Wild Thing by Bernard O'Mahoney, Lew Yates Page B

with Shaw had not taken place. I had been robbed of my chance to succeed.
    After just a few days of hanging around the house in a dejected mood, I decided to do something about our intolerable situation. The prospect of finding local work was nil and our debts were mounting. I told Jean that, while in London, Ray had told me there was plenty of work available in the building industry. I had decided to go down there, stay at his flat, work and send money home until the employment situation locally had improved. Neither of us wanted to be apart, but it was a case of needs must, so, with a heavy heart, Jean agreed. That weekend I kissed my wife and the children goodbye and headed back down the motorway to London.

ROUND FOUR
     
     
    WHEN I ARRIVED IN LONDON, I WENT STRAIGHT TO MY FRIEND RAY’S FLAT IN Windsor Road, Forest Gate. His flatmate Brian Jacobs had moved out, so Ray had agreed to let me rent his room. After dropping off my meagre possessions, Ray introduced me to a friend of his named Fat Joe, who lived two doors away. I made small talk with Joe and mentioned that I was a keen boxer. Joe said that he was a friend of Terry Lawless’s, one of the most successful managers in British boxing history. At first I thought Joe was winding me up, but he insisted he knew Lawless and told me to go down to his Old Royal Oak Gym in Barking Road, Canning Town, the following day. After being reassured by Ray and Joe that I was not the subject of a practical joke, I said I would go and introduce myself.
    When I entered the gym early the next morning, Terry Lawless was standing to my right near a line of shadow-boxing mirrors. I recognised him immediately. The boxer Jim Watt was training nearby. Watt was to become world lightweight champion after Roberto Duran left the title vacant in 1979. He knocked out Alfredo Pitalua in 12 rounds to claim the title. On the walls of the gym there were photographs of other fighters that Lawless had managed, such as John L. Gardner from Hackney, who had thirty-nine fights, winning thirty-five and losing just four. Gardner’s speed and aggression were to take him to the edge of world-class boxing at the turn of the 1980s. He won the British and Commonwealth titles by stopping one of my old opponents, Billy Aird. Gardner also stopped Rudi Gauwe and Lorenzo Zanon, a world-title challenger from Italy, in European title fights. There were also photographs of world welterweight champion John H. Stracey, world light middleweight champion Maurice Hope and Charlie Magri, the world flyweight champion. As I stood there in awe of these great fighters, Lawless approached me. ‘Can I help you?’ he asked.
    ‘My name is Lew Martindale,’ I replied, ‘and I would like to train at this gym if that’s possible.’
    Terry shook my hand, introduced himself and said, ‘I can see you have had cut eyes in the past. It certainly looks as if you have been around a ring before.’
    After talking about my boxing record and the various trainers I had worked with, I was told by Terry that I was welcome to train at the gym.
    The following evening, while working out and training, Lawless approached me. ‘I have been watching you for a while tonight, Lew,’ he said. ‘It’s obvious that you’re a powerful, skilful fighter. Have you ever thought about turning professional?’
    I explained to Terry that I had been through the motions before with Johnny Sullivan but nothing had come of it because Johnny had been denied a management licence. ‘Keep at it, Lew,’ he said. ‘I will certainly be keeping my eye on you. I think you have the makings of a great heavyweight.’
    I thanked Terry and asked him if he knew where I could find a bit of door work. I explained that I was struggling to find a job in the construction industry despite assurances from friends that there would be plenty when I arrived in London. Terry suggested that I speak to a Nigerian guy named Jamie, who regularly used the gym. When I contacted Jamie,