A FORMER professional boxing champion is helping a new breed of amateur fighters prepare for their in-ring debuts.
Droylsden’s Charlie Schofield hung up his gloves up 12 months ago at the age of 29 following defeat to Germaine Brown at the AO Arena in Manchester.
But since his retirement following a 10-year career, the former English super-middleweight champion has stayed within boxing and launched several projects aimed at newbies.
As well as his personal training business, based at Ultimate Fitness in Stalybridge, Charlie has launched two projects, in conjunction with KO Promotions’ Danny Hornsby, to entice a fresh crop of people into the sport he loves.
October’s warm weather training camp in Tenerife provided attendees with an alternative method of getting fit in sunnier climes.
Over the course of a week, fitness enthusiasts were put through their paces in boxing circuits, long runs and conditioning sessions, while also enjoying local culture and sampling the delights of healthy, barbecued meals.
Such was the camp’s success, Charlie and Danny will run another in Tenerife from March 3-10, 2024. Once again, it will not be based on military style activities and instead focused on fun and relaxing.
In the meantime, the pair have set their sights on a white collar boxing event to usher in the Christmas festivities.
Taking place at The Mercure Hotel, Manchester on Sunday, December 10, no fewer than 11 fights will be in the bill.
And while the fighting will be the focus of the night, there will also be an added element of fun with a Peaky Blinders themed fancy dress on the menu.
Speaking to The Correspondent about the event, Charlie said: “This will be the fourth time myself and Danny have organised an event to provide boxers, regardless of their age or ability, with a chance to take to the ring in a controlled and competitive environment.
“A lot of the fighters will be raising funds for their own designated charities. This, in itself, gives them that extra incentive to train for the event and improve their fitness in the process.
“The boxing is just one element of what we’re offering on the evening, as there will also be a drinks reception at 3pm, followed by a dinner at 4pm and then the fighting starts at 5pm.
“With it taking place in mid-December, it’s also a great opportunity for attendees to take in the Christmas Markets and make a full day of it.
“We’re confident that it will be a memorable night and could potentially spark an interest for more people to take to the ring for our next event, which is scheduled for March.”
Although he will not be fighting on the evening, Charlie admitted a small part of him will be itching to lace the gloves and return to the ring once again.
However, the more serious question is: will he ever return to the professional ranks in the future? “Never say never” admitted Charlie.
“At the moment I’m very content with how my time is shared between my personal training business, organising the events with Danny, and looking after my wife and son.
“I’m still involved with the sport and have the same passion and love as I did when I was competing professionally, but I hung the gloves up for a reason. Maybe that will change in the future, but as of right now I’m satisfied with what’s happening in my life. But as I said, never say never.”
Further information and ticket prices for the Christmas Cracker event and the fitness camp in Tenerife can be found in the images.