By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

Three-time world champion Lovemore Ndou, who is one of Sydney’s leading lawyers, talks to Fightnews.com® about how he is training Zimbabwe-born Australian-based 190 pound 23-year-old former National amateur champion Daniel “The Gentleman” Stuart and has visions of him becoming a future world champion.

Where and when were Daniel and his parents born and when did they arrive in Australia?

Daniel was born in Harare on 11 December 1997 from Zimbabwean parents who emigrated to New Zealand in 2008, then Australia (Western Australia) in 2009. His father is half Scottish and half Shona. And his mother is Shona. Both his paternal and maternal sides of the family live in Zimbabwe.

What age did Daniel start boxing?

He was introduced to boxing at the age of 13 by an ex SAS British soldier who ran a gym in Wickham, Western Australia. In 2017 he travelled to Zimbabwe and lived there for months and trained with Alfonso “Mosquito’ Zvenyika, the former Zimbabwe super flyweight, African Zone 6 flyweight, and Commonwealth light flyweight titles holder. He also trained for a while in South Africa and the UK.

As an amateur he had close to 40 fights, won the Australian Amateur Boxing championship, the WA State championships and won gold on three occasions, won the Super 8 series championship belt and the Golden Gloves championships. He has also completed High School and I am encouraging him to pursue his University studies to prepare for a life after boxing.

Best opponents?

Daniel has fought anyone in his division and personally I’m surprised he was not elected for the Australian Olympic team to Tokyo, but we all know about the politics involved in amateur boxing. Funny enough about two weeks ago I had him spar two boys in his division who are in the team to Tokyo and he handled them with ease. He can still go to the Tokyo Olympics as part of Team Zimbabwe as he holds dual citizenship but at the moment we are focused on his pro debut on June 19th at the Melbourne Pavilion on a Brian Armatruda show. Daniel has a great team behind him which includes Stephen Grimson, a good friend and astute businessman. Stephen and myself are co-managing Daniel’s career and we have great plans for him. We have appointed Ray Giles as is his main trainer but I also assist with the training. I bring in the boxing skills and boxing deals whereas Stephen handles all the business side of it. That way Daniel doesn’t have to worry about anything but focus on staying in great shape and winning fights.

Also, working with Brian Armatruda is the best thing for Daniel. I have been friends with Brian for many years and he is one of the few people you can trust in boxing. He is a man of his word. He is in boxing for the love of the sport but not to try and screw boxers financially. He is a very successful businessman and doesn’t need boxing to make a living. He cares for the fighters and puts on some of the best shows in Australia.

Where and when did Daniel meet you?

Daniel was introduced to me sometime last year by a good friend who has known him for a long time. He told me Daniel was considering turning professional but needed a manager or business advisor who will have his best interest at heart and felt I was the right person. He then sent me some footage of Daniel in action and I was impressed.

I then started talking to Daniel and the more I spoke to him the more I liked him. He reminded me of a younger me, full of courage, desire and determination to succeed. I also like the fact that he comes from a good family, is respectful, well-mannered and is a God-fearing young man who lives by the Bible. Simply put, he is a gentleman. I also started talking to his father, Spencer Stuart, and it all made sense to me where he got his good manners and dedication from. It is then that I decided I shall work with him and help make his dream come true.

Daniel lived in a different State (Western Australia) so I decided to bring him to New South Wales and he has been living in my house for almost two months now. He is like a son to me and I treat him like one. He is about the same age as my children and this way I can also always monitor his training schedule, meals, etc. A few weeks prior to each fight I will send him to Melbourne to work with Ray Giles who will do all the fine-tuning. Ray Giles is like a father to me and I love the man. He trained me while I was active as a fighter and we remain as close as we did during our days as boxer and trainer, so I trust him with Daniel’s career.

Who has Daniel been sparring?

Daniel has been sparring everyone including the great Tim Tszyu who is currently rated #1 in the world. It’s been great working with Tszyu and it’s the best experience for Daniel. Tszyu is currently preparing for his fight against Michael Zerafa so it works out good for both fighters. We are very grateful to team Tszyu for opening up their doors and allow Daniel to move around with Tim. Ronny Sinclair has also been providing us with sparring. He has some good boxers who have been giving Daniel good sparring.

You have a full schedule working as a lawyer in Sydney. How do you have time running in the mornings and going to the gym in the evenings?

It’s tough but my attitude to life is nothing is impossible. It is just a matter of managing time properly. It is not just a matter of doing roadwork with Daniel in the mornings and boxing in the evenings, I also prepare his meals, attend meetings with potential sponsors and put deals together for him but I am lucky because Stephen handles most of the business side of things. The training with Daniel is also keeping me fit so there is a benefit to it.

The thing is if I didn’t believe in Daniel’s ability I wouldn’t be doing all this. I believe the kid is full of potential and if he keeps listening to me and the team he will become a world champion someday. We are not just focused on his boxing ability but we want to make sure he finishes his career financially well off. I am also encouraging him to pursue his studies so he can have something to fall back on at the end of his career.