Boxing
Inspired by Rocky and the proud fighting city, Danny Quartermaine is rising in popularity
The leafy streets, lush parks and regal name give no clue to the sporting history of Royal Leamington Spa.
Only a visit to the museum reminds us of the times when this picturesque town in Warwickshire was famed for its warriors.
There you’ll find newspaper clippings from July 1951, when Randolph Turpin, known as “The Leamington Licker,” toppled the great Sugar Ray Robinson from the top of the boxing world.
Randolph Turpin demonstrates his crouching style against Sugar Ray Robinson during their world middleweight title fight at Earl’s Court in London on July 10, 1951. (Pictorial Parade/Getty Images)
Robinson got his revenge just 64 days later, but over seventy years later Turpin is remembered for scoring one of the greatest victories in British boxing history, while older brother Dick was the first black boxer to win a British title and Jackie had 130 fights during 13-year professional career.
Rapid forward to today and Leamington is once again a fighting town.
2022 Commonwealth Games gold medalist Lewis Williams and Joe Bourne are invigorating heavyweight hopefuls and will arrive in Coventry on Saturday 29 June to cheer on their gym mate Danny Quartermaine as he defeats former European bantamweight champion Karim Guerfi in 10 -round.
Williams, Bourne and Quartermaine received numerous history lessons at Turpins under the tutelage of coach Edwin Cleary, a former pro who was taught by Jackie Turpin when he was an amateur.
Leamington’s novel generation of fighters found inspiration elsewhere.
Williams started boxing because he loved Muhammad Ali, Bourne was inspired by his fighting father, and Quartermaine loved the “Rocky” movies.
Cleary rolls his eyes, remembering how Quartermaine knows the words to each movie.
“You could say they’re gimmicky, and they are,” said the 26-year-old super featherweight, “but they have a message.”
The message Quartermaine draws from the films is “perseverance and desire.”
“That’s how Chuck Wepner lasted so long against Muhammad Ali (the fight that inspired Sylvester Stallone to write his first movie) and that’s how Ali beat (Joe) Frazier and (George) Foreman. Ali beat them because he didn’t want to lose.
“It’s a robust message.
“I was seven years antique when I first started watching Rocky, and every time I watched one of the movies, I would go to the garage and hit my bag.”
His father, Pip, hung the bag there.
Pip Quartermaine was a pioneer in the army and passed out in the same year as Mark “Billy” Billingham MBE.
“From a adolescent age, I was instilled with the need to win, to be the best and to cause pain,” said Quartermaine, an unpredictable brute with a huge appetite for fighting who has won all 11 fights in his four-year professional career.
“I had fights where I won comfortably, but I pushed to hurt them. This mentality must come from my dad.
“The mentality that was taught to my dad was, ‘Even if it’s 25, keep going, don’t give up.’”
Only one will emerge from the opposite corner of the Skydome this month, but that one will be an experienced, championship-level fighter.
“I try to take fights that will get me noticed,” Quartermaine said. “I take risks that others are not willing to take.
“When I boxed on Sky (last May), I rejected my first opponent. We said we wanted someone tougher. The matchmaker said this never happens!
“I want to develop. I want to climb the ladder. I have faith in my abilities.”
Quartermaine turned professional with 90 amateur fights under his belt and says his self-confidence increased after sparring with Michael Conlan before boxing Leigh Wood (in March 2022).
“I went eight rounds with a broken thumb and they asked me to come back,” he said. “It gave me a lot of confidence.”
Quartermaine has been quite tested in his last two fights.
In March, he dominated Jack Hillier (10-0) and demolished Alex Rat (17-6-2) in four rounds, a result that compares well with Archie Acute’s (pictured below) 10-round victory over the Spaniard.
Rat was dropped, cut up, and saw his best punches bounce off Quartermaine. After 12 minutes he had had enough.
Quartermaine, who is sure to take hundreds of supporters to Coventry this month, says his style is “unpredictable”.
He said: “You expect a jab, a back hand and a left hook. It’s predictable. If you keep throwing the overhand to the right, his corner will tell him, “Watch out for the right overhand.”
“I put them on the sides, in the middle, against the body, but they can’t block everything. (Christian Lopez) Flores said after I beat him, “I didn’t know where they came from.”
“I’m aggressive, I’m an attacker, but I like to make the players think. I gave Rat so much to think about and worry about that he finally thought, “I can’t deal with this” and gave up his seat.
This was Quartermaine’s first fight since teaming up with promoters GBM and he claims it will be a “similar story” when he faces veteran Guerfi in front of the DAZN cameras.
Quartermaine’s prediction?
“Let’s go!”
Of course.
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