An Interview with Mark Chamberlain

An Interview with Mark Chamberlain

By Oliver McManus

20-year-old Mark Chamberlain is in illustrious company when it comes to Portsmouth’s boxing history. A winner of the National Elite Championships in 2018, he joins the likes of Tony Oakey and, distinguished amateur, Chris Bessey on the list of Pompey-based victors.

Ahead of Chamberlain’s second professional fight, taking place on March 23rd, he caught up with FightPost for some (relatively) quick fire questions as we attempt to get to know him a bit better.

A question I’m sure you’ve been asked plenty but how did you first get started with boxing?

“It was actually my mum, believe it or not, she took me and my brother up to a local club when we were about six. She never wanted us to be involved in fighting but she liked knowing we could look after ourselves. She always used to worry about bullies and things like that. I did try football but I couldn’t really get into that, it was never something I was passionate about. Never missed a training session, I still don’t, because you catch a buzz for it. There’s no other sport like it, I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

Which fighters do you enjoy watching the most?

“I like a fair few but the best boxer, at the moment, is Lomachenko. The way he boxes is so slick. Obviously he’s fighting against Anthony Crolla and it’s hard to see him losing, I’ve never really watched much of Anthony Crolla if I’m honest but Lomachenko is just a matrix of boxing. As much as I’d like to see England win it, Lomachenko has got everything. He did dancing and tennis when he was a kid, helped his footwork and you can see that when he’s in the ring.”

How do you feel your career went as an amateur?

“To be honest winning the my first national title was the highlight for me, I was really over the moon. I got to the final of the Schoolboy’s tournament and took a loss against a good fighter, Ben Marksby it was a close fight and a loss is a loss but, if I’m honest, I should have won. The year after that I got to the quarter-final’s but I was messing about, picking my mates over training, and my mum and dad basically sat me down and said ‘either do it properly or pack it in’.

“So I entered the junior championships and went on to win that national title and in the youth championships I thought Ben another couple of times and beat him twice. Last year, those seniors, I won it at 60kg and beat Charles Frankham, I was chuffed about that, Ben Marksby again. Really, if I’m honest, it was genuinely a good time of my life because it developed me as a person and a fighter.”

What was it, then, that prompted you to turn professional when you were still only 19?

“Well I won the Senior Elites and I sat down with my parents to talk about my plans. I was a bit indifferent as to whether I should have another year as an amateur or turn over but my coach had shut the gym for the summer as the season was over. I didn’t really want to stop training so I messaged Wayne (Batten, who also coaches Ryan Garner and Chamberlain’s brother) to see if he had any one-to-one. I was honest with my amateur trainer about what was going but he didn’t like it and things got quite sour, started bad-mouthing me. I’d been with him since I was six years old so really he should have just shook my hand and left it there but he pretty much just left me to dry.

“I decided to just knuckle down and take this opportunity by the scruff of the neck. It’s moved me on in my career and made me a better person, I don’t like slagging people of so I’ll never mention his name but it’s all out there. I’m in a far better place now with more support, more honesty, a healthier environment.”

Talk to me about your debut, did that live up to your expectations?

“I was preparing for a four round fight and expecting it to go that long but it lasted 39 seconds. I caught him with a body shot, I only threw about five shots. I wanted to show myself off a little bit more than just under a minute but, don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. It was a brilliant occasion and atmosphere. It took Ryan (Garner) three rounds to get rid of him so I’ve kind of got a benchmark, there.”

How often are you hoping to fight this year?

“I’m contracted to five for this year, I might get some more but five is a minimum. I don’t want to hang around and let myself get rusty but, equally, I know I’ve not got to rush into anything. I just need to keep ticking over and developing as I am at the moment.”

Finally, then, who has the biggest influence on you throughout your life?

“My parents, definitely, they’ve been there every step of the way and without them I genuinely wouldn’t be a professional boxer. Everytime there’s a big decision to be made we always sit down and talk it out as a family so 100% my parents.”

Mark Chamberlain will return to the ring next Saturday, March 23rd, at the Leicester Arena when he faces Laszlo Szoke over a scheduled four rounds.