Gavin Gwynne driven to again prove people wrong against Cameron Vuong

Most people will class the upcoming fight between former British, Commonwealth and European lightweight titleholder Gavin Gwynne and the talented but unproven Cameron Vuong as a classic battle of youth versus experience.

Gwynne is training with Gary Lockett ahead of his crossroads battle, and the veteran Welshman believes that the work Lockett is doing will ensure that he enters the ring in the perfect condition to utilize his vast advantages in maturity and know-how.

Part of being a good trainer is realizing what you can and can’t change but also finding the right words to keep a fighter engaged and motivated throughout training – particularly a veteran such as Gwynne. Lockett is a smart, knowledgeable coach, and his way of thinking and working has resonated with the 34-year-old Gwynne, who isn’t treating the fight as a make-or-break affair but as the start of a new journey.

“I’m one for overtraining,” Gwynne, 17-3-1 (5 KOs), told BoxingScene. “I’m like, ‘I’m not fit enough,’ and I’ll train two, three times a day. [Lockett] has got me resting now instead. He says, ‘You’re fit enough now. Why over-train and leave it in the gym?’ So even in sparring, he’s pulled me back in. Normally, I’m doing 15 rounds sparring, whereas now I’m only doing eight rounds sparring. He says, ‘I know you’ve got plenty in the tank, so keep it in the tank for the fight.’

“Gary said, ‘I’m not I’m not going to change the way you fight. You’ve been doing it for the past, like, 12 or 13 years. How am I supposed to change it within six months? I’m not gonna change that.’ He said, ‘I just want to correct the things you’re doing wrong. If you’ve got to where you are by doing things wrong, how far can you go if you get them things right?’”

The words have certainly worked. Gwynne sounds happy and confident three weeks out from the fight with the talented 22-year-old Vuong, 6-0 (3 KOs), who turned professional only 13 months ago. 

In terms of experience, the fight is a gross mismatch, but Vuong has shown enough natural ability and ambition to suggest that he could bridge the gap. 

Whilst Vuong has boxed regularly and taken sensible steps since turning professional, Gwynne hasn’t boxed since suffering a damaged orbital bone within the first minute of his fight with Mark Chamberlain in March. The injury made a difficult task all but impossible and contributed greatly to a fourth-round stoppage defeat.

Vuong may not carry a belt or a high ranking, but the attention and hype he has generated have already turned his into a highly valued scalp. Gwynne is fully aware of the challenge he faces, but he is more sure that he has the experience – and ability – to deal with it. 

“I have watched him. I’ve watched him live as well, not knowing that I was gonna box him,” Gwynne said. “He’s been on the DAZN shows and on the Matchroom shows. He’s a decent kid. He’s quite flashy. Sharp, good footwork. But, to be honest with you, I think I’m all wrong for him. I’m quite big as well. I’m quite strong. I’m a fully grown man.

“I’ve been in against undefeated fighters before, so nothing will faze me. Every title I’ve won has been against an undefeated fighter. The Commonwealth title against undefeated Sean McComb, the British title against undefeated Luke Willis and then the European title against undefeated Emiliani Marsilli.

“I’m like one of them old-school fighters: I’ll fight anybody. I don’t really care about records. Look at me – I’ve got three losses on my record and one draw. It don’t mean nothing. As long as you’re willing to put the hard work and the graft in, then you’ll get an opportunity.”

The loss to Chamberlain will have undoubtedly been a key factor in persuading Vuong’s team to take such a calculated gamble, but Gwynne believes they have made a big mistake.

“I’ve come back from my losses,” he said. “Every time I’ve had a loss, I’ve always performed better. I don’t know what it is. It just puts a stick up my arse and it gets me going. It’s more the fact that I like to prove people wrong as well.”

John Evans has contributed to a number of well-known publications and websites for over a decade. You can follow John on X @John_Evans79