DAVID AND GOLIATH
Top pupil’s masterclass
DAVID ADELEYE once juggled boxing with university.
But he is now hoping his education with Tyson Fury will give him the grades to become world champion.
The heavyweight prospect has already shared the ring with the world’s No.1 in the division.
The 23-year-old turned pro last year with Frank Warren and made his debut in December with a one-round knockout of Lithuanian journeyman Dmitrij Kalinovskij.
Then he was drafted in by Fury to help him prepare to face Deontay Wilder last month in Las Vegas.
“It was incredible to be part of his team for the training camp,” said the Londoner.
“I flew out there, I learned so much, everyone was trying to prove themselves against Fury. It was a great experience. I loved it. I know the sport of boxing very well but when you get involved in it at that level, you see so much more.
“Tyson is a down-to-earth guy – anything you wanted to know you could just ask him.
“There are a lot of tricks you learn from him. It’s a whole different sport at that level. I’m a man who loves to learn.”
Adeleye was a talented amateur out of the Dale Youth Club in London and won the senior ABAS in 2018. That was while he was juggling boxing and university, earning a degree in Business Management from Wolverhampton Uni.
“I wanted to get a degree before I fully focused on boxing,” said Adeleye.
“This is a sport you can be retired from at 40 and there’s a lot of life left to live after boxing.
“Now I’m done with that I can put it all into boxing. But it was challenging at the time.
“I was lucky my lecturers were flexible with me. They knew I was training hard for boxing.”
Like every other sportsperson, Adeleye’s career is on hold amid the coronavirus pandemic but he will be back out on July 11 if restrictions on boxing are lifted in the UK.