Richard Towers - from cell to excel

It's an exciting time for the domestic heavyweight scene. Decent champions in Sam Sexton and Derek Chisora, resurgent forces such as ex-European champion Audley Harrison and top prospects such as David Price and Tyson Fury. These are only a few of the names who hope to go on to bigger and better things in the next few years. They all share the same characteristic, they have all come up the traditional ABA route, they have all had that schooling from their formative years.

The greatest prospect of all however, could have come from a path far removed from the inertia of the amateur system. Sheffield's Richard Towers (8-0 6KO) has come from a much uglier, dangerous and violent road to become the one they all might have to beat. A massive puncher, with some of those unorthodox Ingle characteristics, this 30-year-old's story begins many years ago.

“I was always quite a good lad at school, my Mum brought me up well. It all went wrong when I started college, I saw people with more privileged backgrounds than me turning up in nicer cars and I decided I wanted some of that. It was then that I started selling cannabis and it opened a lot of doors for me. I started mixing with a lot of bad people. I started to stamp my authority and that was usually with violence. It was then that I started mixing with really bad guys, dealing in harder drugs and guns.”

When you live in that world, then it is only a matter of time before you end up either in prison or dead. And the inevitable happened in 1997 when Richard was hauled up on two attempted murder charges.

“I went around this house to do some business and these lads all got knives out and went for me. I think it was a case of mistaken identity but it all went off. I got a knife off one of them and I think I stabbed about five people. I did twelve months on remand while I was waiting for the case to be heard . In the end only two of them turned up to court and it was obvious they were looking for some compensation. They had started it and it all went pear shaped for them. Thankfully the judge saw it that was as well and I got found not guilty."

It was in prison that once again Richard stepped up the levels in his criminal career. Meeting more dangerous characters in the school of crime, he moved into selling more drugs and got involved in even more serious offences. Once again the inevitable occurred and this time there was no getting away.

“We had this known drug dealer kidnapped and tortured. He was taken somewhere and he was done with steam irons and other such things. We demanded a ransom for him but we let him go after three days."

This was serious business and the judiciary agreed. Though it is on record that Towers never took part in any of the torturing (he was convicted of participating in the conspiracy) his actions led to a thirteen year stretch.

It was then that his life began to turn around. This was a young man who faced at least six and a half years behind bars. The striking realisation that his liberty had been taken away hit home to the 6ft 8in giant.

“People say that prison is either easy or it is tough. Those who say it is easy really worry me. You have everything taken away from you. You are told when to eat, sleep, when to do everything. You never find any geniuses or professors in there. Apart from all the nonces and people who do things to women, I don't regard them as prisoners, I actually don't regard them as people, they are all people who have made mistakes, people who have chosen the wrong path in life.”

Being apart from his family also deeply affected Richard.

“Not only have they got to look over their shoulder cos of things that I have done, they have their own problems as well. I felt that as I was the older brother, I should be helping them and I could do nothing about it when I was in here.”

It was then that his new path began to lay itself out for Richard. A few workouts with a friend and a big conversation.

“I was working out with a friend. I have always been a good fighter, good genetics. I had loads of bare knuckle fights and I never lost one. Then when I started doing these circuit training sessions I realised I was quite fit as well. My mate said I should go down the Ingle gym. I had trained a for a bit there when I was a kid and I decided I would give it a go. Really, I won't take any credit for that decision, it was all my mate's idea.”

After six and a half years of a thirteen year sentence Towers was released and that is where that section of Richard's life ends. Towers looks back on those days.

“I don't want to sound like I am glorifying those times or making excuses. That was me and that was the life I chose. Now when I talk about it, it sounds like I am talking about somebody completely different, that just isn't me.”

Those tales were absolutely awful. But I have a great belief that people can change and that everybody deserves a second chance in life. Your past doesn't necessarily dictate your future. Speak to Richard now and he is an absolute gentleman, a man who youngsters look up to. Boxing has given him a chance to make something of his life and he has grasped that opportunity with both hands. When we judge Richard we should judge him by who he is now, not who he was. Richard is a success story, it is a shame we don't see more of them.

Let's begin the Richard Towers story part two. Towers is not out of the woods yet. Life is full of people who say 'this is the day that I change' and then quickly fall back into old ways. Richard on the other hand had no intention of proving himself all all talk.

“The first day I got out I spent with my family. The next day I went down Brendan Ingle's gym. I saw him and he looked me up and down.”

After sneering at Richard, he got in his face. The conversation was as follows.

Brendan - You ugly bastard.

Pause.

Brendan - You fucking ugly bastard.

Pause.

Brendan - You ugly black bastard.

Pause.

Brendan - Do you like me talking to you like that?

Towers (fuming) - I have just come from from prison and I'm not used to people speaking to me like that.

Brendan - If you can't take it off me, how the fuck are you going to take it off some drunken white guy who is sat ringside screaming at you cos he wants you to stop hitting his mate?

Richard explains.

“That's what Brendan is like, from the moment I met him he is teaching me lessons, not only in boxing but in life, I have so much to thank him for.”

It was then that the hard work started. Richard Towers, career criminal and hard man began to learn the boxing trade off arguably the most knowledgeable family in the whole of boxing. He remembers those early days.

“I went in to that gym at 18st 5. I never knew how to properly punch. In the street some guy would run up to me, I would close my eyes and he would be knocked out with one punch. I had no technique, I didn't know how I did it. Then I came here and there were 10st guys blasting holes out of me. But I just kept on learning and I kept on working.”

Richard Towers has now gone from the kind of guy we would cross the street to avoid, to the man a growing army would travel the country to see. Still, he puts it all down to to the teachings of Brendan, John and Dominic.

“Seriously Martin, what do I know? I just turn up to the gym and learn, I soak everything up. The only thing that I should take any credit for is resisting temptation. It is only recently that I have started earning decent money, with sponsorship and all that. It would have been easy for me to go back to crime but I didn't. I am doing something special here and that is all down to the Ingles, I'm so grateful.”

Still, despite Richard's good luck story, he is in one of the strongest heavyweight pools in years. Many names stand in the way of his journey to the top, men who have the same aspirations that he does. He has one message for all future opponents.

“I'm going to keep on working. I'm not interested in hype, I'm just going to try and defeat anyone who is in front of me. I will turn up, the rest will come. I will give you a story. Years back I saw an argument between a 30st guy and a 10st guy. The 30st guy was trying to bully the little man, it was obvious his size always let him get away anything. The little guy walked off and the big guy once again thought he was the hard man. It was then that the little guy came back and BANG, he left the bully on the floor, out cold with one shot.

"When that happened it crushed the big man, ruined him. What I'm saying is that you always have to have 100% respect for the man in front of you, if you don't that can happen. So I'm not going to start saying I'm going to do this and I'm going to do that to this guy or whatever guy. I just want them to know I'm going to turn up and then it's war, it's me or them.”

Still, despite the chilling statement of intent, the boxing brain that Brendan has installed comes in to play.

“You see, if me and you are both tough, orthodox fighters then we can have a good scrap, can't we? But what happens if I can fight orthodox but I can also do things unorthodox? That gives me the advantage. In the Ingle gym a lot of it is about not getting hit. There are little lads chasing me around the gym trying to kill me and I am trying to stay out of the way. Things like that make the difference.”

The future looks bright for the big man who has been earning rave reviews. Still, it was one piece of positive feedback that stood out above all others.

“After one of my fights Johnny Nelson said I looked very enthusiastic. Look at Johnny and what he has done, I feel over privileged for a man like that, a man who has achieved so much to say something like that about me. That was so accurate and that is what I want people to know about me, it's how much I love the sport. It's not about the fame, it's the love of what I'm doing, those butterflies will never go. I have promised Brendan. John and Dom that I will always give 100% in what I'm doing. They could throw me in with a world champion and I will give it my all. Yes, I know I would be out of my depth but I will lay it all on the line.”

Richard Towers has come a long way, further than most would have thought was possible. But the question remains, how far can he go? Richard has no idea but knows he could be on the cusp of something really great.

“I am learning every day in the gym. It is very rare that in any walk of life you can see immediate results. Here, in boxing I pick something up right away and it's there. I don't think about what I'm doing, I'm a blank canvas and I am learning from everyone, every day it is something new. Even the kids, they come in and say 'Richard, you're great.' But I am learning things off them. I have people who are going to push me in the the right direction and there is a pool of talent inside me that I haven't even dipped into yet. I really think I can reach the highest level, I'm serious. Maybe I'm over hoping but I'm going to aim for the stars and I feel I can get there."

So it seems that the journey is only just beginning. A man whose life could have been extinguished could be on the verge of creating a legacy that will never die. To me, that is a success in itself.

Richard Towers, the future is waiting.