Evans tips Mendy to become a future world champion

Veteran trainer Jim Evans has tipped Patrick ‘The Tiger’ Mendy to become a future world champion after the 19-year-old became the youngest ever winner of the Prizefighter series on Wednesday evening.

"I've been in the game 66 years and potentially he's the best fighter I've ever had. I've had a few good fighters but it's early days. In four years time, this kid will be the middleweight champion of the world. It's a bold statement to make but I feel entitled to say it,” said Evans in an interview with BBC Berkshire.

"I'm going to talk to [promoter] Barry Hearn next week about a deal so that I can hopefully develop him properly. I've been putting Patrick in tough fights because to get him a fight is a payday and the kid's got to live."

Mendy, originally from Gambia but now based in Maidenhead under the tutelage of Evans, sported a misleading 5-4 record going into the Prizefighter super-middleweight tournament. However, impressive victories over Sam Horton (TKO1), Daniel Cadman (Pts) and English champion Paul David (Pts) in the final firmly marked Mendy as one to watch for the future.

‘The Tiger’ will have to wait until he is 20 though before he can contest a major title and as a Gambian national Mendy is currently ineligible to contest the European title held by Belfast’s Brian Magee. Despite his Prizefighter triumph however, Evans is intent on bringing the raw but talented Mendy along slowly after a tough beginning to his 15 month career.

Mendy has been beaten four times in his 12 fights since turning pro last March. On each occasion his setbacks have come against unbeaten fighters on points. In his first pro outing Patrick gave a stone away to fellow debutant Travis Dickinson (l pts 4) and conceded a close decision to another debutant in Tobias Webb in a four-rounder eight days later. Mendy’s other losses have come against Sheffield’s Jez Wilson by a single point over eight rounds and against Scotland’s former amateur star Kenny Anderson over the same trip in March, a fight some ringsiders believe Mendy won (Evans isn’t one of them, refreshingly).

“He's been boxing men much older and much heavier than him and that's not fair. It's not the right way to develop a fighter. If I carry on this way he'll be punched out by the time he's 22. I've always predicted that Patrick Mendy will be the Commonwealth middleweight champion - not super middleweight because he's comfortable at a weight lower.”

Mendy was lined up to meet the late Irish Olympic bronze medalist Darren Sutherland on October 5 last year before Darren tragically took his own life. Three weeks later though, Patrick produced a typically all-action display to snap the unbeaten record of former ABA finalist Marlon Reid on points over six rounds to underline his reputation as an emerging dark horse.

Following Mendy’s superb performances to win Prizefighter, Evans’ best kept secret is now firmly out of the bag.