There came a moment, as Aloys Junior watched film of Mike Tyson – then only 20 – land that history-making left hook on Trevor Berbick.
The then-WBC heavyweight champion fell, tottered, and fell again, his championship reign ending with him being unceremoniously cradled by referee Mills Lane in Las Vegas within just two rounds.
You can see Tyson’s methodology in the workings of young London cruiserweight Aloys Junior, whom highlights of Tyson have clearly left an impression on.
“What really sucked me into boxing when I was a kid at seven years old, was me watching Mike Tyson knock out Trevor Berbick,” said the 22 year old. “That was the first time I was like, ‘Dad, I want to be like him’. He [Tyson] was the Baddest Man on the Planet. He was respected.”
Aloys lost his debut by a point, but won his next 10, stopping nine of his opponents on the way and impressing in taking out veteran Scotsman David Jamieson in Glasgow, Scotland in May.
Junior is known for his heavy-hitting combination-punching, and is also making a name for his prickly demeanour at press conferences.
In Bournemouth, where on Saturday he fights former world-title challenger Ellis Zorro, he said he hoped Zorro’s family wouldn’t be watching to see him knocked out.
There’s also a hint of Tyson in how he later told BoxingScene he planned to “execute” Zorro.
“I’m just being me and I’ve always been different,” said Aloys. “That’s why I get the results I get. Like, I’m not normal. I’m not a normal cruiserweight. You don’t see me in 10-rounders, barely ever. I’m just expressing how I feel. I’m just expressing who I am. For those people that don’t like me, fuck them.
“Everyone is different. Every human being is different. Society tries to make you like everyone else; be like a robot. I’m done being a robot.
“Look at all the greats. Everyone has their own expression but they’re all still appreciated. [Saul] Canelo Alvarez is much more calmer and doesn’t speak much. Floyd Mayweather spoke more. Everyone’s different, but everyone’s unique and they have their own expression.”
Of his past 10 opponents, only the 8-0 Oronzo Birardi has heard the final bell, and while Aloys is carving his own path, he has looked at many of the greats to see their blueprints.
To see him is to see that similar Catskills-peekaboo style.
“Mike Tyson, the Canelos, Floyd Mayweathers, those guys,” he said, when asked who he has studied. “But I’ve always loved the pressure fighters. The men that will come forward no matter what and keep that pressure on their opponent.”
Is Zorro – loser of consecutive fights to Jai Opetaia and Chev Clarke before winning a six-rounder in April – the best he has faced to date? “So far, yes. He is. But I’ll show you how I execute him.”
On the domestic scene, Pat Brown has emerged as one of Matchroom’s bright hopes, and he and Aloys are often mentioned together as they take their separate paths.
It means that there is some excitement around the cruiserweight division in the UK, to which Aloys said: “It’s nice. I can execute a couple of guys and build my name.”
Asked specifically about Brown and a possible future contest, he said: “Possibly we will see. “Like, I see him, but nothing exceptional.”
Many cruiserweights end up moving to heavyweight, and Aloys said that could happen “in due time”
He’s in his early 20s and understands the journey could be a long one.
But he is part of a stable, under Ben Davison, that means training alongside Anthony Joshua, Moses Itauma and Leigh Wood, although his bob-and-weave style is different to those in the camp. In fact, there are next to no similarities to the others – emphasizing the work Davison, who trained Tyson Fury in his comeback, can do with a multitude of styles.
“Martial arts is an expression, and every individual has their own unique expression,” Aloys said. “A teacher can teach you the fundamentals, but it comes down to the student, whether they learn the lessons and put their own jazz into it.
“Success breeds success and it’s a great honor to be around great fighters, and I believe all of us will have our names written in history.”
It was in the history books where Aloys, aged seven, would read about a young hurricane blowing through the heavyweight division, and he is keen to write his own chapter.
