BOXING Shepperton postie Boulden gears up for debut

Mar 18 2009 By Max Rapkin, Staines News

SHEPPERTON boxer Gary Boulden will deliver the post on Friday morning as usual before using the same hands to deliver punches to the bloke in the other corner at York Hall.

Boulden's professional debut at the famous East End venue in Bethnal Green follows a half-decent amateur career where he won two consecutive London Novice titles.

Yet the all-out pressure fighter, who reckons his biggest weapon is the ability to throw punches in bunches, also believes the pro-arena is tailor-made for his style.

He fights Plymouth-born Gavin Brook in the middleweight division, who has no wins in four (one draw) and promises to grind him down before breaking his sprit.

If the distant memory of Boulden's hero Roberto Duran's style comes to the minds of fight fans - the Shepperton man will be delighted. The postie is also on a personal quest to hunt down the Olympic gold medallist James DeGale.

"I want to shut him up," said Boulden. "He's really cocky - and he talks too much.

"But first things first, I'm excited about Friday and want to make a statement in front of all my fans."

A mouth-watering showdown with DeGale is a possibility, with both middleweights sharing a strong amateur pedigree while arriving at the professional level in tandem.

Boulden also believes he has unfinished business, or rather unstarted business with highlyregarded Hammersmith fighter George Groves, who won the ABA title last May before also joining the pro ranks.

"I should've fought him in the amateur ABA finals," said Boulden. "But I got robbed on a decision even though I dropped my opponent Jordan Gosling in the first round of the London semi-finals. So Groves is another one I want."

The postman trains in Maidenhead in the back-garden-gym of his manager Jim Evans.

Training among the shrubbery with him are some tough fighters, namely British heavyweight Michael Sprott, who famously destroyed Olympic gold medallist Audley Harrison in three rounds.

But rather than KO his way to fast fame, Boulden believes he can gain a lot from going the distance.

"It would be good practice if I went the full four rounds," he said. "But it doesn't really matter how I win, I'll just do whatever it takes."