Femi Fehintola Ready To Turn Heads in Sheffield Return
By Terence Dooley
Bradford’s Femi Fehintola makes his ring return later tonight when he takes on Sid Razak over at the City Hall, Sheffield. Spookily, Femi takes on Razak a year to the night from his last fight, that shocking third-round KO at the fists of Ryan Barrett, a fight in which Femi lost the English super-feather title that he had won via a ten-round war with Steven Bell in 2007.
Femi, 27, joined Joe Gallagher’s Denton-based gym earlier this year; he is hoping that a switch in his training situation will unlock his potential. Indeed, Fehintola has been counting down the days ahead of his first fight of 2009; the likeable boxer told me that he is chomping at the bit ahead of Saturday’s engagement. “I can’t wait,” revealed Fehintola.
“I’m being a moody bastard right now. I can’t wait to get weighed in and have the fight. It will be twelve-months to the day since the Ryan Barrett fight – I couldn’t believe it until I saw the poster the other day. I just want to get going.”
The Barrett shocker left Femi questioning his future in the sport. After a period of reflection the boxer decided to part company with previous trainer Richard Poxon, a change of scenery has worked wonders; Femi has trained that reverse out of his system. “Without a doubt,” he confirmed when talking about the loss.
“I barely think about that now. I’m a competitive boxer and want to avenge defeats but I don’t lose sleep over Ryan Barrett. I want him again, obviously, and would take him after this one but maybe it will happen in a few fights. Dennis [Hobson] takes care of that. As far as preparation has gone, I’m in the best shape for this six-rounder than I was for any of my title fights.
“Joe Gallagher kept his promise, he told me that he’d give me a new start and that’s what happened. I’ve got top sparring with John and Joe Murray, Anthony Crolla and Seamus Macklin – I’ve noticed massive improvements in Crolla as well. The atmosphere is great; you’ve been to the gym. You go there in a bad mood and come out smiling again; I’ve got the buzz back.
“If I‘d have known then what I know now I’d have been here from the start but everything happens for a reason. I’ve always been close with Kerry Kayes, which is a massive help when it comes to making the weight. When’ve you ever heard of me having days off running up to the fight? My weight has been that good that I’ve been able to have the odd day off as Kerry has got it bang-on. My body is in great shape, I’m punching harder, I’m faster and it will all come together on Saturday.”
Femi came to Gallagher’s gym massively overweight and under motivated. The man from Bradford has rediscovered his mojo, though; he is convinced that he is in the best shape of his life. “I’ve come from 12 stone 5 to 9 stone 10 for this fight. You saw me that first day back in the gym. I’m the slimmer of the year,” laughed Femi.
“The sparring at the gym makes us all bounce of each other. Me and Crolla said that 2010 will be our year and we’ll open some eyes up. Joe Murray is going to get to the top as well, you can see that, he fights a bit similar to John and is a clever, clever fighter. He fights like a legend at times for someone his age so all credit to Joe Gallagher.
“John Murray performs to the level of the person in front of him, he still has that relentlessness in sparring and he might throw about 10 or 12 shots but they all land on the button, he is like a Julius Cesar Chavez, so calculated in what he does.
“Compared to the sparring I had for Carl Johanneson and Steven Bell this is on another level, you can’t compare. I looked at my training dairy the other day and I’ve had about 80-plus rounds for this one.”
Femi’s defeat to Barrett was a shocker. Fehintola had been defeated, and stopped, in his only previous loss but this had been at the fists of the then-hot Carl Johanneson for Carl’s British title, to lose to Ryan, and lose so cleanly, was a shocking setback for Femi, who confessed that his mind was not 100% on the job that night.
“It was a massive shock,” stressed Femi. “I got beat, it was Ryan’s time and he’s got the belt. My dad was dying of cancer during that time and he has since passed on, god bless him, I was training myself as there was stuff going on with Richard and Dennis [Hobson] that wasn’t right.
“Richard didn’t know if I was running for one mile or ten miles. It weren’t easy to make the weight. I hadn’t fought for eight-months and it was my first fight in eighteenth months, then I get a switch in opponents and get Ryan – who is a gangly southpaw. Fair play to Ryan though, he did his job and had his night so I am gunning for him now. I’ll sleep really well at night once I’ve got a rematch with him.
“Ryan has still got the belt. It is looking like Gary Sykes is avoiding him as Gary won an eliminator with Crolla and is ducking out the fight; no one wants to fight Ryan but I would take him on. I’ll have two fights back and then I’m taking belts. Joe and Kerry will decide if I stay or go to lightweight but I know I’ll get belts with them.”
In the meantime, though, Femi must focus on the fight with Razak. Sid has a 4-34 (1) slate but he did manage to pick up a rare win recently, against debutant Eddie Meskry, and he was also deemed unlucky when losing to hot-prospect Alfonso Vieyra back in July. Look past the stats and you will see Sid for what he is, a tough guy who will try to beat you if you let your own standards slip.
“Sid is a tough lad,” confirmed Femi. “These lads go out and fight every week. Sid has lost a few but he won in Sheffield the other week. I’m not looking at Sid and what he does - I’m looking at myself and giving a performance on the night. Obviously I’m rusty, a little bit nervous as well but I have prepared for this fight as a tough test. Every fight I have is a step closer to a dream of winning titles so I’ve prepared for this like it’s a world title fight. I’ve done a twelve-week camp for this fight and I’m in great shape. I’ll have this fight then be back in the gym next Wednesday.”
Fehintola, currently 19-2 (1), also wanted to stress that he would keep faith with his manager Dennis Hobson. Fight Academy is out in the cold at the moment TV-wise but Fehintola believes that Dennis is the best manager in Britain.
He declared: “I believe Dennis as a manager will get me there. Dennis will do what is in my best interests. He’ll work with promoters to get me fights. When I’m settled at the weight Dennis will come good. Look at what he did for Clinton Woods. I’ve got full faith in Dennis. We are more of a family. We’ve had people sticking their oars in during weak points and trying to get between me and Dennis but we are a lot stronger than that. I know that Dennis is the man for me.”
Amateur starlet Liam Cameron turns pro on this card, he could be one to watch in the future; Boxingscene will be there to bring you news, interviews and results from this non-TV card.
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