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How to start a career in boxing

Boxing is a game wherein two athletes fight individually inside a square ring bordered with ropes. A referee supervises the ring while both the players’ boxes within the pre-determined period called rounds. There are several ways to decide the winner: knock out, technical knockout, referee decision, judge’s decision, and severe injury. As boxing is a violent sport wherein potential injuries are common. So, players wear protective headgear and cushioned gloves. 

Requirements.

Education: Boxing does not require any degree, but the athletes has to go through extensive and rigorous training that should be started before high school.

License: You need to be licensed to be a professional boxer. Even as an amateur you need a licensor.

Experience: Need to be an amateur fighter before you could register for professional tournaments.

Essential skills: Fitness and tremendous stamina.

Steps to start a career in boxing

Want to be a boxer? You have to follow the given steps.

a.      Start training

If you want to be a successful boxer, start training at a young age. Whether it’s a local boxing club, training center, or local gym that has training for boxing aspirants, join one of them and add some colors to your dream. According to available resources around, you can also hire a personal coach. 

In the practice, you have to learn about fitness and the fundamentals of boxing. It’s the reason why exercise is the first step if you want to build a career in boxing. Hitting a punching bag, rope jumping, developing footwork, and combinations to use your hands should be the primary ingredients in your life that will improve the boxer inside. 

b.      Learn the boxing techniques

Your aim should be professional boxing championships. To achieve the same, you have to be in constant touch with your coach. Share your dream with your trainer and learn the parts of a boxing fight. No matter how powerful you are, but you have to develop defense techniques as well. You don’t have to waste your energy by throwing unnecessary punches. So, you have to learn how to control your emotions. Similarly, there are various elements that you need to experience and learn. So, be open about feedbacks and always move with a learning attitude. 

c.      Earn licensure

Whether it’s a state or national level boxing championship, you must be licensed to be a part of professional fights. You can obtain the same from your state’s athletic commission. To get a boxing license, you have to pass some medical tests to prove that you are fit for a fight. There will also be an electrocardiogram (EKG) and neurological examinations. Age, experience, and moral character are the other requirements to gain the license. 

d.      Take part in Amateur Boxing Tournaments

Even if you are an eight-year-old boxer, you can participate in an amateur boxing tournament. Such events happen across the country, wherein you will be matched with other fighters from the same age group and weight. Pan American Games and Golden Gloves Association of America are prominent sporting events that are an excellent platform for amateur boxers. Great performances at these events can earn you a place in international boxing tournaments, including the Olympics. 

e.      Assemble a team

You can represent yourself alone. But, you should consult some professionals, especially after being successful in amateur events. You could hire a manager that can take care of the coach, training sessions, finding opponents, and payment fixation. A promoter can tackle the advertising part, venue, and co-ordinate with the sponsors. Then, a senior boxer or mentor can correct your mistakes after every boxing match. In other words, success is a combination of experience, knowledge, discipline, aggressive advertising. So, you can combine all these things into your carrier by either consulting or hiring expert individuals from different domains. 

Related tips

  • Maintain an excellent physique to be successful at every fight.  
  • Develop stamina and strength, by eating right. Also, be flexible to dodge the opponent. 
  • Follow a rigorous training schedule without a miss
  • Know about the tournament or event you are participating, learn about the competitors, their fighting style, and try to know their weak points.

Things that can be a barrier

  • Understand the financial prospect. Winnings and prize money is a part, but that will come later. First, you have to accumulate the training fee and off course, the promoter’s expense. 
  • As stated earlier, education is not compulsory in the boxing reign, but you have to be in top physical condition. Make a mindset that you have to reach the professional level and work accordingly. Wake up early, maintain a proper diet, and focus on your physical development. 

 This post was written by Stewart Dixon, a sports lover and follower. He loves to write about cricket, football, boxing and tennis.

Jonny Stapleton

Irish-boxing.com contributor for 15 years and editor for the past decade. Have been covering boxing for over 16 years and writing about sports for a living for over 20 years. Former Assistant Sports editor for the Gazette News Paper Group and former Tallaght Voice Sports Editor. Have had work published in publications around the world when working as a freelance journalist. Also co-founder of Junior Sports Media and Leinster Rugby PRO of the Year winner. email: editoririshboxing@gmail.com

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