How Steel City gym became the Ingle star factory of today

Brendan Ingle provided the home and support for fighters to make both their name and their fortunes.

These days, the name on everybody's lips, when it comes to national and international recognition of Sheffield boxing potential, is the Steel City gym, a few miles down the road in Darnall.

While former world champion Sunny Edwards recently parted company with the group, it remains THE place in South Yorkshire when it comes to profile.

Dalton Smith, son of trainer Grant, seems likely to become a world champion.

Junaid Bostan is a young talent who promoters Matchroom have similarly invested in - and feel he too will go all the way.

Liam Cameron is hot box office material as the fighter who beat the demon drink to soar up the rankings and hit global headlines in Saudi Arabia, in his bizarre tangle with Ben Whittaker.

Chantelle Cameron defended the WBC interim junior welterweight championship belt while with Steel City.

In short, the gym is churning out champions in the way the Ingles once did.

Ryan Rhodes, who has his own Southpaw gym in Shalesmoor, was a product of the Ingle way, but recognises that fame and success can be generational rather than constant.

"If you look at different gyms around Manchester, London, Birmingham, Newcastle and Leeds they all have good spells" he told The Star.

"In the 1980s, '90s early 2000s, the Ingle gym couldn't be touched.

"It was the place to be because it was a place that bred champions.

"Now it is Steel City gym, that's what happens.

"Most fighters who want to be champions see how well Grant is doing and want to go there to work with Grant and Pearce (Gudgeon.)

"That is how boxing works.

"Champions are breeding champions and future big stars, look at Dalton and Junaid.

"A couple of years ago Liam Cameron was addicted to booze and had no money for the electric meter - now look at him, if his fight with Ben Whittaker had gone on he'd have probably stopped him.

"Now he has got a new Frank Warren contract - what a story."

Boxers are always on the lookout for places like Steel City, said Rhodes.

"They see how many champions are at which gym, which place is flying, and so you can only give Steel City credit for that.

"Some boxers go to certain gyms because of the coaching style.

"Pearce has come on leaps and bounds from what Grant has taught him."

As for the Ingles, Rhodes said, "When Kell left that gym things died down; not as many fighters were going there.

"But they have got professionals like Mohammed Subhaan, from Bradford, Red Johnson, and Bradley Goldsmith.

"Gyms are flying at one point and not at other points...that's what happens."

Another Rhodes with a veteran boxing background, is Glyn Rhodes at Hillsborough's Sheffield Boxing Centre.

He describes Steel City as the Ingle gym of today.

"I was fortunate to be at the Ingles at their height and nobody ever thought that gym would be anything but what it was, breeding all kinds of champions.

"Dalton Smith is flying the flag for Sheffield at the moment, and - like when I was at the Ingles - success breeds success.

"Others fighters think: 'Something is going on down there, I need some of that.'

"The success is down to hard work - from the trainers, the boxers, also a lot of luck.

"It hasn't surprised me how well Steel City has done, I've been around long enough to see gyms and fighters come and go.

"Back in the day, Brendan Ingle would always find new fighters from far and wide to come in, no matter who was doing well.

"I remember Jon Thaxton coming in from Norwich, there were others from Chesterfield, Derby and Nottingham and all over.

"Steel City are doing something right! Obviously that is the place to be at the moment.

"I don't see why Dalton and Junaid can't become world champions, they are with the right people."

Cameron, a late bloomer at Steel City and a former Ingle man, has nothing but respect for trainer Dominic Ingle, whom he describes as a Sheffield legend.

At Wincobank, Red Johnson is one of the new breed of Ingle fighters and has a 8-0-0 record under trainer Dominic Ingle.

He doesn't concern himself with what other centres are doing.

"As an Ingle fighter I am not that interested in what other people are doing," he said.

"We do our own thing, we perform on the day and people enjoy watching us box, we put our own stamp on it.

"Nobody is winning prizes for saying gyms are good or not, the proof has been in the pudding and the Ingle gym has been going with the same recipe for the last 40-50 years; we are not bothered what people think.

"Yes, if you go back five to 10 years ago we had so many big names from around Europe and the UK training here and now there's not as many.

"These things happen but everybody is focused on their own journey.

"I can vouch there is a good atmosphere in the gym, good fighters and trainers."

Dom Ingle, a talented musician, has diversified his approach in recent years, he is regarded as a "Fat Loss Expert" and nutrition author, as well as a coach.