Alex Branson-Cole is keeping it in the family… and Faversham
Photo Credit: Sofia Grace
Picture the scene. It’s 1934 and the grainy black and white images of world heavyweight champion Joe Louis and Scottish boxer Benny Lynch fill the back pages of broadsheet papers across the world.
And while the worldwide spotlight may have been on these household names, the people of the small and twee Kentish town of Faversham had their eyes fixed on their very own champion, Albert Bones, who was about to take to the ring for another professional fight…
Fast forward almost 90 years and there’s been just one other professional boxer to come out of Faversham. But that’s all about to change – and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Albert Bones’ greatgrandson Alex Branson-Cole will be following in his grandfather’s legacy and flying the flag for Faversham once more as he makes his professional debut this weekend.
Faversham has waited more than 60 years to have this moment – Alex is the first professional boxer to come out of the town for six decades – and he is more than ready to make his town proud.
Alex, who has already won the Kent Championship and the South Counties Championship as an amateur, says: ‘It’s been a tough, long road and as an amateur, I have fought some of the best middleweight amateurs in the country so I know what level I’m at and I’m confident in what I can achieve this weekend and in the future. I want to show the younger generation that it’s never too late to start something and with hard work, anything is possible.’
Alex isn’t quite your average boxer. He only got in the ring for the first time at 22 but from that moment, his trainer Ian Fleckney from Creekside Boxing Club, saw something remarkable in this young man.
‘His stamina, drive and desire to win and be better is what makes him a great boxer. He puts the hours in at the gym and he gets the results. He’s always looking to improve and I have no doubt he will win on Saturday.’
Despite starting late, Alex has fought more than 40 bouts but it hasn’t been an easy journey for the 29-year-old.
The Kent puncher had his hopes pinned on his first professional fight in 2020, but Covid-19 put a halt to those dreams. But while he couldn’t fight, he turned to books to learn more about his sport and even wrote to a boxing historian, Miles Templeton, who runs the website Boxing History (https://www.boxinghistory.org.uk/). The site has archives dating back to the 18th century on British boxing.
Alex says: ‘The historian kindly sent me a small list of past local professional boxers from my town. I found out I would be the first professional boxer in over 60 years, after Tiggy Burney in 1959. I was only really looking at the dates to see when the last boxer was and not taking much notice in the names but going back through my emails from the historian I took a closer look at the names.
‘I noticed a name on there that stuck out, a name which I heard my Nan speak about before, professional boxer Albert Bone, 1932 to 1934.
‘When I asked my Nan about it, she told me about her father and how he used to box in the fairground in the town and also as a professional.’
The legacy within his family has only spurred Alex on further – and he wasn’t about to let a pandemic stop him.
The gloves are back on and after maintaining his strict diet and fitness regime for the last year – running three times a week and in the gym every single day – he is raring to get in that ring.
‘I’m feeling calm and relaxed now and I’m ready for Saturday. I know I’ve done the training, I know I’m fit enough, now it’s time for the fight.’
In December 2021, Alex signed a three year contract with manager Joe Elfidh and his promotions team, Boxing Connected. He’s also found himself an army of local sponsorship, Kent Surfacing Limited, Hadley Electrical Services, SimCig, Diamond Carpentry, and Building and Boost – a card game and app – who will all be rooting for him on Saturday.
But nobody is rooting for Alex than his family – his three brothers, Oliver, Ben and Louis, and his mum, Michelle, and girlfriend, Lilia. Because after all, family is everything and boxing is clearly in their blood.
Alex’ professional debut takes place this Saturday 12th March at Mote Park in Maidstone. Tickets are still available and you can find out more information by visiting www.alexcoleboxing.co.uk
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