Fielding ponders his future in fight game

Louis Fielding…attempting to juggle boxing with a tough day job

IN the aftermath of his first round defeat to Dylan Norman, Louis Fielding – one of the game’s true nice guys – admits to being torn by thoughts of retirement.

It does, in his own words, “play on my mind”.

On the one hand, it’s hard to let go of something you’ve done since the age of 11. And no fighter wants to bow out on a loss. He wants to show that was not the real Louis Fielding blasted out by Norman in the lightweight Top Boxer tournament earlier this month.

On the other, Louis, articulate and intelligent, faces the near impossible task of finding the commitment professional boxing requires while working as a field engineer, a job that takes him all over the UK.

The days following defeat – Louis’ second first round stoppage on the spin – have been spent pondering the future.

“I’ve just put it to the back of my mind,” the Tamworth 33-year-old said, “but it’s played on my mind.”

If Fielding walked away tomorrow, he can look back on a 19 bout career with pride. He’s fought for a Midlands title three times and appeared on a major televised show.

“The (Norman) fight, I’m not that fussed about,” Louis said. “I didn’t get going and Dylan’s a fast starter.

“I want to fight again, but I don’t know. It’s a lot of commitment and there are so many things going on in my life. It’s hard to deal with doing the sacrifices when you work all over the country.

“In a training camp, there are so many things you have to do to make it all work. If I could just box and not work and not have life in the way, I’d hands down fight again.

“Everyone turning pro aspires to be a world champion. A few fights in, they realise they’re not going to be a world champion and look at what titles are achievable.

“I’m 33, but I don’t think the age thing is a factor – I’m fit, I’m always active. The real factor (in the Norman loss) was the camp. I broke my thumb, I couldn’t spar for a few weeks, I was just touching with my right hand. I did 25 rounds sparring for that whole camp, that was the issue with what happened. It was just a bad camp. It was not age that let me down.

“Mum and dad have said from day one ‘that’s enough’ whether I win, lose or draw. Natalie, my wife, knows it’s a big part of me, she understands what it means to me.

“I’ve spoken to Jon (manager Jon Pegg) and he’s said, ‘you can get a nice four rounder and call it time’, but he’s added, ‘you have to do what’s right for you’.”

Louis added: “It plays on my mind, there’s a lot to think about. If I can commit to it all properly, then I will 100 per cent fight again.

“If (in Top Boxer) I’d drawn Michael Mooney or someone different, I may have beaten them and would now be looking at things very differently.”

That’s the precarious nature of professional boxing. Your next fight could be your last fight.