A renowned boxing world champion once told of his introduction to the sport of rugby.
He was in school and it didn't go well.
“I caught the ball from the kick-off and was buried by about eight opponents,” he recalled
“I decided then it wasn’t the sport for me.”
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Eli Walker has done the rugby, next he is sampling boxing, recently winning the Box Cup western division title at cruiserweight.
It is not a sport most would take up without considerable thought. But he has an advantage over some others who don the gloves in that he relishes training and so is well-conditioned from his rugby days.
Still, once the bell sounds he’s on his own, staring across at an opponent whose objective at that very moment is to hit him hard and often. Is that not a shade unnerving?
“I enjoy the challenge,” he says. “Boxing tests your fitness, your mental strength and your resilience.
“It’s extremely hard but I like trying different things and learning, whether academically, in sport or whatever.
“My father Daniel Walker was a professional boxer. I wanted to box as a youngster but rugby and other sports took over. When I had to finish rugby early because of my back injury, boxing was one of the only sports I could train for and do properly.
"I have ties with Enzo Maccaranielli back in the gym and he called me about five weeks ago to say there was a new competition, the Box Cup in the west wales division, and wondering if I’d be up for it. I’d been training for triathlon, anyway, so I was fit and ready. It was just a question of Enzo getting me up to scratch with the boxing, then. I didn’t know what to expect as I hadn’t done it for a few years. I ended up winning the competition for my weight, which was good.
“I’m competing as an amateur. I want to get as many fights under my belt as I can but I’m taking it bout by bout. Enzo has hopes for me but we’ll see how it goes.
“The most important thing for me is that I’m doing something I’m enjoying. I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself. I did that in rugby — I had massive aspirations. Rugby players, especially in Wales, put a heck of a lot of pressure on themselves and I was no different. I don’t want to fall into that trap again. I want to box, enjoy it and see where it takes me.”
It’s an understatement to say that it’s a plus to have Maccarinelli, a former world cruiserweight champion, in his corner. The man who fought as the Bonymaen Bomber and who had close on 50 fights as a professional has forgotten more than most will learn about the noble art.
“Enzo’s great to have by my side,” says Walker. “Not only is he an ex-world champion, he’s also a friend. It’s brilliant having someone like him to learn from and also Tobias Webb, an ex-champion himself. So I’m picking stuff up from people with a lot of know-how and I’m very proud to represent Bonymaen.
“It’s a complex sport in that there are so many areas that you have to learn at once. I’m developing a style as I progress. I fought on Saturday and Sunday recently and you have to adapt and learn as you go. That’s why I want to stay active and have as many bouts as I can, and maybe find my feet with Enzo later down the road. It’s a big learning curve.”
Walker had to retire from rugby at the age of 25 after undergoing back surgery. His time in the game saw him score 23 tries in 81 appearances for the Ospreys and he was part of their PRO12-winning team in 2012. He was also capped by Wales at every age-grade level and made his sole senior appearance against Ireland in a World Cup warm-up in 2015.
Maybe his finest performance as a rugby professional came
against Toulousein the Heineken Cup in Swansea in 2012. It is hard to remember one player terrorising an opposition defence so much.
Toulouse may boast a claim to fame as the home city of Concorde, but in Walker the Ospreys had their very own flying machine. Then just 20, he scored one try and fairly screeched around the Liberty Stadium as the Welsh team ran out 17-6 winners.
“He has the attributes to do damage to any team in the world,” enthused then Ospreys backs coach Gruff Rees at the post-match press conference.
But fate wouldn’t play ball, with one injury stacking up after another. Today, Walker is a strength and conditioning coach with Swansea Tennis Academy.
“I’m being mentored by my old strength and conditioning coach at the Ospreys, Mark Bennett, who’s been a great help,” says the 30-year-old former wing. “Mark works in the tennis world and knows S&C inside out and has been brilliant in terms of assisting me.
“When I finished rugby, I worked in the construction industry for a while and also did a post-graduate course in S&C. I then decided to focus on the coaching.
“It’s great. I’m doing something I’m really enjoying and that’s huge in any job.”
Walker was never afraid to do his own thing. On flights back from France with the Ospreys a decade or so ago, he could be seen reading while team-mates bantered with each other. He was popular but here was someone who wanted to make good use of every spare minute.
Walker still conducts himself as well as he did as a player. Text messages are returned and so are phone calls. And he hasn’t forgotten his old Ospreys mates at a difficult time for all in Welsh rugby, with potential pay cuts and jobs losses being spoken about.
“I feel for them. They’re in a really tough position and I’m just hoping things get resolved as quickly as possible," he said. “I try to stay in touch as they are my mates. That said, when I do catch up with them, rugby’s probably the last thing they want to chat about.
“I still follow Ospreys and take my little one down to see them. I will always have ties with Swansea RFC and Ospreys because I’m a local boy and enjoy my rugby from the grassroots up. I probably watch Gorseinon more than any other team as they are my local club. I popped down last year to help out a bit. I haven’t ruled out putting my boots back on and playing for them at some point next year maybe, because I’m feeling quite good. I still enjoy the sport.
“Playing for Gorseinon was an ambition I had when I finished professionally. I just have to make sure I’m fit to do it.”
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