Growing up in an area like Benwell would turn many boys into men, quicker than nature had intended. One of the toughest areas in the United Kingdom in recent years, it became notorious for unemployment, drug abuse and arson. The latter was used mainly as a form of witness intimidation, according to reports during the nineties. Fighting wasn’t a hobby, it was a necessity for many.
“Benwell… If you go there make sure your shoelaces are tied, make sure your phone is zipped up! Nah (laughs). It’s a rough area, but it’s where I was brought up so I love it, you know? I love it. I’m still based here now and I’ll be based here when I win a World title. I’m loyal!”
The village was united recently, however, in supporting one of their brightest talents. Undefeated professional, Joseph Laws (3-0, 3KOs) had announced himself to a wider audience when fighting on the Matchroom Boxing card in Newcastle this past October, completing his ring-walk with an enormous sombrero and black, leather ‘lucha libre’ mask.
“Every holiday I go on, I always pack a gum-shield. Whether it’s training, a lads holiday, a stag doo or a family holiday, I’ll always jump down to the gym and I’ll always have a proper spar. Vegas, Thailand, Mexico, the Bahamas, Spain… You name it. I find the gym, I make sure it’s as rough as owt’, I just walk in and go, ‘Can I spar?'”
“The last time was in Mexico. It’s a bit of a story this… During the day I found these two locals and I was downing some cocktails, I was saying, ‘I’m a pro boxer and I’ll spar anybody!’ They said, ‘Right, no problem, two minutes’. They got on the phone and came back and said, ‘We’ve got you two fights lined up for tomorrow’. I was thinking, okay, nae’ problem, nae’ problem. Easy work.”
He continued, “The next day I woke up with a hangover and I thought, ‘What the fuck have I got myself into here?’ (laughs). There’s nae’ way I was sparring but my mate said, ‘Listen, have a shot, have a drink, you’ll be fine’. I went there and sparred a kid who had four fights and was unbeaten as a pro, I leathered him. I hit him, he turned round and got out of the ring! I thought, ‘Right, easy days work, here!’ – and as soon as he got out, his big brother got in!”
From a young age, the man from Newcastle-upon-Tyne had been hungry to prove his worth. Determined to throw himself into uncomfortable positions, Laws was just a little bit tougher than your average prospect. From fighting hungover in Mexico, to sparring the likes of blue-chip, Mayweather Boxing prospect Devin Haney; a fight was a fight.He told me of this ‘holiday sparring’ ritual and its inception, “The first time, I was on holiday and me’ Dad always gets a car and drives about. We always do daft stuff, doing missions and stuff and we’ve drove past this boxing gym, so I’ve walked in. They said, ‘Do you fancy a spar?’, and I said, ‘Yeah, I’ll have a spar!’ but I was only fourteen or fifteen at the time. All the kids that were training, they crowded round the ring and watched us spar. Since then, I’ve just done it every holiday. There’s nothing planned yet [for the next holiday], but wherever I go I’ll be packing the gum-shield!”
Now firmly in the public-eye after his exciting showing in Newcastle, his social media accounts have been a talking point, as he continues to grow his fanbase. Extremely similar to the explosive increase in Dave ‘The White Rhino’ Allen’s following, Laws has now become one of the most interesting fighters online. There was nothing manufactured or false about his posts. He was funny, extremely likeable and original.
The ‘Benwell Bomber’ had only boxed three times as a professional, though had good amateur foundations, sharing a gym with Luke and Pat McCormack, fresh from their gold medals at the European championships. His introduction to the sport of boxing had been similar to many other young fighters, though his explanation was typically more colourful.
“I was fat as fuck when I was young. I was big. I needed different exercise! I tried football – I was shite at football. I tried rugby – I was hopeless at that! I tried everything and I was hopeless. I tried boxing and… I’m still hopeless now (laughs)! I’m just a bit less hopeless than I was as a footballer!”
“Me’ Dad boxed, me’ brother boxed an’ all that. I remember I went to watch me’ brother’s first fight and he had a total war. Everyone in the place was talking about that fight for days after. I was thinking to myself, ‘I want that!’ I’ve never looked back since then. It was a family thing, me’ Grandad boxed and I remember growing up and me’ Dad would watch all the Mike Tyson fights, so it was always in the family.”
His relationship with his father had become one of the major talking points of Joe’s media exposure. The pair enjoy an extremely close relationship, poking fun at one another with the son constantly referring to his old man training for a boxing comeback with his gum-shield in his ‘Asda bag’. It’s refreshing to see, the working class family remaining grounded and with an immovable bond.
The careers of neighbouring fighters Lewis Ritson and Josh Kelly have boosted boxing in the North East, with boys like Joe benefitting-in-kind. I’d been there when ‘Pretty Boy’ Kelly had savaged Tom Whitfield with that barrage of unanswered left hooks. Sitting ringside, it was clear that something was stirring amongst the Geordie fans and since then it has grown arms-and-legs. The ‘Ritson v Patera’ event was a massive success and the young man in the Mexican mask soaked up every second.
Laws reminisced, “It was mint, like. It was a massive show. I took me’ chance with both hands and it’s paying off. I was meant to be fighting in December but I loosened a bone in me’ knuckle in my last fight so I’m not fighting til next year now. I’ll just be ticking over and hopefully next year I can get five or six fights, hopefully Eddie comes back to the Arena and I can keep chinnin’ kids, keep sparking kids and keep being me. Hopefully me’ support will grow, my fanbase will grow and I can have some bigger fights!”
“It has been [a quick rise] and people keep saying, ‘Aw what’s next? What’s next?’, I know I can’t jump ahead. I have to keep reminding myself that I’m just a kid in this sport. I’ve boxed, what, seven rounds?” he asked, rhetorically. “Me’ first fight, I knacked’ him in two, me’ second fight, I knacked’ him in one – so it’s only seven rounds. I’m in no rush to step up to ten rounds anytime soon. I’m gonna keep going at my pace and I’m on my own journey. I don’t wanna compare meself’ to anyone else. I’m gonna take it nice and slow and take each fight as it comes!”
On the subject of his progression, I’d been keen to understand the ideal scenario for the next twelve months in the career of ‘The Bomber’. Many would love to see him re-appear of Matchroom Boxing’s cards in the next year, whether in the North East or otherwise, however Laws possessed a sense of realism he often kept concealed.
“I know that in boxing, one punch can change anything, so I take it fight-by-fight. Obviously, ideally, next year I would like to have another five or six fights. Maybe another few fights on big shows and get up to six or eight rounds. Hopefully the back end of next year we can go towards an area title. I want to stay injury free, keep developing, keep getting the wins and keep being sexy!”
Aware of his background and keen to make an impression on the sport that gave him purpose, Joe was still struggling to understand the public’s interest in him as a person. He told me his ‘craic has been the same since 2010!’. There was no false pretences with this undefeated fighter from the North East. He was dedicated, willing to have a scrap and ready to learn on the job.
In boxing, sometimes the most talented fighters can lack the character or charisma that would see them capitalise within a crowded market. Time-and-time again, the lack of ticket sales or media presence denies fighters opportunities they may feel they’ve earned. I had a sneaking suspicion that Laws wouldn’t have to worry about that.
As he enters the next year of his professional career, he knew it was still early. Throwing himself into dingy gyms with the stench of tequila was admirable and made for a good story – but Joseph knew boxing was more than that.
“I’m just gonna be Joe from Benwell” he told me, candidly. “I think it works in my favour cos if I couldn’t sell those tickets, I wouldn’t be on at peak times in the arena. I think that’s what people like about is’. I’ve got young kids saying, ‘Joe, can I get a photo of you?’, I’m like, ‘You can have as many photos as you like – infact, here’s me’ boxing gloves, here’s me’ hat – put them on!’. It’s just mint. It’s class and I just love it!”
“I’m that spontaneous, just keep watching me’ stories! Keep following, stay in touch. One minute I could be in Benwell, the next minute I could be in Zimbabwe sparring the African champion, next thing I could be in me’ mankini flying down Benwell doing cartwheels! Stay in touch, I’ll be staying busy and just follow us, we can go from there!”
Article by: Craig Scott
Follow Craig on Twitter at: @craigscott209