A Trip of a Lifetime For Boxing’s East End Boys

 
EVERY once in a while an opportunity of a lifetime arises for every one of us.

 
Whether it’s an opportunity to advance in a chosen career path, meeting an idol, or learning from valuable and respected people.

 
To Brian Butler and his pupils from the East End Boxing Gym in Croydon, a special opportunity has arisen from all three of these categories.

 
Butler recently spoke to Aus-Boxing directly from Los Angeles and fills us in on his team’s once in a lifetime opportunity.

 
The Croydon-based Butler has long been lauded as one of Australia’s premier amateur boxing coaches. Guiding the career of Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist, Andrew Moloney, along with his twin brother Jason and others in his gym to national titles.

 
Now Butler has entered the professional ranks, he has taken the initiative to take some of his star pupils on a boxing trip to the city of angels, Los Angeles.

 
He called and spoke to Aus-Boxing about some of the opportunities that have presented itself thus far, including exclusive time with world boxing’s premier trainer, Freddie Roach and Manny Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning guru, Aussie native, Justin Fortune.

 
“Yeah look, the boys have had a fantastic time so far,” said Butler in an exclusive interview with Aus-Boxing. “We have had Andrew and Jason Moloney, Paul Watson, Jayde Mitchell, Rhett Butler, Len Mitchell, Ron Picken, Pat Connolly, Lynden Hosking (former Australian and Commonwealth champion) and Simon Alessi who have come for the trip.,”

 
“We have obviously just put a real focus on the fighters in our touring party them being the Moloney boys, Paul Watson, and Jayde Mitchell to get some good quality sparring and to meet some influential people in the business and to experience the buzz of the sport in the US,”

 
“We have brought our support staff here as well and like the fighters, they’ve been learning a lot as well”. explains Butler.

 
The party have so far been welcomed into Freddie Roach’s exclusive Wild Card Gym in Hollywood and have been looked after with front row tickets to the Julio Cesar Chavez Jr vs. Andrzej Fonfara bout at the Stub Hub Centre in Carson, CA over the weekend.

 
They all posed for photos with notable identities that were ringside in Abel Sanchez, Chris Arreola, and former world champion and Showtime boxing analyst, Paulie Malignaggi.

 
After getting off the phone to Butler, the party were just about to head out for some sparring and some conditioning work at Fortune Gym which, as previously mentioned, is owned and operated by strength and conditioning guru and Aussie native, Justin Fortune.

 
It was time with Roach that very much had all involved spellbound. Butler elaborates.

 
“Freddie was just a real gentleman to all of us,” Butler added. “He took us to an exclusive part of his gym where only the likes of Cotto, Pacquiao and Provodnikov train. All the boys met Brian Viloria (former unified flyweight world champion), as well as London 2012 Olympian and undefeated star, Jose Ramirez,”

 
“Cotto is expected in the gym tomorrow and between myself and Freddie we have arranged sparring sessions at the gym for Andy and Jason to spar Viloria and Roger “Speedy” Gonzalez who spars with Manny Pacquiao,”

 
In a move to perhaps establish contacts with the bigger players in the industry moving forward, (especially with the talent of both Moloney brothers) Butler said the trip has been an invaluable experience and said he had a lot of help, including sponsorship and support personnel.

 
“I don’t want to name everyone individually but they all know who they are, and I just want to thank them from the bottom of my heart,” Butler continued. “It is an experience we will all take away being so much better for it,”

 
 
Words: Dan Smart (Follow Dan on Twitter @dansmart76)
Photo: East End Boxing