An Interview With Unbeaten Middleweight Denzel Bentley

An Interview With Unbeaten Middleweight Denzel Bentley

By Rachel Aylett

At the press conference to publicise the big “Heavy Duty” card at the o2 Arena in London, I had a chat with a member of Team Dubois” – up and coming, big-punching middleweight Denzel Bentley.

Hi Denzel, what’s the latest?

“I recently signed with Frank Warren – had two fights with him now. I’m a middleweight and my current record is 10-0 with 8 kayos.”

What level are you currently boxing at, Southern Area?

“No, I couldn’t get a fight for the Southern Area, found it hard to get an opponent for that, so I’m looking past that now, maybe the English – if I can get mandated for that. Or there’s the inter-continental, international titles.”

What bills of Frank’s have you fought on so far?

“I was on the Albert Hall show in March and also the Wembley card just gone. I haven’t fought any credible opponents yet. The fights I’ve had so far are just to build my record. At the Albert Hall I fought Julio Cesar, an Angolan, and last time out I fought Pavol Garaj.”

Are you now looking to step up a level?

“I’ve been looking to step up for a while – obviously, it’s been hard getting opponents. But I trust my team and my manager to get me the fights and step me up.”

Is there anyone you are aiming towards at the moment? Maybe someone at the same level as you?

“There’s no-one in particular that I’m looking at, just anyone with a title – that’s what I’m aiming for, titles, so if you have got a title and I say your name it’s not personal – I just want the titles. So like I said I’ve bypassed the Southern Area, I’m looking at the English and international titles. Whoever has them in and around my weight, I’ll be looking to fight them, preferably by the end of the year or early next year.”

What do you think about the middleweight situation in Britain at the moment?

“It’s wide open and that’s what’s allowed fighters like Liam Williams to come up – he’s a good fighter – but it’s allowed him to come up a division and win the British title. But saying that, there’s a lot of young fighters and prospects that can fill in that spot. I think it’s about getting in at the right time. There’s a lot of young fighters with the same amount of fights and the same experience, but at British title level it’s wide open.”

Behind Williams you have maybe Felix Cash.

“Yeah exactly, but I don’t think he’s ready for someone like Williams. If Williams was to vacate, he could step up to British level and win it and with the current state of the division now he’d probably be able to defend it a few times – if he was to have a title like that I would be looking to fight him also.”

So you would be willing to fight Felix Cash now?

“Yes, I would. He’s got the Commonwealth title, so that’s a title I would like … if that could happen, yeah 100%. I’m sure he says the same about anyone else that’s in his way right now.”

Who else is in the division that is relevant?

“The English champion is a guy called Jack Cullen, he’s just won it. He’s fighting Felix Cash next – that should be a good fight. Whether he wins it or not that’s another story. The Southern Area’s vacant. There are a couple of older guys, like Brian Rose, and guys like that who are ranked highly.”

Liam Cameron got suspended – it really is wide open

“Exactly, it’s wide open.”

How long have you been with Martin Bowers?

“I’ve been at the Peacock Gym for almost four years now. But I didn’t turn pro straight away. As an amateur I came along with one of my amateur trainers to the stable. After about a year and a half I decided to turn over and make my pro debut.”

So you left your old amateur trainer?

“No, no, he was in the camp already with Martin, with another fighter. He asked me to spar him so I sparred him and I ended up staying there and coming every morning, before I went to the amateur gym in the evenings.”

So they’re both with you now?

“Yeah.”

What was your amateur career like?

“I didn’t do much. I had 17 fights as an amateur, won 13. I started late – had my first amateur fight when I was 19, I’m 24 now. So I’m spending all my time in the gym and dropping everything else outside – just to be able to progress as quickly as I have. I think I’ve come on so that I’m at a level where with all the work I’ve put in I can mix it with any fighter that’s been in the sport for years – obviously at domestic level. I’m not saying I’m a world level fighter now, but I feel like I will be. At the moment I feel like I’m ready to fight anyone on the domestic scene.”

What about your career before you signed with Frank? Who’s shows were you fighting on?

“I was on small hall shows. Some hotel dinner shows. I’ve built my way up. Even on the small hall shows I was trying to get these title fights, not just since I signed with Frank. Just before I signed with Frank I did my first eight-rounder, just to try and move on to title fights. Then the opportunity came along to sign with Frank and I took it, of course. It’s a great platform and I’ve got a great team behind me, pushing me.

“I had to take a step back, just to introduce myself to the platform, so I had a 4-rounder and then a 6-rounder and hopefully we can now move on from there.”

How did you come to sign with Frank?

“I ended up on one of his dinner shows (the annual Nordoff Robbins Charity show) on late notice. I stopped my opponent in the first round.”

So he must have been impressed with what he saw! Frank’s happy to put people like Zak Chelli on TV – it would be great for you to get that exposure.

“It would be fantastic if I could get on tv. Right now I haven’t been, but both times I’ve been a float so I guess they tried to get me on tv but it just didn’t turn out like that. So, we’ll just wait and see what happens next. But I know that he’s happy to put young fighters on the platform and to expose them and get them the attention they deserve. Hopefully, they rise up to the occasion.”

Is there a timescale for your progress – any fights scheduled at the moment?

“No fights scheduled at the moment, but hopefully there’s another London card after this show, and I can get on that. But I’m still in training, there’s no timescale. Like I said I didn’t have a long amateur career, haven’t been boxing that long. I’m always training, always learning, the more I do the better I get, so I’m good to go.”