Walsh still punching his weight in boxing world

GERRY WALSH has been training the former number one light heavyweight contender in the world. The old Sarnian Boxing Club coach now spends half the year living on Australia's Gold Coast.

When there, 73-year-old Walsh lends his expertise at the Police Boxing Club in Tweed Heads where he has helped train fighter Paul 'Firepower' Briggs, who was the WBC's number one light heavyweight contender.

'He's quick, he's a good mover and he hits very hard,' said Walsh about Briggs.

'The punches come in quick and he's difficult to hit. I think I've only seen him put down once and he got back up straight away.

'He's a very quiet man. He's a very talented young man and I think if he was in Britain he would have been boxing for a title a lot more because there's a great number of boxers in the USA and there's a long line of them.'

The 32-year-old Briggs currently lives in California and has signed with uber-promoter Don King.

He has had two shots at the world title against champion Tomasz Adamek of Poland.

The first one in May 2005 ended up a majority decision to Adamek even though Briggs did stagger the champion a number of times with some crunching blows.

The re-match was booked in October last year after both fighters won their subsequent tune up fights.

But again it was Adamek who had his arm raised at the end of the fight again when it came down to another points decision in the Pole's favour.

'They could have gone either way. They were very close decisions.

'Paul had him down in both bouts but he didn't finish the job.'

Walsh himself had a distinguished boxing career.

Born in Dublin, he moved to Bristol at a young age and he represented both Ireland and the British army as an amateur boxer, fighting in the light-welterweight category.

Following his retirement from the ring he set up the Newmans Amateur Boxing Club in Bristol in 1962, which he disbanded when he moved to Guernsey in 1969.

After spending a couple of years with the Amalgamated Boys' Club, he formed the Sarnian Boxing Club in 1974, which ran for more than 20 years.

The club was well known for its highly successful Sunday night boxing shows at the Carlton that were always a sell out.

Among the many local boxers that he coached was his son Matt who is widely regarded as one of the best fighters to come out of the island.

Walsh Junior represented England as a schoolboy.

And even now, in his early 70s, Walsh Senior still likes to get involved in the nitty gritty of the gym. He is certainly still fit enough.

'Everyone likes to get in the ring with me,' he said.

'I'm very fast and I move round the ring a lot. I've still got great bounce in the legs and they've got to be fit to stay with me.

'A lot like to come in and do speed work with me.

'Most days when I'm not training I do a 10km run.

'And I'm playing golf three or four times a week.'

Walsh also helps out run special 'boxercise' sessions with women at the gym. He says that it is incredibly successful all round Australia.

'It gives mobility, strength and dexterity and they love it,' he said.

'It's so popular that they could fill the sessions twice fold.'

It was with that in mind that Walsh was saddened to learn that Guernsey's only boxing club had been turning away women saying that they did not have the facilities or resources to offer their services to females.

'I am disappointed that the Amalgamated Boys Club have turned females away,' he said.

'If that's what girls and young ladies want to do then they should be allowed to do it. The club should make every effort to cater for them.

'I think it's disappointing that they were turned away and I think they should be encouraged.'