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Jeff Fenech
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It seems that the rumours about Jeff Fenech’s imminent retirement as a trainer and manager have been exaggerated.
At last month’s press conference in Sydney to officially announce Hussein Hussein’s highly anticipated rematch with Jorge Arce on the undercard of the return bout between Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo on October 1st, Fenech found himself in the headlines after announcing his intention to retire from the sport by the end of the year.
But Billy Hussein, who co-trains many of Fenech’s fighters including Vic Darchinyan, Lovemore Ndou, Hussein Hussein, Nedal Hussein and Sakio Bika, says that while the former three division champion may close his gym, it’s unlikely he will walk away from the sport entirely.
“I honestly don’t believe what he says when it comes to that because he’s said before that he wants to get out, but it’s getting hard for him to get out of the sport, he’s given it so much,” revealed Hussein.
“I don’t think he’ll walk away from Vic Darchinyan or Lovemore or Hussy or anyone like that just yet,” Hussein continued. “I think he’ll see them out through their careers. When he said he’s going to retire I think he was more referring to closing the gym down, which doesn’t matter. I’ve got my own gym which is more central to the boys anyway and it’s a good gym too.”
The past twelve months have been full of mixed fortunes for Fenech. In December last year Fenech finally achieved his longtime goal of training a world champion when flyweight Vic Darchinyan usurped previously undefeated Columbian Irene Pacheco to win the IBF crown. Three months later Fenech travelled with Danny Green to Germany for the long awaited rematch against WBC super middleweight titleholder Markus Beyer, but unlike the first fight which Green was winning at the time of the stoppage, the stocky German southpaw comprehensively outboxed the 32-year-old Australian over twelve rounds. Shortly after returning from Germany, Fenech accepted the biggest assignment of his life when he was asked to train Mike Tyson for his ill-fated return to the ring against Irish giant Kevin McBride. While Fenech was hunkered down in Phoenix, Arizona training the former undisputed heavyweight champ, Green made the decision to find another trainer in the form of well credentialed Cuban Ismael Salas. The news obviously came as a shock to Fenech, who took Green’s decision to leave him personally.
“I know Jeff, he got sick of it for a little while,” admitted Hussein. “Mike Tyson didn’t work out for him, and then there was the Danny Green issue. Danny made that decision for him and I think that sort of changed his views. When Vic Darchinyan came along and he wanted a manager of his own, he didn’t like that either.
“But probably the best thing that has ever happened was Danny going his own way, and we wish him all the best,” continued Hussein. “Danny’s great for the sport and it’s probably a great decision he made to go his own way. Vic Darchinyan bringing in a manager was an even better decision. But Jeff will always be there as part of Vic, as a part of Lovemore, part of Hussy, part of Sakio, and he still manages Daniel Geale so he’ll still play a big role in all of their careers.”
Fenech, who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2002 for his achievements in the ring, carried boxing in Australia for many years when the sport was floundering in the late 90’s. As a manager, promoter and trainer he oversaw every aspect of his fighters’ careers, but as the sport went through something of a renaissance after the 2000 Olympics it became increasingly obvious that Fenech was spreading himself too thin.
It was this combination of wearing too many hats and the split with Green that caused Fenech to recently reassess his involvement in the caper.
“You’ve got to remember I was doing most of the work in the gym too,” said Hussein. “I reckon the Danny Green thing was what killed him most of all. The break up with Danny Green after he’d done so much to get Danny where he was, and there was always big money coming through. Him and Danny were great mates and the way it ended was heartbreaking for him.”
As an established trainer in his own right, Hussein cites both Fenech and Johnny Lewis as the main influences on his training style, but says that it was Fenech who taught him the most.
“I owe a lot to him,” said Hussein. “I was always involved in the sport before he came along, but he’s come along and he’s taught me so much more than any other guy. I’ve been with Johnny Lewis, and I love Johnny Lewis and the way he teaches as well, he helped me out. They’re the main guys I worked with, Johnny and Jeff, but Jeff has been everything for me, he’s taught me more than anyone.
“I’ve sat down and spent time watching Freddie Roach train the boys over there in L.A. and I think Jeff is by far the best trainer, technically, out there. I’ve learned so much and I’ve got all the confidence in the world in myself now to build a fighter up and to bring him along, not just in boxing but in a managerial role and looking after them in every other aspect of boxing.” |
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© Copyright / All Rights reserved: Doghouse Boxing 1998-2005
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By Anthony Cocks (October 5, 2005) 
