Matt Maher: The day I went training with Tyler Denny - ahead of his 'must-win' British title fight
Getting a call from a professional boxer asking if you fancy going to train with them is always going to be unexpected.
The even bigger shock is when you find yourself saying yes.
On the plus side, the kind of training Tyler Denny has in mind does not involve him throwing any punches in my direction.
Neither does it require a 5.30am alarm call for a six-mile run through the streets while the majority of the population are still dozing in their beds.
That’s not to say there isn’t any pain or discomfort involved.
“It’s tougher than I thought it would be,” remarks Denny when the Express & Star arrives at Dudley’s Village Hotel gym.
Bearing in mind at this point he is just under two weeks out from one of the biggest fights of his career and in excellent shape, those aren’t the kind of words to inspire confidence in those of us who aren’t professional athletes.
Denny is talking about reformer pilates, a method of exercise which has seen its popularity soar in recent years.
The gym has just begun holding classes and Denny, an ambassador for the venue having used its facilities through most of his boxing career, has been attending as part of his preparations for Saturday’s British middleweight title clash with George Liddard.
On this particular occasion, he’s roped in yours truly to see what all the fuss is about.
So for around an hour, under the guidance of the gym’s staff, we go through a series of lifts, stretches and twists on a machine which in many regards looks like a modern upgrade on a medieval torture device, complete with springs, ropes and pulleys.
“It’s designed to strengthen muscles you don’t normally use,” replies one tutor, when asked what exactly reformer pilates is actually all about.
In the case of this writer, these are some muscles he never knew existed. On the whole, however, it’s nowhere near so daunting as it first appears. By the finish, you are almost enjoying it.
In Denny’s case, it certainly seems to be doing some good. Sitting down afterward, the 34-year-old claims to be in the shape of his life.
“I know every fighter says that before every fight,” he says. “But in my case it is true.
“My sparring, my running, my general fitness levels. It is not opinion, it’s fact. I am beating times I have never done before.
“I’m nearly 35, so it surprises me really. It just shows age is only a number.
“I’m training smarter too, not so hard all the time. In the past I have done too much in the past and felt tired in the fight.
“I listen to my body these days and I feel great, honestly. When I win, it is going to be all down to the pilates!”
The better news for Denny is he finally has something to train for. Saturday night is his chance to put himself firmly back in the spotlight, after 18 months which have been a lesson in just how easily you can become one of boxing’s forgotten men.
