TRAINER Tony Borg says St Joseph’s Boxing Club will do what it always does and just roll with the punches after the departure of three fighters over the summer.

While Borg is now coaching world title challenger Jamie Cox and fledgling pro Robbie Vernon, unbeaten trio Sean McGoldrick, Craig Evans and Mitch Buckland have all flown the nest.

As McGoldrick weighs up his next move, former WBO European champion Evans and ex-Celtic king Buckland are now being trained by Gavin Rees and Gary Lockett respectively.

Rees was in the Commonwealth Games gold medallist McGoldrick’s corner for his points defeat of Dylan McDonagh on August 4, the 26-year-old’s first fight since leaving St Joes.

McGoldrick and Buckland, younger brother of former British super-featherweight supremo Gary, left Borg’s Newport stable with unbeaten professional records, while Evans has only lost two of 21.

“We’ve had a couple leave and it is sad at the time but if it was something we’d done wrong as a gym, or me as a trainer, like if somebody had been knocked out or cut to pieces, that would be hard to take,” said Borg.

“We’ve asked ourselves a few questions, but I don’t think we’ve done anything wrong.

“Growing up, my trainer and manager were at loggerheads all the time and it ruined things for me – I just don’t want to go down that route.

“It’s myself, Roger (Williams), Billy (Reynolds) and Dave (Exton) here and we’ve been together for years and never fallen out.

“If somebody decides to go then there’s not a lot we can do. We’ve been here before and we just roll with the changes.”

He added: “There’s no actual contract between a trainer and a boxer so if they want to move on then they move on.

“I would never want to hold somebody back like some managers do, so if a boxer wants to go they can carry on.”

Speaking about the three, Borg feels there was “unfinished business” with McGoldrick, Evans didn’t get a real chance to shine at his best weight and Buckland’s relationship with his brother could make training “uncomfortable”.

“Sean started here when he was eight and as an amateur won Welsh and British titles, boxed in the European and world championships and Olympic qualifiers, and won Commonwealth Games gold,” said Borg.

“He’s done a lot for the gym, so we’re pleased with what he has achieved and I’m certain he’s pleased with what he’s done, and what we’ve done for him.

“As a pro, I felt they got a few opponents that were wrong for him. I insisted on getting his last few opponents and he’s still unbeaten, learnt from each fight, and I’ve no doubt he’ll win a British title, possibly a European title.

“The sky’s the limit and he can go a long way, but he’s decided at this stage to move to another gym.

“Maybe it’s not as comfortable as some of the others who have moved on because Sean was here since he was a kid and I felt we definitely had unfinished business.

“I thought we would complete the journey together.”

On Evans, he said: “Craig is a great guy. He came here and did really well, won the European title, went to Ireland to defend it and then went to Russia.

“He was winning on every scorecard, got caught, the next shot kind of woke him up and he was fine, but the referee stopped it.

“Craig is a super-featherweight who went up to lightweight to fight Thomas Stalker, and then they offered him Ohara Davies who is a light-welterweight.

“I told him to forget it because that’s not his weight and he felt the same, and that was it, I didn’t hear from him for a couple of weeks.

“He had to get work because he’s got a young family and a mortgage to pay.

“He would have been working until 5.30pm then getting on the motorway to get here to train which was difficult for him, so he started training up there (with Rees at Pantside ABC).

“He sent me a text and said thanks for all I’ve done for him, but he needs to put food on the table and pay the bills.”

Commenting on Buckland, he stated: “Gary is like my son. I trained Gary since he turned pro and him and Mitchell have fallen out.

“It was very uncomfortable in the gym when they were both training at the same time.

“Mitchell wasn’t bringing the weight down. He won the Celtic title at lightweight and super-lightweight but now he can’t make super-middleweight. Again, he’s unbeaten.”

On the flip side, St Joes has welcomed two new faces in Swindon-born Cox and Bridgend’s Vernon, who took a break from the sport following a successful amateur career.

“Robbie hasn’t boxed for a number of years,” said Borg. “He was a good amateur, won seven or eight Welsh titles, and was an outstanding schoolboy and junior, and then just packed it in.

“He felt out of love with the game and walked away from it.

“He’s back now and has been doing plenty of sparring and he’s making his debut on October 27 at the Newport Centre.

“He’s got a good following and is going to box at light-welterweight. He’s promising. He’s a bit of a switch-hitter, flashy, likes a tear up, and he’s exciting.”

Borg added: “I’ve also got Jamie Cox training here. He did train here for a few fights a couple of years ago and won them.

“He signed up with an outfit from Birmingham and was travelling back and forth, but he’s going to give it a go here now.

“I’ve known him for a good few years. I worked at the Commonwealth Games in Australia in 2006 and he was boxing there, and he boxed Gary Buckland twice as a junior.”

McGoldrick and Evans are due to fight on the MTK Global show at the Vale Sports Arena in Cardiff on Friday along with Pontllanfraith’s Kody Davies (6-0) and St Joes’ Lance Cooksey (6-0).

While Buckland (13-0) has been pencilled in for the British Warriors Boxing Promotions bill in Yeovil on October 12.