It’s been a long year.
The last time I’d heard the youthful enthusiasm in the brewed, cross-country accent of our subject, we were sitting on the edge of a different ring apron in a different City. The background noises at that time were mutterings between a certain Cuban trainer and his masseur. Now, it was silence. It was calmer, at last, with a focus on progressing his career the right way.
I caught up with him, exclusively for Boxing Social, ahead of his return to action in Brentwood.
“Okay, so straight from the beginning [of my story], I fought at the World Amateur Championships in 2016. At the tournament, after I won the World Championships, there was a scout there, Mirko Wolf, the guy you’ve met. He’s now a good friend of mine, but he was a scout at the World Championships and from over four-hundred boxers, I was the only one who was chosen to be scouted by him. I’m the only one he came to see from over four-hundred.”
Scotland’s only ever amateur World champion, Willy Hutchinson(6-0, 4KOs) hadn’t exactly started from ‘the beginning’ of his story. After growing up in various locations collecting portions of distinctive dialect, he had taken up boxing with his mentor Frank Delaney after settling in the tiny town of Carstairs, South Lanarkshire.Being familiar with the area myself, renowned for its maximum security psychiatric hospital, it wasn’t the type of place a former manager of Mike Tyson or Manny Pacquiao would unearth new talent. However, that’s exactly what happened, with one of boxing’s storied guardians extending his hand.
“Mirko told Shelly [Finkel] to get in touch with me and organise a meeting in London and obviously it went from there, really. Everything went through Mirko and if it weren’t for him, nobody would probably know me! Me’ manager lives at the other side of the World and he knows me.
“Imagine Shelly Finkel having your number and ringing you every day? Imagine Shelly Finkel ringing me and he likes me and texts me? I would never have thought. It’s dreams come true for me, you know?”
After signing with Hayemaker Promotions last year, Hutchinson was tipped for glory as the fresh-faced eighteen-year-old living in the ‘Big Smoke’. I’d watched as Finkel sat ringside, marking his progression alongside previous mentor David Haye.
It was when Willy fought Eric Mokonzo, a particularly durable and far-heavier opponent at York Hall, that I spotted Dominic Ingle at ringside. Finkel and the Sheffield-man spoke in-depth as Hutchinson managed to grind out a win, but it was clear something had to change in order to maximise his potential.
“It was after the Mokonzo fight [that I moved to Dom], that was the reason he came to see me. To be honest, I never really had a coach. I was being helped by Mirko, the guy who started this all off for me. He was helping to coach me but I never had a proper professional coach who could just show me what professional boxing was all about.”
Willy admitted, “Basically, I asked Shelly [Finkel] if he could set me up with Dominic Ingle and Dom came to see me and he wanted me straight away! He [Ismael Salas] was just doing little bits and pieces. He wasn’t really my trainer, he was a really nice guy and obviously he is a great coach, but he had no time for me. I need to do what I need to do. Thank God I’m in the position I’m in with Dom – I’m really happy!”
The move from South London to Sheffield had worked wonders for the young Scot, finding his feet especially in his last contest with a highlight-reel stoppage over tough opposition. His tone was different during our conversation last year. It had been enthusiastic and optimistic, then. This time, it oozed confidence and determination.
Sharing a gym with former World champions Kell Brook and Billy-Joe Saunders, whilst also working alongside World-ranked contenders Jason Quigley and Liam Williams had ensured his development at a steady pace. Ingle had whipped him into shape, turning ‘puppy fat into muscle’ – Willy’s words, not mine.
“To be honest, I feel more like a pro! I’m enjoying it and like I said, I’m loving what I’m doing! I’m with good people and it brings the best out of me. Since I’ve moved to Dominic Ingle’s gym, I’ve improved so, so, so much. It’s all the little things and the experience, I’m happy I can move on fight-to-fight. Every fight I have, the more I’m improving and you’ll see that on the December 15th as well.”
He continued, “Dom says it’s an undefeated fighter [we’re facing]. I don’t know who he is, but Dom never tells me to be honest! He never tells me, but it is what it is. It’s a fight anyway so I don’t really care! I’m ready to rock-and-roll, then I want to have a nice Christmas with my family – I can’t wait to see me’ Ma’am!”
During a year of transition, Hutchinson had embarked on another journey, in alignment with his career inside the ropes. “I loved it. It was a beautiful feeling but I loved it… I was nervous (laughs)”, he said of his engagement to now-fiancée Bonnie. In a sport which at times can isolate even the most popular, to see him content and happy was reassuring.
I’d been present at Willy’s debut in the horrendously selected venue of choice, London’s Indigo O2. He closed the show that night and the remaining fans were rowdy, jumping up and down, spilling beers and chanting his name as though he was a famous football club. The venue was shocking, but his performance was enough to quench the thirst of the travelling clan. Since then, only a year had passed, but he’d grown as a fighter and moved promotional stable as well as moving gym.
With Hutchinson now working alongside stalwart Frank Warren, his exposure had been enhanced, fighting on televised shows and being backed by the promotional muscle he deserved. Leaving the Hayemaker stable, for those wondering, had been amicable.
He opened up, “It was my manager’s choice [to sign with Frank Warren] and he has fifty years of experience. What do I know compared to him? I’m only a baby! If he says we have to move, then we have to move and I had every trust in him! I never had a worry with Hayemaker. I don’t speak to any of them [anymore], but that’s not my fault, they don’t wanna stay in touch and that’s fine.”
“The only thing on my mind is to keep fighting and keep winning. I’m doing my best and that’s all I can do. I’m filling out now, but my weight’s not even changing – I just look bigger! With the likes of the lads in the gym; Billy-Joe Saunders, Kell Brook, it just pushes you on. It’s an honour to even be a part of that and to share a ring with those lads sparring.”
With his next contest on December 15th in Brentwood, ‘Hutch with the Magic Touch’ was looking forward to a relaxing Christmas break which followed. His family are close-knit, often dominating his social media when gathered for parties or weddings. He elaborated, claiming everything he achieves in the sport would be thanks to their love and support. It wasn’t just a quote, to Willy.
When we catch up next, perhaps in the middle of Winter once again, I wondered where he would be. Contender? Champion? Still so young, but so talented, it seemed inevitable that he would be fast-tracked into a booming super-middleweight division. With guys like Darryll Williams, Zach Parker and Lerrone Richards lingering around domestic title contention, Hutchinson had his eye on a meaningful title.
“In twelve months time, I’ll be twenty-one and I’ll be looking for a British title at super-middleweight. I’m gonna do super-middleweight and I’ll be aiming for the British.” On his selection of weight-division, he settled, “I can make it, it takes a bit of doing, but it is what it is! I’m fighting at light-heavy just now because Dom just wants me to grow into what I’ve become. God willing everything goes to plan and I stay focused, that’s my aim [the British title].”
An old head on young shoulders was a rarity in modern boxing. The lure of fast money and eccentric spending had captivated the casual fan. Willy Hutchinson has never had that, it didn’t appeal to him. He’d made the best of what life had given him and was beginning to enjoy the rewards his talent had afforded him. The road ahead would be long, but he already knew that.
“Listen, let’s be completely honest. This is boxing. It only takes one punch to end all of this. It only takes a loss. You can get it [success], it’s not easy but you can get it! It’s very easy to lose everything. You’ve got to have that in the back of your mind, you have to stay focused. I’m only young and anything can happen, I’m in there with big boys and I’m in a heavy punching division, so I have to keep my feet on the floor.”
Hutchinson closed, telling me, “I’ll never, ever change. I know that because I don’t wanna change. It’s a privilege to have the type of men who believe in me, but I need to prove it to myself. I’m nothing just now. I’m still a baby. I am zero. But, God willing, with the right people behind me, one day I will become something and when that day comes it will be beautiful.”
Article by: Craig Scott
Follow Craig on Twitter at: @craigscott209