifice before a fight. However, I feel that you learn a lot more from a loss than a win that’s why as an amateur I was never scared to fight anyone. You either win or you learn, losing is not getting in there and doing it in the first place.”

Demmery also believes that his high-level amateur experience will carry him in good stead transitioning into the professional game and making adjustments moving forward.

“I’ve been sparring 4-6 rounds to prepare for the transition from the amateurs to pros, but that’s nothing new, I’d usually do four rounds or more before I turned professional. You have to be adaptable as a boxer and I know how important it is to prepare accordingly.”

It’s also important that Demmery is able to adapt outside the ring, as the 23-year-old is still working full-time, despite signing with Sanigar Promotions. His vision as a professional is grounded in reality, and the thinking man knows how tough it can be to make a splash in such a gigantic pool.

“Many fighters who have just turned pro will know it’s a long road until you get picked up by the likes of Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren. I work till 4pm, train at Bristol Gym Monday and Wednesday, either do boxfit classes or road-work on Tuesday and Thursday and get sparring in whenever top pros are available.”

“It can be difficult if you’ve had a long, hard day at work and then you’ve got to head straight to the gym, but I truly love this sport and I understand that sacrifices have to be made.”

Now 12 years into the future from where the twins first laced up their gloves, they have the chance to preform on the big stage. Although neither shy away from an old-school dust up and enjoy giving the fans an exciting battle, one of their best weapons in the arsenal is the mind.

“I always prefer the slick boxer, there’s nothing better than watching someone that can’t be hit. I would describe myself as an awkward fighter who’s hard to pin down. I can box smart and I can stand and bang, I’ve never been afraid of a real fight and I’m always prepared to adapt.”

With every strength however usually comes a weakness. For Demmery, one of his greatest assets is also one of his most cultivating weaknesses.

“Sometimes I struggle mentally in the build-up to fights. I have no problem with putting in the work and dieting correctly, but I tend to get very anxious about how I’m going to preform and not boxing to the best of my ability on the night. That’s something I know I have to work on and will continue to do so as I move forward in my career. I think my experience as an amateur does help with the mental aspect of boxing, its taught me how the sport works and the sacrifice that is needed to achieve.”

Both Bristol brothers will make their walk to the ring as professionals with a current record or 2-0-0. They claim to have it all, the skill and the desire, but also know the challenge which is now cast in front of them. There’s no doubt the Demmery twins will be visualizing victory, and there’s no telling what will come thereafter.

“I’d like to just say that anyone thinking about buying tickets not to miss out on the crazy journey for the Demmery twins. There are some very exciting nights of Bristol Boxing ahead. Don’t miss it.”

PAWEL AUGUSTYNIK

Post author By f/s
Post date August 23, 2019

“At 13 years old I was getting into trouble at school and I ended up in a few fights, so my parents took me to Taunton ABC under head coach Dennis Cornall. Within 3 years I was English ABA JUNIOR champion and I went on to represent England in the GB championships winning the gold and the Boxing News Boxer of the tournament.”

FIGHT SCENE CATCH UP WITH PAWEL AUGUST

24-year-old Pawel Augustynik’s professional record currently stands at 11-0, making him undefeated in the light heavyweight division. The fighter from Somerset has demolished adversaries in remarkable fashion, showcasing his ability to become a real contender within the division.

As a fighter, Pawel is perhaps best described in his coach Dave Entwistle’s words:

“Pawel excites me, early in his career he relied on his raw strength and aggression to win fights, but now nine fights in, his boxing is starting to come together and he has been able to improve technically while maintaining that natural strength.”

“Now he’s an exciting fast puncher, compact with strength and a natural aggression, but still knows how to pick his punches”.

Like many boxers, August was introduced to boxing at an early age in order to keep him out of trouble during his school years.

After such an explosive start at a young age, Pawel progressed into the amateur boxing scene and from there things started to fall into place.

“Back then I beat a lot of experienced international lads who had far more experience than me, but I was tough and wanted it more. Pretty soon after I boxed on an amateur show which Chris Sanigar was attending. After the fight he invited myself and my coach David Entwistle to his gym and we got on well, so when the time came it was only natural to turn over with Chris who has a good history of producing professional champions.”

The current light heavyweight division boasts an enticing line-up as we head into the latter stages of the year and a lot of that promise comes from the UK with Anthony Yarde and 2016 Olympic bronze medallist Josh Buatsi stealing the headlines time and time again. These are two fighters that Pawel holds in high regard.

“I have a lot of respect for both Yarde and Buatsi, they are an important part of a division that is currently very strong and holds a lot of talent. I like Yarde’s agility and his ability to combine speed and power to become explosive and I think Buatsi has a great skillset and has a lot of experience from his time as an amateur which gives him a great pedigree.”

As well as these two current light heavyweight artists, Augustynik is heavily inspired by one of the pound for pound greatest fighters in boxing history.

“My idol growing up was Roy Jones junior. Everything about him was so exciting and natural. His evasive skills were out of this world. I would try and box like him, but it didn’t work as I got hit too much. Now I like GGG it’s the way he sets them up, he’s a real thinker and he wears his opponents down and then stops them. I like to think that I have some of those qualities in me.”

Ahead of his eleventh professional fight, Pawel is still at an early stage in his boxing career and recognises that there is a lot of legwork to put in to achieve his ambitions.

“Right now, I’m training twice a day Monday to Friday, with one session early Saturday morning, followed by a sports massage in the afternoon, allowing plenty of time for recovery over the weekend. I train in my hometown Taunton to work on my conditioning and then I’ll travel 50 miles to Bristol to practice the boxing side of things.”

August, like most fighters, dreams of becoming a champion, but he’s aware of how the professional boxing scene works and the ladder that he must climb in order to reach that status.

“I have massive ambitions and I want to go as far as I can in the sport, but it’s one step at a time. I’m still very young for a light heavyweight so I would say in 5 years I want to be British champion and I’d also be at the right age to be potentially moving onto even bigger things.”

“In the short term, I’m hoping to go for a Southern area title.”

As Pawel progresses through the ranks, his following starts to grow, and this is something that every boxer needs to survive in today’s fight scene. Augustynik recognises the support and is eager to put on a show for those that pay to watch, until the very last bell.

“I would want my fans to know that they mean the world to me and essentially they keep my career going. It’s difficult to work your way up as a pro on small hall shows. If you don’t sell the tickets, you don’t box.

“As an amateur I wasn’t a show off who had lots of people coming to watch me box, it was only my family, so I’m grateful for the growing support that I have, and I love each and every one of them. One day I will be a champion for them.”

ANGELO DRAGONE

Post author By f/s
Post date August 20, 2019

“Winning is everything for me. There is no room for second place in boxing. People only see you fight, they don’t see the sacrifices I make during my camps so there is no better feeling for me than getting my hand raised.”

FIGHT SCENE CATCH UP WITH ANGELO DRAGONE

The tale of the Italian Welsh boxer is hardly an uncommon one, with prior world champions such as Enzo Maccarinelli and the great Joe Calzaghe making a large indent on the sport. Angelo Dragone, ‘The Italian Stallion’, will look to follow in the footsteps of these great fighters and leave his own mark on the sport.

Dragone had always been a working man prior to his career in boxing, having worked as a milkman for family business Nigel’s Dairy. While his career has changed, the aims remain the same. Providing for his family and securing the future of his two children is still the main priority. Dragone’s progression through the pro ranks has meant that the milkman business has been put on hold in favour of pursuing a potentially fruitful boxing career.

After a relatively short amateur career of just 24 fights, Dragone turned over to the pro ranks in August 2018 at the age of 28 and has fought five times since, maintaining a 5-1-0 record. Dragone has put in dominant performances and is showing himself to be a level above his current opposition. The first knockout is surely imminent!

“With all of my fights so far I’ve stepped up each time. I feel like I’m improving fight by fight and haven’t put a foot wrong yet. I’m happy with my progress and the improvements are showing in and out of the ring.”

The Carmarthen based fighter now trains with head trainer and manager Richie Garner in Llanelli, and Swansea. The Welshman operates on an intensive schedule, training in the gym four days a week from the early hours of the morning. Dragone is no stranger to the early morning start though, having been conditioned for this from his life as a milkman. No breaks are allowed on the weekends either which are filled with road running and sparring which has seen granted Dragone experience against many top Welsh prospects including Kieran Gething, Rhys Edwards, and even British and recently crowned Commonwealth champion Chris Jenkins.

Richie Garner: ‘It was a year ago this month that Angelo made his debut. Back then he was a very raw boxer with a heart filled with dreams of being a Welsh Champion.

For the past year, Angelo has worked tirelessly to realise his dream and push forward to achieve it.

He has improved immensely, and has such great energy and enthusiasm

We don’t take any opponents lightly, I am hoping Angelo will bring the intensity he can’t cope with.

We have been sparring Newport, Cardiff and even the prestigious Peacock Gym in London to make this happen. Gary Lockett has offered the most sparring and Rhys Edwards has been an invaluable asset for us in sparring.

Angelo is a popular fighter and we are training with the assistance of Jason who runs Jack To A King Boxing Club in Swansea, in addition to the Robert Davies Gym, Llanelli offering different facilities. We get the best of both worlds!

We have a great Team with lots of support. It’s a great bill. The ticket allocation has almost gone! If people want to see It, they will need to get in touch ASAP!’

“Winning is everything for me, there is no room for second place in boxing. People only see you fight, they don’t see the sacrifices I make during my camps so there is no better feeling for me than getting my hand raised.”

Dragone has displayed a preference to fight on the front foot and with a tight guard and is known for his high punch output and quick combinations. The speed and variety of his combinations have become a hallmark of Dragone’s style, as well his likening for a lead uppercut.

As would be expected, Dragone is a big fan of fellow Welshman Joe Calzaghe and credits him for putting Welsh boxing on the map. Dragone is also a fan of Ricky Hatton due to his high octane and front foot style of boxing.

“Calzaghe put Wales on the world map for me. His high work rate, variety and skill was unreal. I love Ricky as well for his come forward aggressive style and body punching and that he’s just so down to earth.”

While maintaining a 5-1-0 record, Dragone is looking to put a signature win on his record.

“I take one fight at a time and don’t look that far ahead. I want to just keep winning and moving forward in boxing and life”