Jon Thaxton interview for Boxing Monthly (1996)

Due to his recent retirement, I thought I would post some of his interview that he did for the May 1996 issue of BM. This is probably his first interview for a boxing magazine (I could be wrong) and mainly focused on his victory over 'Scrap Iron' Ryan (the biggest domestic upset of the year) and his early career. Enjoy :good

...So when in early February he was selected as the intended doormat for British, Commonwealth and WBO Inter Continental king Paul "Scrap Iron" Ryan to trample upon at the York Hall, the third choice sub instructed manager Brendan Ingle to accept without inquiring into (let alone bartering over) his modest appearance fee (£3,500).

...He required less than one round to land a pile driving left-hander on the Eastender's airborne jaw. Mission accomplished in just 138 seconds. "Since watching Ryan beat Oscar Palomino I'd always fancied the job," says the articulate and pleasantly humble Norwich man. "Styles make fights and his jaw has always been 'there'."

Installed at two days warning, Thaxton prospered from a further 72 hours preperation when an IRA bomb caused late-hour amendments to both original venue and date. Twice the Angolan settled the scales inside the 10st championship limit only to discover, much to his chagrin, that Camp "Scrap Iron" were unwilling to place any of their belts at risk. "He had to fight me anyway. I presume he thought he'd win so surely it would have been an easy notch on his Lonsdale belt," says the baffled victor.

After an outstanding, if materially unproductive life as a kickboxer (British senior champion at 15, European king a year later), the Bruce Lee clone and bit-part amateur pug was discovered by no less an authority than Chris Eubank during an Eastern pit-stop on the monocled one's much scoffed "educational" tour of Britain's inner cities in 1991. Eubank advised Thaxton his ambitions might best be furthered by relocating to Professor Ingle's fistic University in Wincobank, South Yorkshire. "I had him since he was 16 and voluntarily he'd clean out the gym at 5am in the morning and sweep up outside," says Ingle.

Yet in spite of these laudable personal attributes and an obvious aptitude for combat (victorious in 57 of 60 kick boxing contests), the Irish sage contends he was forced to dissemble then reconstruct Thaxton's fighting techniques. "From the off Jonathan was very fit, marvelously disciplined and a quick learner but as with Pele Reid in many ways it's worse than starting off fresh because they're already set in their (bad) ways."

Within three months of his 18th birthday, the persuasive Mr Ingle badgered Thaxton into permanently abandoning the fruitless world of kick boxing for a career as a paid boxer (Thaxton had 12 amateur fights, winning 9).

"...He'd fight in everybody else's backyard but he had a remarkable determination to succeed. You really have to nail this kid to the floor to lick him. His only fault was that he was too nice," states Ingle.

Five points successes, albeit against rather unchallenging opposition, convinced Ingle to desert the comfort zone and pitch his 19 year old novice in with multi-titled amateur Dean Hollington (13-1 pro record) in a sink or swim challenge at the York Hall. The young Thaxton proved remarkably buoyant, providing first evidence his steely resolve...and knockout punch. "That put me on the map. People whispered that I was too light a puncher, a boy in a man's world, but I love to prove people wrong."

Norfolk's finest is only too eager to exploit the plethora of appetising and lucrative duels that can be made but has remained frustratingly redundant since toppling Ryan. And without any belts as bait expect the division's major players to keep a respectful distance from him. "The money's incidental, I just want Ryan again and this time with all the belts at stake," concludes the likeable banger who still resides with his parents. "OK he has the belts but I've beaten convincingly and he must want to reverse that. The way I see it, it's more a case of me giving him another chance."

Basically just backs up what everyone says of him - i.e he is a gentleman with intelligence. Shame Ryan didn't give him the rematch he deserved, plus if the Lonsdale belt was on the line in their fight like it should have been, he would own it outright today - which sadly is one of the things he most wanted from the sport, but never got.

 

Its what it says in the article I typed up...:yep