Ben Collins Rising following in illustrious footsteps
A young Black Country boxer is walking in the footsteps of champions like Anthony Joshua and Chris Eubank Jr, after winning a prestigious European competition, writes Bill McCarthy.
Ben Collins has won the Haringey Box Cup light heavyweight championship for 2023 at the tender age of 18.
He took on far more experienced fighters to land the title at the three day fight event at Alexandra Palace at weekend before last.
The Haringey Box Cup is Europe’s largest amateur boxing event, which takes place over three consecutive days at the venue each June. With over 300 contests and boxers from all over the UK and Europe, it is billed 'a truly fantastic spectacle of boxing.'
Ben, who founded Brierley Hill-based Team Pumpkin Boxing at Old Bush Street with his dad Carl, defeated three experienced opponents to take the title, but says it still hasn't sunk in yet.
He said: "I'm still buzzing and it feels surreal. It was my first senior boxing competition.
"I am only 18 so this is a big deal, the competition has been won in the past by Anthony Joshua and Chris Eubank Jr. The guy I beat in the final had had 70 fights."
Ben, from Stourbridge, also praised his coaches at Wednesbury-based Black Country Boxing (BCB), Paul Mann and Errol Johnson.
"They had faith in me and believed I could win."
Proud father Carl also believed in him.
"Ben put in the work and believed he could do it the even, though we were the underdog, we as a team always believed that we could win it," he said. "Ben has worked very hard since joining BCB in November Errol and Paul have been the making of him they make a great team. Ben had the least experience in the tournament but if you had seen who he had been sparring and how he’d been performing with them you would have made him the favourite. All the hard work and dedication has finally paid off."
