Potential: Aloys Junior was offered a five-year contract with Frank Warren despite losing his professional debut
Aloys Junior’s reward for losing his professional debut is an advertising contract with Frank Warren, writes Matt Bozeat
What is Aloys Junior thinking?
Why would an aspiring junior cruiser agree to fight a 3-0 fighter on his professional debut just a day before?
“My phone kept ringing after the battle,” the South Londoner recalls, smiling, “and I didn’t bother to answer. I know people will say: ‘You’re crazy, why are you in this war?’ “
Junior thought his professional debut was still a week away until he checked his phone after a game session and found he had missed a call from his manager, Simon. Legg.
He had been at the weigh-in for a Queensberry Ad and knew that Michal Soczynski was unmatched.
“We asked for war [against Soczynski] six or eight weeks before,” Legg recalls, “but was told: “This is his debut, it wasn’t a good game.”
“I heard a Welsh guy pulled out of a match against him at the head-to-head match and the matchmaker said: ‘Did your guy accept it on this announcement?’
“I phoned Aloys and said to him: ‘He’s undefeated, but it’s on television and it’s a huge opportunity… If it were me, I’m not sure I’d take it. I’ll get it six weeks in advance, but 24 hours… “Well, Aloys didn’t think twice.
“I got its attention on social media. Aloys received a text message telling him: ‘Get rid of your manager, he’s a clown.’ It was a big gamble.”
Within 30 seconds, Junior found himself on the floor.
“My defense is usually tight,” he said, “but he threw a jab and I couldn’t catch it. The gloves are much smaller than the gloves I’m used to.
“I felt a sharp pain and the next thing I knew I was lying on the floor thinking: ‘What’s going on here?’
“There are so many things for me to get involved in. I thought: ‘I’m not a victim, I’m not going to let anyone do this to me. How do I arrange this? ‘”
Junior sorted it out, got his jab working, made the Pole slide and land the upper keys eye-catching.
“I had to learn on the job,” he said. “I was calm enough to adapt and come back.”
The knockdown is the difference between the fighters on the referee’s scorecard at the end of the fourth round. Junior was defeated 39-38, but Legg said: “Within 24 hours, I called Frank Warren and said, ‘Are you interested in a promotional deal?’
“We have a five-year contract – after he lost his debut.”
364 days after debut, Junior vs Pawel Strykowski, 3-20-1, inside Bethnal Green’s York Hall on Friday night, a match that will be shown live on BT Sport.
Junior, who stopped veteran Bulgarian Tayar Mehmed in a round in March, looks back on his debut and admits: “I was in a hurry. I could have built myself up, getting used to the feel of professional gloves and lighting, but I was 18 at the time, very hungry and I didn’t give it much thought.
“I saw something I wanted and didn’t think about it too much. I tried sprinting when my career was a marathon. I’ll definitely think about it more if I get the same call now. I need to think long term and how can I improve, but I am satisfied with my decision.
“I got more people, sold more tickets and got more exposure.”
Junior made headlines locally by winning the NABGC and Youth titles in a 21-game amateur career with Double Jab and the Repton ABCs. He quickly became known throughout professional gyms for his willingness to spoil anyone. He was 16 when he got into a fight with Daniel Dubois at Peacock Gym.
Junior recalls, “I asked Martin Bowers to spar him,” and they hesitated because he was knocking people out and Daniel didn’t know how to control his powers.
“They kept saying no, until they finally agreed and when I felt one of his stabs I thought: ‘If that’s the feel of his stab, then his right hand. What will it be like?’ I had to work in and out, find his faults, learn how to deal with him. “
Junior has been upping his education over the past eight months starring Chris Billam-Smith, Joshua Buatsi and more.
“I’m 19 and I’m chasing these guys,” he said, “so in five or six years, where will I be?”
