Fields to fight gym mate Logan Paling
Fields (left) goes head-to-head with Jamie Stewart
BEN Fields, Digbeth’s tough as boot leather light-welter, is pitted against one of his own stablemates on Saturday.
The former Midlands champ faces gutsy Logan Paling over four rounds at Edgbaston’s H Suite. Both train together at Shaun Cogan’s Birmingham city gym. Shaun is involved in Saturday’s promotion.
For 33-year-old Fields, a more significant contest awaits. On April 1, he faces Jamie Robinson – a good boxer whose won 14 of 21 (two draws) at Laura Trott Leisure Centre, Cheshunt.
Paling, a convert from Muay Thai, stands in the way of that pay-day.
I like Paling, a 31-year-old from Great Barr. He’s yet to have his hand raised after six pro outings, but always comes to fight, always gives it his all.
He’s taken his lumps on the road and defeat has not dimmed his love for the game.
“I love it, absolutely love it,” he told me. “Professional boxing is everything I expected it to be. The hardest part is the training.
“The win will come. Being an away fighter, it’s always going to be difficult, but we’ve looked at tapes of the fights and they’ve been close.
“I never just take part – I go there to give it my all.”
Logan Paling…tough warrior
He can gain inspiration from Fields story. Ben, who has found salvation through the sport, entered the game without expectation and was considered, by many, to be destined for life as a journeyman.
But he began beating unbeaten prospect after unbeaten prospect.
Like a violent Duracell bunny, he slings punches non-stop. At times it’s not pretty to watch, but it’s effective. Only the best, at domestic level, find a way to fathom Fields.
What’s more, he’s blessed with a chin of iron.
Fields has watched while those he’s drawn with - and even beaten - received plum contests. He refuses to be bitter and believes his chance will come.
He said: “The lads I’m fighting are getting English title eliminators and even British title shots. I accept that – boxing is a sport where you can’t expect any favours and I understand that.
“The fights I’ve had have shown me the level that I’m at. I just think about the person I am. I’m 33, but it will take a good while to knock the fight out of me.
“If there’s any justice, I’ll get a big fight, but sometimes there’s not a lot of justice in boxing.”
The many bouts Ben has taken with odds stacked against him have forged a real ring handful.
He travelled to London last November to face Billy Allington and drew. Allington fought for the British title in his next bout.
Before that, he travelled to then Midland champ Jamie Stewart’s home city of Stoke and, after 10 rounds of uncompromising action, again earned a share of the spoils. Watching from ringside, I felt that was the right result.
He earned plaudits for taking ferocious punching Kaisee Benjamin the distance for the Midlands welterweight title.
Victories over unbeaten lads spill from Fields CV, earning him another nickname – “The 0 Taker”.
And there have been nights of glory. In 2020, Fields laid it on Alex Fearon for 10 rounds, a victory that earned him the Midlands 10 stone belt.
Make no mistake, Fields has pieced together a 10-12-4 record the hard way.