U.K. Development
Event management consultant Alan Lacey, who co-promoted the Gary Stretch vs. Chris Eubank WBO middleweight championship bout in 1991, belatedly discovered boxing training at the age of 45. Captivated and motivated by the discipline over the following years, he started training under former European Champ Jimmy McDonnell and alongside 2 time Olympian and World title challenger Adrian Dodson, who having spent most of his youth at Gleason’s in New York suggested Lacey to fulfill his ambition to box, even at the age of 48, and arranged for him to visit Gleason's Gym and box there. On the flight back to London, Lacey decided White Collar Boxing could flourish in London.
In July 2000, the inaugural White Collar Boxing event, in collaboration with Gleason's owner Bruce Silverglade, saw a team of Wall Street bankers fly to London to compete on "Capital Punishment" at Broadgate Arena in the City, generating massive interest and media coverage. Lacey boxed twice on the night and subsequently devoted his time and energy to developing the sport exclusively since. Over 100 sold out events have followed "Capital Punishment", including “Celebrity Boxing” on the BBC in 2003 featuring, among others, Les Dennis, Ricky Gervais and Grant Bovey, and raising more than ₤1.5 million for various charities.
The Real Fight Club's first gym opened in the heart of the City in 2006, offering an authentic boxing experience in a safe and well managed environment. Throughout the recent recession, surprisingly the gym became even busier, providing an outlet to vent stress and frustration for those hit by the banking crash. It currently counts over 550 active members drawn from the banking and legal professions.
Bristol (UK) is the home of Zero To Hero White Collar Boxing and was launched in September 2012. Contenders sign up for a 10 week training programme which culminates in a fight night at the end to showcase the achievements of the Contenders. Contenders train together for 6 weeks at which point they are matched and then split into their respective Red & Blue camps for the final 4 weeks of the programme under Principle trainers & supporting instructors who also act as their corner team on fight night. Contenders are matched on factors such as weight, technical ability, spirit & physical fitness by the Principle trainers & programme directors. The programme offers Contenders a once in a lifetime chance to compete on a grand stage in a professional and safe environment.
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