Louis ‘Smoky’ Bacon on preparations for his fifth pro fight, the challenges of being in training camp while working as a landscape gardener, the dream of fighting at Cheltenham Town Hall, selling tickets and more.
Watch the full chat with Louis Bacon below.
Sheffield mornings and serious sparring
Louis Bacon arrived right on time at Sport and Life HQ in Cheltenham. Warm and personable as ever. But at 3pm he’d already had a long day sparring in the world famous Ingle Gym in Sheffield. And he was feeling the pace a little bit!
“It’s the travelling that gets me. It does drain you a little bit. We left this morning at half past seven, got there for ten, done my six rounds, two on the bag and then left. And literally just got back. It’s part of it,” Bacon told Sport and Life.
The iconic Ingle Gym is hallowed ground for boxing people. It’s produced some of Britain’s finest stars including Herol Graham, Johnny Nelson, Naseem Hamed, Kell Brook and Kid Galahad. Founder Brendan Ingle and his son Dom reside in the pantheon of legendary trainers.
But for Bacon, who’s looking to move to 5-0 in his nascent fighting career the history is inspiring rather than intimidating.
“There’s so much history there. Especially as a boxing fan, but actually to spar there is pretty good,” Bacon said smiling.
“I wouldn’t say the gym is intimidating, but you know who’s been there… from Nas, Johnny Nelson and Kell Brook. It’s crazy to think they’ve all been there.”
Bacon has been sparring six rounds at a time with the more seasoned Bradley Goldsmith who boasts a 15-1 record and himself has an upcoming bout with Brad Pauls for the IBF International Middleweight title.
Bacon has been buoyed by a clear sense he’s making progress.
“When I first started sparring him, he used to get the better of me. He’s a lot more experienced than me.
“But I’m really starting to get the hang of it and it’s good rounds.”
Landscaping and boxing – a gruelling combination
Goldsmith has reached a point where he is a full-time boxer. He eats, sleeps and trains. That remains a burning ambition for Bacon. Right now he’s still juggling the gruelling physical demands of training with the gruelling physical demands of being a landscape gardener.
During fight camp Bacon only works Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at the day job, but the boxing training doesn’t stop.
“I train weights on Tuesday, boxing on Wednesday evening after work and then weights on a Thursday.”
“If there are any tough jobs (with the landscaping) I do think ‘mmm maybe I shouldn’t be doing this.’ I feel it after work when I’ve got to train after work, but it will all be worth it one day.”
Title talk
The name of the game right now is winning for Bacon. And trying to look good doing it. That will bring title shots, which will bring money – both prize money and sponsorship deals – and the freedom to become a full-time fighter.
The next big rung on the boxing ladder is the Southern Area title.
“Hopefully (Southern Area title fight) the start of next year, first quarter of next year. At the end of this year look at maybe a fifty-fifty, sixty-forty in my favour. Step up the rounds after this, maybe an eight rounder.”
Roll up, roll up get your tickets to see Bacon box
Boxing isn’t a big earner for Bacon just yet. But he’s always made a profit in his first four professional bouts. No mean feat in the brutal fight game. He hand delivers tickets to punters and is hugely appreciative of anyone who makes the trip down the A417 – a bus is available if you fancy a drink.
“Message me on social media. Instagram. I’m happy to go and see people and deliver.”
The dream of a bout at Cheltenham Town Hall.
Bacon remains Cheltenham’s only active professional boxer. He fought in the town last year. But has a glorious vision in mind of bringing boxing to one of the town’s prestige venues.
“The town hall. I’d love to box at the town hall. I think it’s quite expensive. But if it’s for a southern area title, I could sell the tickets and make the money.”
Bacon by body shot
The chances are Louis Bacon moves to 5-0 against Jensen Irving. The opponent has won just five of his 43 professional fights and falls into that fabled category of hard men who keep the sport of boxing in business – the journeymen.
They fight regularly and rarely win. But they are vital for the sport’s ‘prospects’ to progress.
Bacon is one of those prospects. He isn’t looking for a war, but has a clear vision of how he wins.
“He (Irving) won his first five as a pro but he couldn’t really sell tickets so he went on the road.
“I’ve watched a few clips of him and I think left hook to the body is my prediction. I think I’ll stop him with a left hook to the body.”
“I just want a good performance. See the improvement and what we’ve been working on in the gym.”
If you would like to buy a ticket for fight night, contact Louis Bacon on Instagram. @louisbacon1
If you can’t be there June 20th, be sure to get involved when Bacon likely returns to the ring in the autumn.
When he becomes a champion it will be nice for those of us who were there in the foothills of his career to say we saw him in those days of gardening by day and boxing by night.
