Peter Sims: “Those at the top level don’t want to fight Anthony Joshua because he’ll take the prosperity of their career away from them”

Peter Sims is one of the UK’s most respected trainers and corner man in British boxing, working with the likes of Kevin Mitchell and Anthony Joshua. Having recently gained his managers license, he is sighting up some of the most exciting talent in the UK including; Ben hall, Lucien Reid, Craig Richards and Jimmy Cooper. Peter has also worked with fighters in past such as former World Champion Darren Barker, Wadi Camacho and Tyler Goodjohn.

I was fortunate enough to speak to Peter after last weekend’s PPV show, ‘Rule Britannia’ on the 31st of May, 2015. He was kind enough to give me his thoughts on Kevin Mitchell’s Lightweight World Championship fight with Jorge Linares and insight into Anthony Joshua’s 2nd round KO of Kevin Johnson. We also talk about how Anthony Joshua is being matched and who he would like to see him fight next.

Adam Noble-Forcey: Kevin Mitchell put in a great performance against Jorge Linares last Saturday. What are your thoughts on the fight?

Peter Sims: He showed some fantastic heart, didn’t he! You know Kevin Mitchell got an injury to his nose sparring out in Texas with Ricky Burns? Before going into the fight that was my main concentration, that the bridge of his nose was going to open up! Then I think in the 3rd or 4th round there was a horrendous clash of heads. Linares got caught on the side of his head with a cut that started bleeding. Kevin got a horrendous two and a half inch cut on his eye which opened and started bleeding, I could get it addressed and stopped the bleeding straight away on the cut, kept it maintained and under control.

It went into the 6th or 7th round, he came back into the corner I said to Tony (Sims) “His nose has gone and his other eye has gone.” I looked at his left eye and he had two cuts in his eyelid right next each other, which is absolutely the worst cut you can imagine because they are so close together.

In hindsight, if Kevin hadn’t of gone down and taken a knee in the round he got stopped in, with 10 seconds left in the round, the doctor would have had to of stopped that fight and gone to the score cards, which after we found out the scorecards were 84-86, 84-86 and 82-88 and Kevin would have won. He fought like a true warrior, it was draining for everybody. I hope he comes back. If there is anybody in this country who deserves a world title, it’s Kevin Mitchell.

Adam Noble-Forcey: You were also involved with Anthony Joshua last weekend, he made easy work of Kevin Johnson.

Peter Sims: He did make easy work of it, didn’t he!

Adam Noble-Forcey: At the end of the 1st round when Anthony Joshua knocked Kevin Johnson down. The referee seemingly stopped the fight then Clifton Mitchell (trainer of Kevin Johnson) just picked him up and put him on the stool. Then the referee let it continue.

Peter Sims: I couldn’t work it out, because we were all about to get in the ring and celebrate the stoppage. He (Kevin Johnson) was on the bottom rope, head out of the ring, half unconscious. I had thought the referee had stopped it. It was really confusing. (laughs) He came out in second round though and got pulverized didn’t he? I was watching the fight and Joshua hit him with a jab, a straight stiff jab and Johnson looked like he had been shot. He couldn’t believe the speed and power in which he connected! A rabbit in the headlights.

Adam Noble-Forcey: There are a lot of people out there who believe Anthony Joshua is not being tested enough. How do you think Matchroom are dealing with him?

Peter Sims: I think they are dealing with him alright. The problem with Anthony is that he can’t fight people at the bottom level because he’ll get criticized and those at the top level don’t want to fight him because he’ll take the prosperity of their career away from them. He’s stuck in the middle, where does he go?

You try and get a heavyweight who is ranked 3 or 4 in the world to fight Anthony Joshua. I think they are thinking, if I fight Anthony Joshua, my career s going to be finished. He’ll have to keep going the way he’s going until he’s made mandatory until the top 5 or 6 have to fight him.

Adam Noble-Forcey: Who would you like to see Anthony Joshua fight?

Peter Sims: A good fight for him would be somebody like David Price. Although would Price take the fight? I don’t know! Both promotional companies do work quite closely together. Maybe they can make it happen, but if David Price fights Anthony Joshua? He’s been beat by Tony Thompson twice, if he gets beaten by Joshua his career is done.

(Click play to listen to the full interview with Peter Sims)