Tributes Paid to the Work of Murdered Boxing Trainer
Reece Newcombe had set up gyms and camps for young people in the area
Reece Newcombe. Picture: Met Police
December 1, 2022
A young dad killed in a fight on Richmond Bridge on Saturday (26 November) was ‘dedicated’ to helping young people stay away from street crime.
Reece Newcombe played a pivotal role in boxing gyms and camps across the borough of Hounslow.
The 31-year-old father was found with stab wounds, caused by what officers believe to be broken glass. He was rushed to the hospital where he died later that morning. A fundraiser set up by a friend to raise money for his young daughter has already reached £108,000.
Reece, from Egham in Surrey, was a well-known boxing trainer across Hounslow and grandson of iconic boxer Harry Holland, who opened his own boxing camp in Hogarth Youth Club in Chiswick in the 1970s. John Holland, Reece’s father, is the owner of the West Side Gym in Hounslow, and its sister club in Isleworth on the Ivybridge estate.
At the Borough Council meeting on Tuesday (29 November), Hounslow Council Leader Shantanu Rajawat paid tribute. He said, “Following a fatal stabbing on Ivy Bridge in 2016, John was pivotal in developing the boxing gym on the estate alongside Councillor Sampson and at the request of the young people who lived there, Reece assisted his father with training sessions on both Ivy Bridge and West Side boxing gym in Hounslow.
“The family have dedicated years working with the borough’s youth, keeping them off the streets and giving them purpose and an outlet through the discipline of boxing. Their mentoring teaches kids to stay away from street crime, offering an alternative pathway through fitness and sport.
“That is the tragedy of what happened to Reece in the early hours of Saturday morning, the Holland family always encouraged young people in Hounslow to embrace the positivity of sport and fitness and to walk away from the kind of incident that led to recce losing his life following an innocent night out.
“My condolences and that of the council’s goes to Reece’s family and friends for their loss at this very sad time.”
Met Police charged Ross Hamilton, 32, of Wood Lane, Isleworth, with murder and common assault on Tuesday, 29 November. A second man, 28, was also arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of murder. He was taken to a West London police station and was later bailed to return in January 2023.
Megan Stanley - Local Democracy Reporter