‘Baggie Boy’ James Griffiths has been one of the region’s most active fighters, and his sixth fight in eleven months will come Saturday night at the Birmingham Conference Events Centre in the city centre on BCB Promotions ‘Second City Showdown’.
The 28-year-old from Wombourne has picked up five wins from five since joining the paid ranks in July last year, following a brief amateur career and six fights on the unlicensed circuit. Last time out, he went the distance over four with Shane Smith but was a bit frustrated to drop a round for the first time, taking a 39-37-points decision.
“It was a decent four rounds; he kept me busy, said Griffiths. Smith kept me moving, but I’m not sure how I managed to drop a round. I watched the fight back, and I didn’t see that, but possibly I was a bit less active over those three minutes than the others. These four-round fights are like the amateur style; you have to be busy and push the pace rather than just sit back and box.
Turning over at a relatively late age, the die-hard West Brom supporter has treated this stage of his career as one big learning experience. One that has seen him regularly mix it up at the BCB gym in Wednesbury with some of the best boxers in the country.
“I am really enjoying the sparring I am getting in the gym. There used to be days you go in and you see these guys who are boxing at a high level, and you think that is who I am in with today, and there might be nerves. But now I feel a lot more comfortable, and whether it’s Tyler Denny, Conah Walker, or Owen Cooper, they have all been good learning experiences for me.
“At this stage, I’m not looking to put any unnecessary pressure on myself. When I turned professional, my age initially made me think I needed to be in a hurry, but now that I’m only twenty eight, I have plenty of time to progress properly. I want another two fights after this year and to get myself ready for a six-rounder where I think you will see a better version of what I have shown so far.
Like many boxers in the early stage of their careers Griffiths has been working full time, but the work-training balance has seen significant improvement with the addition of sponsor We Build Trades, which has allowed him to put more hours into the gym.
“Bringing a sponsor on board has been great, and it has allowed me to be more selective with what work I will take on, as some of the jobs are very physically demanding, and that wouldn’t do me any good right now. I am still working, but this has meant I can cut back and put my focus on the sport.
The event at the BCEC is also set to feature the final homecoming of Andrew Robinson, the talented Cori Gibbs, and unbeaten duo Hamza Azeem and Ryan Woolridge.
Tickets for Second City Showdown are now available, priced at £40 standard and £80 VIP, from the boxers directly or by emailing info@bcb-promotions.com.
