Why do boxers do it? Life beyond the ropes

Written by Mark Baldwin

“It's a bad business,” Les McQueen, formerly of Crème Brulee, said more than once in the incredibly dark world that was the League of Gentlemen.

The legendary band Crème Brulee, had a short period of fame. One hit wonders, and the Eurovision stage was their only appeal for beauty. The band has since broken up. McQueen was slow. He wanted his old life back. He was lost without it. His identity seemed to depend on the past.

That very brief, fleeting success left McQueen wanting more. He couldn't let go of his future. McQueen has been given renewed hope for a major revival. Those he used to play with came to town. A temporary pub gig, they didn't recognize him. They said they were going back on a trip.

He pulled out a costume like the Bay City Rollers while he slept. He was happy again. He had found what had been lost all these years. But it was all a scam. There was no turning back. McQueen was fired from his job to help finance the supposed big reboot. His last hope and pride has been taken away from him. In this case, forever. The industry has now taken everything from him. Another broken promise. Undoubtedly one of many.

There is something sad and sad about many of the fictional characters in that really good series. But dark humor often masks the hidden depths of Royston Vasey's residents.

In many ways, boxing is synonymous with that world, especially in the mind of Les McQueen. Boxing really is a bad business. The deeper you go, the more you realize what it is. As I often say, the best stories are the ones no one will hear.

Expensive lawyers often find a way to hide the truth and preserve a fragile reputation. No matter how bad you think the business side of the game is, the truth is that it is much worse.

In recent times, I have interviewed Heather Hardy and Doina Costin. Two fighters, in different ways, that left their mark on me. A long and brutal career took its toll on Hardy. An incredibly strong warrior who has sacrificed a lot. Boxing, in many ways, has taken over almost everything.

Costin on the other side of his career. A fighter who came to England from Moldova in search of a better life. He got a fist. He won his first professional match in February. But he can't sell enough tickets to get another fight.

One fight went unrewarded in May. Another one scheduled for next month looks set to go the same way. “I don't know how long I can put up with my body like this,” Costin told me. At least Les McQueen had a past to look back on. Costin and many others are fighting to have that.

It's hard to figure out why some fighters persist in what they do. The endless grind of training. It is a constant attack that the mind has to endure. When they fight, most of them get only a small amount of money. If there is.

Has there ever been a game that takes so much and gives so little back? At least, in most cases.

Why do they put themselves through it? Former bantamweight world champion Nina Hughes has struggled in recent fights. He knows the other side of the sport better than most.

“There is something about the popularity of sports. I have never been concerned about money as boxing is not a very lucrative sport for women. It's more about the feeling of achievement and winning titles,” said Hughes about why he still fights.

“There is something about this game that is difficult to give up even if you are under pressure. I love sparring, and I love training and actually fighting. “

“Because I'm addicted.” Natasha Jonas told me why she still strives for more glory. Jonas has achieved a lot. He can be easy going and very proud of his achievements.

“All the time,” when I asked Jonas if he ever thought about whether it was really worth it.

“The standards are just high. But there are changing times before a fight where if someone opened the door for me and let me run, I would. But when they say it's time, you go on, that adrenaline rush. That's what I'm addicted to.

“It's like an addition. I've retired before, and it's very difficult to replicate that elsewhere. You miss it. You can't get that same feeling. There is a loss of identity when it is gone. She goes from being Tasha the Olympian and world champion to just being Tasha.

“I like that I don't know my limits. The only way I will find out what my limits are is if I keep pushing them and keep testing them. One day, I'll hit my limit and know I can't do it anymore.

“People forget that players like me and Nina have been boxing for a long time, and we haven't been paid for a long time. We had to fund ourselves and seek expenses back when we started boxing in England. So boxing was expensive.

“It was good when we got into the GB Boxing program and started getting paid, but it was four or five years before that happened. It's about money because we can fight for prizes, but it's not just about money. Another moral fight, I wouldn't do it. If boxing was about money I would have retired a long time ago.”

Chantelle Cameron has seen many ups and downs in her career. The former world super-lightweight champion has had to fight many things in his boxing career. It's a story of tenacity and perseverance if ever there was one.

“Yes, there have been many times in my career when I have wondered if it was worth it. But then I have to remember how far I have come through many trials and tribulations, and I am still here fighting. Having that belief of my own in knowing my ability and knowing that I will get to where I want to go keeps me going. Sometimes you get blindsided by the negatives and you have to remind yourself how much you love this game and what you do.

“What keeps me going is wanting to achieve everything I set out to achieve and retire on my own terms, feeling satisfied with what I can achieve from my career. “Knowing that I did it my way and nothing was given to me or I would have taken it easy,” said Cameron.

Jasmine Zapotoczna

Jasmina Zapotoczna had not been thinking about leaving for a long time. But the super-flyweight prospect finally got the call he had been waiting for. Two fights under the bright lights of the Matchroom changed the course of his career. A heartbreaking win over previously unbeaten Maisey Rose Courtney has now earned Zapotoczna the European title.

“Boxing has always wanted hard work, unwavering dedication and unending dedication. In all these years, I did not lose sight of the goals I set for myself even when the journey was difficult, said Zapotoczna during those difficult times.

“On those bad days when it seems tempting to give up, I reminded myself of the strong will to fight that I felt when I trained for the first time. It was that love that kept me going, pushing through the struggle, cycle after cycle. After all, I have no doubt that it was necessary. I wouldn't change a thing.”

Lauren Parker had the European super-flyweight title to her name. But the fight is still hard. He has to contend with the basic economics of his trade.

“Winning the European title is my crowning glory and my favorite moment, although it does come with its own set of challenges,” said Parker. “I had to raise £20,000 to hold that fight at York Hall off-screen. I'm tired of seeing other boxers get opportunities that I don't get, especially when I consider that I didn't get anything out of the biggest fight of my life so far. There are times when I struggle with the mental trauma of this reality.

“Boxing has been a strange thingurney for me, is full of ups and downs, stress, and achievements that make you wish for nine. During those difficult, turbulent times when I grind from day to day, I often find myself wondering if it was all worth it.”

But boxing gave Parker and others something to hold on to. The game made him. It might even have saved him.

“When I was a little girl, I often found it difficult to stick to new hobbies, not fully committing. Boxing has shaped me into the person I am today, and I am grateful for discovering this sport. I firmly believe that hard work pays off. I hope my time will come, and someone beyond my team, management, and family will see my potential. But if it doesn't happen, I can take comfort in knowing that I gave it my all, which makes me move forward in life after boxing with pride in my efforts.”

Despite everything the sport threw at them, Jonas, Cameron, Zapotoczna, Hughes, Parker, and many others still fought. It gives them their identity. It gives them hope. Maybe they are like that or they feel like a little person without boxing in their life. As Jonas says, it's addictive. Maybe that's why we all keep coming back for more, even if we all know it's a bad business.

Boxing has a lot in common with Royston Vasey. A parallel world where nothing is ever what it seems. Les McQueen cut a sad, sad picture when his last remaining hope was snuffed out. The wars continue because they are chasing what McQueen wants. Who are we to ask why they do it? They just do.