Students gain insight into world of international boxing

Students from the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences (opens in a new tab), Liverpool Screen School (opens in a new tab) and Liverpool Business School (opens in a new tab) gained real-world insight into professional boxing and PR with a campus visit from worldwide boxing promoters Matchroom (opens in a new tab).

Ahead of a fight night at the Liverpool M&S Arena on Saturday 11 March, Matchroom Boxing CEO Frank Smith and boxer Peter McGrail visited the LJMU campus to chat to students about everything sport business, media, PR and sport science.

One of Merseyside's most decorated amateur boxers, McGrail returns to the ring this weekend at in front of a home crowd, after recently signing a long-term promotional deal with Matchroom.

Leading LJMU sport and exercise scientist Dr Carl Langan-Evans (opens in a new tab) also joined the panel, as a specialist in the field who regularly works with boxers and leading athletes from the world of MMA, using his research and expertise to ensure that they make weight safely.

Dave McDermott, Head of Elite Sport & Athlete Management, said: “We know how important it is for our students to gain real-world insight into industries where they hope to carve out successful careers.

“Opportunities like this, working in collaboration with Matchroom around a global sporting event taking place here in Liverpool, has no doubt inspired our students across a range of disciplines, not just in sport science, to apply the skills they are learning through their studies and to see how they will enhance their employability and career paths in the future.”

Sport Business (opens in a new tab) student Benedict said: “It was a very insightful and interesting talk. It was really unexpected to be fair because you don’t expect people of that stature to come in and give their time up, especially in fight week. It’s brilliant, it's good for networking which is probably why a lot of people were here but it's also good for the insights, getting the personal sides of these people because often you only see the professional side. I really enjoyed it.”

In conjunction with Matchroom Boxing’s PR representatives, Soapbox (opens in a new tab), a handful of deserving students have also been selected to attend the pre-fight press conference and public weigh-in over the coming days. They will gain a better understanding of managing press and media at large-scale sporting events, and further insight into the various sport science support roles that all come together to ensure boxers are performing at their best at competition.