Andy Murray loves his boxing so much that when you throw the name Peter Buckley into the conversation, one of the most obscure British sportsmen of recent years, he can immediately tell you that he’s the journeyman from Birmingham who retired recently with a memorable record of 32 wins and 256 losses.
He reads his Boxing News and knows his British champions, world champions, great fights, the lot.
Murray also knows that if you get the chance to visit the legendary 5th Street Gym in Miami Beach, you don’t pass up the chance.
First opened in 1950, the gym built a snarling reputation thanks to legendary trainer Angelo Dundee and his stable of world class fighters, including a certain Muhammad Ali.
Everywhere you look there are photos of the greats – Foreman, Liston, Smokin’ Joe, the famous one of Ali and The Beatles (I made a point of standing on the very spot).
Muhammad Ali famously posed with The Beatles at the 5th Street Gym in 1964
Signed gloves hang from the walls, publicity posters surround the single ring.
Now refurbished and reopened on the original site, the 5th Street Gym acts as part training base, part museum.
The sign above the door reads the same as it did in the 50s: “Miami Beach 5th Street Gym. Nationally known boxers training here daily. Public Welcome.”
Except, on this bright sunny South Beach afternoon, we found internationally known boxers and an internationally known tennis player for good measure. Murray had been invited down by David Haye, WBA heavyweight champion and a big tennis fan, who has set up camp in Miami ahead of his summer unification fight with Wladimir Klitschko.
“It’s amazing,” a wide-eyed Murray told me. “The thing I love about it, it’s such humble surroundings. It’s not like the facility is unbelievable, they’ve got exactly what they need and everyone in here is working hard, knuckling down.”
And the sign was right, the public are welcome; people were just strolling in from the sidewalk.
“I was expecting to have to go through some sort of reception area,” said Murray, “but you literally walk straight in and you’ve got the heavyweight champion of the world in here!”
He stood agog as a much anticipated five-round sparring session developed between George Groves, the Commonwealth super-middleweight champion, and Andre Dirrell, former world super-middleweight super-six contender.
“They’re some of the best athletes in the world. It’s incredibly intense,” Murray observed.
Groves is being mentored by Haye and fights long-time rival James DeGale at the O2 Arena on 21 May in one of the most hyped domestic showdowns of recent years.
“He said some kind things to me,” Groves reported of Murray’s visit. “He said he’d been checking me out and it’s just brilliant to have another great Brit in the gym.”
So how can Murray’s tennis benefit from the boxing experience?
“The one thing you can learn from is the intensity,” he said. “In any individual sport being intense is very important, and for them they need to concentrate for every second or otherwise they’re going to get hurt.
“Obviously in tennis we don’t have that problem but the intensity is certainly something we can learn from, and also the attitude of everyone in here. So humble, working hard, it’s great to see.”
David Haye turns some music on – James Brown’s Superbad – before posing for a photo with Murray and saying his farewells.
“Andy’s a huge boxing fan,” says the champ. “He probably knows more about domestic boxing than I do! Every time I talk to him he’s always reading the Boxing News. I’m a fan of his as well.”
And so we leave. Murray jumps in a cab, back to training on clay, and the world heavyweight champion strolls down Washington Avenue, towing his bag of stuff behind him. He’s off to lunch.
Listen to David Haye, George Groves and Andy Murray in Jonathan Overend’s special report from Miami’s 5th Street Gym on 5 Live Boxing, Thursday at 2030 BST.
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Murray makes Miami boxing pilgrimage