Skegness, the long-standing holiday destination, situated on Britain’s east coast, revered for its arcades, caravan homes, sea, sand, and fish & chips isn’t known for its professional boxing scene. But former Army serviceman Ben Lawler (left), a resident of the popular seaside town, is making headlines for swapping punches, one of the first from the town to do so for over half a century.

“There was a pro in the ‘50s called Harry Ramsden- I know he sounds like the Fish & Chips man!” Ben explained. “He was a pro and I’m still the only pro from Skegness and one of the only boxers to keep going. No one’s ever done it as an amateur, or if they did they probably had two or three fights and stopped.”

Last Friday the enthusiastic 25-year-old, who has a fight lined up for the second week of March, loosened up for the scheduled date, punching the body bag and shadow boxing in Carl Greaves’ Newark gym, before hitting the bags in the stable he decided to join after training there with professional boxer Amir Unsworth.

Ben said: “I was coming up here with Amir, training with Carl, and Carl turned round one day and said ‘Do you fancy going pro, you’re quite tasty?’, so I took the chance, left the Army and signed over, turned pro with Carl straight away.”

He added: “The only thing I’ve ever done is box. I boxed as an amateur and had over 35 fights as a kid. I joined the Army about seven years ago and I was on the Army boxing team, obviously went all around Iraq and Afghanistan and places like that. But even when I joined the Army I went to box. I didn’t actually go out there to fight! I was a driver in the Royal Logistics Core, just driving lorries. But I spent most of my time in the boxing team, training the boxers. I enjoyed it. It was the best time of my life for seven years.”

The neat boxing Midlands Area light-welterweight champion (6-2) won the title by beating Gavin Deacon in his previous fight, being ahead after four rounds before the action was stopped with Deacon cut and unable to continue following a clash of heads. Ben said he was delighted lifting the belt from the Northamptonshire boxer, who had beaten his stable-mate Amir to win the title in May 2009.

“I never won anything as an amateur, anything, obviously, as a pro. Winning my first title I was over the moon. I couldn’t train for two weeks I was completely gobsmacked!” he enthused. “It’s just so good to have something to your name to say ‘I was that’. I can say that to the kids, you know what I mean. I was chuffed to bits. Especially to do it in his home town and he was the champion that was even better.

“Even he [Deacon] said I outpointed him first round, second round, and third round, won every round and we clashed heads, but it wasn’t intentional. Even if you look at the video I go to throw a right hand and he’s come in. So in theory it’s his own fault, not my fault. But I was winning every round anyway for the first four rounds.”

The holder defends his title against Dean Harrison (15-3) at the top of a bill at the Civic Hall in Wolverhampton on March 14th, pushed back from the original date of February 28th.

“I know he’s a good boxer, he’s got a good amateur pedigree,” Ben said of his future opponent. “He’s had a good run as a pro with 15 and three. He challenged for the English and British [light-welterweight titles] and I’ve watched him on YouTube and obviously he’s no mug. But I’ll push him to his limit and hopefully he will break.”

Will the experience make a difference?                                               

“It will do because he’s got a good amateur pedigree, anyone that’s got a good amateur pedigree when they start to go on a downer they go back to basics. So he’s going to be good, it’s the hardest fight of my life, I know that. But I’m ready for the step up. I’m always in the shadows all the time, it’s my turn to step up.”

There’s always a good amount of fans that file off the coaches, after the long trip from Skegness, instantly filling the small-hall arenas with noise as their man enters the ring. Ben said the supporters help keep him focused.

“I’ve never had a fight at home, if I had a fight at home I’d fill the place out,” he said. “It’s always around Lincolnshire and Newark. Obviously went over to Northampton, brought 60, 70 people and they just love it, they have a few beers in the day time and they’re on it all day so there’s a good cheer. It really gives you a buzz and keeps me going in there.”

“Realistically, the ultimate dream would be an English or British title,” Ben replied when asked to elaborate on his boxing ‘dream’ for which he left the Army. “Hopefully, step by step, sticking with Carl, listening to what he says, hopefully, we’ll get that in a few years. I know I’m not going to get it in the next two or three years, but I’ve got five or six years to play with, I’m only 25 so just see how things go.”