Fighting Talk with Frank Buglioni

B: Hi Frank. Thanks for agreeing to this interview. First of all, congratulations on your convincing win against Ryan Clarke on Friday (Feb 10^th) at the York Hall. The atmosphere was amazing and you had a large following there. What impact does your fans’ support leading up to and during a fight have on you?

FB: Thank you Billy, obviously I knew that we had sold a lot of tickets leading up to the fight. But on the night it really was something special, it definitely gives me something extra having so many friends and family with me. I know everyone says you're in the ring on your own, and physically of course you are, but for myself it feels like I have them fighting alongside me. Leading up to the fight I deliver as many of the tickets I can, and all the well wishes and good luck messages people send me gives me so much motivation to train hard and stay dedicated. I am so grateful to receive the support I have done so far, and I want them to know that it drives me forward.

B: Does having such a large fan base put added pressure on you in the ring?

FB: Boxing is a spectator’s sport, so aside from winning I want to entertain the crowd and look good doing so but I don’t want to strive to impress and risk taking unnecessary shots. Apart from being a very good trainer, Mark Tibbs is also a good mind coach and with him helping me I am learning to focus and execute the right game plan within a fight, regardless of how excited the crowd may make me.

B: How hard an opponent did you find Clark?

FB: Clark was a good opponent; he was tough and durable and showed a lot of will power to stay on his feet. I found the win comfortable but learnt a great deal doing so, after looking at the replay with Mark, we can organize and plan how we are now going to improve and move forward.

B: What was the fight plan and to what extent did you stick to it? Were there any surprises?

FB: The plan was to attack his body and try to bring his hands down and then start striking the head. We had also worked on the body to uppercut combinations which I thought worked well, looking back, its clear how tough he was and I was surprised how strong he was to the body. There were definitely a few things to work on, but Mark and I will take the positives and implement the negatives bit by bit throughout training.

B: What was your own assessment of your performance in the fight?

FB: If I’m honest, immediately after I was disappointed I didn’t win by stoppage, but as so many people who know boxing have said; getting 4 rounds is valuable experience and I think having now done the 4 rounds I will learn from it and progress as a fighter.

B: I would have to agree with that. Stoppages look and feel good but nothing outweighs experience. It was a great night for the London lads all round. What is it about you London guys that seem to produce champion material?

FB: I think it is a mixture of things, London has great amateur clubs with good coaches working from grass roots to international level. You’ve got an abundance of boys all involved in the sport which creates a good level of competition. Then into the pro ranks there are some great gyms all in quite close proximity which means more sparring and attracts more good fighters. London has a very good boxing fan base as well which means there can be a lot of good shows put on.

B: You seem to be well looked after at the TKO gym in Canning Town. What made you chose it and are you happy with that choice?

FB: After one training session I knew Mark Tibbs was a great trainer and we clicked straight away, so the decision to go with him was easy. The TKO gym itself is a great place to train; you’ve got Johnny Eames with his fighters, Barry Smith and Derek Grainger with theirs so there is a lot of varied sparring and a great training atmosphere.

B: Are you sponsored yet? IF you work, how do you balance that with your training needs?

FB: I am currently sponsored by Pride Scaffolding, who I owe a lot of thanks to. I also work full time as a building surveyor in a family business. Because it is family-run I am fortunate enough to be able to take time off for training if necessary but my hours are generally 8am to 4pm with my runs being before work and training at the gym in the evening.

B: So a pretty packed day, huh? How did you first become involved in boxing?

FB: I started boxing for fitness and conditioning because I was playing football as a youngster but after a year or so of boxing I fell in love with the sport and decided to focus fully on that.

B: What decided you to turn pro?

FB: As soon as I started boxing I aspired to be a professional, I would have loved to have gone to the 2012 Olympics but I was rated no.2 when the squad was being selected for qualifiers so I decided to sign professional with Frank Warren as my promoter and Mark Tibbs as my trainer. I am really happy that I made the decision to turn pro and even happier with the team I am with.

B: Well I think the boxing public are happy that you made that choice! Which boxers have inspired you most in your boxing career and style?

FB: I was always a big Gatti fan and it was his fights with Ward that really inspired me to take boxing further rather than just for training. I have my own style but I am constantly watching fighters and copying certain things from each of them. I have so many favorites but De La Hoya stands out for me and if I could emulate a style it would be his.

B: How do you mentally prepare for a fight? Do you have any last-minute habits or rituals?

FB: The confidence I have for my fights comes from the trust I have in Mark Tibbs’ training ability and the hard work I put in during the training camp. The night before a fight I will recap on all the training I have done, the game plan and sleep soundly knowing my preparation has been the best I can be.

B: It's great to have that sort of confidence instilled into you through training. Can you outline a typical training day? 

FB: 6am – Running (distance, speed and outline decided by Mark Tibbs night before)

8am – Start work

4pm – Finish work

4.30/5pm – Gym with Mark, varies but usually includes skipping, shadow boxing, pad work, sparring and then strength and conditioning. Sometimes if sparring is available during the day I will leave work for an hour or so and then go back after.

9pm – Walk off dinner

10pm – Bedtime

B: And I think my days are busy! That's some schedule, mate! What aspect of training do you least enjoy and why?

FB: Mark & Jimmy Tibbs work their fighters hard, so Mark will make sure I have sufficient rest, but I love to train so taking days off when I feel really good is hard for me, but it works because I’m itching to get back in the gym and come back stronger after a days rest.

B: What would you say are your greatest strengths as a boxer?

FB: My dedication, I will not neglect the little things in training or in general. My strength in the ring comes from how well I have prepared before the fight.

B: What advice would you give to anyone thinking of starting boxing with regard to choosing a gym etc?

FB: My advice would be; definitely give it a go. Find your local club and get involved. If your are going to do it, and you do enjoy it, give it a 100% effort, you wont know how far you can go without putting in the effort. I am a very strong believer in ‘you get out, what you put in’

B: Who would you chose as sparring partners for your next training camp and why?

FB: It all depends on who I am fighting, so I get sparring partners to mimic my opponent. I would like some more quality sparring though from the likes of Degale, Groves and Billy Joe Saunders – you learn so much from guys moving at the high level.

B: Who has been your toughest opponent so far and why?

FB: Toughest in terms of taking shots it would have to be Ryan Clark, but toughest in terms of ability would be Ogogo in the amateurs, he got his tactics right against me and showed good footwork and defense. It’s a fight that could be big in the future if he turns professional.

B: You have quite a strong online presence and make use of social media such as Facebook and twitter. How do you feel this can help a boxer with his career?

FB: I think both of those sites can really help a boxer get publicity and they also help inform people of up and coming fights and events, it’s easier for people to engage with me if they know how I’m getting on in training and fights and it gives me the opportunity to communicate with people that I wouldn’t normally get the chance to. Also, it gives my friends plenty of chances to take the mick!

B: Haha...true true...   Can you suggest 2 boxers that would make for a great match with you and say why?

FB: There are a lot of prospects in the super middleweight division coming through at the moment, the likes of John Dignum, Hosea Burton and Chris Eubank jnr. So I think in a few years to come there could be some great domestic battles. At the moment I am learning my trade and gaining experience, hopefully in a couple of years I will be at a level where it warrants me to call out fighters.

B: So what’s next on the cards in the coming year?

FB: I’m scheduled for either a 4 or 6 rounder at Wembley on the 16^th of March, so I will be focusing on that date for now. I don’t like to look too far ahead, so all I can say is that I would like to keep learning and improving and have a few more good fights before the end of the year.

B: Before signing off is there anything you would like to say to your fans reading this interview.

FB: Thank you for taking the time to read this interview, and I am extremely grateful for the continued support I am receiving.

Thanks Billy.

Cheers mate. I wish you all the best in your future both in and out of the ring.