Jack Turner is looking to become the next British knockout artist from the lower weight divisions.
The hard-hitting Liverpudlian has made a name for himself in recent times, blasting through 12 of his 13 foes, and will aim to do the same Saturday against Juan Carlos Martinez Urbina at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena. Knockouts are virtually unheard of for a British junior bantamweight, but Turner, who is trained by Joe McNally at the Rotunda ABC in Liverpool, seems to have dynamite in his hands.
“I don't know where it’s come from, but everyone who I hit or even anyone who takes me on the pads or anything says I hit really hard for the size of me,” Turner told BoxingScene. “So, yeah, I think I'm blessed with it. I was stopping people as a kid, and you don't really see that with big gloves on and head guards.”
Turner, with his wild hooks buckling the legs of his opponents as soon as one lands on their chin, has become one of the most entertaining fighters in the country. Watching the 24-year-old Turner in action, it’s difficult not to draw comparisons to another hard-hitting fighter from the lower weight divisions: “Prince” Naseem Hamed. Turner admitted that he used to watch videos of the flashy Hamed’s style on YouTube as a child.
“‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed, he was a brilliant fighter – well, actually one of my favorite fighters to watch, he was so entertaining,” Turner said. “You don't really see many big hitters at these lower weight classes. So when you're obviously watching the boxing, people tend to carry on watching them.”
Turner has picked up high praise from renowned trainer, cutman and Rival Boxing owner Russ Anber (who also is a contributor to BoxingScene). The well-respected Anber has been in the corner for the likes of Artur Beterbiev and Vasiliy Lomachenko, but he names Turner as the pound-for-pound hardest-hitter he has worked with.
“Yeah, it's a massive compliment,” Turner said. “And plus, Russ is a proper boxing man and a Hall of Famer, and he only tells the truth.”
Turner is slowly climbing the world rankings and is currently ranked in the top 10 by both the WBA and IBF. So how far away is the 13-0 (12 KOs) Turner from a shot at world honors?
“Yeah, I don't think I'm too far away from a title shot,” he said. “If I keep going the way I am, if I keep doing what I've been doing – knocking people out and performing the way I've been performing – then, yeah, well, titles are gonna be knocking on the door. But just fight by fight, really, step by step, I listen to my team and my managers and go from there.”
Tom Ivers is a lifelong fight fan and former amateur boxer who has a master’s degree in sports journalism. Tom joined BoxingScene in 2024 and is now a key part of the UK and social media teams.
