Unsung Hero – Oliver Harrison

Unsung Hero - Oliver Harrison

Each Friday we pay homage to a boxing ‘unsung hero’. The lifeblood of the sport - the men and women who have contributed so much and asked for so little, who have saved lives and transformed futures.

This week we pay tribute to Oliver Harrison - trainer of champions, but more importantly a pillar of the Salford community and a mentor and friend to so many. Aged just 58, Oliver died after battling cancer in 2019.

Oliver guided the early part of Amir Khan's stellar professional career and enjoyed huge success with fighters including Maverick Stars ambassadors Jamie Moore and Derry Mathews, Anthony Farnell, Martin Murray, and Rocky Fielding.

Jamie said: "He made my career. If it wasn't for me coming across Oliver Harrison in my life, there's no way I would've gone on to achieve what I achieved, mainly because he believed in me when nobody else did."

"He was just an amazing person. He always shied away from the limelight; he didn't want it. It was all about the fighters," Martin added.

Nominate your boxing unsung hero via the contact page at:

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 @maverickstars1                     maverickstarstrust

Brad ‘The Sting’ Rea

Brad 'The Sting' Rea

Maverick Stars Trust is delighted to welcome one of the UK’s top boxing prospects to its list of Ambassadors. Unbeaten middleweight, Brad Rea, has joined forces with the charity to help coach and mentor young people struggling in mainstream education.

The 23year old from Stretford, trained by Blain Younis at Ricky Hatton’s gym in Hyde, has so far amassed an outstanding record of ten fights, ten wins with four stoppages. The St John’s ABC amateur has appeared on Matchroom cards, catching the eye on Sky Sports in his last fight, a one-round demolition of fellow unbeaten fighter Lee Cutler.

Speaking of his new alliance with Maverick Stars, Brad said: "I really enjoy the coaching side of boxing," he said. "I basically grew up in a boxing gym and I know all about the benefits of the sport and how it can help young people stay on the right path.

“Maverick Stars is doing amazing work throughout boxing and I’m delighted to get on board.”

Unsung Hero – Joe Pennington

Unsung Hero - Joe Pennington

Each Friday we pay homage to a boxing ‘unsung hero’. The lifeblood of the sport - the men and women who have contributed so much and asked for so little, who have saved lives and transformed futures.

This week we turn our attention to Joe Pennington, head coach at Northside ABC in Manchester. The club is one of the busiest and most prolific boxing gyms in the north west, churning out dozens of national amateur champions and top professionals, all under Joe's watchful eye.

Nominating Joe, Maverick Stars ambassador Anthony Crolla said: "Northside is a fantastic gym that's creating so many talented fighters. Joe goes under the radar a bit, but his work is well know within boxing. He's typical of coaches that put in so much of their time to helps kids develop not just as boxers, but as people. He's made his mark on hundreds of people in Manchester and beyond.

"He's also a very familiar face on the pro scene - he's in the corner for all kinds of fighters, not just prospects. He's on the road all the time, often looking after journeymen, helping them make a good living. He's a great man."

Pic credit: BBTV

Nominate your boxing unsung hero via the contact page at:

www.maverickstars.co.uk

Or message us via:

 @maverickstars1                     maverickstarstrust

The Finest Gym in Manchester

The Finest Gym in Manchester

The Finest Gym in Manchester is joining forces with Maverick Stars Trust to deliver initiatives to get young people moving again. But while it's good news for now, the club needs to find a new long-term home as the area is set for regeneration.

Steve Maylett, The Finest ABC

The doors to the Ancoats gym have been closed throughout lockdown, with only elite professional boxers allowed to train. Along with serving its immediate area, the gym is a safe hub for young people from the surrounding districts of Miles Platting, Collyhurst, Newton Heath and beyond.

Head coach Steve Maylett outlined plans for the new alliance: "I used to work with young people who'd been excluded from schools. That was my background, working with Manchester College for 12 years. That's always been my passion. Charlotte [Maverick Stars founder] asked if I'd like to set up some sessions. We're going to start running one project a week."

One initiative will be the hugely successful 'Sting Like a Bee' which has been rolled out in gyms throughout Greater Manchester, Merseyside, the north east and the south coast.

In the meantime, The Finest Gym in Manchester will continue its outstanding work in the community. Steve and the team are hoping to stay in their home for as long as possible, although they know the small industrial unit where they're based has been sold to property developers.

 

Unsung Hero – Mick Maguire

Unsung Hero - Mick Maguire

Each Friday we pay homage to a boxing ‘unsung hero’. The lifeblood of the sport - the men and women who have contributed so much and asked for so little, who have saved lives and transformed futures.

This week, it's the turn of Jewellery Quarter ABC Head Coach and England Boxing's female development coach Mick Maguire.

Mick has nurtured young boxing talent from the Birmingham area for decades, and is responsible for the development of Maverick Stars Trust ambassador and Team GB star Delicious Orie.

"Mick Maguire, absolute legend of a man," said DJ. "He's looked after me ever since the start of my boxing journey and took me all around the nation entering me in tournaments.

"I couldn't thank this man enough," he added. "Over the years I started to realise that this guy's doing it because of the love of the sport  and the love of helping people, and that's why he's my unsung hero."

Nominate your boxing unsung hero via the contact page at:

www.maverickstars.co.uk

Or message us via:

@maverickstars1           maverickstarstrust

Unsung Hero – George Vaughan

Unsung Hero - George Vaughan (nominated by Derry Mathews)

Each Friday we pay homage to a boxing ‘unsung hero’. The lifeblood of the sport - the men and women who have contributed so much and asked for so little, who have saved lives and transformed futures.

This week, we celebrate the work of veteran trainer George Vaughan, nominated by his former fighter and now fellow coach, Derry Mathews.

George and Jazza
Jazza Dickens

Alongside his number two Derry, Georgie is currently deep in camp with Jazza Dickens as he prepares for his date with destiny against Kid Galahad. The fight for the vacant IBF featherweight world title is scheduled for June.

“If there’s something in boxing that George doesn’t know, then it’s not worth knowing,” said Derry. “He’s had Olympic medallists, ABA champions, British, Commonwealth, European and World [champions]. He’s done everything in boxing. But because he doesn’t do social media or do interviews, I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves.

“Everyone loves him, but George is just George. He’s there for the fighter and he always says it’s about the fighter and not about anyone else. What he’s done for me, as a fighter, as a man, as a coach, you can’t buy it and I just keep learning off him every day.”

Nominate your boxing unsung hero via the contact page at:

www.maverickstars.co.uk

Or message us via:

@maverickstars1          maverickstarstrust

Unsung Hero – Jane Couch nominates Tom Foley

Unsung Hero - Jane Couch nominates Tom Foley

Each Friday we pay homage to a boxing ‘unsung hero’. The lifeblood of the sport - the men and women who have contributed so much and asked for so little, who have saved lives and transformed futures.           

This week, we have one unsung hero nominating another. Nobody has done more for women’s boxing in recent times than the incomparable Jane Couch MBE.  The ‘Fleetwood Assassin’ battled the authorities to win the right for women to box legally in the UK. She paved the way for the Olympians and current world champions to ply their trade.

Jane was crowned world champion five times and took on the very best – often fighting at short notice with little or no recompense - during a pro boxing career that stretched from the mid-90’s to 2008.

Since retiring, Jane has dedicated her life to helping others and she is a regular fixture at Barton Hill ABC in Bristol. Head coach at the gym is Tom Foley, a man Jane says is typical of so many volunteers who devote their time – and money - to support their community.

“He opened up Barton Hill boxing club years and years ago and he pays the rent every year – I think it’s five thousand a year – to keep the club running. He’s never had any funding and the kids are so reliant on the club, it’s such a deprived area. He does other stuff there, charity events to raise money for it [the club].

“He’s just a really good all-round bloke that’s just in it for the community and it’s well needed.”

 

Nominate your boxing unsung hero via the contact page at:

www.maverickstars.co.uk

Or message us via:

 @maverickstars1                     maverickstarstrust

Fighting For His People

Fighting For His People

Liverpool’s Jazza Dickens is training hard for the biggest fight of his life – a shot at the vacant IBF featherweight title – but the chance to help families struggling with addiction means more than any shiny championship belt ever could.

The affable scouser is now in camp for the forthcoming fight with long-time rival Kid Galahad. The pair met as young unbeaten pros in a British title fight in 2013 with the Sheffield man claiming a tenth-round stoppage.

So, revenge as well as world honours are driving factors for Jazza, but despite the life-changing opportunity in the ring, it is the help he can offer others on the other side of the ropes that is the real motivation for the 29year old.

Throughout his childhood, Jazza watched his father Colin struggle with drug addiction. Although they were testing times and the scars remain, father and son managed to maintain their relationship – through snooker! Now the pair have joined forces with Maverick Stars Trust to deliver weekly sessions helping families of addiction re-engage with each other through sport, fun activities, and special guest speakers.

“I’ve suffered the effects of years of substance abuse,” Jazza explains. “I want to show people how me and my Dad built our relationship. It’s one thing being inside addiction, it’s another completely different thing being outside of it. It’s worlds apart. It’s hard to function together when all you know is one way.”

The ‘Jazza in the CommUNITY’ programme will be based at the Derry Mathews Boxing Academy on the edge of Liverpool city centre. Families will be encouraged to attend the free sessions, aimed at providing exactly the kind of support Jazza longed for when he was a child.

“The parent can feel forgiven. The child will always forgive the parent,” Jazza says, “It’s just having the tools to do it and the support. That’s the main thing. Not only does the child need to feel they’re cared for and loved and they can go forward with their life, but the parent can also do that too.”

Happily, Colin is now eleven years in recovery and the bond between father and son is evident as they laugh and chat whilst standing inside one of the boxing rings at the gym located upstairs at Marybone Community Centre

“We used to play snooker one day a week to help build our relationship,” Colin says. “When you come into the real world after you stop using, you’re faced with ‘who am I?’ You’re faced with shame and guilt and lots of sadness at how you behaved.  You’re hit with the reality that your son witnessed all this stuff.”

Colin’s story is one of pain and regret, but also love. After several stays in detox units, it was a dramatic turn of events that eventually led to his moment of clarity and the long road to getting clean.

“I’d walked out of six detoxes,” he says with a shrug. “That last time I had a house fire. I was in hospital for three days and I came back home to my house and the windows were burnt out upstairs and I sat there thinking, ‘what’s become of my life?’

“Jazza, he’d moved out by now as I’d moved to another level of addiction. All the boxing England stuff and trophies went up in that fire, didn’t they lad!’” Colin says, turning and smiling at Jazza. “All the boxing stuff you won; it all went in that fire. I can remember crying, thinking, ‘what next? What else am I going to lose?’

Currently closed due to the pandemic, boxing gyms are set to reopen to the public on April 12. The families of addiction initiative - in partnership with Maverick Stars - is ready and waiting to welcome people into a unique support bubble.

“I asked for help and I changed something,” Colin adds. “That’s what’s needed for people that come here. They’re going to be cared for. They’re going to see a child [Jazza] who’s been there, who’s been sad and lonely, who’s focussed and persevered with areas of his life and is now in a position to give back to others. It’s totally unique.”

Jazza leans against the ropes while he listens to his Dad speak. Then, with a smile that could brighten any room, he adds. “There are people desperate for this kind of stuff. There is love out there. It can work. It will work.”

For more information about ‘Jazza in the CommUNITY’ contact us via out website:  www.maverickstars.co.uk  or drop us a message at either:   @maverickstars1     maverickstarstrust

Unsung Hero – Mark Davidson

Unsung Hero – Mark Davidson

Each Friday we pay homage to a boxing ‘unsung hero’. The lifeblood of the sport - the men and women who have contributed so much and asked for so little, who have saved lives and transformed futures.

This week, we turn our attention to Mark Davidson, Head Coach at Timperley ABC in Greater Manchester. Like most boxing gyms in the UK, Mark’s gym on the Broomwood estate offers a haven for young people to socialise, train and compete. The gym is also a community hub and at the centre of many Maverick Stars initiatives including ‘Sting Like a Bee’ and ‘Fit and Fed’.

Mark is also, indirectly, responsible for the Maverick Stars Trust coming to fruition, as founder Charlotte Gilley explained.

“If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be sat here now knee-deep in boxing! I set up this charity specifically for the boxing community and it’s all because he saw something in me. I needed a self-esteem boost and I got it from that [boxing].

“He does amazing things. He’s the textbook amateur coach who puts in hours and hours in of his own time. It’s not about champions in that gym, it’s about young kids from the estate coming in – if they box, they box.”

The next mission for Charlotte is to oversee a vital extension to Timperley ABC’s gym. The club has a long waiting list and Mark has been in the unenviable position of having to turn young people away from training as he cannot accommodate them.

Click here to hear the full interview with Maverick Stars Trust founder, Charlotte Gilley….

 

Nominate your boxing unsung hero via the contact page at:

www.maverickstars.co.uk

Or message us via:

 @maverickstars1                     maverickstarstrust

Unsung Hero – Kelvyn Travis

Unsung Hero - Kelvyn Travis

Each Friday we pay homage to a boxing ‘unsung hero’. The lifeblood of the sport - the men and women who have contributed so much and asked for so little, who have saved lives and transformed futures.

This week we focus on a man credited with guiding Audley Harrison to super-heavyweight gold at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. It was a success story that led to a massive boost in funding for elite amateur boxing in Great Britain, a change that paved the way for Amir Khan, James DeGale, Luke Campbell, Anthony Joshua, Nicola Adams and so many more.

But that contribution barely scratches the surface in terms of the impact and achievements of Oldham’s Kelvyn Travis. In paying homage to the man, Nigel Travis said:

“He’s right up there with the best unsung heroes I’ve ever known. He’s been coaching for more than 50 years and has worked tirelessly with the grassroots of our sport. He’s carried out nearly all his work as a volunteer – many hours in gyms over many, many years.

“He became a national coach and performance coach and helped set up what is now the GB Boxing centre in Sheffield. He was instrumental in all of it and has helped develop some of the elite fighters in our sport, working at the very highest level.

“He works tirelessly as an amateur and professional coach. He is in gyms around the country on a daily basis and is especially important to Moss Side Fire Station Boxing Club, where he is simply known as ‘The Boss’.  I might be the head coach at the gym, but I dance to his tune. He’s everything to the gym, and he’s my Dad.”

 

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