Intro to Treasure’s Corner – Who is Ashley Theophane?

Welcome to the first of my monthly column’s for Chicago Boxing News. It’s a real honour to have the opportunity to share my thoughts and views on the world of boxing and much more.

Just to get things going, I thought I would share a little about my background and my journey to becoming the British junior welterweight champion. I feel it’s also important to fully understand my laser focus on getting a world title shot in the near future.

It is a great feeling and a privilege to say that I am the British champion. When I was a kid, I was fortunate enough to have people who inspired me, so for me to inspire the next generation or even my generation is really important to me.

As a teenager growing up in London, it was hard to find any positive ‘local’ role models. After a while, I started to become rebellious, I was on my own, and I just got worse as the years went by. I was expelled from two secondary schools and I just seemed to get worse.

Hitting rock bottom forced me to take a long hard look at my life, and I decided to change my direction and focus on making something of my life.

In life, you have to work hard for what you want to achieve. I decided the only person to blame for my personal failure was myself, and the only person who could deliver a different future, was also, me. I am living evidence that if you work hard and believe in yourself, anything can be achieved.

I have always managed to embrace the feeling that something, or someone was looking over me. So when I got a second chance, I was absolutely determined to make the most of it.

It took a very long and painful time for me to make a real living from boxing, but I had a deep belief both in my talents and my self-discipline, when very few people believed in me. It meant taking fights in far flung places, I fought in Germany, where I picked up two international titles, I also fought in St. Lucia, but my main goal, was to get big fights in America.

Before long, I was sparring with world champions, former champions and world ranked fighters whilst I was training in America. This gave me the evidence that I had the real talent.

I was now more and more focused on doing the right things and being patient until the opportunity presented itself. I’ve waited and I’m now ready to make every opportunity count.

I believed that I could achieve my destiny, despite the lack of support and belief that the UK boxing industry had in me.

I first went out to New York City in 2005, and it was a success. It gave me more belief in myself. In the UK, it was really hard for me to get meaningful opportunities, but the guys in New York always thought I had the potential to be a world champion.

I entered the reality TV series, ‘The Contender’. I was accepted, but I didn’t have enough time to get my work visa for filming, so sadly, that opportunity was missed.

I fortunately met a top class trainer at Gleason’s gym, by the name of Harry Keit, who was training Dmitriy Salita at that time. They generously took me to training camp with them, up in the mountains in Pennsylvania, and it was an experience that I would learn and benefit from. So for a few months every year, I have kept going back and forth to New York. Occasionally, Dmitriy would fly me from the UK to help him with sparring.

In the summer of 2007, Dmitriy and I were sparring up in Mike Tyson’s old training haunt in the Catskills mountains when, Stan Hoffman (who had managed over 30 world champions in his career), saw us sparring. He said he wanted to get me a fight in America, because he believed I could be a world champion. That was a massive confidence boost, as Stan had been around the world’s best.

He said I had “qualities that can’t be taught but are God given”. All of the best British boxers in the past have campaigned in America, so in 2005 I thought it was now or never, and it has proved to be the best thing I have done in my career. I am here again for 5/6 weeks training for my next fight.

I don’t believe in having any regrets, so I live my life to the full and try making the most out of every opportunity that presents itself, no matter what the sacrifice.

I beat former world champion Demarcus ‘Chop Chop’ Corley, after he fought the world number one, Devon Alexander, then Zab Judah turned down 3 fights with me over a three year period. So I have taken that as a huge compliment, as he has fought the world’s best – from Floyd Mayweather to Amir Khan. I also beat world number three, Delvin Rodriguez, so that alone has served to inspire me.

I train at Gleason’s gym in Brooklyn where Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson have both trained in the past. Current champions continue to train there and former champions pass by; so it is inspirational to be training here as I prepare for my upcoming British title defence against Nigel Wright back in the UK in December, more on that next month.

It feels like I’m living my childhood dream.

I hope that gives you a flavour of ‘what makes me tick’ and I’m looking forward to a mutually enjoyable relationship with all of you who take the time to read my column.

Thank you,

Ashley ‘Treasure’ Theophane

You are invited to stay updated from my website www.ashleytheophane.com, my twitter @ashleytheophane and my Facebook, Ashley Treasure Theophane.