I HAVE been attending boxing shows for over 30 years. I regularly used to head to London with my father to watch Frank Bruno at Wembley Arena. I was even lucky enough to be taken into the dressing room at Wembley to meet big Frank. Fast-forward 30-plus years and I headed back to Wembley Arena last month with my 12-year-old son, Oliver. Five years ago, we watched Jack Catterall on a small show in Manchester – we’ve been following him ever since. Shortly after arriving at Wembley Arena, my very good friend and one of the nicest guys in boxing, Kerry Kayes, rang me to see where we were, as Jack had asked if Oliver would like to carry his WBO Inter-Continental belt to the ring. Within minutes, we were in Jack’s changing room with Kerry and coaches Jamie Moore and Nigel Travis. They couldn’t have made Oliver feel more welcome as he watched Jack warming up. Jack made his way to the ring proudly followed by Oliver carrying the belt. Jack, Kerry, Jamie and Nigel gave a young lad a moment he’ll never forget. I want to thank them again. Jack is a fantastic ambassador for the sport and a great role model, while I am truly honoured to have Kerry as a friend.
Richard Bamber
REGRETTABLE SITUATION