MANX BOXER PRAISES THE AGONY AND ECSTASY OF A FIGHT

Fighting in Steve Wood’s VIP Promotions at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens in May undefeated Manx boxer Mathew Rennie faces his eleventh match since joining the professional ranks in 2018.

‘It’s a ‘small hall’ show’ explains Rennie, ‘and these are the bedrock underpinning professional boxing offering younger relatively unknown fighters the opportunity to build a solid record of achievement. Fans appreciate proximity to the action, close enough to smell the boxers’ courage one friend said. But it’s expensive to stage given venue and ring hire plus referee and security charges. The onus is solely on home boxers to sell tickets. This is a challenge faced constantly by approximately 1100 professional boxers ‘carded’ with the Boxing Board of Control. I believe I’m the only active professional boxer from the island and as many travel regularly to England to support me I’m doubly grateful for their commitment.

Growing up in Douglas Rennie began boxing at eight with Manx ABC. The former Ballakermeen High School student explains ‘Boxing suited me immediately. I’ve always been a highly motivated headstrong individual loving sport and up for challenges. I’m hard working but well-grounded as my approach to life is remembering that when times are good something less good may lie in store and when times are bad something good is waiting.

Moving to Liverpool at eighteen was ‘tough’ to any other boxer of course I would like to be a world champion but I’ll let the boxing journey select its own ultimate destination. Winning a fight doesn’t make you the better person but it does show that the winner is the tougher fighter physically and mentally. I’m confident that buoyed by so much support from Man I’ll be able to climb those ranks. Hopefully to the top but it’s one fight at a time and it’s a tough game in that a boxer is only as good as his most recent fight. That’s why in training I concentrate exclusively on my camp making sure I’m doing everything I can to be 100%by eating correctly, sleeping enough, recovering well and constantly training hard. The nerves will kick in on the night when I’m getting my hands wrapped so I focus on breathing to stay relaxed’.

Rennie is unapologetic about inherent dangers in the sport including head trauma. ‘Boxing has never been safer but boxers do still put their lives on the line. It takes courage. Fighters have annual brain scans. It’s up to the referee and the boxer’s corner to determine when a fight needs to stop but repeated powerful punching to the face and head is part of it and I hope it always will be. Each boxer has learnt to defend himself. It’s boxing not brawling and I enjoy demonstrating skills learnt. But spectators also enjoy watching boxers getting close to each other and brutally exchanging blows. I love that too. Boxers do get hurt and taking punishment is an occupational hazard. I won’t deny savouring the pure elation any boxer feels on delivering a devastating body or head shot that floors my opponent. That’s the ecstasy making any agony worthwhile’.

That boxing teaches respect and self-discipline and forms firm friendships is a view to which Rennie subscribes, admiring fighters old and modern like Duran and Lomachenko not just for boxing talent but also for struggles and challenges overcome. ‘Boxing often appeals to those with less’ according to Rennie, ‘and can be a life saver to young kids teaching life skills and boosting confidence to shun negative or criminal activities. Many kids admire boxers from similar backgrounds to theirs and attending a boxing gym can change a life

So, what’s in store for Rennie’s next opponent?

‘I intend to remain undefeated and promise those shouting for me an exhilarating explosive performance. I fight to win and will do whatever that takes. It’s also about showing boxers higher up the rankings just what they will undergo when fighting me. Each opponent needs to prepare for a beautifully brutal beating with many rounds of painful punishing pummelling by persistently powerful punches precisely positioned. I’ll break his spirit and end it when I choose to by knockout with him taking the hardest punch he’s ever had. That’s my plan. We