Boxing Life Stories

By Tris DixonSports

Boxing Life Stories episodes

January 02, 2019 #16 Darren Barker

Former IBF middleweight champion Darren Barker won a world title with one thing in mind, immortalising the name of his late brother Gary.
The Barnet man, a slick boxer and one of the sport's good guys, failed in his first world title shot against Sergio Martinez and then captured the belt and completed his ultimate glory against Australian Daniel Geale before losing in his first defence and walking away for good.
Here, Barker talks about the tragic loss of his brother, his friendship with Joe Calzaghe, sparring the likes of Carl Froch, Howard Eastman and Mikkel Kessler and he remembers that incredible night in Atlantic City when the stars aligned and Gary's name went up proudly in lights one last time.

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1 hr 55 min
December 26, 2018 #15 Anthony Crolla

Manchester idol Anthony Crolla was just weeks away from his first world title fight when he saw his neighbours being burgled. Crolla went to help and wound up with a fractured skull and a fractured ankle and his world title dreams were shattered. The incident made the news everywhere.
But one of boxing's good guys would not be denied. His superb career saw him capture the WBA lightweight title and he's been in numerous high profile fights, against the likes of Derry Mathews, Kieran Farrell, Gavin Rees, Jorge Linares, Ricky Burns and many more.
Now he wants to fight the best boxer in the world, Vasyl Lomachenko. This is the brilliant Anthony Crolla and his incredible story.

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1 hr 42 min
December 21, 2018 #14 Anthony Farnell

Manchester trainer Anthony Farnell admits his enforced retirement from the sport due to irregularities in a brain scan meant he spiralled into an abyss.
He skidded into a 10-month alcohol-fuelled depression that nearly cost him his wife and his family.
Along with other rising Manchester prospects Ricky Hatton and Michael Gomez, Farnell was part of a lively domestic scene at light-middleweight and went on to coach the likes of Anthony Crolla, Tony Bellew and Frankie Gavin.

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1 hr 29 min
December 14, 2018 #13 Steve Lott

When Mike Tyson rocketed onto the scene in the mid-1980s he had a support system that included mentor and father-figure Cus D'Amato, co-managers Jim Jacobs and Bill Cayton, trainer Kevin Rooney and Steve Lott.
Lott had already been in the boxing business a decade, working closely with Jacobs and Cayton. He went on to forge a close friendship with Tyson, who as the champion of the world would sometimes sleep on Lott's couch. They have been in and out of contact in subsequent years, but there is no one with a better understanding of the highs and lows of Mike Tyson in the 1980s than Steve Lott.

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1 hr 33 min
December 06, 2018 #12 Mike Costello

The BBC's voice of boxing and athletics Mike Costello is one of the most popular commentators in sport today.
The host of Radio Five Live's boxing coverage and boxing podcasts, Costello speaks about his career trajectory from amateur boxer, to coach to a man who has been ringside at some of the biggest fights of this era. Here is the man – the voice – away from the prize ring, talking about his life behind and away from the microphone.

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1 hr 34 min
November 27, 2018 #11 Dave Allen
Heavyweight Dave Allen has built a substantial and unexpected fanbase in his pro career. The colourful Doncaster man has boxed on big shows and fought big names but has also become widely known for his battles with metal health and gambling. Honest as ever, he takes Tris Dixon through his life story

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1 hr 38 min
November 20, 2018 #10 Colin Nathan
Leading South African trainer Colin Nathan has an old head on young shoulders. Here, he discusses the heartbreak that almost saw him walk away from the sport, how he learned under Freddie Roach in Los Angeles and how he now boasts a top stable that includes Ring magazine light-flyweight champion Hekkie Budler.

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1 hr 2 min
November 15, 2018 #9 John Murray
Former world lightweight title contender discusses the highs and lows of his boxing career, from challenging for titles, fighting in the USA, wanting to face Amir Khan, losing everything, failing brain scans and going blind in one eye. It's been a hell of a journey, but with the love of a good woman (and a dog) he's doing well now

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1 hr 12 min
November 08, 2018 #8 Billy Graham
Billy 'The Preacher' Graham trained the likes of Matthew Macklin, Paul Smith, Ensley Bingham and Carl Thompson, but it was his work with Ricky Hatton that saw the iconic duo shoot to fame. Following a bitter split with the Hitman, Graham became a self-proclaimed recluse but here, in a rare and captivating interview, he tells his story

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2 hr 10 min
October 25, 2018 #7 Nigel Collins
International Boxing Hall of Fame boxing writer Nigel Collins remembers the highs and lows of his storied career. From cutting his teeth on the incredible Philadelphia fighting landscape in the 1970s to celebrity status in the Philippines and from hanging with Mike Tyson and his pet tigers to visiting the fallen heavyweight king in prison, Collins has seen and spent time with the best of the best, be it James Toney, Floyd Mayweather, Oscar De La Hoya, Roy Jones and many more.
Here, exclusively, is the former editor of Ring magazine.

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1 hr 38 min