Chris’s lighting up the ring again
In the first of two features on sporting sparkies, we go toe-to-toe with the SELECT Member who’s making his boxing comeback while still running his own business
SELECT Branch Officer Chris Liddell is hoping to set sparks flying after returning to professional boxing following eight years out of the ring.
As well as running his own firm and being 3rd Representative for the Lanarkshire Branch, the electrician has revived his bantamweight career at the age of 29.
Chris has already won the first bout on his comeback trail, beating Luke Merrifield over four rounds at the Crowne Plaza in Glasgow on 11 June – complete with ‘The Spark’ emblazoned on the back of his shorts.
The boxer, who runs 2 Core Electrics in Lanarkshire, said: “It’s been a long time but it was absolutely brilliant to get back out there and I was buzzing afterwards.
I loved it.
“I stopped boxing when I was 21 because I was starting my own business and couldn’t commit enough time to it, but things have calmed down a bit since then.
“It’s been a long time but it was absolutely brilliant to get back out there and I was buzzing afterwards”
“I’d started getting fit in the past few years anyway, so I thought, ‘I’m going to roll the dice and have another go before it’s too late’ and that’s exactly what I’m doing.
“I’m now training six days a week, with a mix of running, swimming and gym work. I enjoy the sparring as it’s the closest thing to a fight itself but I hate the sprints – they’re a killer.
“Juggling work and training is hard, but I’m a bit more mature now so I know what’s involved. It’s gruelling but worth it.”
The fighter has also had to change his diet too, explaining: “I’ve had to watch what I eat and make sure I follow a healthy, balanced plan with small portions. Chocolate is my Achilles’ heel – I’ve found it really hard to give up.”
Chris, who is managed by Kynoch Boxing Promotions, now faces his second bout with a six-round return to the Crowne Plaza on Friday 9 September – and is already feeling confident.
He said: “Fitness is my best weapon and I think I could out-last any opponent. I’m a scrapper rather than a dancer, so I like to get in amongst it and really take the fight to the other guy.
“I don’t want to look too far ahead but I’m setting my sights on a Scottish title. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. So if you’re in the bantamweight division, watch out because I’m coming.”
GET RINGSIDE FOR CHRIS’S NEXT BOUT
To book tickets for Chris’s fight at the Crowne Plaza in Glasgow on 9 September, complete with drinks reception and three-course meal, go to en-gb.facebook.com/KynochBoxing
