The school run is far more fun for champion for Rowley Regis' Tyler Denny

It was fourth time lucky for the Rowley Regis boxer when he claimed the vacant English middleweight title in his rematch against River Wilson-Bent.

Denny had fallen short in his three previous attempts at the title, but he wasn’t to be denied as he won a split-decision victory in front of the Sky Sports cameras.

And the father of four now finds himself in the spotlight when he takes on the school run with his ‘home’ fan club eager to share his story of success.

“The kids have been buzzing about it,” said Denny. “I face timed them as soon as I won, and they were chuffed.

“I get a bit embarrassed when I go to pick them up from school and they’re shouting, ‘there’s my dad, he’s the English champion’.

“I don’t know what to do with myself but that is what it’s all about, they have loved it.

“They have got their pictures with the belt and telling all their friends at school so if they’re happy, I’m happy.”

The fight with Wilson-Bent was a rematch of the pair’s controversial 2021 encounter where Denny was cruelly denied his crowning moment.

Referee Ian John-Lewis mistakenly ruled that a cut to Wilson-Bent was the result of a clash of heads.

Therefore, when the contest had to be stopped as a result, the contest was declared a technical draw and Wilson-Bent retained his title.

Denny admitted the first fight did leave a sour taste in his mouth but ultimately only made his eventual victory even sweeter.

He said: “I was mentally shocked for a bit after the first fight, I just thought what’s the point.

“But then they started talking about a rematch so then you have to snap out of that bit of, not depression because that is too strong, but I just didn’t want to think about boxing at all for a few weeks.

“It is definitely sweeter, the first fight should never have ended like it did, but I believe everything happens for a reason and you have to stick at it.

“I have always believed I’m beyond English level, but you have to prove it.

“It took a while to sink in, my wife said to me ‘you don’t even seem that happy’ but I was just tired for the first two days, it was a gruelling fight.”

Denny had previously lost a close majority decision to Linus Udofia in 2019.

And with a previous loss to Reece Cartwright also on his record, he confessed he didn’t know what the future held in store should he have lost for a third time.

“I have full-time sponsorship now and I was thinking, if you lose this you might be back at work so a lot was going on, more than just the fight,” he said.

“Being full-time as a boxer is massive, I worked for Dudley Council for 13 years as a plumber so I would be up at five o’clock in the morning running, then I would go to work and straight to the gym afterwards.

“I have four kids as well now so it’s about being able to fit all that in, plus trying to keep the wife happy when I have abandoned her all day with the kids.”

The recently turned 31-year-old is now looking forward to the next chapter of his career and adding more belts to his collection.

He said: “If it was up to me what fight I would want next, It would be the British title, I’m already the English champion so that would be the logical next step.”