Leytonstone boxer Philip Bowes praised the “winning mentality” he has within his team after securing the Commonwealth super-lightweight title with a second-round win over Benson Nyilawila.
The bout was Bowes’ fourth attempt at a title and his first at a Commonwealth one, and he commended his trainers, former British champion Darren Hamilton and former footballer and boxer Leon McKenzie.
Bowes said: “I wanted that winning mentality in my team, so that’s why I employed them.”
The 34-year-old beat Tanzanian Nyilawila in just the second round by technical knock-out and, despite going into the bout thinking it would go the distance, Bowes quickly spotted how to win the fight.
He said: “I thought it would last the whole 12 rounds. But after about the first 30 second of the first round I noticed he kept dropping his shoulder, so I knew then it wouldn’t go that long.”
With the title secured, there are plenty of options now open to Bowes, including a potential challenge for the British super-lightweight title, which is currently held by Robbie Davies Jr.
Bowes, though, is keeping his options open with plenty of potential bouts on the cards.
He said: “I’m working with my team at the moment. There’s lots of options, like governing body titles, but we haven’t explored all of the options yet.”
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