Known in the ring as ‘The Bread Maker’, Gerome Warburton could perhaps be more fittingly described as a `Fortune Teller`.
Regardless of the nickname, it`s hard to dispute his assertion that “all the things I spoke about have happened”.
Warburton is recalling a conversation from over five years ago, when he was a newcomer to professional boxing, speaking with the typical ambition of a young fighter starting with a 5-0 record.
He declared his intention to win a Welsh championship, to one day compete for a British title, and most importantly, that he was destined for boxing`s biggest platforms.
“Imagine me fighting for Eddie Hearn on DAZN,” he said back then. “Just watch me go!”
This Saturday, we can indeed watch him. True to his word, Warburton has secured a Welsh title and will now fulfill his prophecy of fighting for a British championship. He faces Kieron Conway for the vacant middleweight title, also challenging for Conway’s Commonwealth belt, on the Johnny Fisher-Dave Allen II card at London’s Copper Box Arena, broadcast live on DAZN.
However, should he emerge victorious and bring two more belts back to Colwyn Bay on the North Wales coast, his mission won`t be complete. His aspirations have grown. Forget Wales for now – Warburton is setting his sights on the world stage.
“Anybody can talk about world titles,” he says, “but I could be two fights away.”
“Conway is the mandatory challenger for the European title, so if I beat him, I take that position. [Current European champion] Denzel Bentley is set to fight Zhanibek [Alimkhanuly, the IBF and WBO champion], which means I could contend for the vacant European title – and that achievement typically earns you a world ranking.”
This is bold talk from a boxer who, for now, remains relatively unknown within the broader boxing landscape, and who hails from a region with minimal professional boxing activity. Only two fighters from North Wales have previously challenged for a British championship, neither successfully (Rhyl heavyweight Carl Gizzi in 1969, and Connah’s Quay middleweight Tom Doran in 2016). Warburton has spent his entire pro career fighting away from home, a circumstance he believes has prepared him well.
“I`ve always boxed away,” he states. “I`ve always been someone willing to seize opportunities. I have nothing to lose.”
“Look at Shakiel Thompson – he was offered a title shot [against Alimkhanuly] and £300,000, and he declined. Why? When opportunities arise, there`s no turning back. You might not get another chance.”
‘The Bread Maker’ turned professional in 2019 with virtually no fanfare.
“In the amateurs, I reached a point where I was confident I should be winning Welsh championships, but I was beating my opponents and not getting the decisions,” he explains. “[My then-stablemate] Sion [Yaxley] was turning pro, so I thought to myself, `just do it; I may as well give it a try`.”
Warburton`s readiness to embrace challenges was immediately evident. His first professional bout saw him in the away corner against a local fighter known for selling tickets, set in the historic venue of London’s York Hall.
“I was in the gym when I got a message from Chris [Sanigar], `do you want this fight?` I thought it was a joke!” he recalls. “Going to York Hall for your first fight is significant in itself; something to tell everyone about. It’s such a historic place.”
“He [Celal Ozturk of Hackney] was also 0-0, but he had a large fanbase, and nobody knew me. Yet, I ended up stopping him in two rounds.”
If Warburton thought derailing Ozturk’s pro debut at the first hurdle would instantly propel his own career, he was mistaken. For the next couple of years, he mainly occupied the “home” corner (apart from a trip to Spain during lockdown), fighting in Manchester under Kieran Farrell’s Vicious Promotions. However, he was largely uninspired by the level of competition.
In 2022, he spoke with Boxing News about his frustration fighting journeymen, struggling to find knockouts against opponents solely focused on “surviving like wounded animals,” and the grind of selling tickets while “telling your fans you’re boxing someone with a hundred losses,” experiencing the comedown of following a Welsh title win with a four-round bout against a perennial loser.
Consequently, Warburton hasn’t hesitated when offered more meaningful fights – even when he wasn’t expected to win them.
“The Welsh title on four weeks’ notice [won points 10 against Morgan Jones, May 2022]; a British title eliminator on six weeks’ notice [won points 10 against Aaron Sutton, February 2024]; a big step up against Ryan Kelly broadcast on Channel 5 [drew points 10, June 2024]; the fight in Spain on two weeks’ notice against a skilled, ranked opponent [lost points 6 to Jhon Jader Obregon in Spain, December 2021]; I was thrown into York Hall for my debut against a major ticket seller and won.”
“No one ever expected me to win those fights. Taking a fight on short notice, people usually do that purely for money – I did it because I believe in myself.”
And he carries that same belief into his fight against Conway.
“I`m not putting pressure on myself, because I already know I’ll win,” he asserts. “Am I the favourite? No. But I’ve always proven people wrong. Everyone from here [North Wales] who’s attempted to win the British title has lost – but I won`t.”
“He’s only fought two southpaws,” adds Warburton, who switched to a southpaw stance later in his career, “and it’s widely known he struggles with his weight. What’s he going to do in a tough 12-rounder against someone who makes the weight easily? I’ve never had issues with weight. I used to eat KFC outside the gym before it even opened.”
That was during his amateur days at Colwyn Bay’s Dyffryn Boxing Club, where he continued training for several years into his professional journey, keeping Dyffryn’s founder, Wesley Jones, as his head coach.
However, the 29-year-old eventually accepted that he needed to seek opportunities further afield to progress, ultimately deciding on former Team GB Olympic coach Paul Walmsley in Liverpool, an hour`s drive away.
Leaving Dyffryn late last year was a difficult choice, but one made with Jones’ blessing.
“Wes agreed I needed to step out of my comfort zone,” Warburton says. “At Dyffryn, the focus is heavily on fundamentals, and the fitness levels are probably the best in all of Wales, but the technical aspect isn`t quite as advanced. And in North Wales, the sparring partners and contacts aren`t at a very high level. You have to move to a city.”
“And Paul doesn`t have other professionals, so I receive the individual attention I need. I feel I’ve significantly improved, and sparring partners confirm this.”
“It will be a shame not to have Wes in my corner for the British title fight, but the belt is coming back to the [Dyffryn] gym, not to Liverpool. Dyffryn will always be my home, regardless of what I achieve moving forward.”
He has already surpassed the achievements of most professional boxers from his region, and if Warburton defeats Conway, he will accomplish something no North Walian boxer has done before.
Winning the British title would be a “fantastic, life-changing event,” he remarks, “but it`s more about demonstrating to people that it`s possible; showing the kids that if you believe in yourself and approach things correctly, opportunities will arise.”
“Just because you aren’t from a big city doesn’t mean you can’t achieve something significant.”
