Boxing Life Stories

Journeyman Lewis van Poetsch racked up an extraordinary 170 professional fights before walking away with a win in his final contest this year. 'Poochi' spent a decade taking late calls, saving shows and working out of the away corner, fighting top prospects and stars alike, and often making sure they had their hands full.  He is also an army veteran, having served in Afghanistan and Northern Irela...

Born in Birmingham but now living in Los Angeles, Rachel Charles has become one of boxing's most popular publicists.  She started working for Dan Goossen, thanks to James Toney, and her impressive list of clients includes Buddy McGirt, Andre Ward, Paul Williams, Golden Boy Promotions, Zab Judah and many more. But Rachel has not had it easy. She was abused when she was young, but now finds common g...

Having recently moved up in weight to challenge Lyndon Arthur at barely a day's notice, Boris Crighton discusses the importance of staying in shape, waiting of rthe phone call that might change his life. A personal trainer and CrossFitter who does hot yoga and watches his nutrition, sleep and recovery, Crighton lives like a pro should. Here, 'The Blade' talks about his time moving to Aberdeen from...

Bournemouth's Lee Cutler has won a Southern Area title but he wants more. He has also sparred some of the biggest names in British boxing, has toiled in the small halls, coped with his first loss, changed his mindset towards boxing over the years and is now riding the crest of a wave as the sport goes to new heights on the South Coast. A friend of cruiserweight contender and former Boxing Life Sto...

The head of the WBC reflects on his time in boxing, including growing up in the the WBC – which was created by his father Don Jose. As a child, Mauricio recalls the likes of Don King and Muhammad Ali visiting the house... Sulaiman talks about the controversies, the state of boxing, the WBC almost going bankrupt and much more besides, showing a side not often seen in his interviews. Learn more abou...

Billy Dib might have been the IBF featherweight champion of the world, worked with Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley, 50 Cent and Naseem Hamed, but two weeks ago he was told the biggest news of his life when doctors informed him he was cancer free.  Here, Dib looks back on a journey that in recent months has united the boxing world, but one that saw him bullied as a kid, his first wife die of cancer...

Former world crusierweight champion Steve Cunningham has endured many battles in the ring, but everything has been insignificant in comparison to having a daughter who needed a heart transplant. Here, Steve tells his incredible joinery, from the streets of Philadelphia to the Navy, a pro career that started in the middle of nowhere, to some of the biggest fights in cruiserweight history against th...

Matchmaker Roberto Diaz has recently finished 15 years as a figurehead of Golden Boy Promotions and this is his first interview since the split. Here, Diaz talks about growing up rough in San Francisco, his traumatic battle with cancer, how Marco Antonio Barrera facilitated his start in professional boxing, his time at Golden Boy and parting company from Oscar De La Hoya and much more. This is gre...

Former European light-heavyweight champion Danny McIntosh won the crown on the road, in France, beating Thierry Karl, and he also fought Tony Bellew, Nathan Cleverly, Tony Oakey, Steve Spartacus and many others. Danny also sparred with Mikkel Kessler, Herbie Hide and Robert Stieglitz, was trained by Graham Everett and also fulfilled a childhood dream working with the Ingles, including the late Bre...

Former British heavyweight champion Sam Sexton had a successful career that ran from 2005-2018 and saw him finish with 24 wins with four losses. Here, Sexton talks about fighting the likes of David Price, Hughie Fury, Derek Chisora and Martin Rogan, and working in camp with Matt Skelton, Wladimir Klitschko and many more. He talks about the grief he felt after the loss of his mother, PEDs in the he...

If anyone has a hard luck story in the sport, it's two-time former world light-heavyweight champion Montell Griffin. Yes, he beat James Toney after barely a dozen pro fights, and yes, he was the first man to defeat Roy Jones. But he never had anything easy. He had to sue to force his way onto the Barcelona 1992 Olympic team, and even then was hard done by by the judges when he exited the tournamen...

Matchmaker Eric Bottjer has worked for a who's who of promoters, including Dan Goosen, Lou DiBella, Don King and Matchroom, but he's not a man who has seen things just at the highest level, but at fight club level, too. Eric is a boxing historian and was influenced by the late Johnny Bos and Bottjer's helped in the careers of the likes of Evander Holyfield, Felix Trinidad, James Toney and he also...

Former British lightweight champion Lee Meager is a tarmacker by trade and was involved in some great fights in his pro career, from 2000 to 2008.  He won 16 of his first 17 pro contests, trained under the watchful eye of Robert McCracken and was one of Mick Hennessy's Class of 2000, and was part of a stable that would feature Carl Froch, Darren Barker and Tyson Fury. Meager boxed the likes of Jon...

Thomas McDonagh was a frustratingly good prospect from the Collyhurst and Moston gym in Manchester and learned his trade under the brilliant coach Brian Hughes.  McDonagh was a one club man, amateur and pro, and he boxed the likes of Anthony Small, Sam Webb, Wayne Alexander, Bradley Pryce and Andrew Face but he admits he didn't fulfil his potential. He was also a stablemate to the likes pop Robin...

Norwich trainer Graham Everett is one of the most respected and unheralded figures in British boxing. He's trained the likes of Herbie Hide, Jon Thaxton and Sam Sexton to title glory, trained Michael, Ryan and Liam Walsh and he's been a mainstay in British rings for more than three decades. Here, he talks about learning the ropes, the biggest nights, the best fighters and what makes a top coach in...

Back from only the 15th episode at the start of Boxing Life Stories, Anthony Crolla returns as a guest to talk about the tail end of his career, getting 'tasered' by Vasyl Lomachenko, his farewell fight and life after boxing. One of British boxing's good guys looks back over his long, successful time in the ring and ahead to his new life outside it, as a coach and top pundit for radio and TV. Lear...

Cromer's former British featherweight champion was unlucky not to win the European title when he challenged for it on away soil. He's fought the likes of Lee Selby, James Tennyson, Maxi Hughes and missed out on clashes with Carl Frampton, Josh Warrington and others. He's one of three fighting siblings from Norwich and the same Graham Everett gym that spawned the likes of Herbie Hide, Jon Thaxton a...

Nigel Travis has done it all in boxing. He's best known now as Jamie Moore's No. 2 – assistant trainer – but he was a good amateur who left it too late to make it in the pros. As well as being a full-time firefighter, he's a part-time actor who has appeared on shows including Peaky Blinders, and he comes from boxing stock and a father who has been involved in the development of Britain's top amate...

Jon Thaxton is a former British lightweight champion who boxed the likes of Ricky Hatton, Eamonn Magee, Emanuel Augustus, Yuri Romanov, Jon Murray and Paul 'Scrap Iron' Ryan. He worked with Brendan Ingle and Norwich stalwart Graham Everett, became close to Herbie Hide, Naseem Hamed – whom he served as a sparring partner for – and Johnny Nelson, and now he works changing the quality of people's liv...

Former world super-bantamweight champion Scott Quigg talks about the single-mindedness that took him to the top of the sport.  He discuses the sacrifices he has made to reach the pinnacle in a fights against the likes of Rendall Monroe, Carl Frampton, Kiko Martinez and Oscar Valdez.  The former champion also talks about his life after boxing, and what it was like learning from coaches including Br...

Former WBC super-middleweight champion Robin Reid took Olympic bronze at the 1992 Barcelona Games.  He won his world title on the road, made three defences, including against Yorkshire hardman Henry Wharton before losing his crown in an upset to Sugar Boy Malinga. Reid also famously boxed the likes of Joe Calzaghe – for many giving the brilliant Welshman his hardest fight – Brian Magee, Sven Ottke...

Since that tragic night in February 1995 when Gerald McClellan lost to Nigel Benn in one of the most brutal fights of all time, Lisa McClellan has been the primary carer for her brother, Gerald. Here, Lisa talks about her new organisation, Ring of Brotherhood, and how it can help fighters by shining a light on what they go through after hearing the final bell toll on their careers. Lisa also discu...

Former IBF welterweight champion Kermit Cintron fought the likes of Canelo, Paul Williams, Sergio Martinez and Antonio Margarito (twice), and he almost added to that, being one fight away from contests against Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and countryman Miguel Cotto. Cintron's mother died of cancer when he was just 10, and his father died of a heart attack three years later. He managed to lose...

One of the best red top journalists of a generation, Steve Lillis has been in boxing for more than 30 years. He's covered the big nights in Vegas, worked with small hall promoters, been at the cutting edge of old-school breaking news journalism and worked in television for BoxNation. Lillis has enjoyed an incredible career, being close to the likes of Warren and Maloney, covering fights in the US...

Former WBO world junior-welterweight champ Chris Algieri has fought the likes of Manny Pacquiao, Russian Provodnikov, Amir Khan, Errol Spence, Conor Benn and Tommy Coyle. But the popular Long Islander was also a former world kickboxing champion, is a qualified nutritionist, has worked heavily in broadcasting, is the co-host on the Inside Boxing podcast and he's sparred a who's who of modern greats...