Q&A - Joe Vaughan

Our latest Q&A session takes us way down south to speak to London boxer Joe Vaughan. The super-welterweight is currently 3-0 and chatted to us about his boxing background and heroes of the sport. He also told us he likes us and who to watch out for in 2016...

British Boxing Blog - Tell us about your boxing background. How did you get in to the sport?

Joe Vaughan - My dad boxed at a good level as an amateur so it was him who took me to Newham at the age of seven. I was there until I was 12 then moved on to West Ham where I boxed until I was 17, having 26 fights and winning 18 I had a few years out of the game but got back into unlicensed boxing at 24, having 10 fights and winning all of them, then I turned pro at 28.

BBB - Who is your all time boxing hero?

JV - That's a hard one, I like a lot of fighters, [Ricky] Hatton’s at the top of the list because he used to love getting in to a tear up! [David] Haye and [Mike] Tyson are up there as well.

BBB - You're 3-0 now in the pro's, how are you finding the pro game in comparison to the amateurs?

JV - I only ever boxed as an amateur as a kid, so it's hard for me to say but the unlicensed game got me sort of in the right mind for turning pro where I had to sell tickets to get paid.

BBB - How important are these early fights in order to gain experience for the rest of your career?

JV - Your first few fights are all learning fights. It's about levels and moving the right way at the right time.

BBB - You're signed to Goodwin Boxing. How happy are you to be with them and how important are they to your career?

JV - The Goodwin team are proper people. Steve and his team are in it because they love the sport! They look after their fighters and go out of their way to make the fighter happy. What more could I ask for?

BBB - What are the challenges that face a young boxer in London? Is there a lot of competition to get fights on shows and sell tickets?

JV - I like you even more now calling me young! I've just turned 30! It's still the same for me as it would be for a 22 year old though. You've got to sell tickets to fight. It’s a hard game and a lot of people don’t see the work you put in, not just in the gym everyday but being out selling tickets too.

BBB - What is the small hall scene like in London at the minute? Do you enjoy fighting in intimate venues like York Hall?

JV - It's buzzing at the minute you can't beat York Hall. Don’t get me wrong I'd love to fight on one of the big shows but I still think York Hall would take some beating.

BBB - Tell us about your gym please. Who trains you and who do you train alongside?

JV - I train in Hammersmith at state of mind fitness with Barry O’Connell! There's me, John O’Donnell and two kids who've just turned pro; Dean Richardson and Dan-Dan Keenan.

BBB - Where would you like to be with regards to your pro career in 12 months time? What can we expect from Joey Vaughan in 2016?

JV - Next year I want to push right up the ranking and just stay busy. I’ve been unlucky with injuries this year but I'm over them now so it’s time to push on.

BBB - And finally, apart from yourself, what British boxer should we look out for in 2016?

JV - The two kids in the gym Dan-Dan Keenan and Dean Richardson both having their first pro fights on March 19th. And me.

#Joe #Vaughan #London #Danny #Keenan #Richardson #YorkHall #Tyson #Haye #Hatton