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THE DAVID COLDWELL INTERVIEW
If you are a boxing fan, then you'll have heard of Dave Coldwell. Fighter, Cornerman, Manager, Trainer, Promoter. Training his own fighters at 21. Promoting his own fights at 28. He's trained and worked with World Champions, European Champions, British, English and Commonwealth Champions, and his latest venture has seen him launch Coldwell Television onto the world stage which has delighted fight fans across the globe - more about that later.
Due to my love of sports photography, especially boxing, I have got to know Dave over the last 6 months or so as well as his business partner Spencer Fearn and his Commercial Manager, Damien Harry. I have since been fortunate enough to be ringside for some great fights he's promoted including Curtis Woodhouse beating Dave Ryan for the English Light-Welterweight title, and the more recent epic battle between Kieran 'Vicious' Farrell and Anthony 'Million Dollar' Crolla for the vacant English Lightweight title in Manchester. Dave kindly agreed to be interviewed by me.
JW: Dave - you made your professional boxing debut in 1996. How did your career go and what made you decided you wanted to be a trainer rather than a fighter?
DC: I fought in about 20 professional fights, won the Central Area Flyweight title and fought some really good fighters including taking Jose Lopez Bueno the full distance just a few months before he won the WBO World title, but through my career I always suffered from a lack of confidence. I needed to believe in myself more in the ring but always struggled to do so. I'd had a tough upbringing and started training when I was 15 at the Ingle Gym in Sheffield. I came through the ranks at the same time as such fighters as 'Prince' Naseem Hamed, Johnny Nelson, Ryan Rhodes (who Dave later took to a European title belt and World title shot as his trainer) ,Slugger O'Toole and Paul Silky Jones. There were other really talented beginners at that gym at the time as well and in 1996 I started to train some of the kids at another gym the Ingle's had on the Manor estate in Sheffield. I saw the move from fighter to trainer as a natural one and aged 25 I retired as a fighter to take up being a trainer on a full time basis.
15 at the Ingle Gym in Sheffield. I came through the ranks at the same time as such fighters as 'Prince' Naseem Hamed, Johnny Nelson, Ryan Rhodes (who Dave later took to a European title belt and World title shot as his trainer) ,Slugger O'Toole and Paul Silky Jones. There were other really talented beginners at that gym at the time as well and in 1996 I started to train some of the kids at another gym the Ingle's had on the Manor estate in Sheffield. I saw the move from fighter to trainer as a natural one and aged 25 I retired as a fighter to take up being a trainer on a full time basis.
How did you get into boxing in the first place and who would you say was the best fighter you trained with as you were growing up?
School was a struggle for me, I got picked on and bullied and didn't enjoy my time there. It was also tough at home. I've always loved boxing from a young age and I'd been asking my mum from being aged 10 if I could take up boxing but she had always refused. I guess I saw it as a way out. Once I left home at 15 I started training at the Ingle Gym straight away and loved it. The most talented fighter I trained alongside in my time there was Naseem Hamed without a doubt. There were other fighters there at the time who would go on to have great careers in the game but 'Naz' had it all. He talked a great game but he could also back it up.
Who was/is your boxing hero?
Sugar Ray Leonard. I loved watching him fight growing up and he's still my boxing hero today.