Ross Minter former professional welterweight boxer is the co-founder of the Queensbury Boxing League and in this episode he shares his journey on why the Queensbury League is so important and how it supports its fighters.

The stress of being a professional fighter is immense and it is important to find ways to look after your mental health which can be challenging when you are constantly training and trying to make weight. Carl and Ross discuss what they have learned and how sport can teach you all about yourself.

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• In a fight, the winner is the winner and a loser is a loser, Queensbury is what boxing should be.
• The Queensbury Boxing League has given a new lease of life to fighters.
• Because it’s a league you are fighting against people who are comparable to you.
• It’s what you see at a pro-level for amateurs.
• The fight scene is a hard scene unless you have the right backing and support around you.
• You think that as a professional you will be being paid to fight but in reality it’s just a percentage of the ticket sales.
• If you are not properly promoted you will not get anything.
• In the Queensbury Boxing League, we care and are prepared to promote our fights extensively.
• Technique overrules a lot of other areas and if you are good technically then you can always move forward.
• You’d be amazed at how many people step back when a punch is thrown.
• You should be mindful of every moment of your life.
• When you are in the ring and hitting it’s the only thing you are focused on so having an opportunity to share your thoughts outside the ring is important.
• Training is a great way to help you to feel better mentally.

 

BEST MOMENTS

‘Get out there and learn your trade’

‘When you are fighting professionally your stress levels are very high and this wears the body down’

‘They come on board and they are saying this is it, what fighting should be’

 

VALUABLE RESOURCES

HKA Main landing page www.hastingskickboxing.co.uk/kickstartnow

YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/user/Hastingskickboxing

HKA Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Hastingskickboxing

Adult community link  https://m.facebook.com/groups/274624209886110?ref=share 

[email protected]  - Join Leigha every weekday for a workout for a fiver per month

The Queensbury Boxing League

 

 

ABOUT THE HOST

Hi, my name is Carl Denne.  

I was born in Hastings in 1980. Married, father of two beautiful daughters, Bethany and Leigha. 

My daughters, the wife, and gym ARE MY LIFE.

IF I’M HONEST, I pretty much failed at school. Heavily dyslexic, I was dismissed for being a “naughty kid” that didn’t want to learn. I was heavily bullied for having shit clothes and ginger afro hair. I didn’t have many friends. 

When I say bullied I don’t mean called a “poo-poo head” and being looked at in a nasty way. I mean thrown downstairs, and hit with chairs and tables. Clothes were stolen whilst in the shower. That kind of bullying…

Oh, how things have changed… 

Martial arts, and specifically Kickboxing, have changed my life, and now I am much happier and change other people’s lives for the better on a daily basis. 

I am a complete adrenaline freak, so In my spare time, track days, jumping out of planes, sitting on top of them, rage buggies in the desert… The higher, the faster the better for me. I’m always looking for the next thing to get my blood pumping, so if anyone has a challenge I’ve not found yet, please feel free to share. 

I do like a Saturday night movie night, Chinese, Netflix, lots of chocolate with my three little ladies. I love being around my friends and family. This is why I love the crazy HKA family so much, as this is my extended family.   

I left school with pretty much nothing! A few sad GCSE’s C - D grade, BUT I did have a shit-ton of energy and passion to achieve, and to prove all the teachers and people that looked down on me for all those years, wrong. So, after a few jobs here and there, I settled on working for Openreach (BT) as a cabler/jointer copper and fibre optic multi-skilled engineer with HGV.

I left this in 2015 to chase my dream of running my own Kickboxing Academy and working with the future of today, rather than a job that just paid the bills. 

I’ve trained pretty much my whole life: Karate, boxing, Judo, from the age of 9, and of course, I’ve now done over 29 years of Kickboxing. I’ve passed many Instructors and coaches courses, attended many training courses and seminars, grading up through the syllabus. I passed my 4-hour hell-on-earth 3rd Dan black belt in July 2018 with the ICO.

If I’m honest my real passion and skills have come from learning the hard way; through being in the trenches. I know how it feels to be on your arse. I know how it feels to have to pull yourself out of the pit. I’ve been through a divorce. I’ve lived through the pain and have worked with thousands of members, students, children, teachers and adults over the years, and the one thing I get told every time is how well I/we keep it very real, and that I have a complete understanding on most eventualities. 

Thank you for reading and listening. I hope you connect with myself and the team, take away some ideas, understand you’re not alone, and that it’s good to talk, listen and help others as and when you can.