Unbeaten Slough light-welterweight George Carmen next features on the undercard of George Groves’ British Super-Middleweight title defence on Friday 16th March.
The exciting talent takes on Tottenham’s Mark McKray over six rounds at light-welterweight at Wembley Arena.
Groves v Anderson is live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky Ch. 456/Virgin Ch. 546) from 7.30pm. Join at www.boxnation.tv
Name: George Carmen Jnr
Weight: Light-welterweight
Born: Slough, Berkshire
Age: 20
Family background: I’m the middle of three. I’ve two sisters. I still live at home with my mum and dad on a Romany gypsy site in Slough. I’m getting married to Kelly in September.
Trade: I occasionally help Dad out with his building but I’m basically a full time pro.
Nickname: Some call me ‘Classy’ but I don’t really have one yet.
What age did you become interested in boxing and why? I always knew my dad was a boxer and I liked looking at his old shorts and fights on tape. (George ‘Gypsy’ Carmen was a two time Southern Area cruiserweight challenger back in the 90s).
I grew up around it. All gypsy boys like fighting and the boxing. My granddad never boxed but he trained up my dad and my uncle Charlie who was a good amateur. There were a couple of other good fighters on our site.
I never did the ‘bareknuckle’ – no point in fighting if you ain’t getting paid for it – but Dad always trained fighters so from a young age I’d go to shows with him. He also promoted at the Heathrow Thistle and Bracknell Leisure Centre.
I grew up hitting my dad’s hands and first started at the gym when I was about eight.
What do you recall of your amateur career? I went through lots of different clubs, depending where I could best get sparring at the time. I started at Slough ABC, then boxed for Pinewood Star, Bushey, Dale Youth before finishing up at Guildford. Dad always had a role in my training alongside the club coaches.
I had 51 amateur fights and think I lost six. I won the national schoolboys once, got beaten in the semis twice, and got beaten in the junior ABA final by Chad Gaynor.
I boxed for England on about seven occasions. I won the junior Four Nations up in Scotland when I was 16 which was probably the highlight of my amateur career, got a silver medal in a multi-nations in Denmark and a bronze in the European Cadets in the Ukraine. I definitely thought I did enough to win against the Russian who beat me in the semi. He went on to win it so I felt I should’ve had gold not bronze.
I generally enjoyed the amateurs. It was a good learning curve but the pros is totally different.
Why did you decide to turn pro when you did? I was on the ‘back-up’ list for the GB team up in Sheffield but opted to go pro instead. I thought a few decisions should’ve been mine but went the other way. My style was always suited to the pros and I was shown no leniency from the officials so my dad set up a meeting with Frank (Warren) and Dean (Powell).
Tell us about your back up team: I’m promoted by Frank Warren and managed and coached by my father. Dad knows everything about me, when I’m doing right, when I’m doing wrong. I can’t cheat him and wouldn’t want to. I stop being his son when I step into the gym. He can be very strict, always wants more, one step further. That’s what improves me.
An old guy called John Moore, who used to be an Olympic skier, helps out with my fitness and conditioning and I do my nutrition myself at the minute.
What’s your training schedule? Which parts do you most and least enjoy? I train two or three times a day six days a week. I have Sunday off.
My friend Darren calls at mine at about 7.30 and we run for four or five miles. Sometimes we’ll drive to Windsor which is excellent for hill jogs.
Around midday, I’ll do some groundwork; 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups. Sometimes, I’ll go off sparring during the day but, if at home, I get to the boxing gym Dad built on our site around half four. I’ll warm up with a 10minute skip and some shadow boxing. I’ll do six to eight rounds on the pads, four to six on the bags, some exercises and groundwork, a bit with the medicine ball, then skip out at the end. Again, I’ll do 100 push-ups and sit-ups every night.
I most enjoy sparring. That’s what brings you on. I’ll go in with anybody, Kevin Mitchell, Bradley Skeete, Lee Purdy. With the right partner, it’s never a war. You get to practise your skills and it brings you on. I least enjoy skipping. It’s a bit boring for me.
Describe your style? What are your best qualities? I’m basically a nice boxer who’s also very strong. Younger, I’d win fights purely on my strength but I’ve developed very fast hands and I move off a shot well, without getting hit.
What specifically do you need to work on to fully optimise your potential as a fighter? To fully develop my man strength and get plenty more experience in fights. I’m only young. I’m in no rush. I’ll move whenever Dad and Frank think it’s right.
What have you found to be the biggest difference between the pro and amateur codes? The training is twice as hard. They’re totally different. In the amateurs, you can win by tap and move. In the pros, tapping achieves nothing. You need to catch ‘em with three or four shots and hurt ‘em so they think twice about coming back for more.
Who is the best opponent that you’ve shared a ring with? The Danish boy who beat me in the final of the multi-nations in Denmark. He was older, bigger, more experienced and very good. Kevin Mitchell and Bradley Skeete are very good when I spar them.
All time favourite fighter: Lennox Lewis. He was the first big name I remember.
All time favourite fight: Graham Earl against Michael Katsidis. Both showed so much heart.
Which current match would you most like to see made? Nathan Cleverly against Enzo Maccarinelli. They’re both from the same area so they’d be up for it 100%. I’m not sure who wins. Nathan’s very skilful but Maccarinelli hits very hard and always seems to find a way.
What is your routine on fight day? I’ll always wake by eight – I’m not sure if that’s nerves, excitement or anxiety – but I’ll lounge in bed till about 9.30. I’ll have either porridge or cereal for breakfast, have a walk around the town, then back to the hotel to read the paper. Between two and three I’ll have my Nando’s chicken and rice. Usually the fight is going through my mind, I’m anxious to get it done. In the changing rooms, I just tap out on the pads and get nice and loose.
Entrance music: I’ve changed every fight but my favourite was ‘Tonight’s Going To Be A Good Night’ by The Black Eyed Peas.
What are your ambitions as a boxer? I leave all the timescales to Dean and me Dad but, by the end of this year, I’d like to be going for a little starter title, something like the Southern Area. In 2013, I intend to keep moving up and up. By the time I retire I went a Lonsdale Belt and a world title.
How do you relax? I like a game of golf. I was playing off a handicap of 22 when I was 14 but left it for a few years. I’ve just started back up. I also play pool and snooker and like to go fishing in the summer.
Football team: Arsenal, all the time.
Read: The Sun newspaper everyday plus Boxing News and Boxing Monthly.
Music: I listen to the radio. I enjoy every type.
Films/TV: I love all the Rocky films. Classics! On TV I enjoy Hustle, Only Fools and Horses and a bit of Eastenders
Aspiration in life: To have a peaceful, happy life and make plenty of money from boxing so I don’t have to work again.
Motto: Train hard, fight easy!
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