‘I’m in it to go all the way,’ vows Josh Rose

Joshua Rose with trainer Gary Turner…He fights in Birmingham this month

BOXING binman Joshua Rose won’t serve his ring apprenticeship by facing the usual array of recycled journeymen in dull, one paced contests some fans may consider rubbish.

His top-notch amateur career, which included two national titles, means the opposition will be more testing than that enjoyed by most newcomers.

“My manager (Anthony Manning) says I’m very hard to match because of my amateur pedigree,” the Acocks Green teenager, who made his debut in December, said.

“The people I’ve got to fight are the ones others wouldn’t face until they’ve had six or seven bouts.”

Rose’s pro bow proved the point. He was matched against a live and ambitious opponent in Caine Singh and had to dig deep before gaining the points win.

His second contest, on Manning’s May 31 show at the Eastside Rooms, Birmingham, also has the potential to be punishing.

Jose Manuel Perez is experienced, with 37 bouts to his name, has fought in Panama, Nicaragua and Puerto Rico, and carries a very healthy dig. Ten of his 13 wins have come by stoppage.

Hailing from El Salvador, one of the most dangerous countries on the planet, he’s unlikely to be fazed by Rose’s big following and the noise they create.

“I’m so excited, I’m buzzing,” said Rose who is trained by Gary Turner. “From his record, he’s a bit of a puncher. I don’t think he’ll be as tough as Caine Singh in terms of putting pressure on.”

Rose has endured a testing few months. As an agency worker, he’s not directly involved in the Birmingham bin strike. But with picket-lines to navigate and refuse mounting, work has slowed.

The southpaw was to have fought in March, but a virus scuppered that payday.

“There was something going round,” he said, “and I caught it. With two weeks to go before the fight, I was bed bound for a week and put loads of weight on. I got back in the gym in fight week – my fitness was gone, I was four kilos overweight.

“I’ve been out of the ring for quite a bit and it’s put more hunger in me.”

Rose is currently a featherweight. At 19-years-old, I don’t expect him to stay at 9st for long: there’s still a lot of growing to do and lightweight, even super-light, may be his final destination.

He reflects on that exciting first pro contest with mixed emotions.

“On the day I said I didn’t feel the usual energy in me,” Rose said. “That was because I was excited and nervous and didn’t eat as much. That made me feel a lot more sluggish. I watched clips of the knockdown (Singh was dropped in the second) and you can see how tired I was by the way I walked.

“But it was also a cracking debut. Caine Singh beat a lad who was 6-0 the other week (Jimmy Burnside) and I went toe-to-toe with him. It showed me what I’m capable of.”

Rose believes he’s destined for the top, but refuses to put a timeline on titles.

“The way I look at it, if I have to wait a couple of years, so be it,” he added. “Obviously, I’d like to get there as soon as I can, but I’m not going to rush things.

“I believe I’m going all the way, one hundred per cent. If I’m not in it to go all the way, I can’t see the point of being in it at all.”

Rose is in it to win it.  The boxing binman has no doubt big things beckon.