STYLISH AND ‘DAPPA’
Ian Napa re ects on his career and retirement with Matt Christie
The slick and smooth Ian Napa looks back on how he became a cult hero
IAN NAPA’S haul of British and European bantamweight titles and his 19-10 (1) record do not do his talents justice. A throwback fighter who was influenced first by Roy Jones, but ultimately by James Toney – “his shoulder rolls, they couldn’t touch him” – Napa was a joy to watch when in full flow, appearing to be the better boxer even in the fights he lost. In the end, as injury and eye problems became insurmountable, Napa, who now works in security, walked away from the sport in 2011 with mixed feelings about his accomplishments.
Let’s start with your style of boxing. It was similar to James Toney, a real throwback and different to the conventional styles of most British fighters.
The funny thing about it was I used to watch Roy Jones a lot, I loved the way he fought. But as I got older, and I learned more about boxing, I watched James Toney more and more. He was the better boxer, the way he could not do much but look like he was doing a lot, the shoulder rolls, the way he made his opponents miss, all with the slightest movement. They couldn’t touch him, and that’s why he lasted so long and I realised as I got a bit older and a bit slower, that was the best way for me to fight.
In 2005-07 you lost four times, each time on points. Did you feel at that point you were not going to make it?
Yes. The Simone Maludrottu fight [l pts 12, March 2007] told me I was a world class boxer but I just didn’t have the strength to keep him off. He was no joke. After that, I did wonder what was left for me, I kind of gave up on the sport. Funny thing is, a few months after that fight, I was in the pub with some friends drinking. It was a nice sunny day and we were all laughing and joking and I just thought to myself, ‘This is never going to happen for me, I’m going to retire from boxing.’ Then my phone goes and I’m offered the Jason Booth fight for the British title. I started laughing. ‘No way!’ I said. ‘Let me just finish my pint.’ So I finished my pint and went home. I put my sweatshirt on and I went for a run, and I sobered up. I ran twice a day and lost a lot of weight, it was all fluid. Two weeks later I won the fight and I won the British title. I went back to the same pub with my championship belt, and I said, ‘I told you I had to go. I’m now the British champion!’ Some of them hadn’t believed me when I’d told them I was a boxer.
You really hit peak form after that.
Once I’d won the British title, all of my hunger came back.
‘I WENT BACK TO THE PUB AND SHOWED THEM ALL MY BELT’
And after I beat Martin Power so clinically in the rematch, my confidence was so high. I beat him the first time but I didn’t get the decision, so the second time I was a lot smarter. I used all the basics. He had become a scrapper while I was the boxer. Watch that fight back, every time he tries to do something or make me do something, I just do the opposite. I couldn’t sleep after I beat Carmello Ballone for the European title [in 2008]. I was stunned. For 24 hours I was wide awake, letting it all sink in. But I was 100 per cent confident beforehand that I would win. It was one of my hardest fights though – he looked small at the weigh-in but he didn’t look like that the next day.
You lost to Jamie Mcdonnell on a tight one in January 2010 before a loss to Stuey Hall six months later. Both went on to win versions of the world title. Was there any envy?
To be honest, I’m not that kind of person. I hate spite, I hate greed. They just don’t exist in my character. I was very pleased for both of them. After I lost a fight, I would always go and sit in the dressing room with my opponent and talk to them. The loss to Hall was tough, it was so hot in that [Peterlee] Leisure Centre. As soon as I walked out there I asked for water, I was so thirsty. The day before I’d been skipping in a sweatsuit trying to get down in weight and then I was fighting. It should have been my easiest fight but I knew early that I didn’t have it. I had used up too much energy trying to make weight, but that was my fault.
When you look back do you have any regrets?
Yes, of course. If I was more disciplined with my diet and ate correctly I would have been unstoppable. I would been world champion at super-flyweight, no doubt in my mind. So that does bother me, but I blame no one but myself.
A few months ago you made it clear on social media you were desperately unhappy and lonely. How are you now?
I had a relationship break down and the whole thing made my life a misery. I wasn’t seeing my kids and it was hard. It was very hard. There was a moment when I was on my own and I was drinking and I just felt so alone. I soon realised I wasn’t on my own, lots of people got in touch, I was rehoused and I’m a lot happier. But through it all I still held down my job, boxing instilled that into me. Now I’m looking to the future and I see my kids all the time. I’m just waiting for my CRB check to come through and I’ll be mentoring in schools and units where kids have been expelled. I’ll teach them how boxing can channel their anger and provide a way out for them.