Todd: I’m doing this for my community!
Todd Tompkins....looks to make it a hat-trick of wins at Holiday Inn
FEW fighters put as much into their local community as Todd Tompkins.
The southpaw has just converted an old builder’s truck and hung punchbags inside so he can deliver mobile boxing workshops at schools.
There are also the anti-knife crime lectures, endless charity work and community classes run from his Titan fitness gym.
That graft has made Todd something of a hero in Rushden, Northamptonshire. It’s also given the likeable 27-year-old a sizeable following: he flogged 120 tickets for his debut in March.
To date Todd hasn’t disappointed his supporters. And on October 12 at Birmingham Airport’s Holiday Inn, he goes for his third straight win. He’ll fight as a super-middle for that one, but stressed his future lies at middle.
Tompkins may be adored, but he’s very much an adopted Brummie: in fact, he was billed out of Birmingham for his last fight.
He trains out of the city’s Eastside gym and is managed by Jon Pegg.
His heart, however, remains in Rushden. Todd said: “With my gym, we have been working with a lot of local schools. What we are trying to do is lead by example, show that by walking a positive pathway you can achieve. I was one of those kids sitting in assembly.
“If you focus on a goal and give your best, you can achieve what you want. Community work is my drive, it makes me get up in the morning and go for my runs and do that extra bit of training. My motivation is the community and kids coming to the classes. I fight for the community and those kids.
“The support from my local town is great and I’ve got a lot of businesses behind me.”
Todd turned pro after a brief and modest, 10 bout amateur career with Kettering ABC. From there, he turned to the unlicenced circuit and won 10 on the spin.
As a pro, he is a work in progress and showing steady improvement. That, at this apprentice stage, is all you can ask.
Todd said: “It’s been brilliant, I’m very pleased with the way it’s gone. I’ve got good sparring at Eastside, I’ve sparred with very good lads.”
He’s keeping both feet firmly on the ground and maintains it’s too early to talk about future title fights.
“I haven’t set any goals,” Todd added. “As long as I’m keeping going, I’m happy. I’ll go as far as I can go – boxing is my life.”