By Lee Collier
To people in the ‘know’ at grass roots level in the UK, light-welterweight Karl Place is one of the most highly rated prospects in the country, yet to the general boxing fan the 22-year-old Manchester boxer is still unknown.
Place, 6-0 (3 early), was pushed early as an amateur having entered the schoolboy ABA’s in only his second fight. Once he reached senior level, whilst not reaching the top, the talented youngster represented his country before turning professional back in 2008.
Place’s manager, VIP Promotions head honcho Steve Wood, has high hopes for the fighter he rates as the next John Murray. Wood even considers Place to be a better fighter after six fights than Murray was at the same stage of his career. The boxing manager and promoter places so much faith in Place that he has signed his fighter over to Maloney Promotions, with Place already featuring on a couple of Maloney’s European title bills.
For the talented youngster, it was always his intention to turn professional rather than try for success in the amateurs. “When I was an amateur I was always thinking about the pro game,” revealed Place.
“When other kids where thinking about the Olympics, Commonwealths or European championships I was more interested in winning a British title. So staying in the amateurs just wasn’t for me.”
With six wins out of six, it seems that Place has settled into the paid ranks with ease, which is something the fighter himself agrees with. “I found it pretty easy and didn’t think there was much difference,” stated Place.
“When I start fighting more rounds it may seem different. If you don’t have the skills in the amateurs you won’t have the skills in the pro ranks, you have to carry them through. I had some top sparring for a good six months and I felt ready for the pro game.”
If Place would have made the Olympics or Commonwealth games, he would have no doubt had promoters knocking on his door. Instead, Place, and trainer Steve Maylett, found themselves with only one option and that was with VIP Promotions and Steve Wood.
“VIP was our only option, we didn’t get the credit we deserved, now I am on the scene and am doing well they are starting to think there is a decent kid on the way,” declared Place. “We used to go to Bobby Rimmer’s gym, which have a lot of Steve’s fighters like Brian Rose and Jack Arnfield and after the ABA’s we got talking to Steve and took that route.”
Place has been matched well in his early career, facing a mixture of journeymen and fighters with winning records, a route which Place feels has developed him well. “If you look at my record I have six wins with three knock outs. The three I knocked out had winning records and came to fight,” explained Place.
“The one’s I went the distance with are known survivors and journeymen and I don’t like that sort of fight. You get in the ring half-hearted knowing you are going to win the fight. I like to have fights I can get myself up for and get my teeth into.”
Place has already experienced the big fight atmosphere having featured on two Jamie Moore title fights. “The last one was a good performance for me and I won with a knock out, but it was a shame that Jamie lost. The day Moore won the title I was around the dressing room all day. I was watching their changing room and seeing the buzz around them thinking, ‘I hope I can get their one day’,” said Place.
To be labelled as the next ‘John Murray’ can be a privilege for any young boxer. With that said it could bring added pressure on young shoulders. Place seems to be taking such compliments in his stride.
“It’s a great credit when Steve [Wood] says that, you look at John Murray and he is a great fighter. To be put in that category makes me feel happy. I don’t feel any pressure, it’s a great honour and a bit of respect. I want people to know me and expect big things from me,” stated Place.
Place realises it is still early in his career, but has ambitions to become a British champion and to earn the right to keep the belt before moving on to bigger and better things. “I feel that within 18 months I can be at the top of the British game,” boasted a confident Place. “I am getting fit and strong and learning all the time. I really believe I can get that British title by the time I’m 25 or 26.
“I want to go to the world level, but I am not looking past the British belt at the moment. I want to win that British title outright. Once I have that in my locker I can start looking at European and World level and by the time I am 29 I could be a world champion.”
Place is trained by the relatively unknown Steve Maylett. Maylett was involved in training Place, and fellow stable mate Terry Flannigan, at the Northside gym run by Joe Pennington. During the latter part of the pair’s amateur careers, Maylett took over coaching the pair full time before the switch to the professional ranks.
Maylett explained how the relationship started: “Towards the end of his career, I started taking over Terry’s training. Karl and Terry are good mates and Terry asked could Karl come over and do a few sessions with us. I am quite strict so I said he can come training with us as long as he sticks with it and goes running and trains when I want him to.”
“Karl was up for it as he wants to train hard and be pushed hard. So I put them in the ABA’s and Terry got a bad decision, one of worst I have seen. Karl went a bit further and boxed a kid he had beaten previously. He started off a bit slow but he was still up in the fight, and entering the last round he was behind so he had to go for it. It was a close decision but I still thought Karl won it so we had a chat and decided that he would turn pro,” revealed Maylett.
Maylett is a firm believer that Place did the right thing in turning to the paid ranks, believing his fighter to be suited to this style more. “Karl is a bit more of a puncher and is suited to the pro. I have tried to change Karl from being so aggressive so he can be more technical and he has always been technical but because of his power he has relied on it,” explained Maylett.
Starting out was difficult for Maylett and his two fighters. With no dedicated gymnasium as a home base it was going to be hard. Help came from Manchester trainer Bobby Rimmer, who trains many of VIP’s top prospects.
“Bobby was a great help from the start. In the ABA’s he told us to come up and use our gym and he introduced me to some other pro coaches so I could get the best sparring for the lads. He’s always been really good to us and he introduced us to Steve,” said Maylett.
Maylett then explained the training relationship between the two camps. “We’ve not really done that much work with Bobby’s fighters as they are all heavier than Karl and Terry and we train at different times. The guys do go running together and with everyone getting on it feels like we are the same camp. I know I have a lot to thank Bobby for as he has been great to the three of us,” he declared.
Many members of the boxing media have also talked up Place as ‘One to watch’. Maylett explained how far he felt his young protégé could go.
“I have always said that by the age of 23 or 24 he will win the British title,” claimed Maylett. “It’s always been one of my goals. Trainers have goals and I wouldn’t be training Karl if I didn’t think he could win it. I know Karl can do it, and ideally it would be by the time he is 23 or 24, but you get little setbacks along the way but if everything goes to plan we will have that belt in our gym.”
Fans will get a chance to see Place in action again before the Christmas period with Place being added to the Frank Maloney-promoted Lee Haskins-Don Broadhurst show down in Newport on the 11th of December. Maylett informed us that: “Karl is fighting again on the 11th December on the Haskins-Broadhurst card. It will be his first six rounder which is a step up. I think we are done with the four round fights now and hopefully the back end of 2010 will see Karl stepping up to 10 rounds. We have done our apprenticeship and need to move forward now.”
Place gained some good knowledge in preparation for the Newport show when he was asked to be a sparring partner for WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan, who defeated Dmitriy Salita with a stunning first round stoppage in Newcastle on Saturday night.
The world champion spoke to BoxingScene.com about the sparring sessions. “Karl Place was a fantastic sparring partner, he was quite tough and he was a perfect sparring partner for the Salita fight,” revealed Khan.
Khan saw enough in the sparring sessions to realise that Place has the potential to do well within boxing. “Karl has a good future ahead of him,” stated Khan. “I wish him all the best for his fight on Friday night in Newport and for the future and I am looking forward to sparring Karl again in the build up to my future fights.”
