A RUTHLESS INTRODUCTION TO BOXING
COULD'VE, WOULD'VE, SHOULD'VE, DIDN'T Jamie Hughes boxed for England as an amateur and left the sport unwillingly as a 4-0 professional. His journey from "obese kid" to prospect is a fascinating one. He tells his own story in this multi-part piece. CHAPTER ONE A Ruthless Introduction to Boxing I started boxing when I was eleven. I always fancied myself as a bit of a top kid, you know, but I got pinged in the playground. He was supposed to be the hard nut but I thought fuck it I’ll have a go and I’ve gone for him. He’s done some little moves and I got hit with an uppercut. He was so slick, I just thought I needed to know how to do that. It weren’t no glamorous thing, I just wanted to learn how to fight. Really overweight, obese really, I went to the amateur gym. It was called Danson, in Crook Log Youth Centre. My weight was not anyone’s fault but mine, I just used to find a way to eat chocolate bars. People say “it’s the parents” but it weren’t the parents it ...
