‘We all need to look at ourselves after Tori loss’ - manager

Tori-Ellis Willetts...amateur star who tasted pro defeat for first time

A MEASURED, constructive response from Tori-Ellis Willetts’ manager following my article on her title defeat last weekend. An honest response.

Former pro Nathaniel Howell admitted Tori was well below her best in the points loss to Tysie Gallagher for the Commonwealth and WBO international belts. I wrote that she was very poor on the night.

But he stressed the blame for the under-performance should not be placed solely on the shoulders of the 29-year-old Birmingham boxer. Everyone in the team – Nathaniel included – has to “look in the mirror” following the result, he said. It was a “humbling” experience for all.

All boxes were ticked in the camp for the bout, he said. What happened was solely down to the way Tori-Ellis managed the occasion, her first championship 10 rounder after five straight wins.

Faith in the former outstanding amateur remains as strong as ever. She will reach the top, Nathaniel vowed.

I questioned Tori’s decision to leave trainer Max McCracken and again team-up with her old amateur coach. Nathaniel pointed out McCracken was with her for little more than a year, her current trainer created the “stellar” amateur I referred to during a decade long partnership.

In my hard-hitting piece, I offered Tori’s team a right of reply and Nathaniel has grasped the opportunity, politely and in detail.

He knows a journalist has a right to express an opinion and I stand by my words. Importantly, he realises there was no malice, no hidden agenda.

Nathaniel Howell at ringside with rapper Jaykae

I will re-iterate my stance, the stance of every qualified reporter. I am committed to saying it as I see it – and I didn’t like what I saw in the Willetts contest.

Journalists have a duty to deal with the positives and negatives. Those performers – whether in the arts or boxing ring – who only want positives should hire a PR agent. They don’t come cheap.

“We had full confidence in Tori,” Nathaniel said. “We made sure we did our due diligence and the camp was amazing. She sparred with Nina Hughes (world champ who holds a win over Gallagher), she crushed all the record. That was why it was so disappointing for her to perform the way she did – it was the polar opposite of what the camp was.

“Everything went well, she made the weight healthily and comfortably, the press conference went well, the day went well. Fight night, everything was fine.

“I think (in the fight) she got carried away with the cards, I think she felt she needed to do more than she did to win the rounds.

“She has never been knocked down before (Willetts was down in the second) and that had a big affect on what happened in the rest of the fight.

“It was her first title fight, she hadn’t been in that situation before, we knew it was a huge opportunity we didn’t take on the night.

“There were some tears. When I lost my first fight, I had tears.”

But the loss, Nathaniel said, is a lesson, not the bursting of a bubble. It will be learnt, and Tori will hit the heights.

“When I first had a meeting with Tori five or six months ago I said, ‘I believe you will be a world champion’. She has to realise she has to manage the occasion for this to happen and we will help her do that. We can’t jump the gun and fast-track her.

“For me, Tori has to look at herself in the mirror and ask, what did I do wrong on fight night? It’s not just her who needs to look at themselves in the mirror. We all have to come together and ask, is there anything else we could’ve done on fight night?

“I believe in Tori, we are definitely going to get her more opportunities. We had to roll the dice because it was a huge opportunity. For me, it was a calculated risk that, unfortunately, didn’t come off on the night.”

And Nathaniel pointed to the huge figures Tori generated on social media platforms before and during the fight. Her fanbase has ballooned in size and that is something to build on.

True champions learn from a setback and return stronger. Nathaniel believes he has a true champion in Tori-Ellis Willetts.