‘PEOPLE THINK THEY CAN HANDLE ME’
Sam Bowen is an out and out ghter. He speaks to John Dennen about taking it to the next level
‘PEOPLE KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU’RE ABOUT’
SAM BOWEN is a strong, aggressive superfeatherweight. He won the British title off TV but expects to shine on BT Sport when he boxes on Frank Warren’s rescheduled Leicester Arena show on March 23. With an exhausting schedule, Bowen hopes to go up a level this year.
How do you fit your training around working a full-time job?
When I boxed Maxi Hughes [for the British title] I worked Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, had Friday off for the weigh in and I boxed on Saturday. I felt alright. I got the stoppage, I got the win, that was the main thing. For my last fight I had the week before [off] and I felt 10 times better. This one we’ll see what difference it makes because I am off for this fight [camp].
We’ll see the difference in this fight. In training I am already feeling fresher… I’m getting the rest that I need.
It was unfortunate that I had pull out [of the fight] in December, but imagine if I wasn’t getting my wage monthly from my work. I’d have been screwed because it was Christmas, I had bills, mortgage like anybody else. Those bills have got to be paid.
We want to get up the rankings so these fights are worthwhile and then I can leave my job. Potentially I win this and get my ranking up I’ll be looking at possibly leaving my job in February. Because the only way I’m going to be able to beat these opponents is full time training, proper rest required. Because when I’m working I am tired all the time.
Was it a hard decision to turn professional?
I always said to my amateur coach Craig Perkins I’m not interested in turning pro. When they took the headguards out, I had a year in the amateurs without a headguard and I thought there’s no point in not turning pro. I was getting cut because my style’s come forward. You do rush a bit over three rounds to get the win. With my style if I chase them down I got cut a few times. I thought might as well get paid for it.
As an amateur I had over 100 fights, I was boxing the best of the best. I started off at lightweight found I made the weight quite easily, dropped down to super-feather and I think I’m a good contender at super-feather. I think I’m quite a decent size for it.
As an amateur you were a light-welter weren’t you?
I used to fight at what I used to walk around at. I was playing at the sport really, as an amateur, in the last few years. I was lucky I never really got found out.
I train now like I never trained in the past. It’s a different ball game when you’re boxing these people. It can be dangerous. For my own safety I put the training in.
You were always heavy-handed?
I just wore them down. I stopped about 40 and maybe even more than that. I think that was just my style. I stopped a lot when I was kid as well. I did alright, I never really succeeded in the senior ABAS but like I say I was just playing at it.
Do you watch the world champions at superfeather?
They’re next level. It would be nice to work my way up to that sort of level. But don’t get me wrong they are world class. They’ve won world titles for a reason… They’re all well deserved.
This fight is coming at quite a crucial time, you want to not just win but look good doing it?
Boxing, everything’s going good while you’re winning. If you lose, people drop off the scene a bit. I believe in my abilities. I know I’m good. This fight is important. I need to get the win, it’ll boost my ranking up a little bit and things need to change after this fight.
Now I’m on BT Sport, you can’t get any better than that. My fights are all on TV, the exposure from the British [title win], I didn’t really get that much because it wasn’t on TV but the amount of exposure I’ve had being on that last one was unreal. It gets your name our there. It gets you out there and people know who you are and what you’re about.
Is working your way up the WBO rankings the direction you expect to be going?
I’ve got the WBO Inter-continental title now. I think my ranking’s 10. If I defend that I assume it’ll go up a little bit and then you never know what I might get offered. Might get offered a big fight, you never know, a world title shot… You just don’t know. [ James] Tennyson, he won the European then got offered a world title shot.
I think I can give anyone a good run for their money and disrupt someone with my strengths. It’s different when you’re in with me, to watching me. People watch me and think they can handle me. But when you’re in there it’s different.