With his stable having racked up two British titles recently, followed by the transition from independent promoter to a strong position in Hayemaker Promotions, Dave Coldwell is very much a man in demand of late. Coldwell takes us on the intriguing journey from life as a victim of the school bullies, through his various guises as boxer, coach, manager and promoter, to his current position which involves meetings with such luminaries as David Haye and the Golden Boy, Oscar De La Hoya.

Dave Coldwell was born in Calcutta, India, to a British Design engineer and his Indian wife. The family returned to Blighty when Dave was a year old and he hasn’t returned to India since. “I have never been back, and I don't know anything about that side of my life.”

Childhood wasn’t kind to the Coldwell the child, as he faced a constant battle caused by his limited height and frame and obvious differences with the other children. It’s how he got into boxing, “I was your classic school wimp. I had a bad time - I suffered from bullying for being small and from being one of only three black kids in the school - was three all together [out of 1500 children], another girl and another boy. The boy was a big Jamaican lad, a real hard kid. My Dad wasn't working at that point so I would go to school looking a scruff - cheap clothes, cheap trainers. I got into boxing because I wanted to be able look after myself.

Boxing made a chance impression on the then reserved Sheffield school boy, “My first boxing memory and the reason I got absolutely hooked on it is Sugar Ray Leonard. I came in from Football training one evening absolutely shattered and plonked myself in front of the TV. I'd never seen boxing before in my life but here was this guy doing bolo punches and everything, just so flashy and brilliant to watch. It turns out, it was round nine of Hagler-Leonard!

“Years later when Frank Warren did 'The Contender' series, I ended meeting Sugar Ray Leonard - I got my photo in lobby with him and then a wicked one over at ringside. It was a really big thing for me, he was the reason I got into boxing. When we spoke he was pretty chuffed that he was my first boxing memory and got me hooked, especially with me now being a promoter, trainer, and manager.”

In the first of a series of battles to the canvas, Dave’s mother felt it better if he avoided the sweet science, “My Mum wouldn’t let me box, she was dead against it. It wasn't until I was 15 and the first Benn-Eubank fight and after that I just thought 'I'm doing it'. That was on the Saturday and it was the Monday that I went.”

Dave provided a fascinating insight to his childhood demons when responding to my querying his amateur career.

“Oh – terrible”, he says somewhat honestly and without blaming judges, before continuing more soberly, “I was a kid that never had any confidence. I had a hard time at home as well as at school and I didn't get on with my mother, there were a lot of hardships with my mother. When you have someone telling you that you are never going to achieve anything and never going to be good at anything, and then you go to school and get bashed up and picked on - you walk into the ring and think what am I doing this for?

“I was good in the gym, but as soon as it came to a fight and the gloves and head guard were on, I'd want to chicken out! The amount of times I said I wasn't going to box but went through with it. I lost my first eight, I remember praying 'Let me win tonight, please let this be the one'. You would have to go to school and tell people, it were horrible.

Things became easier for the Brit, as he reveals, “I beat number six in Britain Mark Hearns, and then we had a rematch and I beat him again and after that Brendan (Ingle) said ‘right, we're going to turn pro' - so I did.”

And how did the professional career go?

“When I turned pro, again I'd look great in the gym - a classic gym fighter. Once it came to a fight I wasn't as confident. Some nights I would look really good but others I could have maybe won if I would have thrown three of four more punches a round. I fought some good fighters, I fought Mickey Cantwell twice, the first was his comeback after Jacob Matlala and it was at the old Nynex - now the MEN arena - on a Naz undercard. I boxed Jason Booth. I boxed Hussein Hussein, who fought for the WBC world title. I boxed Jose Lopez Bueno in Spain, knocked him down twice and lost a close decision; he won a world title two fights after that. I did ok but just not what I could have achieved with the confidence I have now.”

Dave makes no bones about attributing the transformation in his personality as got older, was down to boxing and speaks passionately about it has improved his life. “Without boxing, I wouldn't even be able to speak to you like this - never mind being on television or radio. Not a prayer could I have done any of that, I was in a proper little shell. Without a doubt it’s boxing. You know they always talk about boxing in schools and anti bullying campaigns, and the people who knock boxing, but from my point of view... I have a happy life now.”

“I started off as a car sales man, I enjoyed it but it’s the sort of job I would have always been stuck with, that or retail. I enjoy what I’m doing and I have a nice life - I'm happy and it’s all down to boxing.

Coldwell’s training career started very early on and ran in unison with his professional career, “Brendan had a second gym up on the manor and I used to run that for him, so I started training kids from an early age - alongside my own career. I have been training kids a long time now; I think it was August '96 when it started so I have trained kids for about 12 years. When I left Brendan as a fighter I got my own gym set up and just carried on training the kids really.”

Regarding coaching Dave said, “It’s difficult, coaching is the most nerve wracking experience. When I have a fighter going into a major fight - I’m really nervous, I try to hide it but sometimes not so well. I'm pretty close with all the lads and there are different levels of fighters that I have got. One of the proudest moments for me is when I walked out with Daniel Thorpe against Amir Khan. Thorpey is a journeyman but for him to box in front of 12000 people and six million on ITV1... he was top of the bill. He didn't go out and put his down and run, he soaked it up - he'll say it himself, that was his world title fight.

“Then you have people like Ryan Rhodes who I am really close to, family wise - from his parents to his little girl who plays with my little girl. Whenever he fights, my Mrs will tell you, I'm nervous a couple of weeks up to the fight. But when it comes to the night of the fight you have to hide that and be all business like. It’s nerve-wracking because once you have said the last thing you can say to your fighter, that’s it, there’s nothing else I can do.

“But when Ryan stopped Gary Woolcombe, out of all the years I have been in boxing that stands above everything as my proudest moment. It was such an achievement, because of what he has come from - I was dead proud of him. We have come through the hard way - away from the limelight.

“When we were in the ring having photos and that, my mind just switched to Kell Brook - because his British title was coming up in a couple of weeks at same venue. Straight away I wanted two, my second British champion. Kell was bouncing around on the ring apron, so happy for Ryan, and I just went over to him and said 'you next!'.

“When Kell then went on and won the title, it was brilliant. He's had a lot of pressure on him in his career but when he realised Barrie Jones' corner had thrown the towel in, he turned around, ran and jumped straight on me. I'm only 5 ft 4 and nine stone! I'm glad I caught him or I would have looked a right cabbage.

“They are my two massive achievements but hopefully there is more to come.”

The man who now lives in Rotherham first promoted a show in 2004, but that hadn’t been the original plan.

“I first promoted a show in 2004. I had no intention of going into management or anything but when you’re independent it can be hard. It’s ok when you have guys that just want to earn money and do the circuit that's no problem, you can always get work for people like that. But when you have kid that you feel have some potential, you want to take your time and look after them a little bit. If you're not managing them yourself and you haven’t got a promoters licence, it’s very difficult to do things your own way. Sometimes a kid might get beat and it doesn’t mean he is not as good as an undefeated kid on a big promotion; it’s just that they haven’t been looked after with the same backing. That’s why I got the managers and promoters licence.

“Training is hard work physically in the gym. In the gym I have Mark who helps me on the conditioning side plus one or two others when coming up to fights, but day in day out it's just me in the gym.”

And how does training compare to the management and promoting side of the business.

“Managing is hard work stress wise because you have to manage these fella's careers right, you have to find the right path for them be it a journeyman or a prospect.

“But promoting is by far the most stressful, because you could lose your money which as an independent would mean coming out of your personal bank account. But for me, I get stressed because I don't want people turning up to my shows and thinking it’s a pile of shit, or looking around thinking 'this is empty'.

“On some of my shows there might be eight fights, and I might have six on that I'll be working the corners for. Ill be running back and forth getting the next one ready to get back out there. I don’t get to sit down and enjoy my shows. I don’t enjoy the show until I read reviews from guys like yourselves at BritishBoxing.net, Boxing News, and local press. It’s only when I read those reviews I feel like it’s been a good show.

“People are spending their money, we have this credit crunch going on and things are getting tighter and tighter for people. So if people are spending there money to come to one of my shows then I hope they leave thinking they enjoyed it. I'd hate to think of someone forking out the money when they are already struggling for bills and then the show being a pile of shit.”

Coldwell is now finalising details for September’s Hayemaker show; I ask him how the whole opportunity arose. “I have been friends with Adam and David for quite a while, since before Dave's first fight. I have always liked they way they do things, their own way and to keep succeeding.

“We'd meet up whenever they were in Sheffield and go to Nando's or whatever. When the ABA Quarter finals were on, David said they were coming up to Sheffield and had something they wanted to speak to me about. They came up and we had a chat, he told me there ideas and what they wanted - and then basically offered me a job!

“Adam and David are very clever people, forget about the boxing, David Haye is a very clever man on this business side, and so is Adam Booth.

“I was blown away by their plans, they were so exciting and fresh and they wanted me to be involved at every level. They flew me out to Cyprus and I spent a couple of days out there while they were setting up the plans for the gym. When I came back from Cyprus I had to weigh things up - I have a family to support. I'm 33 years old and do I want be struggling up down motorways for a couple of hundred quid here and there, or do I want to make myself in a better position financially while getting the opportunity to be involved at the very highest level.

“The concept we are doing is absolutely fantastic, the fighters that we have got are over the moon with what we are doing. It’s for fighters who want to see how good they are. Hayemaker promotions will be right at the top in couple of year’s time. We don't expect it to happen over night but it’s caused waves already and has people talking about it.”

Dave is clearly very happy with the fighters that have been signed up, so who should we be looking out for from within the trailblazing promotional banner?

“Michael Maguire and George Groves are two stand out amateurs that we have got. Everyone in London knows about George Groves, the kid can punch and has a crowd pleasing style. Michael Maguire is really talented and we expect big things from him.

“Then there are the kids with a bit more experience, Josh Wale who is unbeaten in seven at Super-Bantamweight. He is basically ready to be let off the leash, I'd put him in with anyone in the second tier at the weight domestically. I wouldn’t put him in with Rendall Munroe or Bernard Dunne yet because of experience, he'd then be stuck at that level. Anyone below that, I'd put him in with Esham Pickering tomorrow, Marc Callaghan, Mark Moran... any one at that level.

“Then we have Martin Lindsay, he’s a really good kid, very clever. He came out to Cyprus with us and we have hopes for him.

“Curtis Woodhouse is an exciting kid, packed up football to go into boxing and nobody took him seriously. Now he’s 7-0 and has stopped his last four and he looks like a prospect. He could surprise a lot of people. We think he's a lunatic for packing up football with the money there, but it just shows his desire and that’s he is doing what he loves. Dream come true for Curtis is British title.

“And then we have our senior members like Ryan Rhodes.”

Not to mention head of Hayemaker promotions, the exhilarating Londoner with the knockout punch, David Haye.

“Forgetting the fact that he's my boss [laughing] what he has achieved in 21 fights and they way he has done it, I think he is the most exciting fighter that we have got (in the UK). Watching him train out in Cyprus and seeing some of the things that he does for such a big man, it's just brilliant to watch. He's miles away from his fight but he's still in good nick, he's just bigger! Touch wood we can get Klitschko knocked out some time next year – And there is going to be a lot of knockouts on the way, guaranteed.

“Whether you like him or not, he's exciting and has people talking about him. He has the confidence to speak out loud and it might come across as brash, but it’s just his confidence. Underneath that, he's just a normal kid, one of the lads.

“We had eleven boxers out there in Cyprus and David was just one of the lads, nothing prima donna about him at all. It's just when it comes to business, he's confident.”

While it seems like this multitasking all-rounder doesn’t have time for a breather, he makes time for his daughter [four in September] who helps him to relax – a bit.

“I never switch my phone off, except when I’m in the cinema which is only every couple of weeks. My time to relax is when I'm playing with my little girl, like today we are chilling out and I'll take her shopping later. I'm never fully switched off though, I'm always thinking about shows coming up or what we need to do to what fighter. Before I became a Dad I'd be out all the time, I don't drink but I'd just be out all the time.”

And where do his football loyalties lay?

“I'm a big Manchester United fan - and not a glory boy! I remember days of Arthur Albiston, Kevin Moran and all them guys, I remember it from Ron Atkinson’s days. I follow Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday because they are local but United especially as we have had a good link up with them because of Curtis Woodhouse.”

Signing off from what’s been a fascinating story of both financial and emotional rags-to-riches, typically Dave Coldwell wants to reemphasis his love for the sport and how good it has been for him.

“I have really enjoyed my time in boxing and have learnt a lot off a lot of people. I love it. I have got to meet some really big names. For a kid like me who started off with no confidence and the hard time I had as a kid, to have met the people I have met... Growing up around the Naz era, and to have met Foreman, Trinidad, 'Winky' Wright, and Sugar Ray Leonard... To do what I'm doing now, just being sat in a meeting with Oscar De La Hoya - I would not change anything.

“I'm not one of these kids who thinks he knows it all and has done it all himself - I haven't, I have learnt a lot and I have had a lot of good friends in boxing. It was well worth persevering when I was losing my first eight fights as an amateur, I don’t think anyone would have blamed me for jacking it in out of embarrassment.”

Perhaps not, but most people will be glad he didn’t.