Boxing Life Stories

By Tris DixonSports

Boxing Life Stories episodes

February 26, 2020 Season 2: #23 Chris Sanigar

Bristol boxing legend Chris Sanigar has seen and done it all.
Here, he recalls to Tris Dixon an incredible life in boxing that saw him fight as a decorated amateur, become one of the most entertaining warriors on the scene before going on to a career as a manager, trainer and promoter that yielded a number of world, British, European and Commonwealth champions.
He cut his teeth on the busy London scene, fought a number of fight of the year contenders, boxed in Africa and Australia, battled alcoholism, found God and he's suffered the deepest lows, not least when his old friend and trainer George Francis committed suicide.
Sanigar is brilliant, his stories can deliver you fits of laughter or cause the tears to stream. This is a MUST listen.

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1 hr 49 min
February 26, 2020 Booth & Dixon: Big-fight companion Wilder-Fury review episode

Adam Booth and Tris Dixon are together to analyse the eagerly anticipated rematch between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury.
Fury was imperious, and this podcast includes audio from Booth and Dixon's YouTube show, Counterpunch, which you can subscribe to here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMai9Qq3hpc

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32 min
February 19, 2020 Season 2: #22 Claude Abrams

For 22 years Claude Abrams worked on the weekly boxing magazine Boxing News, serving more than 10 years as editor.
He was hired by his predecessor Harry Mullan and then subsequently hired his successor, Tris Dixon.
In between, he covered huge fights, was at the small halls and was exposed to things only a BN editor is exposed to; from rowing with promoters, to going to Azumah Nelson's house, to sparring with Naseem Hamed and taking private jets with Emanuel Steward and then having dinner with Marvin Hagler and Tommy Hearns. He was also ringside for some of the best fighters of all time, including Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson, Roy Jones, Floyd Mayweather, Evander Holyfield, Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera and many more.
When he left BN, he went 'cold turkey' and travelled the world. But he dusted off plenty of war stories for this incredible journey down memory lane.

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2 hr 19 min
February 17, 2020 Booth & Dixon: Big-fight companion – Wilder vs Fury II

Adam Booth and Tris Dixon get together to breakdown the biggest fight of the year so far, the much anticipated heavyweight rematch between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury.
Adam trains Josh Kelly and Michael Conlan among others and has previously worked with the likes of David Haye and George Groves. He's also coached Andy Lee, who is part of the Fury camp, and Wilder, who he used to bring over as sparring for Haye.
Dixon has been a boxing journalist for more 20 years and has recently returned from Las Vegas, where he spent time with Fury, and Alabama, where he was with Fury, in his interviewing role for BT Sport Boxing.

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56 min
February 12, 2020 Season 2: #21 Gavin Rees

Former WBA world light-welterweight champion Gavin Rees tells a cautionary tale. Even though he made it to the top of the sport, he did it while partying hard, drinking heavily and not living the life. Had he done what he now preaches as a trainer, things could have been very different.
Still, during a career that saw him fight Souleymane Mbaye, Adrien Broner, Derry Mathews, Anthony Crolla and Andreas Kotelnik among many others, he was trained by Enzo Calzaghe and latterly by his friend, Gary Lockett.
By the time he started dedicating himself to the sport, the busy-punching Welshman was on the decline.
Here, as a trainer, he talks about his regrets, explains why he doesn't dwell on the past and looks ahead to life as one of the top coaches in the UK.

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51 min
February 05, 2020 Season 2: #20 Barry Jones

Welshman Barry Jones won the WBO super-featherweight crown but had the title taken from him when a change was discovered in a brain scan.
He was on the verge of big money fights, unification bouts and they all slipped through his fingers.
An out of the ring battle ensued and he boxed twice more, including a loss to Brazilian great Acelino Freitas, before he walked away for good, with 18 wins a loss and a draw. Boxing had not made him rich. A number of jobs came and went before, years later, a call came to go on a TV show and he never looked back, becoming instantly popular to a new generation of fight fans who watched him through the night on Boxnation with Steve Bunce and who listened to his commentary alongside John Rawling for BT Sport. He also works freelance for Sky and MTK as one of the country's busiest pundits.
But here, in his own words, he discusses the highs and lows of his incredible boxing life story.

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2 hr 23 min
January 29, 2020 Season 2: #19 Chris Eubank Jr

Middleweight contender Chris Eubank Jr welcomes host Tris Dixon into his Brighton home for a deep conversation about the man behind the stoic expression.
Eubank Jr, rated the No. 1 contender for Canelo Alvarez's WBA title, talks about getting into trouble as a youngster, making headlines in his youth and his hard boxing education in Las Vegas, where he lived and completed what was left of his childhood.
He discusses his famous father, their recent appearances on Gogglebox, the best and worst of his career to date and the future in this enthralling interview.

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1 hr 23 min
January 22, 2020 Season 2: #18 Duke McKenzie

Duke McKenzie won world titles at three different weights.
He's gone on to have a successful post-fight career as a boxing pundit, too.
But life has been far from easy for Duke. A self-confessed bad amateur boxer, he – along with his brothers – suffered violent abuse at the hands of his father, he was not a naturally gifted fighter or athlete for that matter and he had to plead with Hall of Fame promoter Mickey Duff to guide his career.
Through it all, however, was Dudley. He was the brother Duke was closest too, and he ended up taking his own life. Duke talks about mental health, losing Dudley, his own struggles and much more in this moving and inspirational interview,

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2 hr 5 min
January 15, 2020 Season 2: #17 Joe Gallagher

Tris Dixon sits down with Manchester's Joe Gallagher to discuss the trainer's forty years in the sport. Joe reflects on his time as an amateur boxer, a trainer, a manager and as a promoter, but it's as a coach where he's enjoyed the most success.
Working with the likes of Matthew Macklin, Anthony Crolla, the Smith brothers, Scott Quigg, Callum Johnson and many others, he's built an impressive stable of champions.
His commitment and passion remains after so long, too, but here he reveals the price of success and the challenges it brings.

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1 hr 57 min
January 08, 2020 Season 2: #16 Dicky Eklund

There is more than one Dicky Eklund. There was the promising pro who was matched early against a developing Sugar Ray Leonard and then the strung out junkie portrayed by Christian Bale in an Oscar-winning performance in the film The Fighter.
Dicky has had a hard life; in and out of prison, on and off drugs, in and out of boxing.
The half brother and trainer of 'Irish' Micky Ward, he now looks back on a life of regrets and missed opportunities while recalling happily Micky's glory years in a candid and hard-hitting interview.

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1 hr