Berry is the pick of Brum’s Young Guns

Nyall Berry…an explosive arrival on the pro scene

BIRMINGHAM’S Mr Boxing reckons that five fights into his ring career, Nyall Berry is a better prospect than Sam Eggington was, Matt Bozeat writes.

Jon Pegg started out as a fighter and is now head trainer, manager and matchmaker.

Promoter Tommy Owens also rates the head of the Eastside gym as one of the best talent spotters around.

Pegg took Eggington from the small halls to Sky Sports and major honours and believes Berry is on the same path.

So good has Berry looked in his first five fights that opponent number six has proved hard to find.

Pegg even considered looking overseas to find someone to face the 23-year-old from Chelmsley Wood at Solihull’s Planet Ice on Saturday, February 18. He’ll now face 8-6 feather Sandeep Singh Bhatti, from India.

 “I’m really excited about Nyall,” said Pegg.

 “I would put Nyall in front of Sam at this stage of his career. He is more composed than Sam was.

 “Nyall isn’t super slick and he doesn’t have Sam’s nastiness, but he has that hardness and he has the advantage of me having 10 years more experience behind me.

 “Sam and Nyall are very similar in style and I know how to make that style work.

 “The problem will be finding people to fight him

 “Lee Connelly has had nearly 100 fights and he says Nyall is one of the strongest he’s ever fought.

 “People hear that and won’t let their fighters go near him.

 “Nyall is a nine- stones fighter, but he has had to fight three opponents at 10 stones because when he fights people at nine stones, he demolishes them.

 “I don’t think we will find anyone to fight him at nine stones for the Midlands title.

 “We need to find fights that don’t take him further than he should be.

 “I remember Sam beating Denton Vassell at 20 years old and we thought, ‘how are we going to get him learning fights now?’”

Eggington turned out to be a huge success, winning British, Commonwealth, European and IBO world honours and Pegg says his gym is the perfect place for Berry to grow into a champion.

 “We have 11 pros in the gym and Nyall has fighters at his own level and the older generation who can teach him a few tricks. It’s a good environment for him and I push him hard.

 “He trains for four rounders as if he has a title fight coming up.

 “I like Nyall’s attitude and he has only just turned 23 years old, so he has plenty of time.”