Boxer Richie weighs in to help cobbler
Former boxing world champion Richie Woodhall turned out to throw his weight behind a cobbler's shop run by an old school friend.
Former super-middleweight champion Richie turned out to officially reopen Walton's Shoe Repairs in Shrewsbury's Pride Hill Shopping Centre.
The business, which recently moved premises, is run by Shaun Walton who has been a friend of Richie's since they were both aged 11.
The pair met in the gym at Phoenix School in Dawley, where Shaun was a pupil.
"I went to Phoenix and Richie went to Abraham Darby, but Richie used to train with the boxing club that used the gym at Phoenix, and I used to play volleyball for Telford," he remembers.
"We used to meet at the gym there, and when we were 16 I was starting my apprenticeship and Richie was working at the Graham Seaton Sports shop in Wellington.
"We used to get the bus together every morning, Richie lived in Woodside and my family had a pub in Madeley.
"Then when we were 17 or 18, I was house-sharing with Richie's older brother Lawrence."
He followed Richie around the country to support him in his fights in the early days.
Richie, who is now a television boxing pundit, said he wanted to thank Shaun for his support at the start of his career.
"Shaun was always one of my most loyal followers when I was starting out, he would always turn out to see me," he said.
"This is my way of now doing something to support him as a thank-you for all the support he gave me all those years ago."
Richie had opened Shaun's previous shop on the bridge of the Pride Hill Shopping Centre, but business had struggled after neighbouring businesses moved out to make way for an abortive redevelopment plan.
He moved into his new premises in January, but Shaun said many of his old customers did not know he was still trading. He hoped having Richie to relaunch the new shop would be a way of telling them he was still there.
