Three Trainers To Look Out For In 2023
Over the years, the UK has had some of the finest boxing coaches in the world, from the late Brendan Ingle to the likes of Jimmy Tibbs and Enzo Calzaghe. Now, though, there is a new generation of coaches from these shores who are slowly starting to make a name for themselves on the global scene, and we’ve picked out three gyms who could be set for a year to remember in 2023.
Grant Smith - Steel City Gym (Sheffield)
Training out of Sheffield, the softly spoken Grant Smith is one of the most highly rated trainers in the UK at the moment.
Originally an amateur coach at the city’s Steel City Gym, he led a successful team there before rising to fame in the professional ranks with Sunny and Charlie Edwards. Since leading the brothers to world titles, Grant’s son and one of the biggest prospects turned contenders in English boxing, Dalton Smith, has gone to 13-0 and won the British Super-Lightweight title in the process.
Also under Smith’s tutelage currently are undefeated prospects Junaid Bostan and Nico Leivars, along with the Albanian King himself, Florian Marku.
With his current stable having a combined record of over 50 fights and no losses, Grant is certainly a trainer to watch out for this year. Sunny is expected to finally get a mega fight with the likes of Bam Rodriguez or Julio Cesar Martinez, Dalton and Florian will be hopefully knocking on the door for world honours at the back end of the year while Junaid and Nico will aim to continue their boxing apprenticeships and remain undefeated over the next 12 months.
If all does go to plan, you can almost guarantee Grant will be a lot of people’s trainer of the year for 2023.
Paul Stevenson - Everton Red Triangle (Liverpool)
Another gym which has thrived off its amateur success in recent years, Paul Stevenson is currently guiding arguably the best crop of young fighters to come out of Liverpool in recent years.
Leading the way is the hard-hitting featherweight Nick Ball. He rose to prominence when grinding down Isaac Lowe on the Fury-Whyte undercard in front of a sold out Wembley Stadium and then followed that up by taking his KO streak to four with wins over Nathanael Kakololo and Jesus Ramirez Rubio.
Just behind Ball in terms of professional experience in the gym are three potential super-bantamweight standouts for 2023. Andrew Cain, who has claimed nine stoppage wins from his 10 outings in the paid ranks so far, the exciting Olympian Peter McGrail who has been faultless in his six professional fights to date and Bradley Strand who is also unbeaten after nine fights.
(From left to right) - Nick Ball, Peter McGrail, Joe McGrail, Andrew Cain, Paul Stevenson & Bradley Strand
Ball is probably one fight away from getting a crack at a world title while Cain and McGrail will both be aiming to get themselves into a position where they will be challenging for a world title either towards the end of this year or in early 2024.
With boxing potentially being removed from the Olympics in 2024, and almost certainly in 2028, a big year for Paul Stevenson and Everton Red Triangle may well see the next crop of British superstars take the plunge and turn professional a lot earlier than expected.
Alan Smith and Eddie Lam - iBox Gym (London)
The final gym we’re taking a look at is the iBox Gym in London where Alan Smith and Eddie Lam both currently ply their trade.
Probably one of the most consistent gyms in the UK for producing talent over recent years, they currently have one of the most exciting stables not only in the UK, but globally.
With the likes of Dennis McCann, Skye Nicolson and Sam Noakes all on their books, they will all be looking to get themselves into world title contention by the end of this year.
Also on Smith and Lam’s books is the exciting super-lightweight sensation Pierce O’Leary, from Dublin, who has stopped four of his last five opponents and cemented himself as one of Ireland’s biggest hopes of a world champion in the coming years.
With a big year ahead across the board for the iBox Gym, we’d be very surprised if there isn’t some type of world title heading there in the next 12 months.
