Rendall Munroe named BBBoC's Boxer of the Year
Boxing bin man Rendall Munroe took a brief break from emptying the refuge in Leicester to lift the British Boxing Board of Control's prestigious Boxer of the Year Award.
The Leicester super-bantamweight, who recently failed in his brave bid to wrest the WBC world title from the brilliant Japanese champion Toshiaki Nishioka, received his trophy from the Board at the Grand Connaught in London.
Munroe faced strong competition for the award, with world champions David Haye, Amir Khan, Carl Froch and WBO number one contender Nathan Cleverly the other nominees in the category. However, his thrilling wins over Simone Maludrottu, in a European title defence, and Victor Terrazas (pictured above left), in a WBC world title final eliminator, during the domestic boxing year saw Munroe take the decision. The fact Munroe scooped the award first indicates the current strength in depth of British boxing and the high regard Munroe is held in by his fellow professionals, governing body and media alike.
Recent winners of the award also show how far Rendall has come in the sport with the list reading like a who's who of British boxing. As Barry McGuigan, Nigel Benn, Lennox Lewis, Naseem Hamed, Joe Calzaghe and Ricky Hatton among those who have received the trophy.
"It was a brilliant day," said Munroe, who admitted that he felt the trophy might be destined to end up in other, considerably bigger, hands.
"I've been nominated three years on the trot and every time it seems somebody else has won a world title or done something at world level. I thought David Haye would have got it this year.
"Sometimes you are ready to pick up these awards but I thought this time, with the other names there, that I might be second or third. So when they read out my name I was shocked. But it is a great feeling to have won it."
His manager, Mike Shinfield, has no doubts about why Munroe took the vote. "Rendall is one of the people," he said. "He isn't a superstar who struts about. He just comes across as an ordinary lad."
Munroe is due to return to full training in the gym next Monday and his second assault on the elite of the super-bantamweight division is still being plotted in the wake of his WBC world title defeat to Toshiaki Nishioka.
The BBBoC have ordered Nottingham's Jason Booth to defend his British title against the Leicester man and friend early next year. However, Shinfield believes there are still other options out there for Munroe, including shots at his former European or Commonwealth belts.
"We will be sitting down and looking at which way Rendall goes,'' Shinfield said. "There are a number of options that are still open to him."
Munroe added, "The business side I leave down to Mike and (promoter) Frank Maloney. The training is down to Jason Shinfield and myself. It has worked for me so you don't fix it if it isn't broken."
Story courtesy of www.frankmaloney.com
