Boxer James Moorcroft gets ultimate endorsement from Wigan Warriors forward Taulima Tautai

Wigan Warriors star Taulima Tautai has given boxer James Moorcroft the ultimate endorsement ahead of his next bout in March.
Coach Lee Blundell with James MoorcroftCoach Lee Blundell with James Moorcroft
Coach Lee Blundell with James Moorcroft

Tautai- along with ex-Warriors team-mate Ryan Sutton- trained regularly at Blundell’s Boxing Gym in Wigan last year to help improve their footwork and speed.

The 30-year-old often rubbed shoulders with Hindley’s rising-star Moorcroft as he was preparing for his bouts in 2018.

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And Moorcroft caught the forard’s eye due to his relentless work ethic.

Taulima Tautai in actionTaulima Tautai in action
Taulima Tautai in action

Tautai said: “I got to know him through mutual friends - Ryan Sutton - he’d kind of said come along to boxing training and do some stuff in the off-season with Lee and Luke Blundell, and I met James there and got along with him really well and stayed in touch.

“James Moorcroft is a competitor - you can tell that he wants to win - and that’s what initially attracted me to him as he’s someone that I’d want to be around so during the off-season. We’ll train, and you can tell that he’s someone that you’d want in your corner.”

Moorcroft will return to action on Saturday, March 9 at the University of Bolton Stadium and Warriors star Tautai believes that the 25-year-old is destined for success in his career.

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“He’s a freak. He trains multiple times daily, and he’s so dedicated to do well,” he said.

“With his motivation and drive, I’m sure he will become a huge success and go far.”

According to coach Lee Blundell, the most dangerous part of Moorcroft’s game is nothing to do with his technical or physical ability, it is the hunger and desire that he has to win that separates him from the rest.

Blundell, who won the WBF Intercontinental middleweight title in 2002, said that he would loved to have had Moorcroft as his training partner when he was in his prime.

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“You can’t teach heart, desire, and the clear determination to succeed and win at all costs, and he’s got that in an abundance,” said Blundell.

“He’s got that drive where he wants to go and go, and there’s so many times where I have to slow him down because he just lives and breathes boxing. He’s doing four sessions a day, and he’s looking this good with still four weeks to go before his fight.

“I wish I had him to bounce off as my training buddy when I was fighting because he’d have pushed me to my absolute limits.

“He’s got an infectious work ethic, and we’d both be making sure that we’re giving everything we’ve got to our boxing. Boxing is a lonely sport, but to have a partner who is constantly going to be hot on your tails motivating you is only going to help your career. It’s just a shame that I wasn’t training with James during my career, he would have been a huge driving force by my side.”