52 | September 15, 2016 | cambridge-news.co.uk | Cambridge News BOXING BOXING CLEVER: Richard Maynard who has launched his own boxing press and PR firm Picture: Keith Jones Maynard helping top boxers pack a punch in the media TYSON Fury and David Haye are a fighter goes through, biggest bouts Maynard has been both literally and metaphorically so I’ve experienced both involved with and we go through two of the biggest heavyweights in AARON MASON sides in the ring.” a list of Calzaghe’s dates with the this country, if not the world. aaron.mason It was that knowledge, likes of Jeff Lacy, Mikkel Kessler and But in a sports media world @cambridge-news.co.uk along with his formal Hopkins. dominated by the great god of qualifications, that no But it is the 2005 IBF world football, they still need to get their Barry Hearn and Mick Hennessy, doubt appealed to War- light-welterweight title clash be- names out there to ensure they over the years and I’ve estab- ren after Maynard sent a tween Hatton and Kostya Tszyu in maintain a high profile and their lished a good reputation. speculative letter to him Manchester that stands out for him. bouts get huge audiences, both live “I just felt now was the perfect on leaving ARU in 1999. Maynard said: “That was the and on television. time to go out and give it a try. And Maynard went on biggest night of my life with work. That is where Richard Maynard The first person I’ve started work- to work with some of the At the time Kostya Tszyu was seen comes in. ing with is David Haye on his next biggest hitters in boxing as the best boxer in the world After 17 years working as press fight against Shannon Briggs, and including Mike Tyson, pound-for-pound and Ricky just officer for renowned boxing then Mick Hennessy said about Bernard Hopkins, Roy blew him out of the water. promoter Frank Warren, Maynard working on the Fury-Klitschko BOXING EXPERIENCE: Richard Maynard during his Jones, Joe Calzaghe and “It’s the culmination of every- recently decided to go it alone and fight, so two great ones. Cambridge ABC days Ricky Hatton. body’s work, it’s a lot of people set up his own business, Maynard “It was a big risk going out on One of his first jobs was making the right fights at the right Communications. my own after 17 years, especially helping promote Tyson’s times so they come along at the It is fair to say he has hit the when you’ve got bills to pay, but it at the renowned Ingle Gym in clash with Julius Francis in Man- right speed, then it’s press and PR ground running with his first two seems to be paying off really well.” Sheffield, which has produced the chester in January 2000. that comes into it. clients being former WBA world Maynard knows what it is like to likes of Naseem Hamed, Kell Brook He said: “The first time I met Tyson, “There are just a lot of different champion Haye, who has won be inside the ring himself after box- and unbeaten Chatteris prospect he was an absolute delight and we factors to create a fight like that, but the first two contests of his recent ing as an amateur for two years with Jordan Gill. were sat there talking to him and it it is enjoyable. comeback, and Hennessy Sports, Cambridge ABC, having grown up “I learned the ropes from was great, then second time he came “No-one knew Ricky Hatton who have brought him in to publi- in the city and gone to Chesterton Brendan (Ingle), doing hand back (five months later for a bout with when he first started, so you’re tak- cise the rematch between reigning Village College as a youngster. wraps, washing out spit buckets, it Lou Savarese in Glasgow) and he was ing someone from ground level and WBA, WBO and IBO world champi- At the same time as he was fight- was just being around the boxing just a totally different character. You getting them in the local papers on Fury and Wladimir Klitschko at ing, Maynard was studying for a environment,” said Maynard. just couldn’t go near him and he was and starting off at leisure centres Manchester Arena on October 29. business degree at Anglia Ruskin “I only had about 10 bouts very surly.” with 700 people in Wythenshawe. And he has also become the University after completing a sports myself, but I did it more for the But his experience suggests most “Then you get to the MEN (Are- British representative for top US- science qualification at Cambridge experience. boxers are prepared to go through na) and build it up nationally. Each based promoter Richard Schaefer’s Regional College. “It’s not the level of professional the media motions with minimum fight gets bigger and bigger and you Ringstar Sports operation. And during holidays, he would fighters, but it’s still getting be- fuss. fill arenas, so it’s a development you Maynard said it had been tough spend time on work experience tween the ropes and seeing what “Out of all the sports, boxing is see over five or six years.” to make the break from Warren, the most grounded and easy to Maynard admitted one of the but felt it was the right time to do work with,” said Maynard. toughest sides to the job was the so and hopes his new venture is “The boxers are all incredibly lack of regular working hours – not a success. helpful, but it’s a grounded, work- that he is complaining. He said: “I just came to the ing men’s sport. “It’s not nine to five, you’re up point in my life where I wanted “When I was working with Ricky early and when you’re working with to go in a different direction. Hatton, he was the most down-to- the USA, if it’s 8pm there, it’s 4am “I wanted to set up my earth person. You’d often find him here so you have to adjust to that own PR company and I’ve in the pub playing darts.” time,” he said. made a lot of contacts The talk turns to the “You’re travelling around the in the business over the country, pitching up in cities and years. BIG HITTERS: towns and you’re working there for “I’ve worked with every David Haye a week, but when you enjoy what promoter in association (left) and you’re doing, it makes the job much with Frank, people like Tyson Fury easier.” CRICKET: Former England wicketkeeper Steve Davies is to leave Surrey at the end of this season after turning down a new two-year contract..