By Matt Bevan

Carl Greaves looks back on 2016 with a great deal of pride, but he is refusing to rest on his laurels as he aims to match it in 2017 and then improve on it as he looks ahead to potentially an even bigger year.

The trainer and promoter led Russian now-WBA ‘regular' welterweight champion David Avanesyan to the biggest win of his career over Shane Mosley –– when he was interim champion –– last year.

Greaves revealed who the leading lights in his stable are, in particular super-featherweight Sam Bowen and light-heavyweight Dec Spelman, who he says he has high hopes for going into 2017.

“2016 was very good for me, in particular training David and then going to Arizona and beating an absolute legend in Mosley,” Greaves told Boxing Scene.

"He’s also recently been upgraded to full WBA champion, which is great news. That was the crowning moment, but the other lads I train in Sam, Dec, Nathan McIntosh, Jamie Williams and Kyle Haywood are all looking in great shape.

“I think Sam will be a special fighter and could already be the top super-feather in the country. He has a great amateur pedigree and everyone is already avoiding him.

“There is no one to fight him, but we did think it would be Zelfa Barrett, but he pulled out which was disappointing.”

Barrett was matched with Bowen by the British Boxing Board of Control for the vacant English title, but Barrett –– led by his team of Frank Warren and his uncle Pat along with manager Steve Wood –– has decided to go in a different direction, leaving Bowen looking around for his next opponent.

“But,” Greaves continued, "he will fight Chris Conwell for the vacant English title on March 11 at the Harvey Hadden Sports Village in Nottingham.

“Dec is an extremely strong lad with natural power and good skills for a big lad. I want him to be English champion and knocking on the door for the British by the end of 2017. He’s back out on the February 25 card in Hull [headlined by Gavin McDonnell in a clash with Mexico’s Rey Vargas for the vacant WBC world super-bantamweight title and also features Luke Campbell and Tommy Coyle in separate contests], live on Sky Sports.

“It’ll be great to get him some big exposure and I know that he won’t disappoint. I was hoping he would fight for the Midlands Area, which is a step up in levels, but then Ricky Summers pulled out which was frustrating, but he’ll get his chance this year.”

Greaves, a former fighter, is looking forward to 2017 and the addition of some new players in the TV market, including BT Sport and ITV. He describes the new competition as great for the sport as fighters will be more desperate to prove their worth to a bigger audience.

He is also convinced that the experience he gained as a fighter, where he was himself a Midlands Area champion and challenged for the British against the likes of Michael Gomez and Alex Arthur, means he can lead a young fighter better than most, having been in the ring himself.

The Newark man feels that putting on regular shows for his fighters is doing them the world of good as he looks to build them into regular fixtures on TV shows and find them the opportunities that he feels they deserve.

“With the new players coming in, it’s great for the sport and in particular the smaller promoters who can now get their lads some exposure on TV. I can push the likes of Sam Bowen and Dec Spelman harder now because with the competition, others out there can’t just pick and choose anymore. I like to promote 50/50s but it’s difficult to agree at times. Now other promoters' hands will be forced.

“I’ve been a fighter so my lads know where they stand with me, 100 per cent. I know what I did wrong in my career, so I can put that right with them and they also have someone to relate to. I fought at a good level, but now I have the experience on the business side at every level, right up to the world title now, for them to trust me with.

“I try and put on 12 shows a year in three areas, so that’s about four each as they’re coming through provided they stay fit. With regular promotion you can keep pushing them forward and build them up to get on TV shows. They keep winning then you can provide them with opportunities which is great all around.

“My first card in 2017 will be March 11 in Nottingham, where Bowen will fight Conwell, McIntosh takes on Nathon Smith and I’m working on Jamie Williams and Louis Norman. Then I’ll be taking boxing back to York on March 18 and then back to Barnsley on March 25. I’m working on April too. Boxing is flying at the moment in the UK and in 2017 it’s only going to get better.”