BLOWING KISSES

FOR years, Michael Ballingall and his boys went unnoticed.

“I’ve handed up to David Haye and Tony Bellew,” said the 47-year-old from Portsmouth, “and Kevin Mitchell, Rendall Munroe… I’ve worked all their corners – but most of them probably wouldn’t remember me.”

Ballingall worked as a house second for Frank Maloney and Hayemaker, learning the trainer’s job from the inside.

“I wanted to be a pro trainer,” he said, “and I learned the job working as a house second. You get some coaches who want to gatecrash pro boxing and go straight into it from the amateurs or white collar. I went through the system.

“As the house second, you have the best people around you. I wanted to be a trainer and a successful one, so I watched the successful trainers and learned the qualities you need.

“I was always in the background at the big fights, listening to the best trainers and fighters. Nobody noticed me, but I was taking everything