SOUTH WALES bare knuckle boxer Liam ‘Rocky’ Rees travels to Leeds next weekend to meet Yorkshire’s Scott McHugh in the main event on BYB32 the Leeds Brawl and plans to return as winner of the Police Gazette Diamond Belt at super welterweight.
‘I’ve won my previous three bare knuckle bouts with BKB and been their British champion twice,’ explained Rees. ‘I switched to bare knuckle having won thirteen gloved boxing matches and intend to stick with it. I got interested through bare knuckle fighter Daniel Lerwell who arranged for me to get on a show. I’m so grateful to him. I love the bare knuckle world and feel at home in our triangular ring, the trigon. The adrenalin-based excitement and exhilaration felt be everyone at a bare-knuckle show is so much more intense than in gloved boxing. It can be scary as you’ve no idea if you’ll come out of the
trigon unscathed. That makes it more challenging. Anything can happen.’
Swansea born Rees, 30, grew up in Trawllwn but now lives with his wife, two young children and teenage niece in Townhill. The former student of Talycoppa Primary and then Birchgrove Comprehensive was a panel beater but wanted more of a challenge and qualified as a carpenter. He now runs his own building and home improvements company. Rees admits that despite always wanting to keep fit he’s had dark periods in life. ‘I battled a drug addiction for five years prior to meeting Jason Williams who’s become my coach and my inspiration. I’d been in some dark places, worse than anything I’ll face in the trigon. I’m most indebted, though, to my wife. The person who never gave up on me and has always encouraged me with boxing as the best way to keep focused and disciplined to be a good father. I’m a family man but busy with my fight training but we’ll be spending Halloween together at our seaside caravan.’
BYB was set up as BKB in 2014 by Jim Freeman Dove, now 47, who’d ‘enjoyed the testosterone-fuelled atmosphere of hard men fighting bare knuckle in hay bales’ but saw that ‘to grow the sport it needed to become more family-friendly and care better for the boxers and to do so it would need to cast off its dubious image,’ explained Dove. ‘We’ve made it a professional outfit. We’ve had no serious injuries in a hundred shows and foremost is our duty of care to the fighters. You’ll find experienced referees and the most qualified medical staff at our events.’
‘There can be no doubt that bare knuckle has a more dangerous appearance than gloved boxing with injuries such as lacerations being much more dramatic, and some fights can be a bloodbath. As the fights are relatively short head trauma is reduced. The fact is that few bouts go the full distance which is a maximum of five two-minute rounds. Knowing they’re professional athletes on professional shows
enhances the commitment of elite athletes like Liam Rees.’
‘I thrive from being the underdog,’ said Rees. I’ve enjoy seeing expressions of shocked delight when I’ve beaten a tough opponent. I’m humbled at the opportunity to be having this shot at this elite belt against one of the biggest most experienced names in bare knuckle, Yorkshire’s Scott McHugh. It will be a privilege to share the ring with him. The audience will be enthralled. I intend to be a world
champion. Get to America and beat some of their tasty fighters.’
Jason Williams and his son Kienan coach Rees at Boxer Tricks. ‘I’m training virtually full time,’ stated Rees. ‘Jason and Kienan have moulded me. I couldn’t imagine anyone else in my corner. Jonathan Radridge is my strength and conditioning trainer. He turns me into the fighting hulk. Aidan Thomas at the Performance Academy is my nutritionist with Steve Edge, my sports therapist, looking after me and attending to any injuries. This team is the secret to an even better performance by ‘Rocky’ Rees. Elite athletes rely on sponsors. ‘I can’t express the depth of my appreciation. Many thanks to Cattle and Co, Resin and Co, Factory Gym and Castle Howell H&T Electrical, CGL Contractors, ASL Plumbing & Heating, South Wales Crusher & Digger Hire, The Spud Stop, Trostre Car Sales, ALR Installations Ltd,
Spartan Waste, Chromenet Metals, PRG Windows, National Plastics and Steve Edge Sports Therapist. Other potential sponsors can contact Rees via social media.
