By John Hargate
On the Lee Selby vs. John Simpson undercard at the York Hall on the 14th of December, Steve O’Meara defends his Southern Area light-middleweight title against Thamesmead’s twenty-seven year old Nathan Wiese, 7(1)-1-2.
O’Meara shocked his fans, the boxing establishment and himself when he iced Ryan Toms in the first round of their West London derby with a pinpoint left hook. Steve admitted at the time that it was the best punch he’d ever thrown.
Wiese - pronounced ‘Weez’ - is coming off a six round draw with big punching Toms, despite being dropped in the third. I caught up with Nathan and his trainer Mark Tibbs at the TRAD TKO gym in Canning Town this week to get their views on the upcoming fight.
Both offered their thoughts on the O’Meara shot that pole-axed Toms. “It was a good punch, it was definitely a good punch,” admitted Wiese, nodding. I said that no-one could have foreseen the fight ending so suddenly and so quickly and Nathan concurred. “No definitely not. He’s not known for being a big puncher. I think he was quite shocked himself."
Mark Tibbs is rapidly making a name for himself as a top trainer in his own right - his father Jimmy is one of Britain’s most respected and most admired trainers. Mark expanded on that infamous O’Meara hook. “I saw that shot which Steve knocked Ryan Toms out with. It was just one of those things. [Ryan’s] mind was in attack mode and Steve clipped him. Timing. Basically timing and looseness. Hit’em in the right spot and anyone can go over, it doesn’t matter who you are - if you don’t see it coming you’re going to go. It wasn’t a great powerful shot - he just caught him right and I think it shocked Steve that night!”
Comparisons are bound to be made between the way both men dealt with Ryan Toms. “I was winning the fight and I got caught with a good shot and it stumbled me,” Nathan explained. “That’s the only reason they gave it a draw, they wouldn’t have done but for that. I think I would have won the fight.”
I asked Nathan if he’d ever been hurt like that before. “In my professional career it’s the first time I have been, because he’s a big puncher Ryan Toms. He shocked me with his power, he’s a big puncher. But I thought I did well to get back into the fight. Recovered, got back in the fight and managed to get a draw.”
Mark Tibbs is genial, friendly and warm - but he’s not shy about telling it like it is. “I’ve got to be honest with you - like I have been with Nathan. I thought he was lucky because he got put down and got a draw. Luck was on our side that night but I feel like Nathan deserves this shot.”
Nathan talked me through how he was going to approach the O’Meara fight. “Steve O’Meara, he’s more of a stylist, more of a laid back boxer so it’s going to be a completely different fight. I think his style will suit me more. Ryan Toms was an awkward southpaw - awkward style, awkward to box. Steve O’Meara, he’s orthodox and I’ve got to change my tactics a bit. He’s the Champion. I’ve got to go out there and put it on him, put the pressure on him and win the fight. I’ve got to go and stamp my authority on the fight. Go forward, outwork him, and out hustle him.”
Mark Tibbs added a note of caution. “I don’t think it is [Nathan’s] game (to bring it to Steve). I can’t see Nathan doing that and I don’t really want him doing that. I feel like it’s going to be a bit of a boxing match and a chess match - I hope it’s not going to be a boring match! But I want him to be nice and busy. Heavy at times - light and busy and heavy at times. Which he will do. He can’t go out there being heavy all the time because he’ll run out of steam. He’s only human.”
“Nathan has got to be busy and after every trade and after every combination he’s got to end up with a double jab or a jab. Or slip and slide. He’s got to look busy and he’s got to look alive basically. He’s got to look alive when he ain’t even working. It’s painful but we’ve got to deal with the pain. Nathan has had great sparring and been put under pressure. He’s been working with Frank Buglioni who’s a bloody super-middleweight! [Frank’s] been under orders but he’s put him under plenty of pressure. [Nathan] can deal with pressure.”
Mark continued. “I think they’re both on the same sort of level (O’Meara and Wiese). I think (the O’Meara camp) are underestimating Nathan and I think that’s a good thing. He’s got a great heart, Nathan. A lot of people whispered things in my earhole about Nathan Wiese when he started working with me but I said ‘let me see it for myself please’ because I need to see things for myself to eliminate everything.”
I asked Mark what sort of things he’d been told. “Things like he’s a moaner and groaner, that he doesn’t like hard work - he doesn’t try, he doesn’t give it his all. But he’s done everything - he’s given everything. He’s ticked all those boxes for me.”
“Perhaps those trainers couldn’t get the best out of him.” Mark shrugged. “I feel like I’ve done my job in getting the best out of Nathan. Everything I’ve done with him since I’ve been working with him - he’s always delivered, he’s always given me his time and energy. He hasn’t always delivered what I want from him but it’s not through lack of trying or because of moans and groans. Can’t ask for no more than that. I really feel that it’s his time now.”
I mentioned to Nathan that O’Meara had told me after his KO of Toms that he thought his own power was underestimated and asked Nathan if he thought - with just the lone stoppage on his record - that he punched harder than the numbers suggested. “I’ve only got one knockout on my record you know. But I think I’m a much bigger puncher than my record suggests. You fight them journeymen, they’re so good at tucking up, they’re so hard to catch clean. The one person I knocked out was a 50/50 fight. I definitely think my power is underestimated.”
