Cleland’s Stephen Newns Jnr waited four years for this. Since leaving the Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast in 2018, he has thought, learned, improved and matured. Now, with just a few days until the opening ceremony of the next edition of the prestigious sporting event, Newns knows he’s as ready as he can be.
The young boxer from one of the small mining towns in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, was introduced to boxing by his father – a former boxer – and is now desperate to realize one of his grand ambitions. his life. Newns talked to Social boxing The Olympics are just a few weeks away, this time being held closer to home just hours from Birmingham, and the Scottish Boxing representative is optimistic about his medal chances.
“I wouldn’t say it became more stressful [this time around]; I can say that the spectacle of the Commonwealth Games is unreal – it’s great to be a part of it. But at the end of the day, it’s still a contest. We are there to perform no matter where we are, and regardless of the standards of the competition, we are there to win. I’m a little older now, I’ve been through failures and victories, ups and downs.
“I know how to handle myself in both situations. I’m going into this with more confidence now; I feel like a technically better boxer now than I was four years ago on the Gold Coast. I also had a chance to put on two kilos, so I’ll be a little stronger. “
Falling to the barrier before the final medal in Australia strengthened Newns’ resolve, as he won his opening two games to reach the quarterfinals. Then he suffered defeat with the guarantee of a bronze by points and punches away, and it was a long way back, waiting and competing in other respected tournaments, continuing on international success.
Newns, now 24, has always been busy avoiding the glamor and frustrations of elite amateur boxing, devoting himself to education, preparing for anything after his career. . He graduated just last month, wearing a tuxedo, somewhat reminiscent of a boxer’s ring attire. In explaining her studies, Cleland-man spoke with pride of her achievement – switching between the dedication needed to succeed for the Scotland Team and the ability to effectively continue her further education. .
“I went to college and graduate school after the Gold Coast. I finished my HNC, my HND, went on to Uni and that took me another two years. I graduated this year with honors, and I managed to do just that while training as an amateur boxer.
“It feels like I used to be a full-time boxer; I was trained and worked like one. But I’ve been able to balance that focus and work at Uni, which is good for me mentally. Now that I have completed Uni, I have the opportunity to go for a Master’s degree, which I have not yet decided on. “
The light-mediumweight outlook continues:
“After this in Birmingham, I needed to sit down and think about what I was going to do. I have the option to go pro, but I don’t want to look too far and miss what’s right in front of me.
“My intention is to one day become a pro. It’s something I definitely want to do, and I don’t want to miss the window because I’m too old to have a good ride. I have appreciated many experts and I have done well, but I am confident that I will be successful in any journey that I take. “
It’s been a journey so far, as his father Stephen Snr started his career in Salford, Manchester before moving north of the border after ending his own amateur boxing career before his son was born. Living in the small town of Cleland, not far from Carluke or Motherwell, the family runs a local boxing gym, where Stephen Jnr explains they have busy times when winter evenings come and the kids need the best. alternative hobbies, and quieter times in the summer. month. It is indispensable for young children living nearby, regardless.
“My dad was a boxing club coach – he boxed himself and then his working life went on, so that meant he couldn’t continue to be a pro, but back then it was different.
“Boxing has changed over the years, it has evolved and more money has been poured into it. He took me to the gym when I was eight years old, so I just joined. I don’t know how far I’ll go; I won my first contest at age 11, stopping the guy in the first round. I won my first 11 [fights] and finished in the British final. I won the Scottish championship – got to the England final and lost at 13order Fight.”
Newns continued:
“When I win boxing matches, that feeling of achievement is so much better, and that’s what I did with my dad, so it helped develop our relationship. That’s right, back then I pretty much continued to go to the gym.
“Not much happens in Cleland, everybody knows everyone, everyone has been here, you know what I mean? The boxing club has spells that don’t have many participants, but we’ve had a lot of boxers join the club program [recently] and they could see what I was doing just by going to the gym; You can travel around the world and fight in different countries. I hope some of them can go a lot further and do better than me. I had my father to take me along; I don’t think I would have tried boxing without my dad. These young people, they want to try their hand at boxing and that’s admirable. “
Stephen Newns Jnr was one of those kids, looking around at the wide open space of the boxing gym, listening to the thumps and thumps of the heavy bag, wondering how he got there. can generate that power in the years to come. He has a second chance next week to win a medal for Scotland, a chance that can be earned. Bringing the gold back to Cleland, where everyone knows who he is and what he does, means the whole world to him. And it will help him extend another sporting peak with his father – boxing is exceptional that way.
