06.04.08 Exclusive Paul Appleby interview

Paul Appleby: “John Simpson has got nothing to worry me”

By Andrew Wake

http://www.LiveFight.com

Jimmy Greaves used to say of soccer “It’s a funny old game.” And in many ways the same can be said of boxing. Some professional fighters can win fight after fight, gaining valuable ring experience, but never reach the stage where they are truly ready to step in the championship class, while other fighters enter the paid ranks with the attitude of “If you’re good enough, you’re ready” and have the intention of collecting baubles as quickly as possible.

20 year old South Queensferry puncher Paul “Chuckles” Appleby is a boxer in the mould of the latter rather than the former. This June, in only his 12th professional contest, the Scottish youngster will challenge fellow Scotsman John Simpson for the British featherweight crown.

This past week I caught up with Appleby and got the low-down on his thoughts, past and preparations.

How is your training going for the Simpson fight?

Trainings gone brilliant. I’ve been working real hard, training two or three times a day already and I’m only five pounds over the weight now. It will be a hard fight but I think I’ll beat him. I’ll just keep it long to begin with but if I hurt him, I’ll go in and finish it. I can box but I like to go in and fight.

What do you of think John Simpson?

He’s really confident and he looks quite strong. I’ve sparred with a few people he’s sparred with and they’ve said that I’m stronger and hit harder but he looks strong when I’ve seen him on the telly. I think I’ll be the first person to stop him. If I can’t stop him I’ll just outbox him and win on points. He cuts as well so I’ll aim to mark him up.

How much does it mean to you to be fighting for the British title at such an early stage in your career?

It’s brilliant. The reason I turned pro was to win the Lonsdale belt. I just want to get that and then concentrate on winning it outright. It’s a lovely belt with a lot of history and just to win it outright would make me happy.

After you’ve won the British title outright, then what?

I’d like to win the British, the Commonwealth and the European and then go for a world title instead of winning the British and taking a world title fight straightaway. Alex Arthur has done it that way.

What do you say to people who believe that the fight with John Simpson is coming too early for you?

Well, I’ve been on some websites and read a few things but I try to stay off them because it just annoys me when I read things like that. If you’re good enough it doesn’t matter when it comes and I think I’m good enough to win. My step mum goes on some of the forums and I tell her not to because a lot of what they say [forum posters] is a load of rubbish.

Thinking right back to your childhood, what made you want to start boxing?

My dad had this wee trophy and I was like ‘Where’d you get that?’ and told me from boxing so I wanted to win some trophies. I’d seen all my uncle’s trophies as well, because my dad, my uncles and most of my family boxed and I wanted to take it even further they had.

Didn’t one of your uncles once beat former world lightweight champion Ken Buchanan?

Aye, my uncle Billy beat him. They had a few fights as amateurs, six fights or something. Billy didn’t stick at it [boxing] though and didn’t take to the stage I wanna get to. He got involved in other things but I’m determined to do well.

In the past you’ve sparred with Alex Arthur. How did you find sparring someone who is at World title level?

It’s brilliant sparring. I just need to keep my hands up at all times because he can hit and he’s quite strong and that, but if I box Alex I can get the better of him. If I mix it with him it’s hard but if I keep it long I’m alright.

You had a decent amateur career but I believe you were involved in an incident in Austria that led to you being banned from the amateur game, what can you tell me about that?

I’d didn’t do anything. I got jumped by some Hungarian’s with hockey sticks, five of them like, for knocking one of them out in sparring and I got banned for it even though I didn’t do anything wrong, but that’s what it’s like the amateurs.

Obviously that’s all in the past and you’ve come into the professional ranks now. How have you found the transition?

Pro is much better. I didn’t like the headguards and bigger gloves [in the amateurs]. It’s better with the wee gloves because one punch can change the whole fight and that’s what I like. In the amateurs they get points for anything, just wee taps, and it’s a joke. When I went into my first pro fight I knew I was suited. It was only a six-twos but I managed to stop him [Graeme Higginson in the third round] and I’ve improved since. I still have to work on stuff like defence but I’ll get that sorted for the fight with John Simpson.

What would you say has been the toughest fight of your career so far?

Probably my last fight [against Ferenc Szabo] even though I stopped him in the third round because he was a lot bigger than me. I was hitting with body shots and he was spring back up, I’m not used that. When I’ve been sparring I’ve been hitting people with body shots and they didn’t get up like that. Mickey Coveney was a tough fight as well. I should have stopped him but it was in his hometown. I could have stopped Mingaleev too because I hurt but it was only a fourth rounder.

Is there anything you want to say in closing?

I’m 110 percent confident I’ll beat Simpson, he’s got nothing to bother me. He’s small and doesn’t hit hard enough so I’m not worried. Yousef Al Hamidi dropped him with a left hook and if I catch him with one of my left hooks to the body then it’ll be good night.

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