By Terence Dooley
Manchester’s crowd pleasing welterweight Danny ‘Randy’ Randall will return to action during the new season under the guidance of Bobby Rimmer and Kerry Kayes. Randall motored to 4-0 before deciding to take a break from the sport. Kayes had also taken a sabbatical; the two men have now hooked up with Rimmer and are aiming for a September comeback date.
Randall previously trained under Joe Gallagher at Kayes’s Betta Bodies boxing gym. The 25-year-old has joined Rimmer in a bid to get his career back on track after spending eleven months on the sidelines.
“With the current success of the gym it was a very hard decision for me to leave,” revealed Randall. “I will miss all the lads. I know what it takes to become a champion. I feel I can use everything I learned to help reach my goal of becoming British champion, following in the footsteps of my good friend John Murray. I know I have made the right decision. With the extra one-to-one help I needed and will receive from Bobby Rimmer, I’m sure I will have all the tools for the job when I relaunch my career in September.”
Rimmer operates out of his Dukinfield gym. The former fighter worked alongside Billy Graham and Kayes during Ricky Hatton’s rise to the light-welterweight crown. Kayes retired from working the corner after Randall’s third win, a decision over Daniel Thorpe at the MEN last April. Kerry is set to dust down his second’s jacket and assist Rimmer.
“Kerry Kayes has been there every step of the way for me from the age of fourteen-years-old when I boxed for England in the Multi-Nation’s,” recalled Randall.
“Kerry helped me with my diet and nutrition even before he joined forces with Ricky Hatton. He is always there for any help advice boxing or otherwise and he also provides all my CNP nutritional supplements that help me train and recover to be able to compete at the level I need. All worthwhile achievement is the result of a team effort. With the team I have with Kerry and Bobby, I’m sure I can do well in the sport.”
Kayes is equally happy to be back at the business end of boxing. He deals with a number of fighters on a consultancy basis but has missed working the corner. The nutritionist has a close bond with Randall, telling me that he gets goose bumps when recalling Randall’s debut victory.
“I'm really pleased that Danny is boxing again. His first fight was against the undefeated Abul Tahir on the undercard of John Murray’s win over Jon Thaxton in October 2009. Danny sold over 100 tickets, it was a four rounder but that is probably one of the most exciting fights I ever worked. ITV were having their production meeting and they finished it prematurely to watch the end of the contest,” enthused Kayes.
“In the dressing room before the fight Danny had asked me to give him his t-shirt which had on it ‘Team Randall’ as his relations were in the audience. I had also had a new one printed with ‘Randy Randall’ on it. After this exciting fight, he put on the ‘Randy’ Randall t-shirt. Dan turned his back to all his fans, put up his right hand and pointed to the name, that’s where he got his nickname ‘Randy’ Randall.”
Adding: “It is great to be working with Danny and Bobby again. I’ll look forward to working Danny’s corner when he comes back in September.”
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