TALENTED heavyweight Chris Billam-Smith says the overhaul of Poole Amateur Boxing Club gives him a “proper” training hub to prepare for likely future title fights.

Poole's pre-eminent fighter, Billam-Smith watched on as his home town club unveiled its refurbished facility last Saturday.

Former Irish heavyweight Big Joe Egan was the star attraction at a ceremony to celebrate Poole ABC being granted a 25-year-lease on their Rossmore Road gym.

Once dubbed by former sparring partner Mike Tyson as ‘the baddest white man on the planet’, Egan has turned his hand to acting and appeared in a number of big screen hits – including both of Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes films.

The honour of cutting the ribbon to denote the dawn of a new era for Poole boxing was reserved for Leo Toms, the 69-year-old club’s longest-standing member.

Billam-Smith told the Daily Echo: “It really is a proper boxing gym now – and it looks like one. We have photos all over the walls of fighters from right back to the 1940s.

“Joe was full of jokes and telling stories, as always. He is a good laugh and it was great to have him there. He is a nice man.

“A few of the lads from the club put on a good boxing demonstration and we had a fantastic turnout, so it was great.”

Billam-Smith lost a contentious split-decision verdict to Viddal Riley in the quarter-finals of April’s Elite National Championships – a defeat which left him weighing up the possibility of bringing forward his inevitable move into the professional ranks.

While he is yet to arrive at a decision, the Poole amateur is highly regarded enough to have sparred with David Haye and George Groves – former and current world champions, respectively.

Plenty of astute judges consider Billam-Smith Dorset boxing’s hottest prospect. He is relieved, then, to have a training base furnished with first-rate equipment – and which will be the exclusive preserve of the area's pugilists.

“It had actually been a crèche in the daytime until we secured the lease,” continued Billam-Smith.

“We have been putting bags up and having to take them back down to make way for other things. Now we can focus on our training without any distractions.”