I’ve been putting on boxing shows for around 25 years, and one thing that never changes is how the goalposts are constantly moving. Rules evolve, people come and go — and no two shows are ever quite the same.

In today’s podcast episode, I unpack what goes into organising and delivering an amateur boxing show — sharing my own approach, experiences, and a few hard-earned lessons along the way. It’s a minefield at times, if I’m honest.

So, whether you’re new to putting on shows or just looking to tighten things up, here are a few practical tips that should help you navigate the process a little more smoothly.

Good luck!

Join us at www.theboxgathering.com to access your show organisation guide.

Today we invite on Till Stritter from Elev8 Gym in Bremen, Germany to talk about how Till co-designs his sessions with his fighters.

Till absolutely fascinates me. Not only is he deeply embedded in the theory which informs his practice, but he has an excellent reputation of bringing this theory to the floor - to apply it effectively with great results.

Till's approach is very athlete centred where his culture demands his fighters not only understand learning but are given the autonomy and accountability to plan and shape their own sessions. Till also shares a framework to bring this approach to life.

"The coach isn’t a top-down director but a peer, feedback partner, and environment designer. They ask questions, support athlete autonomy, and avoid imposing their own agenda. Trust and psychological safety are key — athletes must feel they can fail without judgment."There are so many nuggets for you to pick from this episode with Till, it's incredble. This is a must listen episode!

Remember you can join us here at www.theboxgathering.com

Within boxing circles, we all recognise the incredible role the sport plays in driving social change and creating real, measurable impact in our communities. Yet, too often, we fall short when it comes to properly capturing and evidencing that impact.

For decades, boxing has provided people from a wide range of backgrounds with a safe space to belong, grow, learn, and develop as valued members of society.

Today, we were joined by returning guest Alex Le Guevel, Head of Community Development at Matchroom, alongside Martin Bisp, CEO and co‑founder of Empire Fighting Chance, to discuss their groundbreaking national and soon to be global partnership.

The partnership is a major investment in grassroots boxing and youth development across the UK. Announced in November 2024, the collaboration sees Matchroom, through its Charitable Foundation, provide a significant six‑figure contribution to support up to 100 amateur boxing clubs over three years.

The partnership enables clubs to deliver Empire Fighting Chance’s psychologically informed programmes, combining non‑contact boxing with tailored mental health and personal support. Together, Matchroom and Empire aim to strengthen club sustainability, improve young people’s wellbeing, and use boxing as a powerful tool for positive social change in communities most affected by inequalityIf you would like to know more about and look into becoming once of these clubs supported by Empire Fighting Chance please contact;

[email protected]

Today we welcome Adam Maca on to the pod. Adam is an 18‑year‑old Brighton‑born bantamweight boxer rapidly emerging as one of Britain’s most exciting young prospects. With Albanian roots and a stellar amateur pedigree—including two Junior European Championship titles, five national titles, and silver at the 2023 IBA Junior World Championships—he has built a reputation for aggression, composure, and elite skill from a young age. Now signed to Matchroom Boxing, Adam made his professional debut in June 2025 at Madison Square Garden, showcasing the confidence and drive that has long defined him. His blend of talent, ambition, and early success marks him as a standout rising star in the sport.Adam describes how his family is the basis of his support and how his team around him allow him time to focus on the important aspects of training. He also describes how his amateur career and the coaches he has worked with have shaped who he is as a person, athlete and boxer and how their influences have contributed to where he is today.

Join us at www.theboxgathering.com for more insights, resources and courses to help you grow as a coach, boxer or boxing parent.

Making more sense of my practice design again today looking at a problem based approach to learning with the boxers solving problems around;

Boxers holding, spearing, not engaging and switching stances to see how they handle the grey areas of boxing. Solving live problems, not applying techniques and hoping they fit.

Join us today at;

www.theboxgathering.com

This episode is a reflection of a session i dresigned and ran on Friday 6th February, 2026.

Essentially the boxers were put in groups of 4. 2 sparring and 2 coaching, then we swapped.

Initially a constraint was given to both where they could choose between straight arms or bent arms shots, then later offering the option to choose between the constraints so to put pressure on their tactics through the ever changing dynamics in the spar.

The second constraint was going first or second, then giving choice around those 2 constraints.

I also talk briefly on the benefits of a fellow boxer coaching from ringside and 'do we win spars?'

Come and join us at www.theboxgathering.com

I was really happy to stumble across ex boxer, level 2 coach and PhD resreacher Liam Hardman and the studies he is carrying out around the contraints based approach to learning in boxing. There is little out there specific to boxing so I thought let's call Liam and have a chat.

In this episode, we talk about his research both in his undergraduate dissertation and his PhD. We talk about mainly around an internal vs external focus of attention as well how we can use effective cueing to support a focus of attention.

Enjoy.

Remember to download out new coaches handbook by vititing us at our Instagram Page. Search, 'The Box Gathering'.

Some people have influence on how you coach. Maybe it was your coach, or someone you admired, perhaps some ideas you have acquired over the years. But it's not often you are able to learn a system or framework which truly has impact. Mark Bennett is one of those people through his Performance Development Systems (PDS).

Today we speak about Mark's system which enables coaches to understand and apply the software which truly makes successful athletes. In this conversation, Mark explains how boxing coaches can have profound and consistent impact with their boxers.

More about Mark....

Mark Bennett is a Performance Architect with 30+ years of experience creating strategies & tools to enhance performance. 

He has developed methods to improve engagement, learning, & performance through designed interventions that influence culture & team performance. 

This approach is known as Performance Development Systems (PDS).

Contact Mark at https://www.pdscoaching.com/

You can follow him on socials too at https://www.instagram.com/pdscoach/

Check out his shared podcast, 'Don't Tell Me, Show Me' Podcast here

There aren't many people in amateur boxing that absoloutely everyone knows. Stu 'The Preacher' Gill is one of them though. With around 120 bouts as an amateur, over 40 years as a coaching, headcoach of Golden Ring ABC in Southampton and the Southern Counties Registrar, Stu still has a passion for the sport.

We talk about the state of amateur boxing, his thoughts on the role of the amateur coach, some of the boxer's he's coached and how his coaches work as a team.

Stu, though a pain in the backside, is a legend of the sport we all revere and respect enormously.

Enjoy the conversation.

Join us at www.theboxgathering.com for more great conversations and dive in to an enormous library of resources to grow your club and supercharge your coaching.

One of our Instagram posts went viral recently. This isn't a, 'look at us our video went viral' post. I'm genuinely intrigued as to why and what is it that the boxing community want from online content.

Some videos we have made, I feel, have been packed full of great detail and informative content but don't do nearly as well. Then something you post on a whim goes viral!

So what do the boxing community want to consume online? Today I talk about why this may be the case as well as discuss the potential learning and transfer from the rotational video post.

You can see the video here.

So, some questions....

What do you think of the potential benefits?

What are the pitfalls and problems?

How might you adapt it and for what reason?

Join us today at www.theboxgathering.com