By Danny Winterbottom
When trainer Carl Stanley describes his light middleweight charge Lyndon Newman as a “rough diamond that needs polishing” he says it with the greatest of respect and admiration for a young man that in the not too distant past was swapping leather with lawyers and accountants in the world of White Collar boxing, before a chance meeting between the pair led him into the pro game.
I met up recently with both student and teacher at the Top 10 gym in Ashton-under-Lyne as they went through a morning workout.
“As an amateur he never got the breaks that some other fighters got so he saw White Collar as the closest thing to the pros” Stanley explained “I saw him at a White Collar show and thought; yeah we can work with that”
Stanley, a qualified sports therapist and avid student of the game, watches every move and punch thrown as Newman pounds the heavy bag just feet from where we are standing, interspersing our chit chat with verbal and practical instruction to his ever ready to learn student.
“Double the left hook” says Stanley. Newman obliges, whipping in two meaty lefts with enthusiasm.
“He’s a wrecking ball, nobody in my opinion is hitting as hard at the weight domestically” mused Stanley, as more ferocious sounding left hooks ripped into the bag. “He needs guidance for all that aggression, at the moment he wants to take everyone’s head off, that’s why he came unstuck last time out against Spence.”
On the undercard of Derry Matthews world title fight in January, Newman faced Carl Greaves trained Journeyman Steve Spence in a contest that ended in a disappointing draw for the Denton man. “Spence came in 9lbs over our agreed weight” claimed both fighter and trainer. “The guy had no intention of making 11st so Lyndon found it hard going against a much heavier man on the night.”
“We got a ticking off from the board for not making weight in other fights so we made sure my weight was bang on” said Newman. Despite having had only six professional contests the popular ticket seller has built a solid fan base due to his all action style, and was adamant he didn’t want to let them down on the night. “When Spence failed to make weight I could have pulled out and still got paid, but I knew I had a bus load of fans coming down so I went through with it for them” he explained.
With reference to Newman needing more seasoning in the gym, Stanley is keen to get his man some quality spar work around the country. “I want Lyndon to see all sorts of styles; he needs it if he is going to improve. He’s been down to Collyhurst and sparred some top amateurs and done well but at the moment that is a style that gives him the most problems, but we are working on it. He’s already worked with former British champion David Barnes and I wanted Rabchenko as well as he trains in Manchester.” Stanley added “If I can add skills to that raw power there is no reason why he couldn’t get to British title level”
As music blared from an IPod in the corner of the gym, Newman continued to build up a sweat as he worked the bag and bench routine. “That’s something not everyone does” said Stanley. “Most other gyms use the bag and bar that came from the champ’s gym, but I used this technique as an amateur coach and I got 18 wins from 20 starts so I stuck with it. It’s good for biometrics, strength and endurance. When Lyndon first came to me he had a body builder’s physique so over time we’ve had to reconstruct his body shape into one of a fighter. Believe it or not he was fighting as a light heavy in the White Collar” this despite Newman only standing 5’7”. “We boxed him at middleweight for a while then he came down to light middle, and there is even scope to do welterweight because he makes 11st easy so if it was a title fight he could get down to 10st 7lbs, but that’s down the road”
The only loss on the his resume came in his third fight at the hands of current British Masters light middleweight champion Jason Ball, when he was stopped in the fourth and last round back in February 2011, a loss explains Stanley, that could have been avoided. “We had a falling out and Lyndon had gone to former pro Ensley Bingham for that fight, but he told me he was made to do a 45 minute warm up, for a four rounder. No disrespect to Ensley who was a fantastic fighter, but that would not have happened if he was with me” he stated. “No wonder he was knackered at the end.”
Asked what he wants to achieve in 2012 Newman is straight to the point. “Some sort of title, central area, whatever. I would like a rematch with Ball for his belt somewhere down the line.” Stanley interjects. “We wanted Harkin as well but he got beaten (referring to the loss to Ball for the British Masters title) so I don’t know if that match will be made. I know Lyndon needs to start doing six rounds because at the moment he’s only done 4x3’s. People say he blows in the last round but they’re not seeing what he’s doing in the gym”
Without a promotional deal in place the 25-year-old is having to find spots on any card he can but is keen to point out he wants to go somewhere in the game. “I could fight every week like some journeyman do but I want to pick the right fights at the right time to reach a decent level, not just see it as a job”
Television exposure for any fighter is the catalyst towards a higher profile within the sport, something Stanley is fully aware of. “We would like to get him in Prizefighter if we can. He’s managed by Oliver Harrison who seems to be able to get all his fighters in it. I think his style would really suit the format.”
On paper the British light middleweight scene is packed full of quality operators such as English champion Eric Ochieng, British champion Brian Rose and Liverpudlian Nick Quigley, and although fights against the likes of the aforementioned trio are a way off, trainer Stanley likes to be prepared. “I’ve studied all the main fighters in the division” he stated. “I’ve got a breakdown on all their individual strengths and weaknesses so when we fight them I can tell Lyndon all about them. It’s about getting him the right fights to learn his craft, I’ve told him if he commits 100 percent to me I will do the same and we will see how far it takes us”
As the training session began to wind down for the day, the talk moved on to the rest of the boxing world and the pitfalls of being a new “face” on the circuit. “It’s something we are getting used to, but you need to have your eyes open in this game. When you get moved around on a bill and you’ve got fans coming down who think you’re fighting at one time but the promoter wants to put you on earlier it’s tough.” Newman stated.
Without doubt both fighter and trainer are finding their feet in the professional game, but with dedication to each other as they build a small team around them, 2012 could be a breakout year for “Lightsout.”
