Coley brothers fight on same Solihull bill

Lewis Coley with coach James Thomas

TWO brothers boxing on the same professional bill is a rarity.

On Tommy Owens’ marathon 12 bout show at Planet Ice, Solihull, it happens. Birmingham’s scrapping siblings Lewis and Bradley Coley both appear on the show entitled Summer Brawl II. Both are products of Kingstanding’s 2nd City gym, domain of well-known boxing family, the Farrells.

Brad – an outstanding amateur – made his debut in March and outpointed Nabil Ahmed over four.

In older brother Lewis, I truly believe Birmingham has one of its best hopes for major ring glory. The 24-year-old possesses sublime skills, carries real power and has the spite a champion needs.

The lad is a rare talent. Yet, to date, that talent has been toyed with.

The fighter who carries the ring moniker “Ice Cool” is 5-0 and, since turning over in 2019, has embarked on a stop-start career, partly because of covid lockdown.

Back then, he was seen as a force at feather. Yet in February, 2022, he knocked out light-middle Craig Sumner in one round.

Lewis has allowed his weight to balloon, but there are signs the boxer has realised the graft and sacrifices needed to climb to the top.

And Lewis can climb to the top. But he needs to realise true champions are forged by their conduct and discipline outside the gym.

With Lewis, the penny appears to have dropped. I don’t believe he’ll make feather, but he can be a force at lightweight or junior-lightweight. A real force.

Poster for Brad Coley’s second pro contest

He returned in April, after a 14 month absence, to outpoint light-welter Liam Richards. And on Saturday he faces 10 stoner Kasey Bradnum (1-10).

That shows the weight is being shifted. That tells me new pro coach Paddy Farrell is making a difference.

I have written about boxing for decades. The first British title fight I covered for a newspaper was Bunny Johnson’s March, 1977, one round victory over Tim Wood.

Lewis Coley is as good a prospect as I’ve seen.

Hopefully, Coley has matured enough to realise what he can achieve – and the lifestyle needed to achieve it.

Brad has been matched sensibly for his second pro outing. He faces Bradford’s Jake Pollard, a tough journeyman who has lost all 47 pro contest, but is seldom stopped – only four opponents have achieved the feat – and is much bigger.

Pollard competes at feather – four weights above Coley.