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“There are no shortcuts in boxing. There’s no easy path to achieving success in the ring,” Lee Gormley, a professional boxer from Ireland says.
“But it’s in overcoming the obstacles along the journey to have your hand raised, that makes it all worthwhile.”
What’s widely regarded as the toughest sport in the world can also be the most rewarding. Here is how to become a professional boxer, from a man who did just that while juggling a full-time job and family life.
My Boxing Journey
All the sacrifices, compromises and effort are worth it, once you’ve worked relentlessly to conquer daunting challenges.
Boxing competitively is extremely difficult, both physically and mentally. For anyone who wants to know how to become a boxer, that’s the first important point to understand.
Every day is tough. Not just the actual fights but the relentless training regime, balancing work and family and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
I was a very late starter in boxing terms, having only begun the sport properly in my early twenties. Before ever lacing up my gloves, I’d been busy lacing up my boots for many years first.
From very early in life I played Gaelic football, like most growing up in Ireland. This carried on for around two decades, along with normal football (soccer too).
But it was a knee injury while playing for a Sunday League team, after moving to England for university, which set up an eventual move into boxing.
Having an athletic base and sporting background helped with the transition into the ring. Although, you quickly realize that boxing takes a whole new level of fitness.
It wasn’t until I arrived in Manchester that I started training at Elite Boxing Gym in Bolton, England and eventually began competing for their amateur team, Halliwell ABC.
Here, I did what amateur boxers should be doing and that’s stay busy with regular fights every season. This is where I gained my experience inside the ring, taking every possible fight that came up, regardless of how short notice it was.
This often included finding out just the day before a match-up. This is why it’s crucial to always stay fit and ready and on your fighting weight.
This stemmed from my knowledge and passion for old-school boxing, with the vintage-time fighters having always been prepared to go to war at any time.
I ended up having close to 40 amateur bouts in total, but I’d always been keen on a professional career since getting into the sport. My technical style was more suited to the pros and, if not for the pandemic and subsequent lockdown, I’d have made the move even earlier.
My pro debut finally arrived in June 2023 and having my hand raised in front of friends and family was a surreal moment. All the hard work had been worth it.
Balancing my full-time job at BOXRAW and taking care of my family, while pushing myself to the limit in training every day was tough, but it all culminated in a well-earned victory.
I was fortunate to be able to remain active with regular fights in my first few months on the circuit too. This is key for all fighters. Staying ready and keeping active will only benefit you and help your progression. This is a philosophy I stick by.
Requirements of a Professional Fighter
To be a professional fighter you have to be willing to go the extra mile and do more than what is generally expected of you by coaches.
But there are certain basic requirements that must be met as well, in order to enjoy a strong career.
Peak Fitness Level
There’s no tougher sport than boxing and it requires the highest level of fitness to compete.
But there are times when a fighter will be in peak condition before a fight and, at other times, the intensity of training can be tapered down while no fight is scheduled.
But there’s a basic level of fitness that needs to be maintained. Staying in the gym and constantly training is essential, even when there are no fights lined up at the time.
Taking time away from training should only be done if an injury needs rest, mentally you need to relax, or your coach specifically tells you to have a break.
Otherwise, it’s all systems go as usual, no matter what the scenario is. This will make sure you’re always in a great starting position for preparing for a fight in ‘training camp’, rather than having to start from scratch and build up any lost fitness in between fights.
It sounds simple but it’s a necessity that often gets overlooked: stay fit in the gym.
Maintaining Fight Weight
In most cases, fighters need to keep their weight under control, even during ‘off-season’. This can be a tougher test than any for some boxers, with many fluctuating in size after fights and then later regretting it when they jump back on the scales.
From personal experience, it’s more beneficial to avoid the temptations of junk food in between fights in order to keep your weight down.
While it’s fine to sometimes treat yourself immediately after a bout following weeks or months of strict dedication, just be sure to keep things under control.
This is where discipline comes into the picture. Eating clean and healthy food should become part of your lifestyle as a professional, rather than seeing it as a ‘diet’ for fights.
Staying close to your weight division limit on the scales will be a huge boost when a fight date does eventually come up on the calendar.
It will mean you can focus on just improving your skills and staying sharp in the gym instead of having to worry about losing unwanted extra pounds.
Many famous boxers have suffered setbacks as a result of putting on too much weight in between fights. Classic examples include all-time great Roberto Duran, notably after beating Sugar Ray Leonard, and decades later Manchester hero, Ricky Hatton.
So, learn from their mistakes and maintain your weight properly.
Correct Training Equipment
Essential professional boxing equipment:
- Boxing gloves
- Headguard
- Groin guard
- Gumshield
- Boxing shoes
- Hand wraps
- Knuckle guards
There are certain pieces of training equipment every fighter needs for both day-to-day work in the gym and for stepping into the ring on fight night.
Your gym bag will need to have these in order to prepare properly and avoid missing out on any opportunities to develop in training.
Firstly, boxing gloves are essential (obviously). As a fighter you need a pair of 16oz gloves for sparring and doing contact work every week. These thicker, more padded gloves are a requirement in any gym for doing rounds of sparring.
To accompany this in a full sparring set, a headguard and groin guard are needed as well for protection and a well-fitted gumshield.
Smaller gloves are also needed for non-sparring days when you’re going through your regular boxing training. These can be 8oz or 10oz gloves for doing pad work with your coaches and hitting the various types of punch bags available in the gym.
A pair of boxing shoes must be worn too. Training in regular trainers can lead to injuries, so make sure to invest in your own comfortable boxing boots.
Plus, most proper boxing gyms won’t allow regular footwear anyway, so you would have to train barefooted if you don’t have any boxing shoes with you.
Gloves, boxing shoes, a headguard and a gumshield can amount to quite a bit of money. But if you buy quality products, they should last you many years.
Your hands are important tools once you start boxing because these are where your punches come from. Injuries to hands and knuckles are common, so making sure to buy good quality boxing hand wraps and knuckle guards is important to avoid any sustained pain issues.
Investing in some tape is another helpful layer to add to your hand wrapping each day to improve protection even further.
Another useful piece of training equipment to have in your gym bag is a skipping rope. Skipping is a big part of training, and gyms won’t always have these on their premises. So, be prepared by bringing your own!
There are often a lot of new starters that arrive at a boxing gym without their own gear. Some gyms may provide temporary equipment but it’s crucial to have your own at all times.
Both for hygienic reasons and it shows you’re actually serious about progression by investing in yourself.
Mental Toughness
Despite boxing being as physical as a sport can be, as you throw and avoid punches from an opponent, it’s also hugely about the mental side of things.
Building mental resilience will come from the experience of tough training and sparring grueling rounds in the gym.
But you need to forge strong levels of mental toughness for boxing. Whether it’s being able to stay strong through strenuous training circuits or biting down on your gumshield when the going gets tough in sparring – mental strength is vital.
Doing fewer reps than what your coach asked of you or cutting corners in the gym will only come back to haunt you when it matters most; under the bright lights in the ring, when all eyes are on you.
Don’t cheat yourself. Push through the pain in training and get your reward from it. Before you know it, you will be in the ring and even feature at the best boxing betting sites if you get high profile enough.
The Right Attitude
Fighters must listen to their coaches each day in the gym, regardless of how they’re feeling on any given day.
Having the right attitude and being open to learning from trainers is important, especially when taking constructive feedback to implement into your overall game.
There will be days when you don’t feel like working hard. That’s normal for even the most elite world champions. But they do it anyway.
Maybe results haven’t gone your way or you private life is challenging you.
These are just tests on your boxing journey and keeping the right positive attitude is key to successfully coming out on the other side.
To make it in this sport you need to develop a ‘growth mindset’ rather than a ‘fixed mindset’. This means focusing on improving yourself through a positive outlook after even the most difficult setbacks.
The great Muhammad Ali once said: “I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'”
Those inspiring words from the heavyweight legend remain relevant for boxers of any level today. Either suffer the pain of discipline or suffer the pain of regret further down the line.
Expectations and Realities of the Job
Balancing expectations and knowing the realities of the job as a professional boxer is important for working through a potential career in prizefighting.
Many people have a skewed vision of what being a pro fighter is really like due to social media and seeing those flashier champions at the top. But there’s a harsh truth to what the job really entails.
For one superstar star, there are many thousands of struggling pros out there.
Harsh Reality of Earnings
Just as amateurs are shocked at how to become a professional poker player, the supposed glamour of the pros isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Honestly, boxing isn’t glamorous. That’s the blunt truth. Don’t be fooled by Floyd Mayweather Jr showing off his stacks of cash and long lines of sports cars on Instagram. You aren’t going to get Tyson Fury’s net worth overnight.
Don’t buy into the myth that this sport is financially prosperous for every competitor that enters it.
Many young amateurs have become seduced by the supposed glitz and glam that’s regularly portrayed on social media platforms. I”e seen it myself in the gym.
Some youngsters think they can easily just turn pro and start raking in thousands or millions of pounds. In fact they’d be better learning how to bet on boxing than getting in the ring.
In reality, very few professional fighters make a lot of money in their careers and only a small percentage ever earn the big purses.
Fighters turning professional are given very little information about the costs surrounding their decision to do so.
I was fortunate to have already been working in the boxing industry and know the business side of the sport before I entered the paid ranks, which helped during preparations.
For others who don’t know, here is a simple, and perhaps eye-opening, breakdown of costs at the beginning of your career.
Costs of Becoming a Pro Boxer
When a boxer starts off in Ireland and the UK, they first take on opponents who come to test them, but they don’t have the most flattering records.
These are called ‘journeymen’. They’re tough road warriors who aim to avoid being knocked out or hurt in fights, so they can compete as often as possible throughout the year (sometimes every week if they can be matched up consistently).
But, as the home fighter, you’re required to cover the opponent’s wage on the majority of these ‘small hall’ shows when the promotional organizations themselves don’t.
For an early four-round fight, as an example, you’ll need to cover around ï¿¡1,300 ($1,670) for your opponent. You’ll also need to pay into the ‘pot money’, which is to help the promoter with the costs of the actual show being run. This tends to be around ï¿¡1,000 ($1,230).
That’s approximately ï¿¡2,300 ($3,000) needed before you even earn a penny for yourself. So, where do you get this money in the first place
Tickets, mainly. The promotion will give you a set amount of tickets to sell in order to get money to cover your costs. This is why it’s highly beneficial to have great local support from people who will come and cheer you on at your fights.
If you’re able to cover the aforementioned fight costs from selling tickets, then any extra funds made will typically go to you and any other expenditures.
For example, your manager or trainer often gets a 25% contractual cut from any fees, depending on what deal is done in advance between yourselves.
This is also why gaining sponsorship is crucial for fighters, especially those who may struggle to shift enough tickets to cover the costs of competing on local shows.
Any companies who come on board can subsequently help sponsor tickets in order to secure a spot on events. It’s a tough business and many boxers end up falling out of love with the sport or become frustrated by the extra hassle on top of the actual training and fighting.
How Long it Takes to Become a Pro Boxer
After gaining as much experience as possible on the amateur circuit and training hard at the gym, the process of actually becoming a professional fighter can be a long one.
Depending on what connections you have within the business or how big a name you are, this can vary between several weeks to many months.
The process includes an interview with the boxing board in your area, in order for them to assess your suitability for making the move.
This involves you and your coach or manager meeting with members of the panel on the board who govern your region and answering some straightforward questions.
Once this is done you must complete your first full annual medical, which includes blood tests, an examination and an optician check. In the UK, this typically costs up to ï¿¡250 ($320) and results will be sent to the board to confirm everything is fine to compete professionally.
Finally, an annual brain scan is also needed before stepping into the ring. This costs around ï¿¡600 ($770) in Ireland and the UK.
Again, your results must be confirmed as positive by the governing board before getting medical clearance to compete. Once all of this is done, it’s time to fight. The fun part.
Training Routine and Commitment
When it comes to priorities as a professional boxer, training takes over. Working on your craft in the gym comes first.
Even with a family and full-time work, training has to be at the forefront of your weekly planning. It can’t be an afterthought.
Family is obviously the most important thing in life for most, including myself, especially when you become a parent. But training every day is essential, so it’s crucial to plan your week in advance around any other activities.
It’s difficult to do at times but, if you’re serious about being a professional prizefighter, then it must be done.
This is why finding a gym that is flexible with training times is hugely beneficial, particularly when you have a full-time job or work odd hours as well.
Being open and honest with your employers and family is key too and will make the process a little easier to deal with.
Personally, I’m fortunate to work for a boxing-based employer, BOXRAW, so my colleagues are hugely supportive as they understand the sport’s demands.
Only professional fighters who have huge sponsorship support or are already famous names are able to concentrate only on boxing, without any work on the side.
So, starting off from scratch is tough and it will require many sacrifices along the way.
Diet and Lifestyle
What you eat and put into your body is as important as the amount of training you do at the gym.
Both go hand in hand. You get out what you put in, with regards to energy levels and how much your body can withstand.
It takes discipline to constantly eat clean but by making this a part of your lifestyle rather than seeing it as ‘dieting’, then you’ll reap the rewards and find it easier. Eat good, feel good. It’s that simple.
My diet primarily consists of fresh, organic foods including various meats, fruits, vegetables and some supplements.
This means no sugary food or drinks and a complete cutout of anything processed. Each day I’ll have any of the following:
Meats: Chicken breast, chicken thighs, ground beef mince, steak, salmon, tuna.
Vegetables: Broccoli, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes, carrots, onions, mushrooms, peppers, spinach, cucumber, peas,
Fruits: Avocados, mangos, strawberries, blueberries, grapes, raspberries, watermelon, apples, bananas, pears, kiwis, melon, oranges.
Other: Eggs, brown rice, organic porridge.
Drinks: Organic coffee, decaf coffee, water, organic milk.
Supplements: Black seed oil, lion’s mane mushrooms, CBD oil, vitamin D, calcium and magnesium, creatine, omega 3, Celtic sea salt.
How To Get Into Boxing
Now that you have a basic understanding of what you’re getting into and what’s needed, the rest is about how to get into boxing in the first place.
Starting boxing was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life. I can confidently say that without any doubts, the sport has helped me both mentally and physically over the years of dedication and commitment to this craft.
There’s a saying that you “catch the boxing bug” once you get started; leading you to jump right in and let the sport become a major part of your life.
For me, it’s true. I caught it immediately after my first session at the boxing gym. And might too!
Steps To Becoming A Pro Boxer
When you get started on your own boxing journey, you need to find a proper gym with experienced coaches who will hone your skills and oversee your progress.
A lot of gyms today aren’t focused on boxing but, instead, just have their members doing fitness classes or hitting pads.
Finding the best gym in your area means going to one that has a strong amateur team based there. I was lucky to have begun at Elite Boxing Gym in Bolton, which has Halliwell ABC training out of it.
All my coaches are boxing to the core and teach the important fundamentals of the craft.
Once you manage to find a suitable gym and build a solid connection with a coach during the amateur experience, you’ll be able to work together going forward into the professional ranks.
Having someone in your corner who really cares and knows what they’re doing is essential in this tough business.
Importance of Boxing Sponsors
Having already outlined the massive amount of costs it takes to become a pro fighter, it’s clear and obvious that sponsorship is important.
Sponsors can be gained through getting your name out there in your local community and going out to make connections in the area.
Meet with local businesses close to you and explain your situation and how much their financial support can make a difference.
An exact financial sum can be worked out between parties once you’ve made a connection, but just even a little help towards costs each month goes a long way.
In exchange, you will need to showcase any sponsor logos and names on your boxing gear for fight night or training wear. This gives the company or individual a visual presence in any media coverage, photos and social media.
The latter is very important these days, so regular promotion of sponsors’ websites and links helps build relationships. You will often find once you have one sponsor, more will follow.
Differences Between Amateur and Pro Boxing
There are so many key differences between amateur boxing and professional boxing that they are almost seen as completely different sports.
There’s a routine medical check that can easily be obtained before starting off boxing for an amateur team. But, as discussed in detail, becoming a professional is a very long-winded process.
While there may be some money involved as a pro at the beginning, and larger ‘purses’ on offer as you build up to the bigger fights and events, there is no payment at all in the amateur game.
Scoring fights are the same, more or less, but some amateur systems have different rulings on knockdowns. Boxing is scored using the ’10-point must’ system.
So, the winner of each round will take it 10-9 in their favor, based on either ringside judges or the referee (whoever is selected to score on the night).
Each knockdown gives you an extra point. So, winning the round and scoring a knockdown would see you take it 10-8. The final tallies are calculated at the end and the victor is declared in the ring.
Rounds in professional fights are always three minutes long and start off from four in total then six, eight, 10 and 12 (depending on experience and level).
Elite-level amateur boxing is contested over three, three-minute rounds, while bouts between novices (usually less than 10-15 bouts) take part in three, two-minute round match-ups.
In terms of the actual fights, it’s like night and day. Pro boxing is a much more ferocious sport compared to the quick, scoring-based amateur style.
Professional fighters in the welterweight division and below will wear 8oz gloves, with the weight classes above and up to heavyweight competing in 10oz.
A pro fight is a more raw affair, with no vests or shirts worn by the boxers, just shorts, gloves and boots. It’s a lot more dangerous and requires you to be in great condition to enter the ring. The only protective gear allocated is a groin guard underneath your fight shorts.
In amateur boxing, head guards are always worn by women, while males only wear them as juniors before entering senior level.
This is alongside using thicker padded 10oz or 12oz gloves, wearing a vest and often a groin guard in full kit.
Final Thoughts
If I’ve done my job properly then you’ll have a better grasp of how to become a pro boxer and know more about the relentless effort it takes to do so.
Despite the costs and personal sacrifices, hopefully, it hasn’t put you off from pursuing your ambitions.
That being said, it’s a hugely rewarding sport and teaches you many great life lessons. I can confidently say without any hesitation that my life has improved immensely since starting boxing.
Although it’s a mental and physical test of resolve and character, it’s all just part of the journey.
Like the legendary Sugar Ray Leonard once said, “Boxing is the ultimate challenge. There’s nothing that can compare to testing yourself the way you do every time you step in the ring.”
So, embrace the challenge, test your limits and enjoy the journey that is boxing.
How to Become a Pro Boxer Q&A
You were relatively late in taking up boxing. What made you take the leap from fan to boxer??
I’d always been a passionate fan and admirer of boxing history. My favorites include Sugar Ray Robinson and Ezzard Charles.
But I first got inspired to compete myself properly after watching the rise of Belfast’s Carl Frampton.
It was also a fresh challenge for me after being injured and ruled out of playing my other past sports of football (soccer) and Gaelic football. So I jumped straight in and never looked back.
How do you balance work, family life and being a professional boxer??
By being extremely dedicated and passionate about what I do. Admittedly, it’s extremely tough to balance it all.
But taking enjoyment from boxing helps a lot, while looking after my family and having a flexible full-time job that is also boxing-focused.
Who decides when you can become a professional boxer??
Ultimately it will be up to the governing board to decide whether you’ll be permitted to turn professional, based on their assessments. But, you and your coaches are the ones who decide if and when to make the big decision.
Everyone is different with regard to experience. Some are ready after a few fights but some amateurs have hundreds before turning over.
Turning pro can be an expensive business, how do you attract sponsors??
By getting your name out there and building your profile. Social media is a key asset for doing this in today’s landscape. However, building an amateur base helps to gain exposure and experience before being able to secure help from sponsors.
Was there anything that shocked you about turning pro??
The length of time it takes to get through the processes outside of the ring was an eye-opener. Trying to sell tickets and cover the costs of just being able to fight is also a shock to the system for anyone previously unaware.
How do you balance different aspects of training, such as strength, conditioning, technique and strategy??
Boxing comes first. The technical elements and building solid fundamentals are what all the greatest champions did and that’s what works best.
Everything else is then incorporated into your training, such as strength and conditioning. There are a lot of people who try to implement these new ways of training for the sport, rather than focusing on the actual techniques and basics.
But you improve at boxing by boxing every day. Simple.
How do you deal with setbacks after a fight??
It all comes back to that mental toughness that’s needed. Unlike team sports, such as football, it’s just you who steps out in front of the crowds for boxing.
Having a positive outlook and seeing setbacks as lessons is crucial in combat sports. Learn from what you may have done wrong and outline what you can improve going forward, then keep on working. You never stop learning in this sport.
Looking back on going from amateur to professional, is there anything you would change??
There’s nothing I would change, but it would’ve been helpful to have more sponsorship support earlier on. But I don’t like having regrets. What’s done is done and I gained a lot of useful experience as an amateur before turning over.
How do you see the future of amateur and professional boxing evolving??
It’s a worrying time for amateur boxing at the top level due to the issues surrounding the Olympics. If the problems can’t be addressed and boxing isn’t permanently reinstated in the Games, then the sport will definitely suffer long-term.
On the professional side, boxing is already becoming more like it once was with more evenly-matched fights and less of a focus on unbeaten records.
Going forward, more fighters will have less padded records and opponents will be more willing to face each other earlier on in their respective careers. As it should be.
