Berry: Birmingham’s secret weapon set to be revealed to nation

Nyall Berry contemplates the biggest night of his career to date

THE countdown to Nyall Berry’s introduction on the national boxing scene has begun.

Next Saturday (November 18), on a glittering championship bill screened live on Sky Sports, the ferocious featherweight – a young man with devastating firepower – emerges from the shadows of Birmingham small hall boxing.

He is a six round footnote on a Boxxer show, at Wolverhampton’s former Civic Hall, topped by Black Country favourite Tyler Denny’s European middleweight title bid.

But for the Chelmsley Wood 24-year-old, the Board of Control’s “prospect of the year, the stakes are high.

Show the watching public what he’s shown Birmingham fans in an under-the-radar, unbeaten eight fight career and a major promotional deal is within grasp.

Flunk it and he’s back to square one at Planet Ice, Solihull, the H Suite, Edgbaston, and Sports Connexion, Coventry.

National, televised boxing is a twisting, bumpy journey. I now understand Nyall is to face tough Nicaraguan Darwing Martinez on next week’s show.

Martinez has won eight and drawn two of 23 contests. He’s been in with such top domestic names as Chris Bourke and Charlie Edwards.

Martinez was to have faced Wolverhampton’s Gully Powar on the bill, but has now been switched to face Berry.

At the time of writing this, I had not been given a new opponent for Gully.

This week, Berry told me: “I’m chilled at the moment, it’ll probably kick in on the day. I definitely want the stoppage – a couple of rounds to show what I’m about and then the stoppage.”

I’ll be interested to see how Nyall reacts to his first outing under the big lights, how he deals with life amid national media scrutiny.

Some, like Eastside stablemate Sam Eggington, feed off it, others are swallowed up by it. They either try too hard or are overwhelmed.

For a top professional boxer, mental toughness goes beyond the ring apron.

That’s where a fighter’s team come in. And Eastside’s Paul “Soggy” Counihan – I don’t know if he’s present on the night – is a master at placing a fighter in the zone. I’ve been around the game for 50 years and he’s as impressive a ring psychologist as I’ve come across.

Berry, at this stage, looks something special. Manager Jon Pegg said: “I expect Nyall to go on the same journey as Sam.”

Birmingham fans believe it. It’s time for a national audience to believe it, too.

I believe Berry will shine next Saturday. I believe he’ll rise to the occasion.

I believe Martinez will be swamped by a sea of leather.

I believe next Sunday morning Birmingham’s best kept secret will be a secret no longer.