MATTY ASKIN spends more than three hours a day stuck in his car, but reckons the boredom is worth it.
He makes a 125 mile round trip every day from hometown Blackpool to Hyde, where he trains at Hatton Health and Fitness.
Askin who has won all ten professional fights hopes to show what he is learning under master trainer Bob Shannon when he meets rugged Argie Juan Manuel Garay at Blackpool’s Tower Circus on August 19.
Matty joined up with Shannon earlier this year and the partnership paid off when he stopped Neil Dawson to claim the Central Area cruiserweight crown in March.
Askin, 22, says “I make the journey every afternoon from Blackpool leaving the house at 2pm driving for almost two hours on occasions, training and return home.
“Of course, the driving is a pain but it is worth every sacrifice because I am learning so much.
“Since I joined Bob the results have been amazing. My body shape has completely changed.
“I am really coming on and getting back to my old ways instead of just trying to fight. I am feeling a million times better and the Garay fight will show it.”
In the bill topper Matthew Hatton meets unbeaten Belarussian Andrei Abramenka for the vacant IBF intercontinental welterweight crown over 12 rounds.
Askin’s occasional sparring partner, Rik Turba is up against Dutchman Mitchell Balker over eight rounds
Other prospects on the bill include welterweight hopeful Adam Little who tackles Liam Griffiths and middleweight Tom Scott whose debut opponent is Bobby Wood.
In a six round bantamweight attraction Kazakhstan’s Zhanat Zhakyanov faces Anwar Alfadi.
The show promoted by Robert Waterman will be televised live by Eurosport and ticket are available prices £35, £55 and £75 VIP from 01925 755222 and www.ticketline.co.uk
GARAY’S NOT READY FOR KNACKERS YARD
JUAN MANUEL GARAY will swap his horse stable for the boxing ring on Friday night (August 19).
The Argentinian cruiserweight faces unbeaten Central Area cruiserweight Matty Askin at Blackpool’s Tower Circus.
By day Garay is a polo horse trainer on the outskirts of London, and will be cheered on by his posh polo pals in Askin’s hometown.
Garay who has won 18 of his 29 fights spends half the year in England caring for horses and the rest in Buenos Aires racing his dogs.
The 39-year-old said: “Taking care of horses is a job that demands hard work. I get up at 4am for riding.
“You have to keep an eye on every detail, which could make a difference during a tournament. Every year I come back here and love it, but it’s very hard to stay away from family for months.
“The people I work for continuously ask when am I going to fight in the UK. They ask me for tapes of my old bouts and watch my fights on You Tube.”
Despite campaigning extensively in Europe this is Garay’s first ever UK fight despite living here.
He added: “I’m very excited to fight in Blackpool. I want to prove that I can still make some noise and stop Matty Askin.
“I’ve watched him and he is a very good fighter. It will be a war. I like Ricky Hatton and he surely will like me because I love to go forward and trade bombs like him.”
In the Blackpool bill topper Matthew Hatton returns and challenges unbeaten Belarussian Andrei Abramenka for the vacant IBF intercontinental welterweight championship
Askin’s occasional sparring partner, Rik Turba is up against Dutchman Mitchell Balker over eight rounds
Other prospects on the bill include welterweight hopeful Adam Little who tackles Liam Griffiths and middleweight Tom Scott whose debut opponent is Bobby Wood.
In a six round bantamweight attraction Kazakhstan’s Zhanat Zhakyanov faces Anwar Alfadi.
The show promoted by Robert Waterman will be televised live by Eurosport and ticket are available prices £35, £55 and £75 VIP from 01925 755222 and www.ticketline.co.uk
Bam on Boxing
On fight night boxing changes from a team sport to an individual sport. There is not much left for the team to do, it is all up to the fighter at that point.
Saturday night, super bantamweight Teon Kennedy lost his first fight, along with his NABA and USBA titles. Everyone watching was thinking the same thing–Kennedy (17-1-1, 7K0s) should have cut the ring off better, he should have been quicker, he should have done a thousand things that he just did not do.
People began to make excuses for him, not noticing he did not make any excuses himself. He gave it his best shot, and on that particular night it just was not good enough. Sometimes that happens; It is not worth judging a fighter on one bad night, instead judge him on what he does next.
This was Kennedy’s first shot at a fighter who moved a lot, and the fans could tell. Regardless of how good Alejandro Lopez (22-2, 7K0s) looked, Kennedy did not seem himself. It was as if he had that off night that night fighters are not allowed to have. He knew what he needed to do, he just could not execute. Kennedy could not catch up to Lopez.
Teon KennedyKennedy (left) is no longer undefeated. Does that make him a different fighter? No. He gave it his all, he has more heart than anyone could expect. His right eye looked swollen shut in about the fourth or fifth round and by the end of the fight Kennedy appeared blind in both eyes. That did not stop him; he went out there and fought his heart out.
There are more undefeated fighters now than ever. Is it because they are that good? Or have they been carefully matched. Kennedy has bounced back time and time again, and there is no doubt this is something else he will bounce back from.
The loss should only make people more interested in Kennedy, in his next move, his reaction, and where he goes from here. The test of a fighter is to see what he does after a loss. Does he stick to what he is comfortable with, or will he adapt.
Everyone cannot be Floyd Mayweather Jr (41-0, 25K0s). Not every fighter goes the distance and stays undefeated, and there is nothing wrong with that. After Bernard Hopkins (52-5, 32K0s) lost in his pro debut in 1988 he went on to have 22-fight undefeated streak until Roy Jones Jr. beat him in 1993.
Hopkins lost to Jones Jr. in his first shot for the IBF middleweight title. That one loss obviously did not stop Hopkins from accomplishing his goals. The next time he fought for the IBF title he faced Segundo Mercado of Equador. Hopkins was dealt a draw that night, but he did not let that stand in his path. Hopkins won the IBF middleweight title in 1995 in the rematch with Mercado.
Hopkins defended his IBF middleweight title and added the WBC and WBA titles. Currently, Hopkins holds the WBC light-heavyweight title.
Kennedy may no longer have his perfect record, but he has learned a lot about himself. One loss should not keep him from accomplishing his goals, Kennedy is the type of fighter who will adapt and get stronger because of this experience.