Interview with Peter Crooke (August 2002)

Peter is the current WAKO-pro World SuperWelterweight Champion and is pound for pound probably Britain;s best.

The list of name's he has beaten says it all:

Akeomi Nitta (WKA World Champ, Japanese Champion)
Nordine Hammoumi (French Champion, WAKO European Champ)
Roger van Hiden (then Dutch Champion)
Sergei Karpin (WPKL European champ, Belarus)
Marino Deflorin (former WAKO-pro world champ)
Suraphong Artpru (Thailand)
Khunphon (Former Lumpinee Champion)

Karate was you first martial art wasn't it?
Yes I was 14 years old and started training in Wado Ryu with John Rickus in Wombourne.

Do you think that this influenced the way you fight at all?
I found it a bit awkward to adapt to kick properly. I don't think starting in something else is the best way, better to go straight into Thai then I wouldn't have been flicking my kicks.

So how did you start muaythai?
I wanted something real and my karate instructor suggested I went to Freestylers gym run by John Atkinson. It was quite a rough gym and he said at least if I went there I wouldn't end up fighting anyone from there!

Have you studied any other martial arts?
No I haven't.

When was your first fight?
I had been training 3 months and I fought someone from Walsall at the Stafford Colliseum. I stopped him in 30 seconds.

Didn't you have a lot of time out at one point?
It wasn't so much as having time out as not getting fights really. I would have 5 fights one year and then none the next year. I kept training but things kept falling through, I need more offers really.

Can you talk us through your fight with Akeomi Nitta?

It was a touch fight he was the All Japan Kickboxing Federation Champion and WKA World Champion. It was at the Karakouen Hall (next to the Tokyo dome) on 3rd September 1999. I took the fight on 3 weeks notice and wasn't really fit, it had been a while since I had fought as well. He smashed my legs to bits and I think if anyone was ever going to stop me with leg kicks it would have been him. I put him down for a count though with a right cross and rocked him a few times to takes a unanimous points decision.

What about Marino Deflorin you have fought him twice?
The first time was again a late call to fight him in Switzerland. Steve Holt was originally due to fight him but had an injury. It was a tough fight being my first international but I thought I had done enough to win. 1 Judge gave it to me 4 rounds to one, the other two judges said I lost every round. Rob Kaman said to me after the show "You won that fight but these things happen." Hippolyte said something similar. That was in 1998.

The second time he fought me was for the WAKO-pro world title in Wolverhampton. I'd done a lot of boxing trainer with Joby our boxing trainer and had just spent two months training with Tony Myers which had led to loads of improvements in my kicking and footwork. It was in March 2000 and I won easily making him look silly from the first round onwards. He caught me with a spinning back kick at one point and that was the only time he did an damage. The very first kick I threw I caught him with a high kick in the first round to get a count. I took the Super-Welterweight title by unanimous decision.

Your other international loss was to Thorpatak Wan Chalean, how do you feel about that fight?
I hadn't fought for over 12 months. I trained hard but I felt rusty, the timing wasn't there. He didn't hurt me even though he caught me with afull head kick - it was powerful but didn't hurt me. I felt like I could walk him - the fight was matched at 67 kilos. He was very sharp, very quick and clever though and used that to get the points. When I was in Thailand earlier this year he was double champion and I wanted to see him defend but unfortunately I flew back the day he defended. Not taking anything away from him because he was good but if I had got rid of the ring rust then I think the fight may have been different.

Out of the other two Thais that you fought which was the harder fight for you; Artpru or Khunphon?
The fight with Artpru never really got started. I hung back the first two rounds because he was the first Thai that I had fought and I knew he would come at me from the third onwards but unfortunately he got injured in the third round. He threw a low kick which I blocked and he damaged his leg.

Khunphon was the harder fight. He was ex-Lumpinee champion and a good with his hands. I fought him at the Mohican Son Casino in Connecticut. I got a unanimous points decision breaking his nose and putting him down for a count. He didn't put me down at any point. The other main fight was a Russian called Peter Maejotrisivic???. Duane Ludwig fought on the same show - I would love to fight Duane.

What was it like fighting in Thailand for the first time earlier this year?
It was class! I fought in a big shopping mall and there was a big crowd. It was an unbelievable experience the whole atmosphere was great. I was originally scheduled to fight Mohammed Fasail from Sudan who has a bit of a name out there but due to problems at the weigh in I ended up fighting a Russian fighter called Banzai. I stopped him with a body kick in the fourth round. I was ill whilst I was there and went to the doctors 3 times. If I had been back in England I would have pulled out but I didn't want to miss the opportunity to fight in Thailand.

Didn't you find it odd that you were fighting a foreigner instead of a Thai there?
Yes but the guy I fought was based in Thailand fighting for one of the Bangkok gyms.

How often do you visit Thailand, do you train there regularly?
I have only been there twice to train and once to fight. I trained with Pimu and at the Pinsanchai Gym which was unbelievable, I was there for 2 weeks.

What is you regular training routine in England?
I work full time and have a family so I don't really have a regular schedule. My job involves shift work so my hours vary. If I am fighting I train 6 times a week once per day, I don't' have time to train twice. I spend most of my time training with Tony Myers and also do a little boxing with Joby. Kirkwood these days tends to leave the fighters to Tony and Joby to train. It's hard for me because all my opponents these days train full time. It makes me wonder what I could achieve if I trained somewhere full time like the Pinsinchai Camp in Thailand.

Your brother Reece is now making a name for himself having defended his British title twice, do you see him becoming a world champion also?
Definitely if he keeps his training up and is focussed. I think he's really talented and could go all the way and I'm not just saying that because he's my brother! He's only been training 18 months and had his first fight in March 2001.Like me he works but I'm trying to get him to pack his job in and spend 6 months in Thailand and then come back and clean up. He has a good chin/heart and has got the skill.
Being from a rough gym took me through fights like the one with Karpin but I wish I'd had the opportunities working with people like Tony Myers like Mark + Reece have. Tony improved me loads over 12 months and I wish I had the opportunities like they had to go to Thailand. I love grappling now - I love to grab and knee.

How much of an influence are the other Trojan fighters such as Winston Walker and Kirkwood Walker over you?
Oh they're a massive influence I looked up to them and followed them round the world.They've done it off their own backs in a rough gym by training hard. Now though I reckon Winston is in the best shape that he has ever been in. he's got new venom in him and I don't think many would stand against him.

Many people are talking about your spectacular fight with Karpin, can you talk us through that fight?
It was supposed to be a qualifier for the K1-Max. Frankie Hudders had seen him on Holland and he had beaten Ettaki and Veselic so I knew he was good. I spoke to Hippolyte at your show and he told me to watch out for his right hand.

The first couple of rounds he caught me with the right hand but being from a rough gym I just took it and kept going. he was catching me but not hard I just needed to find my range.When he put me down I was actually off balance. When he came at me again I caught him with a replying right cross. The fight wasn't so technical but it was a great war though, I loved it. I find that when i fight someone once they've hit me with their best shot that it gets me going and then I can see that I can hurt them. I think that that is my strongest point taking a lot of punishment and I will always be there at the end of the fight. Like when Deflorin caught me with the spinning back kick and Nitta kicked my legs I just came back stronger.

Would you say that that was your hardest fight?
No I think Nitta was, even though Karpin caught me a few times he wasn't hurting me. When i fought Nitta my leg swelled up to twice the size and I couldn't walk after.If I fought him now though I think the training I've had with Tony Myers would kick in and it would be a different fight, my blocking is much better.

Who in particular would you like to fight?
Any big name, I only want to fight for a couple more years and I want to gain the top fighters respect worldwide. I wanted to fight Dekker for his retirement fight but they took Deflorin instead. I'd like to fight Jomhod, John Wayne Parr, Duane Ludwig and Masato.

What other British fighters do you rate? Do you have a favourite?
Frankie Hudders is class. Steve Holt was the top man when I started. I looked at him as someone to aim for. I fought him but lost a controversial decision. Richard Smith who was trained by Pele Nathan (Steve Holt's trainer) was one judge and the other judge was affiliated to Pele's gym. the third judge gave it to me 4 rounds to one. I rated Steve Richards from Oliver Harrison's Gym, I beat him and I also fought Terry Bruton from Keddles Gym for the British title. I also rate some of the new younger guys coming through Warren Brown, Mark Matthews, Gavin Sterrit, Kevin Harper, Kieran Keddle and Chris McDonald

Didn't you challenge Alan Keddle at one point?
Paul Hennessey tried to match me but Keddle said I wasn't good enough and wanted to fight Winston Walker from Trojan if anyone. From that moment I really wanted the fight but it never came off. I said I would fight him for nothing. I have since met Alan and quite like him, there are no hard feelings there.

What about fighting Lee Chesters?
I've been down to but three times he has pulled out. I don't think he's in my league to be honest. He's a good bloke though but I think I would stop him.

What about Kevin Harper?
I would love to fight him but to be honest I don't really look at people in England as I don't feel that there is anyone to compare. Not taking anything away from Kevin but I don't think I would have any problems. I see him as a friend so he would be difficult to fight from that point of view.

What foreign fighters that are active to you rate?
Karpin, Nitta, Jomhod, Sackmongkol, Masato, John Wayne Parr, Simpson, Hoost and Aerts. They're all the best.

What are your plans for the future?
To get some good fights against big names and get some recognition. British fighters are better than people think and don't get the opportunities they deserve.

Is there anything you would like to say in closing?
I hope no-one is offended by anything that I've said but that's the way I feel. Thank's to everyone for their support and I hope I get the opportunity to make a name for myself. I would like to thank Kirkwood Walker, Winston Walker, my brother Reece and Tony Myers for making me the fighter I am today.