Berry: I never want to again feel the way I did after title defeat

Nyall Berry…itching to put right the wrongs that led to De Rosa loss

ALL prospects take their first defeat badly, it is a bitter pill to swallow.

It’s fair to say Nyall Berry, the buzzsaw super-bantam with KO power, took his first loss more badly than most. And for the Chelmsley Wood 24-year-old, the emotions are still raw close to a month after his loss to Francesco De Rosa for the IBF European title.

But the exciting fighter is back in the gym and burning for a ring return in September. Berry pledged he will be a better, more complete boxer for the setback. The hangover of that eighth round stoppage at Coventry Skydome – Nyall’s only blemish in 11 bouts - is hard to shift, however.

“I don’t want to feel like that ever again,” he said, “that was the worst I’ve ever felt. I haven’t got the words to say how heartbroken I felt, even today.”

Nyall, newly signed to promoters GBM who staged the Skydome show, was expected to beat De Rosa, who also entered the contest unbeaten and with a “banger’s” reputation.

The visitor proved a revelation, dropping Berry in the fourth and ending matters with a barrage of unanswered punches.

I was there and can testify Berry was near inconsolable in the immediate aftermath.

Now he looks at errors made and itches to put the wrongs right.

“He was good, but I was winning,” Nyall said. “He did hit me and put me down in the fourth, but it was a slip. I got up and just switched off. I stopped going to the body, I stopped jabbing, I stopped doing everything that was working. I was winning the fight and, because of stupidity, I got caught. It’s my fault, no one else’s fault and that does my head in.

“A lot of people have said they’ve never seen a boxer so upset and I’m still devastated to this day, it’s all I think about. Everyone says it will make you a better fighter and I feel I have learned so much from it. I stepped up to the plate, it was a very good opponent and I need to realise I was winning.”

Berry now knows he put far too much pressure on himself both during the build-up and in the days after defeat.

“I felt I let everyone down,” he admitted, “it’s just how I feel. I wanted to bring the title back for not only me, but for my gym, GBM, my family, my newborn. It hurts.

“I had a good camp, but I look back at the things I did wrong. Over-training was definitely one and I put way too much pressure on myself.

“Everyone said I didn’t let them down, but that isn’t going to change. The first few days I was in a bit of a dark place. At the time I was thinking, ‘am I good enough?’, ‘is my career over?’ I’ve spoken to Jon (manager Jon Pegg) and (Eastside gym trainers) Soggy and Louie (Counihan). They have all re-assured me. I’ve spoken to GBM, they’re happy with me and said it’s a blip on the road.

“Physically, I’m back in the game, I’ve just got to stop putting pressure on myself. I always said I didn’t know how I’d react when I lost. I always said I felt like it would destroy me, but, if I’m honest, I feel the opposite.

“I’ve been back in the gym and working on everything I did wrong. I should be back at the end of September and I’ve never been so excited about a fight.”

He added: “I’m not someone to make excuses. He got me out of there, so on the night he was the better boxer.”