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The last thing you’d expect anyone to do in a recession is to start a business, especially a building company but that’s exactly what John Smith and his business partner Danny Willis have done.
TOUGH TIMES
Tell us a little about yourself...
I was born in St David’s hospital in October 1973. I’ve lived in Cardiff all my life and have two older brothers. My oldest brother Simon was a good rugby player when he was younger but he’s lazy now (laughs). No, seriously, he’s a hard worker. My other brother Antony was ABA Welterweight champion in 1995.
So boxing runs in the family...
Yes, when we were teenagers, we used to hang around the streets and there was a gym nearby called Highfields ABC in Ely. A group of about thirteen of us started going there to train and after a few sessions we started sparring. Then the blood and tears kicked in and the following week we were down to four and my brother Antony and I were two of them.
So you caught the boxing bug...
Yes, within two years, I’d had twenty two schoolboy fights and won around seventeen or eighteen so I was doing okay. I won my first Welsh Junior ABA fight on my sixth fight and the second came in the following year.
How many fights have you had in all?
Twenty two as a junior, twenty six as a heavyweight senior and twenty two adult heavyweight IBA fights. In 2006 I became British and European Champion at IBA (Independent Boxing Association). I boxed for Wales as a senior heavyweight and captained Wales too. After that, I had to stop for a while after having an operation on my neck. I had a five hour operation where they put a titanium cage into my neck which kept me out of action for two years
That must have been very frustrating...
Yes it was. I was quite depressed not being able to do the thing I loved. I felt like I was in my prime so, while I needed the operation, I felt I had been deprived of my best years. It was the end of 2008 when I started back on the road to recovery.
Where do you train now?
I still train in Ely although it’s a different gym from Highfields. It’s called Ely Star Gym and it’s on the Grand Avenue in Ely. It’s run by Ronnie Rush who used to train Steve Robinson and Barry Jones. I train there three times a week. I also do a fair bit of roadwork (running) and I do a cardio/strength training with Neil Munn at Penarth ABC twice a week. That’s really old school training using the sledge hammer on a lorry tyre and high repetition weights which usually kills me off for the day!
What do you do when you’re not training?
I’ve run my own building company for several years and last year, I merged the business with a good friend of mine, Danny Willis. It was definitely the right thing to do as Danny had a contract cleaning company and we felt that the two businesses combined could offer a more complete service to both our existing clients. Now the new business, JSW Property Services can offer a wider range of building, cleaning and management services than before which opens up more opportunities.
Some would say starting a business like this during a recession
is a bit of a risk...
We’re doing okay at the moment, the great thing about the new business is that if the building work drops off, the the cleaning and property maintenance and management takes up any slack.
Do you think that your boxing background has helped you in business?
Without a doubt. Boxing teaches you discipline and makes you resilient. One thing you learn in boxing is to take the knocks. As Neil Munn says, you don’t go swimming and not expect to get wet. Boxing, like business, is full of highs and lows and you have to learn to grit your teeth and just push forward. It’s about being determined to win and any business is like that. You’re in competition. For example, when you’re in the tenth round and you look over at your opponent, he’s doing the same and your both wondering who’s got that little bit extra. Ali once said... “Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them - a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have lastminute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.” The building business is exactly the same. There’s lots of competion and some are very good, like us, but sometimes it comes down to personalities and Danny I are good working together. We bring out the best in each other and our staff.
Glyn, our Contracts Manager, is a really good guy, he’s a bricklayer by trade and has been in the forces so is very disciplined in his approach. My brother Antony also works with me and I have to say, he’s one of the best brickies in the business.
So what sort of clients do you have?
We do a lot of work for Cowlin. We were part of a team of contractors which won the award for Cowlin in Newport. We provide cleaning services for Dudley’s, a large national building company, and we’ve recently been working with Pizza Hut across south Wales and have won several responsive maintenance contracts.
Are there any projects that you are especially proud of?
Well, last summer we did a large building project for Craig Bellamy, the captain of the Welsh football team. That really was an amazing job. I knew Craig before the project through sport and he’s a fan of boxing too, so when he asked me to do the work for him I was delighted.
Have you worked with any other sporting personalities?
Craig’s the only high profile sports person we’ve worked for but I know Enzo and Joe Calzaghe very well. I was in Vegas and New York to watch Joe fight Hopkins and Roy Jones Junior.
What do you think of Joe Calzaghe as a fighter?
I think he’s outstanding and has been completely underestimated at certain times in his career. He’s beaten everyone they’ve thrown at him so that’s all that matters.
Do you think Joe will fight again?
No, I think he still could but, for once, I believe a boxer’s head has won over his heart. Too many boxers fight for too long and, no matter how good you are, it’s hard on the body. Joe has probably got a few more fights in him and probably could have got to fifty unbeaten but I think he’s been very wise and hung up the gloves. Unfortunately, I don’t have Joe’s money in the bank and I’m one of those boxers that still thinks there’s a few more fights in me. We’ll see.
So when’s your next fight?
Hopefully in August. I’m training well and really looking forward to it. It’ll either be in Cardiff or in London, we haven’t finalised the venue yet.
You’re thirty five now, how long do you think you can carry on boxing?
I think, realistically, I’ve got another two or three years where I can be confident in giving my best but I have a family and it’s important to make sure that I don’t put myself in a situation where I might be hurt for their sake. I think Kelly, my long suffering partner, probably would like me to stop but she never says the words. She knows I love it and supports me by coming along to fights. My son Joe is eleven and he’s into rugby and football and is quite sporty so he really likes the fact that I box but is always telling me I’m a bit old and should call it a day. My other children are younger so don’t really have an opinion either way.
What are your aspirations for the future?
Workwise, Danny and I are really excited about the future. We don’t think about the recession, we have a good business and seem to be attracting really good customers. I think they like the way we do business. We operate with integrity and are always trying to ensure that our customers get the very best from us. Hopefully, we’ll expand and if that happens, then we’ll be very happy but we know we have to earn it.
As far as the boxing goes, then I’ll be happy just having a few good tear ups over the next two years and maybe win my belt back. I love boxing. I feel I’ve had a little bad luck over the years with injuries but these things happen and boxing teaches you to suck it up and move on.
Who knows, if I hadn’t had all those setbacks, just maybe I could have been a contender (laughs).
JSW Property Services
Ynys Fach Yard Heol Y Ynys Taffs Well Cardiff CF15 7NT
029 2081 4419
■ Construction
■ Ground Work
■ Cleaning Services
■ Maintenance |
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