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‘Square’ loves to be caged!
David Round is best known at Milford Haven Rugby Club, where he played in the oval ball game from the age of eight to 21, as ‘Square’, but he is now creating a new name for himself as a very committed cage fighter who loves the combative edge to a sport that is at best physical and sometimes violent.
He had seen cage fighting on Sky Television when it was beamed across from the USA but arrived at the new sport purely by accident after playing as a flanker against Pembroke and enjoying a tough tussle with Scarlet’s back-rower Stuart Tyrie.
Chance start
The pair met up for a pint in the Crickmarren clubhouse after the match and Stuart said he was also involved in cage fighting under the watchful eye of Graham Brockway at Merlins Bridge Amateur Boxing Club. He suggested David should go along and have a look, which the Milford man did – and he was immediately hooked onto the training programme and physicality of cage fighting.
Now both of them have had six fights each and are planning to lock horns in a cage fighting show in Haverfordwest later in the year – and although neither will budge an inch and will try to knock each other out they will still be friends! David fights as a middleweight whilst Stuart is over a stone heavier – but has vowed he will reduce his weight so that the contest can go ahead.
Ask ‘Square’ about the violence that cage fighting engenders and he is quick to answer:
“No-one is forced to fight and it is properly regulated, with clear rules, a referee and officials. We have a great deal of respect for each other and there is a real camaraderie. As I see it, at least I know who is trying to punch me whereas in rugby I was never sure!”
Mariners’ rugby player
His rugby started as a seven year old in primary school, playing for the Milford Haven under eight team in touch rugby (they hadn’t even invented tag rugby in those days!). They were coached by John Rusinek and Ian Evans and from then on he played at every age level for the Mariners, including four seasons where he played in the centre in Pembrokeshire and at full back for Milford Haven Comprehensive School.
In the youth team he played alongside Nathan Williams, who went on to play for Wales, Stephen King, Matthew Henderson, Jeremy Bateman and Darrell Jones – and they came second in the league, losing twice to eventual winners Crymych but winning all their other games. From there it was straight into the first team which was coached initially by Dean Hadley and Phil Stoddart, and then by current coach Alan McClelland.
“All three were great,” says David, “and I was delighted to be picked as ‘Player of the Year’ in the firsts after one season. But then I discovered cage fighting and that’s taken over now – but I’m sure I’ll go back to rugby one day.”
Early success
David took to cage fighting so quickly that he was having his first fight within eight weeks of starting out in training, he went with his coach Brockway on the journey to Exeter, where his opponent was Luke Street. There was a huge crowd of almost 600 in the hall and ‘Square’ admits that he was very nervous on the trek down but was fine as soon as he started to warm up. He made a successful start as he actually won the contest in 54 seconds when a rugby-style body slam saw his opponent unable to continue
There was another crowd of 600 when David returned to Exeter for his second fight, this time against Craig White – and this one was even quicker because a powerful head kick and two right hand punches saw his experienced opponent knocked out in 16 seconds.
Back to earth with a bump
But it was back to earth with a bump in his third fight because he lost on points to Toby Horton and readily admits that he wasn’t on top form:
“I didn’t feel right from the start – I was off balance and allowed him to control the fight. But it was good experience and I would love a rematch at some time.”
It was at this time that David decided, with Graham Brockway giving support, that he would turn professional and his first pro fight came at Bristol as he took on Darrell James in a real battle.
“I lost over two five-minute rounds and I had two black eyes, a split lip, bloody nose and cut tongue after I bit it,” admits David, “but I loved every second of it because I gave as good as I got so had no complaints. Again I wanted a rematch to show Darrell that I learn from my mistakes!”
Learning from mistakes
and a fight on TV
And he certainly demonstrated that fact because when he again met Darrell James in Bristol he won in 44 seconds on a ‘Ground and pound’ verdict where the referee stopped the contest because David had his rival firmly pinned on the ground and unable to defend himself from the punches thrown by the ‘Milford Mauler’.
His performance must have attracted the attention of experts because straight afterwards he was invited to fight on a bill at the Celtic Manor which appeared on the ‘Knuckle Up’ programme on the ‘Bravo’ channel. He took on Brendan Flanagan and after three minutes and 47 seconds of attrition gained another ‘Ground and pound’ verdict in his favour.
Looking forward
So now it’s on to that special contest against Stuart Tyrie and David is building his fitness towards that fight in Haverfordwest, which should draw an enormous crowd. He trains hard with Graham Brockway every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday – and sets off on runs of between three and five miles every Monday, Friday and Saturday. A training session involves 30 minutes skipping (which he found difficult to master at the start!), 20 minutes of warm-up exercises, 45 minutes pounding away with kicks and punches on the pads and bags,, plus up to ten rounds of sparring. Add weekly sessions on the weights at the West Coast Gymnasium run by Steve and Naomi Joseph in Milford Haven and it is easy to see how hard he works!
And finally . . .
He has about six weeks before his big fight and is really looking forward to getting fit and ready to take on his pal Stuart Tyrie. After that he will carry on for as long as he enjoys it but recommends the club for its training facilities.
“Even if people don’t want to get into a ring or a cage they can just come along and train hard with Graham and Gill Brockway. That’s what I did and I haven’t been so fit in my entire life!”
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