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Gareth Couch

GARETH Couch has been training on his own this week; to his fans that will be just as encouraging as his 12 wins out of 12 since turning professional.

He said: "I've got the week off in Wycombe, but I want to keep ticking over.

"I've made the mistake of relaxing after fights before and I get sloppy. I'm not doing that again."

Couch out-classed Baz Carey over four rounds at York Hall last Friday. He won't fight again until September but his motivation to think and act like a professional sportsman at all times is the influence of the famous Ingle gym.

He moved there earlier in the summer and it has reinvigorated his career.

Big time promoter Nick Hennessy was there to see him dismiss Carey - as were almost 100 Wycombe fans - and there is the potential carrot of a five-fight promotion deal if the 25-year-old continues to improve.

It's a far cry from his position in April, when he laboured to victory over Tom Glover and admitted afterwards he had been demotivated, was putting friends above boxing and was falling out of love with the sport having not fought for nine months.

He said: "I really enjoyed it again on Friday. Everyone said it was ten times better than the last time I fought and I'm really pleased myself.

"It was my first fight with my new trainer and manager and I did exactly what they wanted.

"He was a strong boy and they didn't want me to get into a war with him. They wanted me to throw two punches and get out, throw two punches and get out.

"So I was boxing and moving like I used to and I didn't get caught once. I won every round and made it look easy, but it wasn't as easy as it looked."

Couch's new-found focus was apparent even before he stepped into the ring.

His bout was put back by more than three hours as his fans tried to fight through the London traffic to reach the venue on time.

But, having made the weight comfortably, he was able to stay nourished during that period and rather than going out to mingle with fans and watch other bouts, as he used to, he chose to wait it out quietly in the dressing room.

He said: "I'm not at 100 per cent yet. I didn't have a fight for a long time so I probably need one or two more fights. There is still more to come from me."

9:33am Friday 4th July 2008

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