Robin Deakin - [1-51-0]

Word is that you are training again as of late and looking to get down to lightweight. How is that going and when might we get to see you fight again?

Well, I'm obviously still looking to get my boxing licence back. I'm hoping that the BBBoC hearing will be in September and that I will then be able to fight in October or November. So for now I am just ticking over, slowly but surely getting my weight down.

Fans who attend small hall boxing shows who have seen plenty of your fights know that what the mainstream media has had to say about your is nonsense. But for more casual fans who look at the papers and they see quotes like "worst boxer in Britain", big losing streak, they take that and they believe it. Does it bother you that there are people out there who don't know any better and believe such headlines, or is it enough for you to know that the more knowledgeable fans of the sport not only appreciate what you do, but they also know you've given a good account of yourself against decent fighters over the years?

Yeah, true fans of the sport who know boxing know that I'm not really the worst boxer in Britain, but the general public obviously read such headlines and think "he must be so bad, maybe he should retire". People who don't know the ins and outs of boxing just aren't going to realise that a journeyman fighter might get a couple of days notice, or in some cases, maybe even a couple of hours depending on the situation. Meanwhile, top prospects working their way up might get up to 8 weeks notice. Us journeymen never have that kind of time to prepare for a fight. We just get in there and do what we can, whether that be trying to survive, or putting the prospect through their paces. Of course, in the articles written about me, they don't elaborate on that, 'nor do they describe what I've been through in my life, such as the disability I was born with and being told that I would never be able to walk. Ironically, it would probably help newspapers sell such stories if they actually went into more depth about the sport or about me, but instead they prefer to focus on their own negative interpretations. Anyway, I look forward to getting back in there and proving people wrong. The way I see it, from here on if I lose it doesn't matter since I'm the "worst boxer in Britain", but when I win it should make for a very different story! They say no press is bad press, so are you looking forward to fighting again even more so than you would do as a result of all the extra interest and media attention that now follows you?

When I was a kid at school, my dad had a bad boy reputation - everyone in Crawley knew my dad. I always looked up to him when I was growing up, so I ended up wanting the same thing. I wanted to be known and it didn't matter what for, I just wanted a reputation. I could have made some bad life decisions and become well-known that way, but fortunately I ended up taking the boxing route and now I am the most well-known journeymen, as well as one of the most talked about boxers in Britain period. I've got my reputation and everyone is interested in what Robin Deakin is up to. It's not every day you get to make national press headlines. Sometimes even rising stars in the sport don't get talked about in the media.

Does it feel like a catch 22 situation at times, because obviously as the away fighter you are brought in and the scorecards will be against you no matter what you do in a fight. And then meanwhile, something I've heard journeymen say a couple of times is that when they do end a losing streak after scoring a so-called upset win, the phone suddenly stops ringing and they have to wait a while before they get a call for a fight again.

That's right and also, after every 4 fights, the BBBoC reviews our boxing licence. If you haven't won in 4 fights, they want to know why not. As other journeymen could relate to though, I never have time to really prepare for a right, to correct things that I might have done wrong in my past fight, or to work on things in the gym. There's just no time! On many occasions, immediately after a fight the phone would go again. I'd fight, maybe get to rest my body for a few days and then get back into the ring again with a good fighter. Based on your performances against some fighters, especially those who have gone on to fight for titles, do you feel that your career could have gone very differently if you had the backing?

To be fair, I did start off my career with a promoter, as I had the backing of Frank Warren. However, after losing my 2nd pro fight I went my own way and started taking fights on the road. Nevertheless, on the back of the publicity I have received, my trainer Matthew Marsh, as well as hopefully getting the backing of a promoter when I come back, I believe I can go on and achieve things and that I can earn some good money.

I know you hold the Goodwins in high esteem. The Goodwin stable has been expanding a lot lately and they've got their biggest event yet coming up called "To Hell and Back". What would you say is the reason that the Goodwins keep going from strength to strength?

They may not have been in the business for long, but they have done so much in a short space of time. To be honest though, I hated Steve Goodwin to begin with and I was even a bit rude to him! I hadn't even met him, I just based my opinion on some things I had heard which couldn't have been further from the truth. After the weigh-in for my fight with Michael Devine, he actually took me out to dinner and two weeks after that he invited me to his wife's birthday party! Also, I was actually mugged off for some of my tickets for the Devine fight as some people had let me down. After my manager at the time took his cut I was left with nothing, but Steve Goodwin generously reimbursed me. I think that gives insight into what he's like and speaks volumes as to why the Goodwins have been so successful. They always have time for their fighters, they care about their fighters and they love the sport.

Any favourite boxers or boxing inspirations from past or present?

I originally started boxing to strengthen my legs and help with overcoming my disability. Aside from that, I look up to Ross Minter, an old friend of my family and who has known me all my life. Also Alan Minter, who is good friends with my granddad. Ross and Alan definitely inspired me to want to be a professional boxer. As for present day inspirations, I'd say it's Michael Jennings and Frankie Gavin who inspire me to keep going. I've sparred plenty of times with Frankie and he tells me that I'm a lot better than my record. He may be a joker at times, but he is honest.

Final words?

I want to thank all my fans who have stuck by me and always spurred me on. A shout-out also to Andrew Lager, who setup a fan page for me. I also want to say thanks to my two sponsors. I can't say the name of one of them since he won't let me, but I want to say thank you to him, he knows who he is. Thank you also to Amproboxing, who have helped me out so much with kits and such.