Professional Boxer and Boxing Content and Social Specialist at BOXRAW
The Sports Journalism degree I gained at Leeds Trinity was very useful for opening doors into the industry. Now I work for the biggest boxing brand in the world, which is something I'm proud of.
When I started boxing
I was quite late starting boxing in terms of what fighters usually do. I picked up the sport in my mid-twenties but I'd always been involved in sport my whole life until then, mainly football and Gaelic Football. Once I started it though, I immediately had eyes on becoming professional further down the line.
How classmates would remember me
My classmates certainly wouldn’t remember me as a boxer. I hadn't started boxing when I was still at Leeds Trinity. But I did obviously watch and follow the sport as a fan and sports journalism student at the time.
Inspirational figures
I'm inspired by many great boxers from early times in the sport. I've always been interested with boxing history, so I study all the old-time fighters like Sugar Ray Robinson, Ezzard Charles and so many others. But the one boxer who probably inspired and motivated me to get going competitively myself was Carl Frampton. He's an Irish legend and someone I've always looked up to.
Making the decision to go pro and what it involved
I'd wanted to go pro for a while but I wanted to gain as much amateur experience as possible first. That's what I did, finishing with close to 40 amateur fights for Halliwell ABC in Bolton. Even as an amateur I was training like I was already a professional because I knew it was going to take maximum effort to develop and reach a high level. There are sacrifices to make every single day. It's not just turning up for training or a fight. It's tough but it's worth it.
A typical week
The weeks are typically very busy but enjoyable. I train every morning at Elite Boxing Gym in Bolton then come home and work for my full-time job as a Boxing Content and Social Media Specialist for a company called BOXRAW. Then I'll run in the evenings after work. I also have a family to take care of while balancing my boxing and work. Me and my fiancé, Becky (who I actually met while studying at Leeds Trinity) have a young son called Jax who keeps us on our toes!
How my Sports Journalism degree helped me with my career
The Sports Journalism degree I gained at Leeds Trinity was very useful for opening doors into the industry. Now I work for the biggest boxing brand in the world, which is something I'm proud of. In terms of my boxing career, studying certain aspects of sport and particular athletes also had a benefit during my course time.
My boxing career aspirations
Improving with each fight and becoming the best possible fighter I can be is the ultimate goal. I have a great team around me and I fully dedicate myself to boxing, so I know I can go far on this journey. I'm in this for the long term.