Dave Coldwell believes he and Lerrone Richards have “unfinished business.”
In June, Coldwell was present when Richards was stopped in six rounds by Steed Woodall in a shocking manner. The sight of his friend and former student suffering such a hefty defeat saddened Coldwell, who had developed a supple spot for Richards during their time together and spoke long and loudly of his talent.
Richards wisely let the dust of defeat settle and after discussing matters with the team, spoke to his vintage coach about rekindling their relationship.
Coldwell and Richards, 18-1 (4 KOs), first met in 2020 and have put together a successful three-fight series in which the 32-year-old defeated Giovanni De Carolis to win the European super middleweight title before handing his first career defeat to world-class Carlos Gongora.
The two men have remained friends since their amicable split and Coldwell believes they still have a lot to achieve together.
“Honestly, I’m sure if we split up, if we go our separate ways, that’s it,” Coldwell told BoxingScene.
“Lerrone showed up and asked if we could talk, so we sat down and talked for over an hour. I like the kid, and since we’ve always been friends, it felt like unfinished business.
“I hope to release him in October. It will be a progression and then we will see his vintage form.
“I think it will be around February and he will be able to fly again.”
Richards is fortunate to possess some of the purest, most precise skills in British boxing, but he has been criticised for refusing to release the handbrake even when he has demoralised and outboxed his opponent. At times, the former British champion has suffered a fate worse than criticism. He has been ignored.
It’s understandable that many fighters add an extra layer of security to their game after suffering a tough knockout defeat, but Richards is already putting defense first; he certainly can’t afford to retreat into his shell any longer.
Coldwell is confident this won’t be a problem.
One of the benefits of knowing Richards so well is that he is in a better position than anyone else to recognize even the smallest, most subtle changes in demeanor and body language that can betray a fighter’s true feelings. Coldwell understands the rebuilding process that needs to be done, but he would like to see Richards quickly return to the more mischievous style that they began developing before their first split. So far, he has seen no signs that Richards is reluctant to do so.
“I haven’t seen any signs of that. And I’ll check that in the sparring sessions,” he said.
“I’m not one to waste time. So I’m not going to look for him to just fight with boxers with featherweight fists and stuff like that. I’m not going to allow that, because if he doesn’t get back to his level and can’t develop further, then we’re wasting his time.
“But there’s no sign of that. I like talking to fighters and I think the most essential thing is the mentality and how they handle defeat, how they handle a knockout. You have to understand that boxing is boxing and anyone who gets a good punch can go.
“That’s one thing I’m very, very confident about, because I’ve seen Lerrone in sparring where we’ve fought bigger guys, bigger punchers. I’ve seen him hit the button exactly and never have any reaction.”
One change Coldwell has made immediately is moving Richards permanently to delicate heavyweight. Richards made the super middleweight limit for the Woodall fight, but it was the lightest he’s made since fighting Gongora in December 2021. He looked powerful at 174 pounds last November to box former Central Area delicate heavyweight champion Mickey Ellison, and Coldwell believes Richards is much better prepared for the upper weight class at this point in his career.
“I remember when [Tony] Bellew boxed. When Usyk called Bellew out and Bellew said, ‘What do you think, coach?’ My first reaction to him was, ‘Make it heavyweight,’ because it’s been two years since you went up to cruiserweight and you’ve been a heavyweight for two years,” Coldwell recalled. “So as you get older, when you’re in your 30s and approaching 30, and then you try to get back into that weight class when you’ve been struggling before, it takes away your reflexes, it takes away your resilience, it takes away your stamina.
“And that’s what I thought about Lerrone. He got caught with that shot that knocked him off balance, and then of course two or three more shots that finished him off.
“The kid still stood up. But at that weight he didn’t look good.
“I know people say, ‘Oh, that’s an excuse. That’s bullshit.’ But listen, boxing is boxing, and physiology is physiology. And the way I look at it, that was a factor. So you can take from that what you want, but I think the weight was a factor. Of course, as well as the technical mistakes that he made.
“At the end of the day, we just want the fights. He’ll be a delicate heavyweight. He’ll be an engaging addition to the delicate heavyweight division.”
Over the past few years, the top fighters have struggled to get a fight with Richards.
A loss to Woodall could change some minds. Rather than turn down a potential 12-round public boxing lesson, eager delicate heavyweights might just get to see a vulnerable, well-known fighter trying to rebuild himself in a recent weight class.
As Richards progressed in his career, moving from one promoter to another and hearing increasingly louder criticism of his style, he became increasingly terrified of the consequences of failure.
Many defensive boxers have found themselves in similar situations. The fear of being cut off from the world after a loss makes them take even fewer risks, which means they invite more criticism. They fall into a smaller and smaller circle.
Now the worst has happened, and Richards has nothing to lose. If he and Coldwell mobilize quickly, he may find that 2025 finally gives him the chance he’s longed for.
“I hope he gets a chance, since people think he’s ready to get the banjo back,” Caldwell said. “When people see a feeble side to the arm, they’re more willing to accept the fight. Whereas when you look nearly invincible, they’re more willing to take the risk.”
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