Place and Flanagan Manchester’s new boxing breed

Karl Place aka ‘Bulb Head’

Manchester has been a breeding ground for championship winning boxers over the years and continues to provide the sport with a conveyor belt of fighting men to follow in the footsteps and tradition of the tough, no hairs and graces style that is in a Mancs pugilists DNA.
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In 21 year old friends, light-welterweight Karl Place and featherweight Terry Flanagan, Manchester have another pair of fighting prospects that hope to climb the boxing ladder right to the top of their game, and together with coach Stephen Maylett believe their bond, hard work, determination and skills will take them right to the top. ‘A Boxing Bond made in Manchester’
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Boxing politics and bad luck have seen both suffer many setbacks in their short careers to date, with fights postponed or opponents pulling out at the last minute.

Steve Wood’s VIP promotions  card at the Manchester cycling centre this Friday, has been an opportunity for both to have a 10 week uninterrupted training camp together, with coach Maylett getting the fighters quality sparring and into the best shape of their fledgling careers.
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Terry Flannigan

The camp have been traveling around the country sparring some of the countries best fighters, Karl has been helping Michael Jennings get ready for his title fight with Kell Brooke, while Terry went through some tough sessions with Jason Booth has he was preparing for his world title shot with Steve Molitor. 
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Booth was said to be very impressed with Terry and he was as equally thankful for the experience of sharing the ring with a world class fighter and the level that the fighters are setting themselves in the build up to fight nights, can only stand them in good stead.
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“With Booth in preparation to fight Molitor for the world title it was really good to have them spars with him, I learnt alot.” said Flannigan.
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“Booth is a very clever fighter, experienced and I was holding my own with him and we were both happy with the work we put in, it was great for me with having this fight coming up on Friday night.”
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“The training as gone great and with 10 weeks of a hard training camp behind me I feel in the best shape and stronger than I have ever been.” Flanagan added.


Karl Place is also firing on all four cylinders and is chomping at the bit to get back in the ring after being out since March.
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Place will come up against Mauritius’ Michael Frontin, while Flanagan, coming off a first round win in May against Hungarian Csaba Toth. Fights another Hungarian in Ignac Kassai, who was over in the UK in May when he lost on points to Blain Younis Flanagan will hope to go one better than that.
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Coach Stephen Maylett

Coach and friend of the boxers and the man responsible for fine tuning the boxers into a career best shape is Stephen Maylett, former amateur boxer, and youth worker for wayward youngsters, and who is one of the youngest professional trainers in the country at just 26 years old.
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Maylett decided to go into boxing coaching when Flanagan had asked him to train him during the amateurs, when he was on the verge of quitting the game.
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Maylett turned Flanagan’s career around and convinced himself that he could make a name in the pro ranks with Maylett’s advice and coaching know how, beyond his years.
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With glowing references from Flanagan, Karl Place another good amateur at a cross roads in his ring life turned to Maylett and the three have not looked back since.
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They have a strong bond and respect for each other that is unique and Maylett is totally dedicated to both as much as they are to him in a close big brother type relationship that Maylett believes will have his two prospects contesting for titles next year.
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“We want to start getting Terry fights that will bring him on now, I believe he is ready to be moved up a level and to start getting his name out there, we are willing to take on any other prospects in the country, people are pulling out left right and centre so we cant get him a good name to beat, that will make the promoters sit up and notice him”. said Maylett coach of both fighters.
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“I believe Terry would beat any other prospect in the country at this weight, I’m that confident in him, Ive been very impressed with the lads in this camp and both are in the best shape of their lives at the moment”.
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“We have had great sparring for them, Karl as been getting the rounds in with Michael Jennings, and we took Terry over to Nottingham to spar with Booth and up to Scotland too for some quality work. “I don’t think Booth though was expecting much off Terry because he hadn’t heard of him, but respect to Booth afterwards he was full of admiration for Terry and then came over to Manchester to get more rounds in with him”.
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“They were some tasty spars and Terrry more than held his own, Booth complemented us after saying Terry was the best lad he had sparred in the country”. added Maylett.

With fights lined up after this for October, both then hope to really hit the boxing scene in 2011 and fight for titles. Fridays fights might not tell us too much we don’t already know about them, but it is a sure bet that Manchester have another two rising stars to follow in the industrial City’s boxing tradition.

Tickets for the “Long Overdue” VIP promotions show at the Manchester Velodrome on Friday, September 17th are priced at £30 (General Admission) and £50 (Ringside) Tickets available from www.vipbe.co.uk. Doors open at 7.00pm, boxing commences 7.30pm

By Chris Maylett
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