By Terry Dooley
FIGHTERS sparring other fighters only to find out they have been given an offer to fight them for real is not uncommon. Indeed, West Midlands-based Tyler Denny (19-2-3, 1 KO) had an inkling that after doing some rounds with undefeated hot prospect Hamzah Sheeraz (20-0, 16 KOs) earlier this year there was a distinct chance that he might be inking a deal to defend his EBU middleweight title against the 25-year-old.
The 33-year-old southpaw’s suspicions were confirmed when the call came to meet the Ilford-based boxer on the undercard of Daniel Dubois’s maiden defence of the IBF heavyweight title against Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium.
It is a new experience, being Denny’s first open-air stadium bout. It also presents a fresh challenge right off the bat of his fifth-round Technical Decision win over the then-undefeated Felix Cash in June, his first defence of the title he won by beating holder Matteo Signani last November (W TKO 8).
For Denny, though, it is water off a duck’s back. When Boxing News caught up with him at the Black Country Boxing (BCB) gym in Wednesbury, he had unwrapped his hands after wrapping up his final sparring session. It was a bright, Indian Summer’s afternoon. The heat meant that the steam rose from Denning’s body and hit the ceiling then dispersed and clung to the gym’s walls as he outlined how the fight came to fruition.
“Sparring is one thing, this will be different,” he said. “It got put towards me and I thought: ‘Sheeraz? Yes. Wembley Stadium. Yes. Undercard of Dubois-Joshua. Yes. Just send me that contract.’ It is the easiest fight I’ve ever had to say ‘Yes’ to.
“I know that anything less than 100% won’t get me the win so 100% is where I’ll be. There’s also no fuel to add to this fight, I’ve been an underdog many times. It gives me pride in myself to prove people wrong.”
“He’s a good fighter, a confident fighter, but I’m confident, too, and that comes from my team: my training, sparring and all this hard work,” he added. “I don’t think about it being in a stadium. A ring is a ring, we’ll be there trying to take each other’s head off. I’ve boxed in arenas, smaller venues and on the road so it doesn’t faze me. I’ll just stay warm for the ringwalk and introductions—that will be the main difference.
“I’m a relaxed character. I put in 100% so I can go bed every night knowing I’ve done everything I can. Maybe people underestimate me because of my losses and draws—that and the fact I’ve only got one stoppage—but I am sharp, as Felix Cash found out.
Birmingham, UK: Tyler Denny v Felix Cash, European EBU Middleweight Title.
22 June 2024
Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
“I’ve been low on the radar for five or six fights now, not just the Cash fight. I don’t mind that, people can put a bet on me confident in the fact they’ll be able to afford a few drinks afterwards as they get good odds.
“As I said, I’ve been to York Hall, Wembley Arena, and now Wembley Stadium. It is a path that is more for my fans than for me as the Black Country fans are great. There isn’t much else going on given what’s going on with Wolves and Albion so they get behind the boxing.
“I am enjoying myself because I turned professional without any ambitions—I just wanted to box. Then I won the Midlands Area title, which I was very proud of, and people said I had overachieved. Then I won the English and people said it again. Then the European, which was beyond my wildest dreams. I don’t set targets or anything like that. It is all about winning that next fight.”
BCB is looking to expand in coming years, all under the silent, watchful eye of reclusive promoter, manager and trainer Errol Johnson. One of boxing’s few quiet men, Johnson prefers to do his talking through his fighters yet is also keen to further the BCB brand. To that end, he might have to dispense with his old-fashioned basher phone, rub his eyes and come out blinking into the harsh spotlight of the modern world.
“Errol won’t let people know who he is,” laughed Denny as Johnson passed by phone in hand. “We try to get him into photos, we even tried to get him an iPhone, but although he’s coming out of himself, he’s still living years behind. We’ve even tried to get him on WhatsApp and Twitter. He won’t have a smartphone so just has that dodgy Cartel phone. He deserves the recognition, though, and we’re all striving for it, too.”
Denny is aware that social media is a double-edged sword, especially when facing a spotlight like the one he is under this week. However, he believes balance is crucial not just in boxing but in all areas of life.
“I turn notifications off apart from the people who really need to get hold of me,” he said. “Then after the fight, you might get hundreds of messages. You appreciate it all. You don’t want to be rude to people, so you get back to as many people as possible. I’ll try to do 10 minutes on the phone then put it down to avoid distractions. My Mum is always on it, she messages my missus to find out what I’m doing if she doesn’t hear from me. Although I’d rather people pick up the phone and call me if they want me.”
Denny likes to keep a tight, close-knit circle. A father of four, he was in the process of building an army of women before his son came into the world eight years ago. With two older daughters and a two-year-old girl, he has his work cut out and is keen to make sure his children are cut from the same cloth as him.
“It is hard,” he said. “I’ve got a good woman, really, and that plays a big part. You need a good woman behind you in life, not just in boxing. She understands that this is my job. If I win, she wins, and the kids win.
“The reality is that my kids are in school, so it gets mentioned if I lose. Life is about winning and losing, and how you deal with it. I’ve had losses and can take them, but I don’t want people taking liberties with the kids on behalf of me. I suppose it works two-ways, though, as they get the praise about their dad when I win. It isn’t just about boxing, I like to lead by example by living healthy, exercising and getting the balance between doing that and the odd visit to the chip shop. My son loves playing with his youngest sister so there’s a lot of girls, a lot of loudness and although I’m very chilled there isn’t always a lot of chill in the house as it is full of excitement.”
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 26: Tyler Denny speaks to the media during the Anthony Joshua v Daniel Dubois IBF Heavyweight World Title fight announcement press conference at OVO Arena Wembley on June 26, 2024 in London, England. Queensberry, Matchroom and Riyadh Season announce a show at Wembley Stadium in September. (Photo by James Fearn/Getty Images)
Between family, training and dieting there is little to no time for anything else, especially with the Sheeraz fight on Denny’s plate. Still, with such an active family life, his social life has been parked in favour of one pursuit loved by most fighters as it distracts them from a big slice of temptation.
“I sleep!” he declared when asked what he does for fun. “When I’m asleep, I’m not getting that urge to eat. Then I chill the same way everyone does by going for walks or being with the kids. I’ve got to admit it, though, I’ve got a sweet tooth. It is like anything. You want what you can’t have so you want that chocolate and those cheat meals. I’ll do a few after the fight then get back on it again. I also have to be sociable to sell tickets, but I pick and choose my times—I have only been out once this year and we’re in September.”
Denny had shown nice balance and positioning in sparring while threading shots through from his southpaw stance. The equilibrium he has in his family life bleeds into boxing, getting him into the position to give them all the best possible future.
Indeed, family and boxing centres him. Paternal instinct and competitive desire means that instead of, and to quote William Yeats, ‘Turning and turning in the widening gyre, The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold…’, he has heard the call, responded to it and come what may, Saturday will have seen him come a long way.
If he can hold the centre of the ring, he’ll be in the fight. Boxers always say a fight is just another fight. That fighters are all composed of the same things: arm, leg, leg, arm, head. Denny has worked hard to put himself into a good position. That is all we can hope for, both in boxing and in life
