Fighting On The Inside - Part One

BoxRec News correspondent Paul Foley spent some time behind the scenes at Saturday night's televised bill with one of boxing's newer 'characters' - Yassine El Maachi.  The Morrocan stopped Alex Spitko in the third round.  The 30-year-old (11-4) isn't lacking in confidence.

"I don't want to bad mouth anyone but I've sparred with the British light-middleweight champion Anthony Small and he couldn't touch me.

"I'd love to fight any of the champions out there right now, all I need is the opportunity and I believe I can beat any of them."

A few thoughts in Hennessy's programme from the man labelled by ITV 4 as the loner. El Macchi could well be the best kept secret in British boxing.

After watching last Friday's "A Nightmare in Wigan" featuring Small himself, what better way to cheer myself up than to take an in depth close up look at the inside world of the self-proclaimed "Showman."

I arrived just before 6pm eager to find El Macchi. With the undercard action already under way (Cadman and Duncan were at it on my arrival) I began to enquire via the security how to locate and gain access to him. 

My night was about to take a slight back seat as my blue wristband didn't allow me any further than ringside. Watching many fighting spirits over the last twenty-five years then began to rub off on me.

After walking several miles to the Brentwood Centre I wasn't about to settle for that! Thankfully the security directed me to one of Hennessey's team and good on this young lady for gladly handing me an all area access white wristband.

No sooner had I crossed the threshold to entering the backstage, the smile and sound of Yassine soon greeted me and I was escorted into his dressing room and he asked me to sit down.

At about 6.30, trainer Kevin Maree began to wrap El Macchi's hands. The dressing room was calm but as is normally the case a little starved of space. On the opposite bench was young Phil Fury while Southern Area welterweight challenger Mark Douglas was seated next to me.

"Serious tonight," said the collected figure of Maree. Yassine though smiling was a little grieved with opponent Alex Spitko. "It's not the weight I wanted." Late Saturday afternoon Spitko weighed in for a light-middleweight contest at a whopping 11st 9lbs, almost four pounds more than middleweight Darren Barker and his challenger Danny Butler.

Little but very muscular Yassine scaled a mere 10st 12lbs. What does Maree think about this? "They know Yassine won't pull out of a fight." But weight is not Maree's worry. "We never duck a fight. I get nervous the opponent will run away."

Yassine shows no signs of nerves or pre-fight tension. At one point he even took his mobile phone to answer a friend's request for tickets. With this it reminds me of another showman of yesteryear, none other than the "Gifted One" Kirkland Laing who is seen on video telling his trainer the key to victory is "Just relax and be myself."

The great quality with Yassine is it's all part of his personality. Having met him on public transport several times and shared many conversations, Macchi is not faking. It is incredibly difficult to dislike him and astonished promoters have been like slowed down snails in giving him a break .

He even finds time to help a toddler crying for his Daddy in the corridor after Maree asked for a few minutes alone. But Yassine being Yassine can't sit still for too long!

Back in the dressing room, Maree begins to slightly loosen the handwraps as the action gets a little hoter inside. For the first time tonight Yassine looks and sounds upset.  Douglas's team had just helped themselves to Macchi's twelve bottles of water.

"It's our water. Leave some for us."

While this is all going on Yassine's wife and child were at their East London home awaiting the first live screening of their man.

Yassine pulls out a petite energy drink but is not too sure about its contents. "What is this?" he questions as he gazes at the bottle before cooly swallowing.

A tall stocky Nigerian man then strolls into the dressing room. Don Charles is another of Yassine's trainer. He has been around the fight game for some time and describes the showman as "extraordinary and a joy to work with." Charles is a little louder and more eccentric than Maree.

While Kevin quietly gets on with buisness, Don begins to increase the volume level telling me that Yassine may soon change names from the showman to the magican because what he does in the ring is "Magic."

An hour has passed and it's time to glove up. As Yassine begins to strip and prepare for action Maree compliments his sculptured torso.

"You look in great shape, Yass."

The fight itself is drawing ever closer and the dressing room door starts to be knocked on and opened frequently with TV crew and other trainers. But Yassine is still smiling.

His trainer's tactics are to let the opponent worry about Yassine. Maree and Charles are convinced Macchi will be a world champion if given the chance.

Yassine begins to tap the hands of trainer Charles. Don offers some words of advice. "Tone the showboating down tonight and don't get complacent."

"Left, right, roll,roll, left, right," come the instructions from Charles. Yassine obliges with fierce punches and loud grunts.

"Yes sir, stick again. Yep, Yep, roll properly," Again Macchi obeys.  "Thank you, that's the roll."

So what makes this team tick? According to Don it's the mutal respect between trainer and fighter. Don has seen and worked with plenty of talent, but what stands out with Yassine is he is teachable.

With a warning from TV: "You will be on in about seven minutes", Yassine begins to punch the wall. On the other side of it is Spitko. I wonder what was going through his mind as the wall began to shake and sound.

A team huddle and a few stretches and Yassine enters the corridor bouncing and running. Members of the Ingle team begin to smile.

Maree says the fight will be over in three.