Bendall: Those ‘what if?’ doubts plagued my career at the top
Bendall beats Paul Smith. Picture courtesy Coventry Telegraph
ONE moment of mindless violence convinced Steve Bendall it was time to leave Coventry.
Days before signing pro forms, the boxer was sickening “slashed” as he walked home following a night out.
Bendall’s mind was made up following that unprovoked attack. It was time to make Bournemouth his home, a seaside town his wife’s parents had already moved to.
“I love Coventry,” the now 50-year-old told me this week, “but it can be a rough place.”
He may have left the Sky Blue city, but the Sky Blue city never left him. As part of a famous Coventry boxing dynasty – grandfather Tom McGarry was the legend that drove famed Triumph amateur club to greatness – Steve built a truly outstanding amateur career.
The Triumph star won 96 of 116 amateur bouts, represented England 22 times, won national titles, reached a senior ABA final, claimed gold at a multi-nations tournament in Liverpool and came within a whisker of gaining an Olympic berth.
As a tall, heavy-handed pro always billed out of Coventry, Steve faced the very best, claimed the English middleweight title and fought for the British, Commonwealth and European belts.
His list of victims in a 37 fight career stretching from 1997 to 2013, include British champ and world title challenger Paul Smith.
He was unbeaten in his first 21 contests, overcame a badly gashed eye to stop Donovan Smillie in five for the English belt and outpointed Jason Collins for the WBU inter-continental crown.
Steve even picked up a spurious version of the world title in his final fight. Let’s be honest, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who believed the winner of his WBU (Germany) championship battle with John Akurigo was the best middle on the planet.
Steve was more than just handy. He was a handful.
Fit, trim and close to his fighting weight, he is now the beating heart of south coast small hall boxing. Steve’s Bendall Boxing gym is thriving, he’s staged 22 pro shows, has eight pros and high hopes for 11-0 lightweight Mace Ruegg: “Give him a chance and you’ll see what he can do.”
Bendall with the English title belt. Pic: Coventry Telegraph
Current WBO cruiser king Chris Billam-Smith, from Bournemouth, had five of his first eight pro outings on Bendall bills.
When discussing his own career, regret is close to the surface. Inactivity and injury played a part in Steve’s failure to reach the giddy heights climbed as an amateur. He won’t admit it, but mental demons – the disease of “self doubt” – bogged down his biggest nights.
Scott Dann stopped the then unbeaten boxer for the British title in six, Wayne Elcock halted him in eight for the English, Darren Barker gained seventh round victory, on cuts, for the Commonwealth. Darren McDermott took his English title on points.
Steve, however, bristles about a 2006 third round loss to Sebastian Sylvester in Germany with the European title at stake: “It shouldn’t have been stopped. I was winning and they just wanted me out of there.”
“My big regret is I felt I under-achieved,” Steve admitted. “I felt I was good enough to win a British title at the very least.
“When I was 21-0, I was meant to fight Howard Eastman for the British title. He wouldn’t fight me because he was on the way to a world title shot. My promoters lost their TV contract with the BBC and folded.
“In the 18 months I had to wait (for a title shot), I never ticked over, I didn’t fit in a fight. I believed I would beat Scott Dann and put so much pressure on myself to win I just didn’t show up. But, fair play to Scott, he beat me fair and square.
“I put myself under so much pressure. I have a lot of respect for Wayne Elcock. I didn’t show up and he bashed me up. That wasn’t me in the ring – and he said that in the dressing room afterwards.
“Boxing is a person versus person sport, it’s a bad place to have a bad night. I came back and had some good victories, but I don’t think I reached the highs I should’ve reached.
Bendall today with old foe Wayne Elcock
“I was never nervous of anyone I ever boxed, I was nervous about being beaten. For Dann and Elcock, walking to the ring, it was like I had a gap between my eyes and brain. I was a thinking boxer and there was nothing there. The ‘what ifs?’ can take over and they can drown you.
“After the Wayne Elcock defeat, I saw a sports psychologist and said, ‘I have to be honest, I don’t believe in this s***, if you’re not good enough, you’re not good enough’. But he changed my whole outlook, my positivity.”
After those sessions, Steve peeled off three wins, gave a good account of himself against Barker, who would go on to be world champ, beat Smith and felt he did enough to get the decision against McDermott – his last bout on British soil.
“My best performance was the fight that gets no recognition,” Steve said. “Lee Blundell (2003, IBO inter-continental title). He had just beaten Ryan Rhodes and I demolished Lee in two rounds. That was me at the top of my game.”
The end was played out abroad. To an extent, it was played out in the shadows.
After failing a British Board of Control brain scan – and Steve is adamant he has specialist evidence to show the result was wrong – he gained a Croatian licence.
He fought twice in Germany, once in Denmark. Steve won one – the WBU title fight, but that belt couldn’t prevent his once promising career stalling.
With no decent fights on the horizon and his work as a trainer blossoming, Steve decided to take a new boxing path. He is now an extremely busy trainer, manager and promoter.
On the small hall circuit, it’s just as tough a game on the other side of the ropes. The only difference is you don’t spill blood.
Steve added: “Speaking truthfully, honestly, there is too big a difference between the big boys and small hall promoters. Without small hall promoters it doesn’t work because we’re building the decent and half decent kids.
“Small hall promoters build the kids who fight the future stars. In this game, you have to find your level – it’s not all about superstars. How do you do that without small hall shows?”
Steve still eats, sleeps and breathes boxing.
Those who watched him in action, speak about what could’ve been. He speaks about what should’ve been.