'It's just what Wycombe needs'

3:32pm Friday 16th May 2008

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PROFESSIONAL boxer Mark McCullough has given High Wycombe's new boxing club a massive thumbs up.

The unbeaten light welterweight was knocked out by the facilities at the Leigh Street gym and says it knocks spots off many professional gyms.

He said: "It's quality. It is a massive modern gym with showers and even a kitchen - you could live in it - the whole place is stunning. It's got 18 bags and a massive ring.

"This is just what the town needs. I wish it had been around when I was an amateur."

The brand new High Wycombe Amateur Boxing Club opened its doors for the first time on Monday and is the culmination of years of hard work from professional trainer Graham Stevenson, policeman Roger Moore and Joel Stevens from the Action For Youth programme.

They have transformed the premises, which used to be occupied by a guitar maker and a stair maker, into a state of the art gym using an army of volunteers and with help from people on community service.

The gym is modelled on pro gyms in Germany which Stevenson saw when he was taking Wycombe's Gareth Couch around Europe sparring.

And Moore, a former member of the Great Britain Kung Fu team, is hoping that the new club will serve several purposes.

He said: "It is there for a number of reasons. It is there for the potential Gareth Couchs and Mark McCulloughs, it is there for the people who want to box to a decent amatuer level, it is there for those who want to box competitively and it is there for those who just want something to do and want to get rid of their aggression."

Anyone wanting to join the club should visit their website at www.hwabc.com