The Coach vs The Crusader: Rookie suffers defeat on debut

Birmingham’s Ben Notman was defeated on his amateur boxing debut by Courtney Young, in Bristol on Sunday 27th November 2022.

Young, also known as “the coach” outscored Notman on points, to win by unanimous decision.

It was Notman’s first bout, and it was against his coach, so coming into the battle, Ben was very much the 'underdog'.

The 18-year-old boxer from Coleshill, lasted the full length of the fight against Young, but fell just short on the scorecard.

The debutant gave an insight on his preparation for the fight and his honest evaluation of his debut.

Fighting his coach was a tough experience, as he did not have the support from him in his corner, however the two were delighted that they could face off in the ring for Ben's debut.

He said: “The fight went well; it was always going to be difficult against a guy who I’ve trained with and has been boxing for years. I was always the underdog in this one.

“I was part of a training camp, so I was sparring once a week for about an hour and half, then a technique/fitness session every week. I did do a lot of individual training such as weight and cardio to get me better prepared.

“My biggest fear was thinking I wouldn’t last the later rounds, which is why I spent a lot of time focusing on my cardio of most things.”

When asked about his future in the sport, Ben said: “Future aims for the sport is a bit of a weird one for me, as it was my first fight.

“I want to continue on, I just have to make sure the timing is right for me.

“For the next one, I’ll definitely focus a bit more on recovery as I did pick up a few minor injuries in training.

“In the meantime, before my next fight I’m going to focus on my studies, but I will be looking to return to the ring soon.”

Ben also explained why he opted to step into the ring now, he said: “I chose to step into the ring now for personal reasons, I moved away from home, so I had a sense of new freedom to enjoy, and I always enjoyed boxing - it just felt right.

“I thought if I can find a way to get into the ring before the end of the year, I would.

“Fighting another university student drew me to it, as it would mean we were both similar people, who had similar commitments other than just boxing.”