So proud of my champion brother

Alldis tried to join Crawley Amateur Boxing Club as a 12-year-old but was told there were no places available, his brother John reveals.

But Alldis persevered and tomorrow night he will proudly represent the town and the club when he makes a third defence of his British crown against Patrick Mullings at Wembley Conference Centre.

In the late Seventies and early Eighties Crawley was still buoyed by its former undisputed world middleweight champion Alan Minter and boxing in the town was booming.

Having moved down from London, the Alldis brothers wanted to join the club. John, the younger at 31, explained: "When we moved down to Crawley I was about 12 and Michael was a bit older.

"We tried to get into the boxing gym at Crawley but it was too packed. They said, 'We are full up'.

"We forget about it for a few years. Michael went back at 18 and as soon as he got into it I got into it."

The Alldis brothers learned a lot at Crawley ABC, regarded as one of the best clubs in the county. While Michael, now 33, went on to become a professional and British champion, John enjoyed moderate success in the amateur ranks.

Earlier this year, John reached the quarter-finals of the ABAs but he admits most of his involvement in the sport these days comes in the shape of being his brother's biggest fan. Anyone at Wembley tomorrow evening will hear John shouting support for his brother.

John said: "I go to all his fights unless I am fighting myself. Over the last couple of years he has done ever so well.

"As brothers we are similar. There is only 18 months between us. We have grown up going round together. I have always supported him and he has supported me.

"When Michael won the title I was so proud of him. He has put a lot of work into it. There are not a lot of people more dedicated than my brother.

"It is nice that the hard work has paid off. He has deserved it. Seeing his face when he became British champion was wonderful. I know when my brother is sad and I know when he was over the moon. I could see it in his face."

Victory against Mullings tomorrow would mean Alldis winning the Lonsdale belt outright and would almost certainly put him in line for a crack at a world title.

Alldis and Mullings are old rivals, with Mullings beating Alldis to become ABA bantamweight champion in 1992 and Alldis gaining revenge on a heady evening at Bethnal Green in November 1999 when he beat the Harrow fighter to become British super-bantamweight champion.

Since that evening, Alldis has defended his title against Scotsmen Shaun Anderson and Drew Docherty, as well as enjoying a couple of routine non-title fight victories. When told he would be meeting Mullings again, Alldis was not too pleased. He explained: "At the beginning of the year I was not too happy about it because I wanted a fresh challenge.

"It was playing on my mind. I wanted to go elsewhere. I didn't see the point of going back on myself.

"Now I am 100 per cent behind this fight. My preparation has gone extremely well. I am really pleased with everything. I have sparred with Isaac Sebaduuka , he is near to Mullings in his style - and also James Yelland, who is an orthodox fighter but I have used him for his speed. I have done 120 rounds and I finished on Monday against Francis Ampofo who is fighting for a world title soon.

"Mullings has been a thorn in my side and it now time I got rid of this thorn once and for all."

Brother John is not the only one to notice the rapid progress Alldis has made since becoming British champion.

Michael said: "My confidence is really good right now. I feel I am a 50 per cent better fighter. In the Docherty fight, I totally wiped him aside. There was such a gulf between us. I want to show the world there is a big gulf between myself and Patrick Mullings.

"Mullings had made it three years ago. He is past his best now. I have now come to my peak. I am convinced you are going to see someone who will be fighting for the world title very soon. And that someone is me."