Rhaglen ragflas Bocsio

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-It's Christmas

-and Bocsio is back on S4C.

-We're visiting one of the sport's

-strongholds tomorrow night.

-Home of the heroes -

-Eddie Thomas, Howard Winstone...

-..and the Matchstick Man,

-Johnny Owen.

-Welcome to Merthyr Tydfil.

-Without a doubt,

-Merthyr is a boxing town.

-You can smell the sport in the air.

-Tomorrow night, three professional

-titles will be won, live on S4C.

-Ashley Brace challenges for

-the European bantamweight title...

-..against Melania Sorroche.

-Commonwealth Games heroes collide

-in a light heavyweight title bout.

-I'm going to win and that's it.

-There's also a Welsh

-lightweight title bout.

-Local hero Gavin Gwynne

-will want to add his name...

-..to a long list

-of Merthyr champion boxers.

-Tomorrow will be Gavin Gwynne's

-greatest challenge to date...

-..this time over ten rounds.

-Perfect timing

-after a recent eight-round bout...

-..that went the distance.

-Put a million pounds there and

-the belt there, I'd pick the belt.

-That's how much I want it.

-He hasn't fought nobodies,

-he's had decent fights.

-We're going for the Welsh title.

-Then we take the route we took

-with Lee Selby.

-Welsh title, Celtic,

-British, Commonwealth...

-..European

-and now he's World Champion.

-This is my meal plan for two days.

-My breakfast tomorrow

-is Bakewell oats...

-..and then chicken and bacon wraps.

-Training at St Joseph's

-is a massive help for me.

-You get world class sparring.

-You've got World Champions

-coming down to the gym, in the gym.

-British champions,

-European champions in the gym.

-You're learning something new

-every day.

-It'll be fantastic to win it

-in my home town of Merthyr Tydfil.

-A lot of people don't know

-that I can fight inside.

-I do like to have a war

-now and again.

-Winning on the 15th can project me

-into the Top 20 in Britain.

-Big fights, big money fights.

-I want to secure my family

-for the rest of their lives.

-I know I'm a very good fighter.

-So does my trainer, Tony Borg.

-They wouldn't put me

-into this fight...

-..if they knew I couldn't win it.

-Gavin Gwynne has a perfect record -

-fought seven, won seven.

-Henry Janes has found it

-more difficult.

-After a six-year break

-following a shattering blow...

-..he's back in the ring...

-..and enjoying the most

-successful period of his career.

-He's standing between the local lad

-and the Welsh title.

-Following a successful

-amateur career...

-..Henry Janes turned professional

-in 2003.

-After losing

-his first three fights...

-..the boxer soon realised that he'd

-have to travel further afield...

-..to fight some of the most

-promising boxers of the time...

-..such as Kevin Mitchell

-and Derry Mathews...

-..British champions

-who fought for world titles.

-I lost one fight from my last six,

-against Joe Murray.

-I'm more in the gym, I'm fitter,

-I'm more in control of myself...

-..my diet and my training.

-I want this Welsh title.

-I have to do it right.

-I'm a fighter, I ain't a boxer.

-He's six foot,

-I've got to get into him.

-Eight weeks hard training, picking

-up, getting fit, ready to do it.

-Me and my brothers won the Welsh

-title - Tony, Fred, me and Tom.

-I can't remember what year it was,

-I was only young.

-Who's the hardest? We've had a

-few rough-and-tumbles in this ring.

-My father most probably.

-Travellers have to do things

-twice as hard to get somewhere.

-We wake up in the morning shivering,

-that's how we were brought up.

-Since that age, we've watched

-really hard men fight...

-..bare knuckle fighting.

-In the gym, we've got good boys.

-I've got my sons here.

-They're always fighting

-so we teach them in the gym.

-If anyone picks on them,

-they can fight for themselves.

-We believe in that.

-Gavin Gwynne, don't get me wrong,

-he's fast but he's not hard.

-He's proved a lot in the gym.

-He's sparring Lee Selby,

-he's sparring World Champions.

-We're not guys who have

-handpicked fights and dieticians.

-The way we were brought up,

-it's about heart.

-He'll cut him down

-and go through him.

-I don't know if I'll stop him,

-knock him out.

-I've trained for a hard ten rounds.

-If I've got to do ten, I'll do ten.

-The team are back together

-to bring live boxing to S4C.

-We're in Viazzani's in Merthyr,

-a cafe with a long boxing tradition.

-We're here to discuss

-the fight card. Gwynne v Janes.

-Looks like Gwynne

-is facing the whole family!

-You'd think so from that clip.

-Gavin Gwynne faces

-a major challenge.

-Henry Janes

-is an experienced fighter.

-He's fought more fights in the ring.

-A lot of boys in local boxing clubs

-can't separate these two.

-This is going to be a close contest.

-You've fought both in the past.

-Can you call this one?

-It's going to be close.

-It's hard to separate them.

-Henry Janes is 34. This will be

-his final shot at the title.

-He's coming to win.

-Gavin Gwynne is fresh,

-he's had seven fights.

-He sees this fight

-as a stepping stone.

-It's going to be exciting.

-They're both fighting

-for the Welsh title.

-Gavin Gwynne's team, including

-Tony Borg, has looked after him.

-Have they been

-over-protective so far?

-He hasn't fought any big names...

-..and this title fight is timed

-perfectly as a step up for him.

-Merthyr is known

-for raising giants of the sport.

-One of its most famous sons

-was Howard Winstone.

-Boxing wasn't in his blood,

-unlike many other boys from Merthyr.

-He fought well as an amateur...

-..but lost the tops of three fingers

-on his right hand in an accident.

-He continued to win and win.

-The Commonwealth Games title,

-in Cardiff, in Wales, in 1958.

-No Welshman had won a gold medal

-but on that final night...

-..Howard Winstone

-won the gold medal.

-A year later,

-he turned professional.

-He was coached by another

-Merthyr hero, Eddie Thomas.

-The Lonsdale Belt, the Welsh title,

-the British title...

-..the Commonwealth title,

-the European title.

-In 1965, he fought for the World

-title against Vicente Saldivar.

-A heroic defeat

-and a rematch on home ground.

-25,000 supporters at Ninian Park,

-Cardiff City's football stadium.

-All the Welsh were confident

-of witnessing a Winstone victory.

-The referee stepped in

-and faced Howard...

-..but then he turned to his left.

-Vicente Saldivar

-was crowned once again.

-A third loss to Saldivar followed,

-but there would be one more chance.

-It's my last chance.

-I've got to make the best of it.

-Howard Winstone won the world title

-against Mitsunori Seki.

-It was a resounding victory.

-Winstone is Champion of the World

-at last.

-He deserved that title

-after battling for so many years.

-Earlier, Rhys said this cafe

-had a long boxing tradition.

-That's reflected in some

-of the photos on the wall.

-Howard Winstone and Eddie Thomas

-are prominent in this collection.

-Tickets for their bouts

-could be bought in this cafe.

-It's fair to say

-that few women boxed in those days.

-One female boxer making a name

-for herself now is Ashley Brace.

-Tomorrow, she's fighting

-for the European Bantamweight title.

-Here's a quick look at her opponent.

-The main title fight in Merthyr

-will be tight...

-..between the 12th and 15th

-world-ranked bantamweight boxers.

-The two come from similar

-backgrounds in another sport.

-I started boxing

-because Mam worked in the gym.

-First to defend myself

-and then to compete in kickboxing.

-I've joined Toni Moreno's team

-in the gym in Castellbisbal.

-This is where Marc Vidal (European

-Featherweight Champion) trains.

-Until now, few women have

-fought in Spain, but recently...

-..women have played a more prominent

-role and numbers are increasing.

-Following the controversial

-referendum in October...

-..there have been clashes between

-pro-Independence supporters...

-..and the Spanish police forces.

-Has this hampered preparations?

-What happened here recently

-is out of the ordinary...

-..but it hasn't affected

-my training.

-I haven't been part of the

-political events in the country.

-Her strengths are her perseverance

-and stubbornness.

-She has not shown any weaknesses.

-I've fought for a title

-in the past, the WBO.

-I lost the bout on points,

-so this time...

-..I'll make it easier for

-the judges and take the title.

-Ashley Brace is a hard boxer...

-..but, like me,

-she only has two fists and legs.

-What do you now about Wales?

-That it's extremely cold!

-The girl from Catalonia

-didn't reveal too much...

-..and who can blame her

-before her visit to Merthyr.

-After the break, we hear from

-the Storm herself, Ashley Brace.

-She's on her journey to the top.

-Tomorrow is another fateful night

-on that journey...

-..here, in the South Wales Valleys.

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-Subtitles

-Subtitles

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-Subtitles

-Welcome back.

-The women's European

-EBU bantamweight title...

-..will be handed to either

-Ashley Brace or Melania Sorroche.

-This is an ideal fight

-for the occasion.

-I'm fighting for the European title

-which is massive.

-I've got the WBC International belt,

-which is not up for grabs.

-It's a different fight,

-this European title is vacant.

-We're both lucky enough

-to have this opportunity.

-I did ask for three minutes

-for this fight.

-I think I can do more

-than two minutes.

-I think some of my fights

-would be stopped earlier...

-..if it was three minutes.

-Just down to me doing the same

-as the boys in the gym.

-I have a tough sparring partner.

-I've been coming out

-like if I've had a fight.

-The next day I am aching

-which is fantastic.

-I couldn't have had better prep.

-In addition to throwing her weight

-around in the ring...

-..the Ebbw Vale girl is also

-a teaching assistant in Tredegar.

-They love that I box.

-Sometimes they take advantage

-and say, "She can take it!"

-To be honest,

-they're quite respectful towards me.

-What does Brace expect

-from her experienced opponent?

-It's going to bring fireworks

-and that's what I like to box at.

-She's not going to try and hold

-and do the stuff other boxers do.

-My last opponent wanted to hold,

-didn't want to fight.

-She wanted to stay alive

-for her next fight.

-This girl will come and she's

-going to come and try to win.

-The difference between our styles

-is that I can box now.

-Psychologically she's strong,

-strong willed, she trains hard.

-She's sly and spiteful rather

-than getting into a tear-up.

-My best fight was in the Rhondda.

-I fought No.6 in the world.

-I boxed her head off.

-Sometimes you need to box.

-You need to throw a good jab

-because they open the shots up.

-You need to pop them shots in

-to take them down.

-She can win the European title

-and go on to bigger things...

-..possibly a fight with Nicola Adams

-further down the line.

-Good luck, Miss Brace!

-We've seen Ashley Brace

-boxing on S4C.

-We don't know much about Sorroche.

-What's interesting is

-we know that Ashley Brace is No.1...

-..in the European rankings for

-the women's bantamweight division.

-Sorroche is No.2.

-She's only fought

-once before outside Spain.

-That could prove to be a test

-for her.

-Zack would know the answer

-to this question.

-How do you prepare for a fight...

-..against someone

-you know little about?

-She'll focus on her own strengths

-and do the gym work.

-In Rounds 1 and 2,

-she'll have a look at her opponent.

-Her corner will come up with a plan.

-If she wins an European title,

-she'll be targeting the Worlds.

-A world title fight, live on S4C!

-Thanks, boys.

-Too thin to carry his gloves,

-but committed to the sport he loved.

-Another Merthyr great who fought

-for a world title was Johnny Owen.

-He was a shy man,

-he was a quiet man.

-He was a lion.

-He was very thin, they called him

-the Merthyr Matchstick.

-He was hard, he trained hard...

-..he ran over the Brecon Beacons

-every day.

-We've had dreadful weather in Wales.

-Has it affected your training?

-I've been running in four foot

-of snow up the sanatorium.

-It's getting hard then!

-I'm a half hour behind on my time.

-He didn't have a fantastic amount

-of ability...

-..but he just carried on

-and on and on.

-He was just like the Duracell bunny.

-In 1980, Johnny fought

-for the World title...

-..against Lupe Pintor

-in Los Angeles.

-Ninth round.

-He was leading on points.

-In the ninth round...

-..he was knocked down

-for the first time in his career.

-He rose to his feet

-but his confidence was shot.

-He fought on through

-the tenth and eleventh rounds.

-In the next round,

-the fatal blow was thrown.

-He was knocked unconscious

-before his head hit the canvas.

-He never regained consciousness.

-He died seven weeks later.

-He was 24 years old.

-Another boxer trained in Merthyr

-during his amateur days...

-..is Jermaine Asare.

-He won the bronze medal

-in the light heavyweight division...

-..at the Delhi Commonwealth Games

-in 2010.

-Four years later, in Glasgow,

-another Welshman, Nathan Thorley...

-..won the same medal

-in the same division.

-Tomorrow night, both will go

-head-to-head for the Welsh title.

-I've had eight fights,

-six with Chris, I'm 8-0 with 4 KOs.

-It's going in the right direction.

-My last fight, I boxed a guy

-that was six foot eight.

-That was something else.

-He's been brought along nicely.

-The right fights at the right time.

-He's built his confidence

-and he's undefeated.

-Now it's time for a step up.

-I was his and Keiron Harding's

-sparring partners.

-He turned professional

-and I stayed amateur.

-I've gone on and replicated

-what he's done.

-We both won a bronze medal

-in the Commonwealth Games.

-We both won the Welsh amateur title.

-We boxed for Wales

-in the same squad.

-He's technically sound

-and he's a good boxer.

-When he's stepped up,

-he's got knocked out.

-If he is overconfident,

-I don't know if it's a good thing.

-He always has been confident.

-We'll just have to see on the night.

-The one danger he's got...

-..is a big right hand

-that he swings over the top.

-You can see that coming from

-Newport. You're daft if you can't.

-If he keeps it long and uses his

-feet, he could make it hard for me.

-I share the gym with Jermaine.

-It can be difficult at times.

-We came to an agreement where we

-train mornings, they train evenings.

-We try to avoid each other.

-Jermaine trains with me and

-Nathan trains with Chris Davies.

-He's one of my friends.

-Healthy rivalry is the word.

-What I can bring to the table

-for any fighter...

-..is the experience -

-I have been there.

-The ups and downs that can come

-with the business of boxing.

-I'll guide them away from the things

-that I did wrong in my career.

-I got into coaching

-to create champions.

-If I win this title, this Welsh

-title, it'll open doors for me.

-Obviously then

-I'll be more on the title scene.

-With that on the line, he needs

-an army to take that off me.

-There's no way

-I'm leaving the arena without it.

-He's 34, he'll come in

-and give it everything he's got.

-Age is just a number.

-If you look after yourself

-and you're fit, you're good to go.

-I'm going to win. That's it.

-People have wanted to see

-this fight for a while.

-How I think it'll go?

-I don't think we'll go ten rounds.

-I think it'll be around six rounds.

-Gareth,

-where's the smart money going?

-Before I part with my money...!

-This is a fight we were excited

-about back in the spring.

-Thorley had returned from Australia

-and wasn't ready.

-Asare has fought more experienced

-boxers than Thorley has...

-..but some people would suggest...

-..that as the fight goes on,

-Asare has a tendency to tire.

-This is a ten-round bout.

-I think it favours Thorley.

-Would you agree?

-Will it go the ten rounds?

-That's the question.

-I agree,

-the last time we saw Asare...

-..it was a six-round bout

-and he was tired.

-Thorley only needed two rounds

-and he looked fresh.

-I think the ten-round prospect

-will favour Thorley.

-We spoke about Gavin Gwynne

-and Henry Janes earlier.

-We'll witness two different styles

-in this one.

-Two very different styles.

-Asare will be on the front foot.

-He likes hooks and overhand rights.

-Thorley's six foot four,

-he has a long reach.

-He'll be on the back foot

-trying to box smart.

-Asare and Thorley will contest

-the Welsh Light Heavyweight title.

-There are more big names

-on the card.

-Fred Evans

-the Olympic silver medallist.

-Craig Kennedy,

-he lost his last bout.

-He'll want to bounce back from that.

-We also have former World Champion

-Lee Haskins on the card.

-We're in for a great night.

-It's all live and exclusive to S4C

-on Friday night at 9.30pm.

-Joining the team is former

-World Champion Enzo Maccarinelli.

-You can hear him

-on the red button...

-..as part of the English language

-commentary team.

-If you miss any of the action...

-..we'll bring you highlights

-at 10.30pm on Monday night.

-Which bout stands out for you?

-Ashley Brace and Melania Sorroche.

-You have the European No.1

-taking on the No.2.

-Zack?

-Since I've fought both,

-for me Gwynne and Janes.

-I'll go with Thorley against Asare.

-I can't wait to see Thorley.

-Thank you for now.

-Less than 24 hours to go

-before the big night...

-..where new boxing heroes

-will be made in Merthyr.

-S4C Subtitles by Adnod Cyf.

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