By Terence Dooley
Anthony Farnell was anything but shy during his 37 fight career – 33 wins against four defeats with 20 KOs. The two weight WBU title-holder, light-middle and middle, was known for his fierce approach, fiercer ring walks and ability to whip himself into fearsome shape ahead of a fight. Farnell helped light the fuse of Manchester's boxing scene during the early noughties only for illness to force him to end his career early.
Dark days followed, Farnell has admitted that he found things tough during those early post-boxing years, feelings of depression mixed with suicidal thoughts haunted him during the empty days of his retirement, civilian life lacked the edge of those big fight nights and, like many who are forced to retire prematurely, Anthony felt mentally and physically adrift.
Farnell's family stepped in, they convinced him to find a different way of enjoying the sport. Then destiny intervened. Farnell drove past an old, disused building, the former fighter liked the look of it and decided to make it the premises for a new gym; he had been contemplating the idea of picking up the training mitts, the sight of the empty building prompted him to take action.
A good few fights, and a gym move later, and Farnell finds himself one of the chief custodians of Britain's boxing future as he seeks to guide Tony Bellew, Frankie Gavin and Ronnie Heffron all the way to the top of the world pile.
'Arnie' learned the ropes under Brian Hughes before switching to Billy Graham in the wake of a single stanza reverse against Mehrdud Takaloo in 2001, Farnell's first pro defeat; he joined up with Oliver Harrison for the last few fights of his career before a health scare forced his hand in 2004; the former fighter feels that he learned from all three men and has added his own insights to produce a rounded coaching approach.
“When you're happy at a gym, you get more out off it. It is like going to a job everyday, when you're not happy you don't put much into it. You need someone there next to you telling you what to do. I like to be mates with my fighters because you know if they've got that spark in their eyes when they come back into the gym or if they're feeling shit. You need to know the guys on a personal level,” explained Farnell when talking about the close bond he shares with his boxers.
“When Frankie [Gavin] first asked me to come here, I'd been speaking to him on websites and that but he'd been asking Bellew about me as well. It was really good because I thought, 'He's the only British amateur to win Gold at the Amateur World Championships and he's got talent'.
“Then I got him in for some sparring and realised just how much talent he's got. I saw there was a lot to work on, and I'm not blowing smoke up my own arse here, because his defence as an amateur was his footwork, in and out, and tapping his shots to score points. I've taught him how to stay in the pocket, makes guys miss and make them pay.
“In the amateurs, you can make a guy miss by stepping back and using movement but you're not close enough to land your counter shots. Frankie's still using his footwork but he's staying right in their faces, still making guys miss and getting his own shots off.”
Gavin has whizzed to 8-0 (7); his aim for 2011 is to topple current British boss Lenny Daws. Frankie recently told me that he already has what it takes to beat Daws. Confident talk from the 25-year-old yet the statements are not delivered with the boldness of, say, James DeGale or David Haye. Gavin's confidence manifests itself as a quiet belief in his own ability. Farnell, though, told me that his young charge is as nervous as any fledgling fighter, there is no chance of Gavin getting caught up in his own hype.
“Not up to now, no – he's a nervous wreck coming up to a fight,” said Farnell when asked if Gavin carries the brashness of a champion elect. “Frankie wants it so much and doesn't just think he can go in there and smash a guy to bits so it is a good sign that he's like that. He'll phone me every night before a fight, talking about his opponents and what to do. We watch tapes of his opponents all the time. Frankie gets nervous, if he was thinking that he was already the bees knees then he wouldn't be like that, it shows that he's got the right attitude.”
Farnell, however, was quick to stress that Gavin, like many boxers, leaves the tension behind once he makes his way to the ring. Often, the best fighters feel more at home during a fight than they do at any other time.
“Frankie's got no nerves when he gets in there,” he insisted. “If you ask him to try something before a fight then he'll go out and try it to see if it works, I think he should fight Lenny Daws soon, that is how confident I am. Frankie is a special fighter, really special. People might think I'm jumping the gun here by mentioning Lenny but we know what Frankie has got, he beat guys like Aleksei Tishchenko as an amateur.
“Frankie knows he can beat anyone, he's a class fighter. People said that we'd need to get his hands up more and really plant his feet for power shots but why do that? He can beat anyone in Britain and he does get power in his shots. Power can be about spinning guys and surprising them with your punches – Sugar Ray Leonard and Pernell Whittaker did it. Frankie is like Pernell Whittaker, he's so accurate.
“I used to hit people with massive right hands and it didn't move them because they could see them coming. Then you'd get in little surprise shots and people would go over because they are more accurate. Frankie is so quick and clever, he can knock anyone out when he lands clean.”
One of Farnell's other charges has had a tough time in recent fights. Tony Bellew was dropped against Bob Ajisafe last September. A points winner on the night the Liverpudlian was disappointed with his performance and promised to entertain in his next one, he was good as his word.
A December date with Ovill McKenzie more than made up for the snoozer against Ajisafe. Bellew was dropped twice, in the first and second stanzas; he regrouped, gaining the upper hand as the rounds passed before finishing his opponent at 2:46 of the eighth after McKenzie had been heavily floored by a left hook. Many felt that referee Phil Edwards ended it prematurely. The issue will be settled in February, they are meeting for the vacant British title left behind during Nathan Cleverly's rapid ascent.
Farnell, though, believes that 'Bomber' is destined to dominate 175lb division despite recent wobbles. “I know the potential Bellew has got, he's sparred some top, top guys and will win big world titles,” promised Farnell.
“I won't be satisfied until he's won that Lonsdale belt outright and gone for world titles. You won't get one fighter in Britain as focussed as Tony Bellew, he sets his mind to something and just does it.”
Ronnie Heffron is another of Farnell's prospects; the Oldham-based 20-year-old is 4-0 (3). Too easy to hit in his December 2009 début, Heffron worked on his defence and has looked a more polished operator during his last three outings.
“Ronnie is awesome, no one has seen how good he is yet but I've seen him do some world class stuff in the gym. I've been saying for ages that Ronnie needs to box more and get behind the jab, he will be a special fighter and he's very exciting. Everyone knows that Ronnie can win a war at this level but I want to see him boxing and then fighting to show everyone what he can really do,” mused Farnell before dismissing concerns over Heffron's eagerness during that first fight.
He said: “It was his début, a few nerves came in but you saw him in his last fight against Wayne Downing where he used his speed and the experience from sparring Gavin to get a first round win. He's coming on so much. As long as he enjoys it then that's the main thing because you won't get anywhere unless you're enjoy it.”
Speaking of enjoyment, the fighter turned teacher feels that developing talent is as exciting as fighting. As mentioned, Farnell did not want to hang up his gloves, retirement was forced upon him; he is adamant that nothing will force him to hang up the training mitts.
“I'm enjoying it big time, mate, because all I'd ever wanted in my life was boxing. I loved being a boxer and would rather have died before giving up in a fight. I was one of those who loved training but I found this miles more rewarding than boxing myself. I'm feeling all the same things my fighters feel – I throw every punch with them. It is like I'm the one doing the fighting. I'll go to bed every night thinking about upcoming fights and what my fighters need to do,” admitted Farnell.
A new gym, a growing stable of fighters and a sense of his own ability, 'The Warrior' cuts a happy figure; he is aware, however, of one or two voices of dissent, there those who believe that his relationship with promoter Frank Warren played a key role when landing Frankie Gavin and Tony Bellew. Although Bellew does not deny his close ties with Warren, he maintains that the fighters themselves have the final say over who trains them.
“We've got a top relationship and I showed loyalty to him as a fighter. I wasn't the greatest fighter in the world but Frank showed loyalty to me and always treated me well, he got me on a lot of bills and on Sky TV all the time. I should give him something back as well because he brought me back for big fights whenever I lost,” recalled Farnell.
“I've not got a contract with Frank, I'm with him because I'm loyal and that means more to me than a contract. If Frankie, Bellew and all the lads didn't rate me then they wouldn't be here. I tell lads to come here for a day or a week and if they don't like it then they shouldn't be here, but they've all wanted to stay on and train with me.
“I've also got a good relationship with [Warren's matchmaker] Dean [Powell] where we can disagree, put our opinions across and have a debate about it. We sometimes disagree but it is good to work things out that way. We've got a top relationship outside of boxing as well.
“People come to me because I'm proper one hundred percent for my fighters, I want them to do it for themselves, not for me or anyone else, so I give them everything I've got to help them win because I know that this is a tough business and fighters are tough guys. If I don't give it my all then why should a fighter give me his all? I'll go out of this game still giving it one hundred percent.”
Farnell, always so fiery as a boxer, is a laid back character these days, often joking about the shenanigans that are part-and-parcel of the sport. As a fighter, he was a scary, focussed character; as a trainer, his killer instinct is on a short leash.
“When you stand back from it, you see that there is too much back-stabbing in boxing. I would like to see everyone do their own thing but too many people want to be this and that. If we all work together then we can all spar our lads and improve them,” implored Farnell.
“But people don't want one guy sparring with another guy because of who he's with or who he's promoted by and it is no good for the sport. I take my lads everywhere for sparring. We went to Scotland for Bellew to spar Kenny Anderson. We go to London for sparring and stay over with the boxing lads there. We have a laugh. That is how boxing should be.”
Indeed, his fact-finding trips have taken him across the world, a visit to Gleason's Gym taught him that, when it comes to developing talent, there is no place like home. “I've been there twice now,” he said when asked about the Brooklyn-based gymnasium.
“I always go away for Christmas with my family so we went to New York a few times and I went to Gleason's Gym. I met guys like Mark Breland and got to see what their trainers were doing with the fighters. It was great but they really don't do anything we don't do here. We've got so many great trainers. British fighters don't have to go to America for training.
“Imagine if our country was the size of America, we'd have a load more top fighters and all the best trainers in the game. America is bigger than us but we produce a lot of good fighters and trainers, things are really good over here at the minute.”
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