Manchester boxer Macaulay McGowan ready to defend his unbeaten record

Manchester boxer Macaulay McGowan joined MTK Global’s impressive list of fighters in December 2017.

The undefeated fighter is in good company. MTK Global boast some of boxing biggest names such as Manchester’s Tyson and Hughie Fury, Carl Frampton, David Price, Billy Joe Saunders and Liam Smith to name a few.

McGowan, who turned professional in 2014, has a record of 12-0-1, with two of his victories coming by way of knockout. The draw came against Jez Smith in October 2016 in an eight round classic at Harrow Leisure Centre in London.

The 24 year-old from Wythenshawe hasn’t been in a ring since signing for MTK and is looking to dust off the cobwebs at Bowlers Exhibition Centre on March 15th.

It will be his first fight since joining trainer Ben Lancaster, who has over thirty years experience of training young boxers and has churned out a number of regional and national champions despite never having boxed himself as a youngster.

You’ve wanted to be a professional boxer since you were six years old. Who/what inspired you to become a boxer?

Although my dad had boxed, my main inspiration was Mike Tyson. I remember I would hang my three pound punch bag from B&Ms and just punch it all day long in my little black shorts pestering to go to a proper boxing gym.

How much of an important role do you feel a trainer has for a fighter?

A proper trainer is very important. You have got to really know one another and respect each other. I think these days a lot of boxers aren’t like how they used to be in the old days in terms of respect and the relationship with their trainers. A lot of boxers these days are calling the shots so I think its most important you have a trainer you respect and believe in and do anything they say.

Where do you think Ben has had the greatest influence on you?

To be honest I don’t know. I always knew Ben from amateur days as he produced talent after talent out of the Boardshaw Boxing club. I went to Ben after a year out of the ring and not really finding my feet anywhere else. I walked through his door 15 stone (4 stone over fight weight) and nowhere near mentally nor physically ready to box.

Ben realised my life had changed so much in a short space of time with me having a daughter 2016, moving out, having to get a full-time job and was finding it hard to balance everything. I spent a lot of time in the gym and drinking coffee (Ben loves coffee) and I just knew this is where I needed to be and not just Ben but everyone involved in the team at The Shed.

Can you see any similarities between your style of boxing and any other fighter?

That’s a tricky one. I think people recently have seen me be lazy with a lot of aspects of my game and walk forward pretty careless not using the fundamentals that I’m so good at. I’ve been coming across more of a fighter than a slick boxer but my natural and best form is when I’m moving and using the jab and throwing nice combos, hit and not get hit type boxer (which is what I’ll now be going back to under Ben). I think Juan Manuel Marquez would be a good comparison as he is back foot boxer who likes to throw lots of shots but isn’t scared of having a good old fashioned tear-up when needed.

Are there any other young fighters out there you would like to share the ring with in the next couple of years?

Nobody’s really directly on my radar. I want the British title. Obviously there are lads who are unbeaten and getting up there so I can see myself in with a lot of them, but none in particular. It would be good to have a tear up here in Manchester with another local lad in a local derby.

Are you Red or Blue?

I’m a massive Manchester City fan. I’m a season ticket holder at Etihad but have had to let my father-in-law use it for the time being.

When you’re training in the gym, what’s playing over the stereo?

I play all sorts. It can go from One Direction to Tupac but mostly I like 70/80s classics and a lot of Motown. Of course, I listen to a lot of Manchester bands like Oasis, The Smiths, The 1975, and Blossoms.