Boxing Life Stories

By Tris DixonSports

Boxing Life Stories episodes

August 14, 2019 #46 Kevin Mitchell

Many regard Kevin Mitchell as one of the best British fighters to never win a world title. In his storied career, he fought the likes of Jorge Linares, Breidis Prescott, Michael Katsidis, John Murray and Ricky Burns.
Mitchell was known as a hard fighter and a hard liver. He was a boxer who sold tickets in pubs, and drank in the pubs where he sold tickets. His story is in part about missed opportunities, a fight with alcohol and inner demons and a failure to get the best out of himself, something he openly admits to.
But he was still a terrific fighter. He shared British Fights of the Year with Carl Johanneson and John Murray, turned pro after a decorated amateur career culminating in an ABA title and retired after one last title run which came in arguably the performance of his career, against the wonderful Linares.
Now, in the wake of the passing of his brother Vinny, he's a trainer of young fighters, and he's not only hoping to pass his skills down, he's hoping to share the harsh lessons he's learned.

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57 min
August 07, 2019 #45 Callum Hancock

Sheffield super-middleweight Callum Hancock held onto a dark secret for a long time.
When he was 10 years old, he was raped by a local bully. Now unbeaten in 10 professional fights, and trained by Ryan Rhodes, he discusses the traumatic burden he has carried for almost two decades, why he remained silent of so long, his thirst for revenge, his quest for inner peace and why he is left wrestling with his role as a boxer.
IF YOU ARE AFFECTED BY ANYTHING YOU HEAR IN THIS PODCAST, CALL MANCHESTER SURVIVORS ON 0161 236 2182.

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1 hr 33 min
July 31, 2019 #44 Tunde Ajayi

Former unbeaten professional welterweight Tunde Ajayi is training Anthony Yarde ahead of his WBO light-heavywieght tittle shot against Sergey Kovalev.
The son of a chartered accountant, Ajayi's path in boxing is not a typical one. It has taken him to the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles and the Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas but fighters have come and gone and he has become a divisive figure on social media.
Yet he's all about the positivity and positive energy. He has admirable self-belief and is ready to make his mark in the sport.

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1 hr 10 min
July 24, 2019 #43 Jane Couch

The first lady of British boxing, Jane Couch fought a war with the establishment that you cannot even imagine today in order to get her license to fight.
Jane talks about her case, her struggles, the attitudes she faced while discussing her biggest nights in the ring, fighting the likes of Lucia Rijker, Jamie Clampitt, Holly Holm and many others through her decorated and ground-breaking career.
She also reflects on the high-profile TV shows she was used on, the women who took up her legal arms, meeting the likes of Marvin Hagler and Angelo Dundee and much more in this honest and funny but, at times, terribly sad interview.

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2 hr 8 min
July 16, 2019 #42 Richard Towers Part One

Sheffield heavyweight Richard Towers sparred some of the best of his era, the likes of Wladimir Klitschko, David Haye, Tyson Fury, Alexander Povetkin and Deontay Wilder.
In amassing a 15-1 (12) record before retiring in 2014, he learned from the likes of Brendan Ingle, Emanuel Steward and Adam Booth.
But before boxing, he was part of a criminal underworld that saw him serve the best part of a decade in prison, rubbing shoulders with some of Britain's most dangerous and infamous criminals.
Here, in a part-boxing/part-true crime interview, Towers reflects on both lives.

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1 hr 51 min
July 10, 2019 #41 Jamie Moore

Former British and European light-middleweight champion Jamie Moore is now one of Britain's leading fight trainers.
The Salford southpaw is one of the best fighters to never box for a world title but he was involved in several fight of the year winners and contenders against the likes of Matthew Macklin, Ryan Rhodes and Michael Jones.
But Moore also made headlines out of the ring after he was shot four times while on a training break in Marbella and he recounts that incident in gripping detail. He also talks of the impact of his late mentor and trainer Oliver Harrison.
Moore is unflinchingly open in this definitive interview with Tris Dixon

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2 hr
July 03, 2019 #40 Gerry Cooney

Former heavyweight contender Gerry Cooney fought the likes of Ron Lyle, Ken Norton, George Foreman and Michael Spinks but it was his huge showdown with Larry Holmes in a racially charged war in 1982 that he is best remembered for.
Cooney was brilliant that night, as he obliterated the naysayers who thought he had not earned his shot, but he was up against a 39-0 legend at the top of his game and Holmes won in the 13th round.
Here, Cooney talks about the big fights, the descent into drugs, getting his life back on track and the current heavyweight scene in an exclusive interview with Boxing Life Stories host Tris Dixon.

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46 min
June 25, 2019 #39 Ian Darke

For more than 30 years Ian Darke was the voice of boxing. Alongside Jim Watt and Glenn McCrory, Darke covered all the big names from Tyson, Bruno and Lewis to Hamed, Hagler and Barrera.
In this wide-ranging interview, Darke talks about his break into the sport – which was covering the Ali-Holmes heavyweight fight – his biggest nights ringside, some of his fondest memories and the bedlam of the nights when boxing got it wrong.
Funny, articulate and a brilliant raconteur, Darke relives more than three decades of fights from behind the microphone, either at ringside or interviewing boxing's legendary names.

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1 hr 46 min
June 19, 2019 #38 Dave Coldwell

Trainer, promoter, ex-fighter, Sky Sports pundit, Dave Coldwell has worn many hats in boxing but it is as a trainer to world champions Tony Bellew and Jamie McDonell and now Derek Chisora, Gavin McDonnell, Jordan Gil and Anthony Fowler where he has risen to prominence.
Here, in a full and frank interview at his home near Rotherham, Coldwell talks about his motivations, how he's been driven in life to achieve on his own, the role his parents played in his development, life as a badly bullied kid, his biggest nights in boxing, in the ring and in the corner, and much, much more.
Eloquent, emotional and insightful, Coldwell has been on quite the roller coaster.

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1 hr 45 min
June 12, 2019 #37 Adam Harper

A change in his brain scan meant former Commonwealth title challenger Adam Harper hung up his gloves.
Harper talks here with searing honesty about the concerns over his long-term health, the hardest part of becoming an ex-fighter, the pressure of being a ticket-seller and much more.
But it was following a gruelling fight in Australia, in a bout against Michael Zerafa, that he knew the course of his career had changed. Now, with his eye on becoming a leading referee, he addresses the hard topics of pressure, health and retirement.

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1 hr 13 min