"I already knew he had talent, or Amir wouldn’t have been calling me," Clarence 'Bones' Adams reveals how Amir Khan's protégé arrived in Las Vegas for a training camp before pro boxing debut this year
Friday 3 September 2021 14:01, UK
Amir Khan's new protégé Tal Singh has teamed up with American trainer Clarence 'Bones' Adams, who says the exciting prospect will "shock everybody".
Khan is managing the career of Singh, an England amateur champion, who is preparing for his professional debut later this year.
But Singh has firstly headed to Las Vegas to work with respected coach Clarence 'Bones' Adams, following in the footsteps of Khan, who also sharpened his skills by training in America.
'Bones' Adams told Sky Sports: "Amir text me and we talked a little bit. I said, 'Just go ahead and bring him over.'
"He's got power for his weight division, but it's just getting it out of him and making sure that the speed and the power go together. I'm really impressed with his power.
"I threw him right in there to spar on the first day, to see what he's got. I didn't tell him it was a two-time Olympian, a silver medallist and an undefeated professional at 115lbs. It was quite a surprise for him, but it also let him know where he was at, where I'm at.
"I already knew he had talent, or Amir wouldn't have been calling me. It's just getting it out of him is the thing."
Singh says he relished the opportunity to sharpen his skills in America with 'Bones' Adams, a former WBA super-bantamweight champion who has since become a respected trainer.
"I was open to it completely because it's [Las Vegas] the boxing capital of the world," said Singh, who is Khan's first signing.
"The fighters over there in the States, it's a style that suits me perfectly.
"He [Khan] wanted to put me with one of the best trainers in the world and a future Hall-of-Famer in 'Bones' Adams.
"Now that we're working together and I've been here, I'm learning every day and it's a great thing.
"I thought that he's a tremendous coach. In my opinion, he's a great teacher, and there's not many teachers in boxing nowadays."
Singh has set himself the target of becoming the first Sikh world champion.
"I can't wait to showcase what we've been doing here in Las Vegas with 'Bones' to the fights fans in the UK," he said.
"We're going to be looking to make a big statement. I've always been told I've had talent, even back when I was training at the Hayemaker gym alongside David Haye.
"It's just a matter of time that I'll be where I want to be."
'Bones' Adams has backed Singh to achieve this long-term ambition, but firstly intends to maximise his fighter's stamina and strength before an entry to the pro ranks.
"I train for knockouts. I do not train for decisions," said Adams.
"When he's confident in himself to be able to do what he's got to do, I think he's going to be like a 'Mini Amir'.
"But right now he's not really confident in what he's doing, mainly because of the shape.
"The air is different here, the climate is different, the people are different. Everything is different.
"Once he gets a little more comfortable within a couple of months, I think it's when you're going to be able to see a really big difference.
"He's going to shock everybody when he fights, I can tell you that."
