Boxing Life Stories

By Tris DixonSports

Boxing Life Stories episodes

January 04, 2023 Season 5: #4 Ryan Walsh
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 and Sam Sexton.

Walsh is a great talker and has immense knowledge of boxing as a student of the game and remains intensely passionate about it, even in the twilight of his boxing days.

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2 hr 27 min
December 28, 2022 Season 5: #3 Nigel Travis
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 amateurs for years.

Alongside Moore, Nigel's worked with Rocky Fielding, Carl Frampton, Chantelle Cameron, Tommy Coyle and many more.

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1 hr 23 min
December 21, 2022 Season 5: #2 Jon Thaxton
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 lives through health and fitness in Norwich.

Thaxton is a great talker and wonderful storyteller.

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1 hr 43 min
December 15, 2022 Season 5: #1 Scott Quigg
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 Brian Hughes, Ricky Hatton, Joe Gallagher and Freddie Roach – as well as being a stablemate of Puerto Rican great Miguel Cotto.

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2 hr 38 min
December 07, 2022 Season 4: #50 Robin Reid
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, Carl Froch and Jeff Lacy.

But things didn't work out as he imagined they would. Here, in a rare interview, Reid bares his soul, remembering the best and worst of his career and talking for the first time in detail about his struggles in life after boxing.

This is unmissable, and the 200th episode of Boxing Life Stories.

Brought to you by Hanson Lee Resourcing and Delco Safety Compliance.

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3 hr 4 min
October 19, 2022 Season 4: #49 Lisa McClellan
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 discusses Gerald's recovery, their life now and her memories from that sad night nearly three decades ago.

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1 hr 38 min
October 12, 2022 Season 4: #48 Kermit Cintron
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 himself in combat sports; first wrestling, then boxing.

The outspoken Cintron had a hard career. He sparred Arturo Gatti, Bernard Hopkins and many more, was a Kronk stalwart alongside Andy Lee and Johnathon Banks under Emanuel Steward but he's thriving in retirement, studying to be a radiographer, spending time with his family and playing golf.

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1 hr 47 min
October 05, 2022 Season 4: #47 Steve Lillis
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 featuring the likes of Larry Holmes and Manny Pacquiao and charting the rise of Ricky Hatton from the earliest of days, he's seen and done it all while not forgetting who the real stars are of the sport, the people we interview.

He's also had his own battles away from the ring, which he discusses here.

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2 hr 6 min
September 29, 2022 Season 4: #46 Chris Algieri
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.

Here, he tells his unique story, his unexpected rise, his frustrations, his glory and his future.

Twitter – @trisdixon https://twitter.com/trisdixon
Instagram – @trisdixon

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1 hr 35 min
September 23, 2022 Season 4: #45 James Cook
Former European super-middleweight champion and two-time British champion James Cook is one of the most-respected figures in British boxing.

He was the first man to defeat the excellent Michael Watson, lost to Herol Graham, wanted to fight Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn and he had one tough assignment after another on the road, almost always in the away corner.

He worked with Mickey Duff, Harry Holland, Frank Warren and others, talks about moving to the UK from Jamaica, racism in England and, in his decorated role as a youth worker, crime and poverty in London and in the UK.

Cook is the conscience of British boxing and universally loved, known as The Guardian of the Streets.

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1 hr 53 min