Up close with Belfast prospect James Fryers

Fryers works at Rooneys Gym Belfast, it is owned by his manager John Rooney and managed by former Irish boxing champion Damien Denny, who is has also the distinction of appearing in the silver screen and at the opposite end of a boxing ring, to Daniel Day Lewis in the movie - The Boxer. Denny, also a licensed professional trainer, occasionally takes Fryers on the pads, and rates the young novice pro very highly, but it is at the Immaculata Boxing Club where Fryers has served his boxing apprenticeship under the eye of his long-term coach Gerard ‘Nugget’ Nugent and assistant trainer, Alfredo Meli.

There is a quiet lull in the late afternoon, before the avalanche of post-work keep-fitters and clientele of barristers and office workers arrive for their boxing circuit classes and personal trainer sessions. Behind the reception there is a small poster, with a photo of the steep, multi-story stairwell that I have just climbed and a list of names that is evidently an in-house competition - keeping track of who has managed to sprint up the stairwell the quickest time. James Fryers is number one on the list.

Over the course of the next hour, Fryers shares insights of the highs and lows of his formative boxing career, numerous anecdotes of his training experiences alongside his more established Immaculata club mates such as Martin Lindsay, Kevin O’Hara and Martin Rogan, and the close working relationship with his coaches. We begin with Fryers initial daunting experiences of boxing at the Immaculata gym.

“I started boxing at around 10 years of age when I went to the Immaculata with my cousin Dominic. I thought ‘this is brilliant’ and Nugget took a real shine to me. I was enthusiastic every time I went to over there. Then I started sparring and I got beat up a bit and started crying, but Nugget said that’s what happens to everyone, so I felt a bit better and I got in again, and the more I got in - the more I enjoyed it.”

“Boxing actually teaches you a bit of discipline, it gives you something to do, instead of sitting in front of a video game, I was actually happy to get up to do a bit of training.”

Fryers also discovered at this time that boxing run in the family. “My dad was always a big boxing fan and he watches the boxing every weekend. I also discovered that my great uncle Damian (Fryers) was a boxer too and but he fought for the great rival (of Immaculata) – Holy Trinity Boxing Club.”

Irish boxing historian and Daily Star boxing writer, Gerry Callan passed on his record notes on Damian Fryers boxing career:

“As a professional Damian Fryers was 8-0 and five of his eight fights, including his debut were on Barry McGuigan undercards. As an amateur, McGuigan outpointed him in a featherweight semi-final in the Irish Championships in 1980. But McGuigan injured his right hand in that fight and had to concede a walk over to Mick Holmes in the final. Fryers won the lightweight Irish title in 1981, stopping Dougie Adams in the first round in the final, six months before his nineteenth birthday. Fryers then lost the lightweight final the following year, outpointed by Patsy Ormond, father of Stephen Ormond (16-1). Fryers won six out of seven internationals.”

Since he put on his first pair of boxing gloves, James Fryers has trained under the guidance of seasoned Immaculata trainer Gerard ‘Nugget’ Nugent, describing his trainer as a ‘grandfather figure’.

“I am very loyal to him, no matter what he says goes because Nugget has been in the game for so long, he has trained so many Irish champions, British and Commonwealth Champions.”

“Nugget was a very good handball champion, I think he got into the world championships at handball and when I look at his training style and the way he throws punches, it is all from handball movements. I think that's were he got some of his punching methods from.”

“He is very wary of the sport – he knows the in’s and out’s. Sometimes he would have a weird saying like an ‘educated jab’ – but basically what he is saying, is sit behind your jab and get your lungs back and once you find your openings, start attacking again.”

“On pads he would come up with rhythms. He would call out, say, an ‘uppercut, left hook, right hook’. But when he is taking the pads he would say ‘zing, boom, boom’ or a ‘zing, zang, zing’. But you would know right away what it was, so he is always keeping it enjoyable and keeping you on your toes, through simple methods like that.”

Nugget Nugent is assisted by Alfredo Meli in training the Imaculata boxers:

“Alfredo is learning the technique, but as a motivator and for someone to make sure you are fit - Alfredo’s one of the top fellas. For fitness, he has nothing to learn, he will push you until there is nothing left in you.”

“He is a very good motivator. I remember when I was in Boy 4 going to fight in the Antrim’s (Championships). He had a talk with me.”

“He was like ‘you are James Fryers, you have been boxing in the Mac for so long, you have been training this hard, see if you come back to the corner after one round and say you are tired – you are getting threw in for a second round because you can’t train for six weeks every night, as hard as we are pushing you and come back after one round, after two minutes and say you are tired.”

“So as soon as I got into the ring, I felt as if all the adrenalin was gone and my nerves were gone. Everything was just rushing through me, I couldn't wait to get into the ring and I stopped the guy in 20 seconds, simply because I was so full of confidence and so motivated by my coach. I knew exactly what I was going out to do.”

In the Immaculata Fryers has experienced training alongside Martin Rogan, Martin Lindsay, Kevin O’Hara and Eamonn O’Kane. Fryers reveals an early experience, training alongside Big Rogie:

“When I first started, I was 10 years of age and only about 29 kilos I will always remember that big Martin Rogan was on the bag and he said ‘sure jump on the bag with me’. So I was on the other side of the bag barely making a mark in the punch bag and I just dropped my guard for two seconds and Rogie hit a big right hand into the heavy bag and it hit me up the face and I nearly went through the wall [breaks into laughter].”

Although Fryers openly admits he enjoys a good tear up, he is also a keen student of the sweet science and would sit for hours watching Martin Lindsay go through his repertoire of punches, or Kevin O’Hara throwing ‘his jumping jab’ and Paul Baker throwing his ‘favourite bolo shot’ whilst they were sparring, hoping to learn from his more experienced club mates.

Fryers' role model in world boxing is his gym mate Martin Lindsay:

“Every time I seen Martin on the bags, pads or sparring I always sat in the corner just to watch Martin. People ask me who is my favourite fighter to watch, Ali, Mayweather on son….but I always say that Martin Lindsay is my favourite boxer to watch simply because I have grew up watching him, training with him and he has even taken me through the ropes sparring. Every time I get in the ring with Martin I am always learning something off him.”

Fryers also trains alongside heavy handed prospect Alfredo ‘Fredo’ Meli – who is the son of assistant trainer Alfredo Meli:

“Fredo. We just call him ‘Duracell’. No matter how many rounds you say to him, he will do it and continue to do it for God knows how long. So I am getting a bit of sparring with him. But, with Fredo its just punch, after punch, after punch, he just keeps going, so no matter how many rounds you are doing you are always thinking ‘a fuck I am in with Fredo’. He is doing well and has been training with Eamonn O’Kane and Paddy Gallagher.”

Alfredo Meli (4-0) makes fifth professional appearance on Alio Wilton’s Belfast Holiday Inn card next weekend (21st March) and Paddy Gallagher (4-0), who has also been sparring with Fryers, is in training for his upcoming appearance on Prizefighter.

Fryers won seven Irish titles and numerous Ulster and Antrim titles but he eventually fell out of love with the Irish amateur system.

“I won seven Irish titles from Boy 2 upwards, except senior title. I won two Ulster senior title. I entered the Irish seniors twice but got beat twice and then I got sick of the Irish amateur game. I didn't like the scoring, my face never really fitted – I won seven Irish titles but very rarely got sent to a tournament. I knew people who only won one or two and were fighting in the European’s and everything. I actually went, at one stage, four years running in Ireland I didn't get beat.”

Fryers cautions that boxers can be guilty of exaggerating their misfortunates when they pick up a loss - always ready to offer a reason why it was wholly unjust. However, Fryers details an exceptional blemish on his amateur record that ended his four-year unbeaten run. It was a fight in the Irish Championships at the National Stadium in Dublin:

“It was the semi-final of the Irish Cadets and I was in a controversial decision against a fella, I think his name was Ben McDonagh from Limerick. I busted his nose, he didn't throw a punch the whole last round, got brought to the doctor twice, to his corner three times. I got beat 8-7 or 8-6. I punched him from pillar to post. He got six warnings (cautions) for holding and not one warning.”

“At the end of my amateur career, I got so sick of amateur boxing not getting picked and the decisions, that I was just going through the emotions of amateur boxing.”

In the end Fryers felt he had ‘no incentive’ to travel to Dublin for High Performance squad training as the two hundred mile Belfast-Dublin round trip was self-funded and he was resigned to feeling that even if he did travel for squad sessions that he would not get picked for international trips. Fryers described an experience where he travelled to Dublin for squad training during the one summer and was eventually picked for an international event. However, when he missed one squad session to box on a club trip in the US for one week, Fryers claimed that he was ‘unpicked’ from the Irish international squad. This was an experience that left a lasting, bad taste. Fryers claims that there are a lot of Belfast-based boxers who refuse to travel to the Irish High Performance squad sessions in Dublin as according to Fryers, there is no incentive and the travelling expenses leave fighters and their club coaches out of pocket.

“I only got one international senior ‘trip’ and that was against Italy. I beat the number one featherweight Olympian from Italy at the Donegal Celtic Club (in Belfast) and I still didn't get a trip. So there was no point in staying amateur. If I had of got a bit of funding and got sent on an international duty here and there for a bit of international experience I would have stayed amateur for a little bit longer. But, I have always wanted to turn pro.”

“The best I think I ever boxed was at 17, I entered my first Irish Seniors championship, the whole way through to the final I was winning clearly - and then I got to the Irish Senior final against Tyrone McCullough. He is a slick fighter, southpaw, hard to catch in that big open ring, stick and move – picked his punches, I couldn't catch him.” After that frustrating experience, Fryers was emboldened in his decision to turn pro as he felt it would suit his style much better, but he was cautioned by his trainer that, at 17 years of age, he was too young to enter the pro ranks.

“When I was fighting as an amateur, Nugget Nugent (Imaculata trainer) always said I had a pro fighting style, even from a young age. I always like to fight on the inside as well as box. He said I was a box-fighter, I can box when I wanted to or fight when I wanted too.”

“I always noticed myself that I liked more of a tear-up than actually boxing. So I developed my inside work a bit more and he started teaching me body shots and my favourite shots now are left hook to the body and left hook to the head.”

As a professional, Fryers has enjoyed the opportunity to develop his inside game:

“When you are inside (fighting) as an amateur the referee would normally break you up if the headgear is touching. As a pro you can nearly be rubbing foreheads with each other and throwing punches and not a thing will be muttered.”

Fryers made his home professional debut on the undercard of Frampton-Martinez at the Odyssey Arena against the late Billy Smith:

“I fought Billy Smith, who has now passed away God love him, rest in peace to Billy. He was my second fight and I was trying everything to knock him out, I threw everything.”

Fryers rated Billy Smith very highly and acknowledges the invaluable experience that journeymen provide fledging novice professionals.

“I think he (Smith) was one of the best. In the first round I was popping the head off him and I thought I had him, I thought I would knock him out but then he gave me a reminder, he clipped me a right hook and I didn't even see it coming, but he landed in the right spot and I was ‘right he is a journeyman and he is breaking me into the game, but he is not here to be beat up - he knows what to do’. So for the next three rounds I was fully focused from start to finish, I knew it was not going to be an easy night.”

Fryers has been inactive for the past year but is looking forward to his third professional fight in Reading tonight, against Michael Mooney (4-5) on the under card of Dean Francis-Bob Ajisafe British Light Heavyweight Title fight that is screened live on Channel Five.

For now, 21 year old Fryers is hoping to bide his time in the professional ranks and aims to be busier and gradually step up the rounds with each fight. “I am in no rush, because there is plenty of time. After this I would like to do two or three six rounder’s and then an eight rounder”. At the very least, modest Fryers’, first aim is to surpass his uncle Damien Fryers 8-0 professional record. Later this evening he will have his opportunity in Reading to edge closer to that target.

Read the original article on news.boxrec.com