The legend spoke to Derbyshire Live during the grand opening of new gym ‘Hooked Boxing & Fitness Club’ in Allestree
Frank Bruno spoke to Derbyshire Live at the launch of a new gym in the city(Image: Derby Telegraph)
A British boxing legend says those claiming benefits should be forced to work in boxing gyms and at charities.
Frank Bruno spoke with Derbyshire Live on Sunday (May 31) during the launch of Hooked Boxing and Fitness Club, a new gym in Allestree’s Park Farm Shopping Centre.
A crowd of around 50 people queued up around the block to see Frank cut the ribbon alongside owner Andy Liddle, which was followed by 90 minutes of meet-and-greets.
Once we were inside, we had a quick chat with the man himself, who fought Mike Tyson twice and held the WBC heavyweight title between 1995 and 1996.
Andy introduced us, followed by Frank chuckling: “Are you a journalist? I can tell.”
Ribbon-cutting and confetti cannons kicked off the grand opening(Image: Derby Telegraph)
Taking it as a compliment, knowing full well it wasn’t, I asked Frank what it means to see a fresh new gym opening, likely paving the way for the next generation of boxers in the city.
“It’s nice to see. It’s always great seeing new gyms opening up, and I was speaking to a lady called Annie just then, who’s showing great courage by turning up and getting in the ring. I’ve got to give her credit.”
Speaking on Derby and his time there over the years, Frank added: “I like Derby a lot. I was here a few weeks ago doing one of my ‘evening with’ events, and it went well.”
“Derby is great. The people here are lovely. Nice women you’ve got here as well,” he laughed.
We also spoke briefly about boxing coming to Derby last year when Frazer Clarke took on Jeamie ‘TKV’ Tshikeva at Vaillant Live.
“It’s good to see that. But this gym is great, and it’ll be great for people in Derby.
“This is a great gym, you look around, and the way he [Andy] has done it is unbelievable.
“We had a few more bags back in my day, but it’s hardcore here. It’s a strengthening gym that’s designed to get people super-fit. It’s an old-school, hard gym.”
I then went on to ask Frank about a recent Instagram post he shared earlier this week to his 200,000 followers.
Frank Bruno and Andy Liddle(Image: Derby Telegraph)
In the post, he said: “I am not a politician, I am just a former boxer who is now trying to help people with mental health, but why, oh why, don’t the benefits people make every 16-24-year-old who is claiming benefits work at a charity, a gym – there are so many options.
“It’s not quite national service, but what a difference it would make.”
Speaking on why he thinks boxing and charity work would make a difference, particularly in cities like Derby, he said: “They should do.
“People haven’t got a job, or they don’t want a job. They’re lazy. It’s good for them to get a job like this to toughen them up and see how hard it is to train.
“As I say, this is a strengthening gym, so I think it would do a lot of people some good.”
The gym itself has a raw and dark feel to it, and it’s filled with pull-down machines, running machines and a host of other equipment.
The gym is set to welcome a range of people from different backgrounds, whether they’re seasoned boxers or just beginning their fitness journey.
Speaking on grand opening day, owner Andy Liddle said: “It’s a huge honour to have Frank opening the place today.
“I rang him up and he said, ‘Brilliant, I’ll come down and see you’.
“You get one chance to open, and it can be tricky. But having Frank here has been such a big help. We’ve had people queuing up outside and I’m sure it’s going to be a great day.
“Hooked Boxing & Fitness Club is excited to bring a new era of fitness and boxing to Derby.
“Having Frank join us for our grand opening is a dream come true, and we can’t wait to welcome the community to experience our state-of-the-art facilities and dynamic classes.”
Anyone wishing to get involved can check out the Hooked Boxing & Fitness Club Facebook page or download the Hooked Boxing app for more details.
