By Matt Bozeat
ARLO Stephens has been in the ring with Anthony Joshua, Moses Itauma and Hughie Fury – but nobody has battered him like his own coach!
Stephens targets a third straight win in Sheffield on December 7 when he looks to build on his one-punch knockout of Viktar Chvarkou in Coventry in June.
Former pro heavyweight Billy Wilson taught Stephens how to box at his gym in York after he quit playing basketball to fight.
Stephens had a scholarship to play basketball in the United States and though good enough to be offered contracts to play in Europe, he decided to switch sports instead.
“The dream was always to make it in America,” he said, “so when I came back from America I had to find something else.
“I went to Billy’s gym and he ignored me for three weeks!
“I went to another gym for sparring, Billy found out about it and when I went back to his gym he snarled at me: ‘So, you want to fight, do you?’ and threw me some gloves.
“We got in the ring – and he absolutely battered me!
“I didn’t really know how to throw a punch, but I think he could see in my eyes that every time he hit me, I wanted to get him back. I didn’t know how to box so I couldn’t get him back. I was just swinging like a street fighter, but Billy liked that I wanted to kill him every time he hit me.
“He was the right person to spar me. He had been a heavyweight himself, so he wanted to know if I could do it.
“He knew how far he could take it, but at the time I thought he was going to beat me to death.
“After I survived that, I was part of the team. The next day I went in the gym Billy took me on the pads, I made my debut three weeks later and knocked the guy out in the first round.”
The wins – and knockouts – kept coming for the sculpted 6ft 6ins tall, 17 ½ stone Stephens.
He went on to win gold medals at Box Cups in Denmark and Ireland and reached the NAC final during his 38-bout amateur career before turning professional with ambitious promoters GBM.
They paid Stephens a £1,000 bonus for the knockout of the night on their show in Coventry in June.
“I could tell straightaway I was stronger,” said Stephens, “but I wanted him to let his hands go so I had chances to land.
“I just touched him and then the finishing punch went straight through him. I didn’t really feel it when it landed. I only knew it was a good shot when I saw his feet flying up in the air !”
