'I will never speak to that newspaper', says proud Commonwealth star

England’s middleweight Commonwealth Games champion was born in Toxteth but went to school on Liverpool’s “Scotland Road”, the city’s artery connecting its docklands and its outskirts.

“Scottie Road” is a place that prides itself on its working class roots and tales of Northern hardship – it was here that Fowler fell into boxing, albeit accidentally.

“It was a totally random thing to be honest. At first I wanted to be a footballer, but I soon found out I wasn’t very good,” says Fowler.

“I was in school, aged 11. A lad in my class asked me to go down to the gym and spar, but at first I wasn’t interested. Eventually I took him up on it and within two years I was the best in the country for my age group.”

He’s quick to dispel the notion that his early forays into boxing were in any way influenced by an aggressive streak on the streets or in school. “I was always quiet as a mouse”, says Fowler.

“It was just that first time in the gym. I fell in love – I loved the confidence it gave me.”

Twelve years have passed since that first spar and Fowler’s ascent from footballing wannabe to Commonwealth champion has been a remarkable one. In August, the middleweight claimed gold in Glasgow after comprehensively defeating Vijender Singh, a fight that served to highlight Fowler’s frightening potential and a moment that Fowler describes as the best moment of his life so far.

"I felt so much relief, there was so pressure on me. It’s hard to describe, it’s the best feeling I’ve ever had.”

While he may have chanced upon his boxing career in secondary school, nothing about where he is now is down to luck and he’s enthusiastic when it comes to discussing his pre-match ritual.

“It’s the same every fight. In the morning I watch a video of my opponent. A few hours later I completely switch off, take a walk and then shortly before the fight I begin to imagine my opponent, increase my heart rate and start visualizing the win. Then, I’m in the ring.”

Fowler tells me that he believes that his large reserves of self-belief are central to his success so far and cites body language as an important aspect of the fight.

“Sometimes you look at someone’s face and they look away, or give you a bit of bad body language and you know they’re scared. Body language aside, the person who’s prepared better will win though.”

He may be on top of the world right now, but Fowler remembers all too clearly his worst moment as a boxer – a defeat on home turf as an 18-year-old in the Liverpool Echo Arena. He sounds remorseful and sad as he recalls the fight against fellow Scouser Callum Smith, another talented boxer.

“I just didn’t perform,” says Fowler. “I was just a kid and couldn’t deal with the nerves. I lost my head, I didn’t deal with the occasion and I boxed like a street fighter. I was massively disappointed.”

Losing in Liverpool clearly hurt him – he’s proud of his city and his roots. This is why Fowler upholds a principle to never speak to The Sun newspaper, a publication that displayed shocking irresponsibility when reporting on the Hillsborough disaster.

As a Liverpool supporter and cousin of Anfield icon Robbie Fowler, the disaster and what it means to his city is embedded within his DNA.

During a media day in Glasgow earlier this year, Fowler took to Twitter to express his disgust at the newspaper’s presence:

Media day done, unfortunately there was someone from the sun there, even though i refused to speak to them i cant stop them using my quotes— Anthony Fowler (@afowler06) July 22, 2014

Fowler tells me that he’ll never change his mind.

“It was a tragedy,” he says. “That newspaper told a lot of lies and a lot of bad publicity was brought upon my city.

"I’m a proud Scouser and a lot of lives were lost. It’s disgusting and a lack of respect. I will never ever speak to that newspaper, I’m made for life.”

During our conversation, it becomes apparent that Fowler is an extremely ambitious man of principle, brimming with confidence yet without a hint of arrogance. His Commonwealth success has only made him determined to taste it again and again.

“I want to be an undefeated professional,” he says. “In five years I want to be Olympic and world champion, they’re the main goals. I’ve got all the confidence in the world in myself to do it.”