There’s more than one use for a crane. Just ask Kevin Concepcion.

Walk into the yard at Darren Lee Construction’s headquarters on Saffron Lane and you could find Leicester’s middleweight prospect going through an unusual training session.

He hangs a punch bag from a crane borrowed from Darren Lee Construction’s sister company Leicester Lift Ltd. He dances around it, peppering it with the lightning punches that have taken him to the brink of a crack at the British title.

“I’m lucky to have such a good boss,” said Concepcion. “Darren supports all the teams and boxers from Leicester and he’s been a great boss and understands I need to train whenever I get the chance in between jobs.”

Concepcion will be training harder than ever in the countdown to his challenge for Tony Randell’s Midlands Area middleweight championship, at the Marriott Hotel on Grove Park in Leicester on Saturday, November 7th.

The last two holders of the Midlands belt before Randell – Darren McDermott and Andy Halder – have both gone on to challenge for the British championship and that is Concepcion’s target.

Kevin has climbed through the ranks at work – he has gained an NVQ to gain promotion – and the slick-boxing 29 year-old from Stocking Farm has swept up the boxing rankings since turning professional in September 2006 with a points win in Coventry.

Leicester has a tradition of producing top middleweights. Chris Pyatt won a version of the World Championship on an unforgettable night at Granby Halls in May 1993 and Tony Sibson claimed a Lonsdale belt outright and challenged ring legend, Marvin Hagler, for world honours.

Concepcion’s determination to follow in their footsteps gets him running around Bradgate Park at 7am every Saturday, but the boxer’s toughest sparring sessions come against his closest friend.

Younger brother Martin, a former challenger for the Commonwealth light-middleweight title, is trained there by Jez Brogan and is also employed by Darren Lee Construction.

Martin also boxes on the big bill at the Marriott Hotel in November and like Kevin, is targeting major honours “within the next 12 months.”

As an amateur with Belgrave Amateur Boxing Club, Martin represented England and his explosive punching power and skills have taken him into the top ten of the British rankings.

His wins include a one-round demolition of former Commonwealth king, Matthew Hall, and he said: “I know I can beat any of the top fighters in Britain. I just want to get a few more wins under my belt.”

Martin’s days are hectic. They start at 6am, when his alarm clock rings and after a full day’s work, he returns home to be “ran ragged” by his three children before heading off to train alongside his big brother.

Kevin and Martin haven’t boxed on the same bill for more than a decade. They were both winners on that show at Belgrave Amateur Boxing Club’s Checketts Road venue and are guaranteed plenty of support in November.

“We’re buzzing about boxing on the same show again after all these years,” said Kevin. “We are best mates, but also drive each other on. I want Martin to do well. It’s just that I want to do that bit better!”

The dinner show at the Marriott will be Martin’s first appearance in front of his home crowd, while Kevin has happy memories of his last fight in Leicester.

He won the vacant British Masters middleweight title at Aylestone Leisure Centre last June, with a points win over Tyan Booth and says his next appearance at home will be even more impressive than that dominant display.

“I’m going to show everyone how much I’ve improved. Randell is a good fighter and I like him. We’ve met and he seems like a nice guy, but that doesn’t mean he’s leaving Leicester with the belt.”

Tickets for the show are available from www.midasconnect.co.uk

By Matt Bozeat

Visit www.liftltd.com for more information on Kevin’s business.