Happy Talk

After scoring the first knockout of his burgeoning professional career, James Branch sits with his friends and tells Ian Probert what it feels like to land a fight winning punch and why it was so unexpected .

WHAT does one of Britain’s young boxing prospects do to relax when the sweat and toil is over for the day and he’s basking in the glow of having just registered his very first knockout as a pro?

“I was just playing FIFA on my Xbox,” grins James Branch as he sits in his bedroom surrounded by the sound of giggling which is emanating from two of his best mates. There is a carnival atmosphere in the room.

Daniel Vale is perched at one end of the sofa. He has known James since they were both 11 and shares with his friend the almost supernatural inability to ever stop his lips from moving. Chris Hinson, on the other hand, keeps a stoic silence; he has known James since they were both 16 and has obviously long since given up on ever being able to make any kind of meaningful contribution to the relentless verbal sparring. Because when James and Daniel get talking it’s clear that persistence is futile.

“I went to school with James,” remembers Daniel. “Even then he was non-stop. Exactly the same as he is now. Bobbing and weaving up the corridors he was.”

“Did he get into fights?” I ask.

“Nah… Not really. He kept himself to himself. He did what he needed to do…”

“Could you ever see him having a future as a professional athlete?”

“Well… He was a bit chunky back then. So it was a bit hard to believe,” says Daniel to a chorus of guffaws. “But he’s always been good at what he does. He’s proved it obviously with his record.”

Was he was one of the best at sport at school?”