Pro Boxer Chris Truman
Chris Truman is a 31 year old orthodox professional boxer from Erdington in Birmingham. The 5 foot 5 light welter/welterweight nicknamed the Trumanator started as an amateur boxer at the age 15 and boxed for Aston ABC. Chris had 70 amateur fights winning 45 and was a amateur Midlands senior champion and he told me these were the best days.
Chris turned Pro at Errol Johnson’s gym Wednesbury and has had 21 pro fights winning 14 and drawing 2 he has also trained at Hall green before moving to Eastside gym.
I asked Chris who his favourite boxer is? The Trumanator informed me “It has got to be Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, he’s nice out side the ring but mean when inside it, he came from nowhere and now he's at the top of the world, you can't beat hard work, but skill wise it has to be Floyd Mayweather there's no one like him”.
I talked to Chris about what inspired him to take up the noble art? Chris told me “ what
Inspired me to box..I was little and still am but felt intimidated at school for years so my dad advised me to box. I used to watch Tyson, Benn, Eubank and Lennox Lewis back in the day”.
I then asked asked Chris what his hardest fight has been? Chris replied “My hardest fight,
You'd think it was someone who beat me but actually I'd have to say it was someone I beat but who could bang a bit. My coach asked me at 3 days notice do I want to go to Scotland to box a lad because I'm was always fit. I agreed but had to get a bit of weight off and boxed a lad named Mark Mckray, he hadn’t had many wins but comes to take you out. All his wins came by stoppages I think he won most amateur fights with nearly all of them stoppages he's a tough lad so I'd like to say that was a tough fight”.
Chris added at the end of the interview “I've had a bit of time off fighting because my mind hasn't been focused and plus with the problem with my arm it has caused me to loose mass.
But now just having some time out has helped, I’ve never rested in the 15 years or had time to myself while I have been boxing. I've had a problem with my arm for about 5 to 6 years which didn't cause no pain but I was not able to use it properly. Only recently I've decided to do something about it and I'm seeing a physio now, I have also had problems with my tendons which has affected me in day to day life and also my fights. This started to happen after I fought Lenny Daws so has been going on for some
time now. I'm getting it sorted now, it may take a few months to fixes but I will get there.
I'm always fit and don't live your normal boxers life putting on loads of weight in between fight, because of that I believe if my health stays good I could box until I'm 40 without a doubt, age is a number it's how you use your body through out them years.”
Chris final word were “I've had distractions which every boxer gets but I seem to let them get in the way of my boxing but if I get in the ring again I’ll make sure my mind and body is right”.
Dexter’s Thoughts
Chris has had some time off boxing because of his arm injury but is now getting help and is working his way back into the pro ring. I liked Chris’s comment about age only being a number and him being able to fight until his 40.
I have been around boxing since I was 11 and trained at a few gyms as a kid, but never got carded as an amateur as I wasn’t the most disciplined kid. As I got older I drifted away from boxing and my trips to the gym got less and less, I never lost my love for the sport but began to enjoy going to all night raves and all the negative things this lifestyle brings.
It took me until I was 36 to take up the noble art again and take it up seriously, I made my unlicensed debut at the age of 38 in March of 2009 at a decent level (Celtic Boxing Union, Malcolm Malvin promotor). Now at 45 and 17 fights behind me and 3 local titles won, I have slowed down a bit but still think I have one more fight left in me before I call it a day.
So as Chris said age is just a number and if he has taken care of himself I can not see any reason why he can't fight until he is 40. I wish Chris all the best and look forward to reporting on his fights if he returned to the gym.