‘Public are yet to see the real Joe Bourne’

Bourne…one of two heavyweight hopes at Cleary’s Leamington gym

LESSONS have been learned since hulking heavyweight Big Joe Bourne laboured to a debut draw.

For starters, Bourne, a man mountain at 6ft 4ins tall, has dropped two-and-a-half stone in weight. As an amateur, the former rugby player and power-lifted scaled over 19stone.

Bourne is also learning the level of discipline needed from the other heavyweight hope at Cleary’s gym, Leamington – former Commonwealth Games gold medallist Lewis Williams.

Both are signed to major promotional outfit Queensberry, both are waiting for news of their next professional test.

For Joe, that night cannot come soon enough. The 28-year-old wants to show the boxer who had to settle for a four round stalemate with Cristian Uwaka in March was not the real Joe Bourne. Not by a long chalk.

“Joe can box,” Edwin Cleary, guiding both big men, stressed, “for some insane reason he tried to fight. That’s the downside of that performance.

“But he’s learned, he’s got his weight down. I’ve told him, ‘I want you to train, operate and mimic Lewis’. Lewis trains so hard, is so precise – he’s an absolute diamond.”

Unlike Williams, Bourne turned pro without a clutch of national and international honours. No one is sure what he brings to the table.

“I’d like him to have two or three fights before the end of the year,” Edwin said. “I think he needs them, he needs at least two.

“He’s better than that (debut). When he spars Lewis, he’s on his toes. When he spars Frazer Clarke, which he does regularly, that’s good quality sparring.

“He has a tremendous jab, Frazer’s commented on it – an American style jab, yet for some reason (against Uwaka), he wanted a brawl. I think he wanted to impress in front of the cameras and he hadn’t boxed for a while.”

Edwin, who also trains super-featherweight champ Danny Quartermaine, won’t be drawn into bold predictions about what the future holds for Bourne.

“It’s too early,” he said. “He’s dedicated, we’re getting Joe to learn from the consummate professional Lewis Williams. I don’t think I’ve met any heavyweight who trains like Lewis.

“I think he’ll shock a few people. He has punch power and it’s good to have him around Lewis and Frazer. Joe has great potential, but he needs to be working around top professionals.”

To casual fans, Joe entered the pro ranks as something of a mystery – and he remains a mystery after that uncharacteristic first fight.