Calum French | Knuckle Up with Mike Orr | Talkin Fight

Today Mike and Cedric are discussing Calum Jordan French, a British amateur boxer. He is currently an active member of the GB Boxing podium squad, having represented Great Britain in four WSB fights.

Watch Knuckle Up’s Mike Orr and Cedric Benn, who always discuss up-and-coming young, hungry, and (usually) undefeated boxers during his live daily show at 4pm EST (9pm UK) on TalkinFight.com or YouTube.com/c/TalkinFight

https://talkinfight.com/calum-french-knuckle-up-with-mike-orr-talkin-fight/

#TalkinFight #KnuckleUp #CalumFrench
@calumfrench_

Transcribed:

[, Music ], hello, boxing fans around the world.

Thank you for joining us once again here on talk and fight for another episode of knuckle up featuring mike orr cedric ben we’ve got a special guest flying all the way in from england to join us today as well, but first i believe uh you well.

I don’t know what you’re first going to do, whether you talk about the boxer.

What are you going to? Well, i know i don’t know you’re, probably gon na knock me out first, and then you guys yes, yes, so we’ll just push you over there.

Goodbye [ Laughter, ], so knuckle up fans around the world.

Thanks for tuning in to this wonderful episode and this special episode uh today we brought a guest we’ve told you before guys.

Let us know about boxers that you think that we should be profiling on this.

Show – and one of my friends over from the uk has done that and we’ve invited him to join us today to uh profile this young man coming out of the uk and um ray.

Why don’t you introduce yourself to all the fans out there and then we’ll get started hello, i’m ray i’m a good friend of the show.

I’Ve got my own channel between the robs tv, i’m i’m in that with a couple of lads ones called josh and one’s called scott, don’t forget to check us out guys on youtube very similar thing.

We do a lot of previews.

We do a lot of reviews of fates um.

We do a lot of interviewing of guests as well uh, so guys, please, please check us out, don’t forget to like and subscribe on our channel as well.

Definitely all right guys here it is ray.

You brought you brought this guy to my attention.

You’Ve done it before man and you’ve done it again: calum french folks, calum francis you were talking about uh british amateur boxer.

Currently an active member of gp martian pod squad uh, having represented great britain in four wsb fights.

I’Ve recently been selected to represent england.

You know in the 2018 commonwealth games in australia’s uh gold coast.

This kid you know: british mother, british father, theresa french, norman french uh.

You know gb boxing 2017.

He received his first major championship: medal of bronze 2017 european amateur championships, uh along with nine other teammates.

He qualified for the 2017 ava world boxing championships and um.

You know he’s selected to represent england of the 2018 commonwealth games.

You know he’s signed with matchroom, guys honestly he’s.

You know what he can’t.

He couldn’t you couldn’t do any better than that man quick question.

Quick question you said he’s with uh: he had a couple of fights in the in that wsi uh tournament now usp.

The usb does that count that doesn’t count towards your actual boxing record.

No, no! No! No! No so he’s had he’s had five fights with a world series of boxing.

My understanding is 105.

um, but, as mike says, this guy’s achievements go on and on and on i mean he um.

If you look at his tournament, history is an amateur from 2011 to 2021, okay, 10 years this guy’s completing 17 tournaments and one golden 14 out of 17 wow.

That’S not an easy feat to do! We’Re talking about um multinational tournaments here, european tournaments and the tri-nations for three nations is formerly called um.

He fought in a um, he fought in a recent tournament.

Well, it was.

It was last year over in um eastern europe.

He picked up a gold in that um.

This guy can fight.

He really can’t he’s a two-weight aba championship, uh winner uh, so basically the abs is a bit like the the american equivalent to the golden globe right apart from, instead of it being see estate one, this is a national.

Do you get all the national amateur, uh regional champions and then put them in a national tournament? This guy won it at 56.

Close stepped up following yet at 60 kilos and he won it again, um.

So many people mcgrail down in liverpool.

I was actually there for that um and peter mcgrail, as he knows, signed again from matt’s room.

Um he’s a federal weight coming up, so callum was unlucky not to go to the olympics uh.

There was a really really strong kid from the same gym, believe it or not, from berkeley amateur club called um, luke mccormack who’s, the twin brother: oh yes, mccormick brothers yeah.

So so they were at this they’re at the same gym and they were at the same weight.

So callum was at 60.

.

Uh luke was also at um 60 and then what happened is, as you know, in the amateurs they didn’t change the weights in there.

Yes, they both moved up to the light welterweight um.

I think that was like 63.

5 or something like that, whatever it was and then luke got picked to go there, uh with them being from the same gym, callum accepted that and then you know, calum turned pro yeah we’ll see how callum does, but i’m i’m you Know i’m tipping this guy to go all the way.

This kick and fight he’s a terrific counter.

Puncher got a beautiful left hand, judgment of distance and and timing’s absolutely second to none he’s got a wonderful job.

I knows when to be in range, went to be out of range uses his feet really well, uh people will talk about.

You know this guy.

He he’s not particularly powerful.

We don’t see him with a lot of stoppages, but that’s not necessarily styling, i think happens with these kind of faces.

You’Ll know from being in gyms yourselves if the the accumulation of punches, the ones that that you don’t see coming they’re the ones that are going to knock you.

So i think, as calum steps through the levels and no importance create more openings for him.

That’S when you start seeing the stoppages, yeah, definitely um.

You know his pro debut uh.

What’S a nice one, uh against uh, was it rustin um he’s fighting again uh march the 26th, so we’re gon na get to see him real soon in action.

Uh.

You know.

European bronze medalist in 2017, he enjoyed a stunning 35 fight win streak from 2012 to 2017 during his glitter routine, like during the glitter damage career right, like a 35 fight win streak in the amateurs, it’s huge man, so a dominant force for literally five whole years And that’s at the high level, yeah yeah, that’s that’s the thing that needs to be emphasized guys, because this is 35 fights against the very best, not just in his country, but in europe and across the world.

So it’s basically it’s it’s equivalent of um.

I would say 10 plus defenses, of a world title.

You know he’s on gim me fights you’re having at the top amateur level.

Um he’s really fighting the best of the best when he was an amateur and um.

Because of that, that’s going to stand him in good stead in the pros yeah.

I would be very interested to see those uh sparring matches between him and and and the mccormick brothers that, when they’re in the city doing really really tasty, i mean the mccormicks have moved on another gym.

But in that gym, uh bernie amateur boxing club is now unofficially being called the best amateur gym in the uk, and it’s no surprise don’t get me wrong.

There’S other ones up there as well.

There’S a couple of ones in liverpool.

There’S a couple of ones in london um, you know in the midlands et cetera, but it’s produced a lot of tngb boxes and calum french, just epitomizes that but they’ve all got different styles.

You know yeah some gyms have gone yeah yeah, just a certain type of boxer right right, right, bernie, amateur boxing.

You know you’ve got mark dickinson um, you know, you’ve got uh, pat mccormack.

Look at my twins.

We’Ve got different styles exactly.

I was just about to say that yeah cyrus patterson’s got a different style as well.

Um you got ben reese.

All right, they’ve got a different style.

Um there’s another boy coming through called howard, got different style.

There’S a couple of girls coming through georgia, uh or conor who’s just turned pro um as well.

You know again different styles and that’s the beauty of that gym.

So yeah, you know, that’s that’s one thing that i’ve noticed about that burton boxing club they’re, very they’re.

Very you know different oriented skills man.

They got a lot of good trainers in there and uh they’re producing a lot of different styled fighters, which you don’t really see too much in a lot of gyms.

You know, like you go to one gym.

You got certain trainers, those certain trainers in a certain way.

You produce the same kind of fighters over and over and over and over again, partly honestly they’re game-changing man.

You got two brothers that fight differently.

You know you got two brothers that grew up the same.

They fight almost the same, but no man they’re produced out of that gym, turning pro as two completely different style fighters, and it’s good to see that stuff, man and uh, this kid is definitely one of them.

Honestly, i love his ability to counter his countering speed.

Is wonderful man honestly he’s got an inside uppercut that that just will counter your head right off if you’re, not if, if you’re not ready for it, man – and he just comes on that inside as you come in and you get caught man you’re to go to Sleep, this kid has a big big power in his hands.

Exactly not only 26 man he’s just just starting to get that old man’s strength.

You know he’s just starting to build that and now his he’s one of those fighters that i know cedric will appreciate because he doesn’t waste a shot, he’s so critical.

You know he doesn’t get tired in there everything’s effortless, you know especially he’s not screaming yeah.

You know he’s not straining he’s not pushing himself, you know everything’s, nice and relaxed he’s, not tense, she’s, nice and calm and he’s still got his energy.

That’S what i like about him, especially the land, to be able to land a counter left uppercut.

You know it takes a uh, that’s way more riskier and it takes a lot more skill to to be able to perform that so um i need that’s.

One of his specialties is one of the hardest things one of the hardest things the way he sets up.

That left man he knows how to use that jab properly and uh.

You know you you’ll see him double it up in the middle.

You know to really fool somebody sometimes uh.

The last fight that i watched with him.

You know he’s just popping at one popping up one and then buddy comes to come in and he pops two out quick and then what he falls in again and he just comes with that inside.

So i forgot, i was like holy [ __ ] like he’s because he’s timing, it’s about timing and you’re.

The thing is well.

People forget that a job is just as good for your defense.

As for your offense, you know it makes your opponent reset.

It makes your opponent think callum smith is very good at dictating a fight just by using the job alone.

Yeah! Well, look what you can do in the pros when he’s got more time, you’re going to see that you’re going to see this from callum french as he steps up through their levels, you’re going to see dominant performances yeah! Definitely i i think i think we’re going to get to see him go through these levels quickly.

I don’t think he’s going to be one of these guys.

That’S going to be help, help he’s not playing around he’s not going to be held back.

How old is he now? How old is he he’s 26 27 yeah, 26 yeah, okay, okay, okay, 26.

, you know and honestly he’s he’s just signed with matchroom.

You know eddie hearn is going to do this kid justice man, because eddie hearn has been watching him for a while he’s he’s happy as anything to have him part of the squad and uh.

You know what now honestly we’re just gon na get to see this kid improve, and the thing is: is that he’s already so good? It’S just it’s gon na it’s gon na shock people when when, when this kid finally starts really taking off and – and i think we’re gon na see him climb through these levels fast – and i can honestly see you know at least this kid, this kid’s got the Ability to fight five or six times or seven times a year, man easily easily, of course, and then he’s fighting style lens for that because he’s not exactly punishment.

So, there’s no reason why he can’t be out five six times, maybe seven times in the calendar year, because he’s not taking any position at all.

His style doesn’t lend himself to that yeah uh, honestly fans who are watching man go back and watch this pro debut uh.

Honestly, a great six rounds of boxing very technical uh you’re gon na get to see great speed, get great, countering great footwork uh good levels.

Man and you’re gon na get to see some thunderous left hands.

Wait because this is definitely has it.

You keep confusing me, though, you said pro debut, but it’s not actually the the pro pro debut.

Well, yes, the pro pro debut was oh debut.

Yes, okay in his pro career today, guys he’s 1-0 and his next fight is march the 26th.

So we don’t.

We only have to wait about a month to see this kid back in action, man, uh, opponent, undetermined, yet then out still but uh.

Honestly, i can.

I can see him coming with a with a win, no matter who they put in front of him at this point.

Absolutely you know the kid.

The kid 35 fight win streak five-year dominant.

You know uh 14 gold medals out of 17 pro like pro tournaments.

You know this kid he’s no slouch he’s not worried, whoever they’re gon na put in front of them he’s just gon na destroy them.

That’S what i think is gon na happen march 26, when when it happens – and we get to see this guy in the ring there – you go yeah.

You know i i do my best to try to pay attention to the top boxers pro pro and amateur um.

This guy slipped slipped through uh slipped through my crack.

So thank you very much ray for putting me on to this guy.

I’M definitely going to be playing.

Yes, yes, definitely ray you’ve done it again.

Brother you’ve done it again.

[ Music ] shout out to you with that wonderful calum, fresh man yo.

I love it.

Um tell the fans out there.

Man thank you for tuning in today, uh raid.

Anything else you want to say before we sign off here uh.

I just want to say um on that note just for the um anyone watching uh calling french.

Obviously you got ta pay respect to his trainer because it’s graham river who’s spending his time uh the way it works in the uk.

These are all um.

These are all volume people are volunteering she’s, not not getting paid for bringing all these amateur stars through yeah a lot of his own personal time.

Doing that some massive respect to more often for doing that.

Yeah, the coaches don’t get enough credit, because i’m in that same mode too, as amazon, i volunteer my time so the coaches people, you know the boxers.

You know they get their hand raised and get all the praise.

But you know that people don’t see what happens behind the scenes to get them prepared for that moment, so yeah definitely respect to the coaches.

Definitely definitely, i love it all right well to all the knuckle up fans you tuned in today to this wonderful special episode of knuckle up at 4, with mike orr and our friends, cedric ben in the den and our special guest ray who brought calum french to Our attention and for all you guys out there, he brought to your attention man what a wonderful guy ray honestly thanks for joining us man, thanks for coming on a short notice and uh, you know helping us profile, this uh, wonderful guy man, calum french uh.

I know you said he’s gon na be on your show.

Uh between the ropes tv, uh, foreign yeah yeah.

Definitely definitely definitely tell the fans out there we’re gon na uh we’re gon na.

Let them know so uh they could check them out on your show and uh.

You know we’ll try and get them on here as well, and we’ll see what we can do and uh everyone listening right now makes you tag callum smith.

Let him know that uh today and show them this, but uh yeah.

You know what it is man, it’s mike oren for bringing you the hottest youngest undefeated undiscovered prospects from around the world.

Man, that’s what we do and it’s another day.

Another prospect we’ll see you tomorrow same time same channel new prospect.

It’S hump day.

You know what it is.

Man we’ll see you tomorrow: peace, peace,