Big Hearts in The Boxing Community
By Tyler “The Miracle Man” White
In 2013, when I sat in a hospital chair with chemotherapy pumping through my body, I dreamt of meeting my favorite fighters, of being around legends of the sport and of getting back in the ring myself.
Unbeknown to me, at the end of this dark tunnel would be a bright light and my dreams would all become a reality as I stepped back through the ropes and spent some time amongst boxing legends and hall of fame fighters.
In this article I want to share a little bit about those experiences of meeting some boxing legends, what it was like to be around them and how they went that extra mile to make my dreams a reality after learning about my fight with “the big C”.
I want to share with you how boxing and those involved in it aren’t at all like the stereotypes portray them and that actually, these warriors are often genuine people with good hearts!
Froch Vs Groves
Back in 2013, a few months after finishing all of my treatment, I was involved in a short TV program where I met Carl Froch and George Groves before their first fight at the Manchester Arena.
As well as meeting these two top class British fighters, I also had the pleasure of meeting the Sky Sports team including Glenn McCrory, Johnny Nelson and Spencer Oliver – all of these guys have fascinating stories and had very successful Pro careers.
During the whole experience, I was also lucky enough to meet the likes of Ricky Hatton, David Haye, Amir Khan, Prince Naseem, Richie Woodhall, Ricky Burns and Jamie Moore – all of whom were so friendly and gave me praise for what I’d overcome as well as advice for me and my own amateur career.
Throughout the length of the program I was always in awe of how genuine and caring all of these fighters were – stopping what they were doing to speak with me and to pose for a photo.
Despite all of these fighter’s successes, there was no ego!
Freddie Roach & The Wildcard Boxing Club
In 2014 and again in 2016, I was lucky enough to travel to Los Angeles and train at The Wildcard Boxing Club. The first time around I was simply in awe, having not been long since I was sitting in the chemotherapy chair I was just happy to be in the gym that I’d seen and heard so much about.
Walking up the stairs and in through the back door for the first time was incredible, seeing Freddie Roach stood behind the counter to my left – with his hand stretched out to shake mine. It was pretty surreal for me! My coach Andre had mentioned to Freddie about my recent ordeal and it was really nice as Freddie took the time to come and speak to me about it all.
Going back again in 2016 was great, as in the space of those 2 years I’d got my strength and fitness back up to its peak and I was now 3 years in remission. Freddie, as observant as ever, still remembered me and again took the time out to speak with me about my health and how everything was going…
Another little piece of evidence that goes to show that boxing is full of kind hearted; genuine people who care.
Having heard that Miguel Cotto was my favorite current fighter, Freddie and my coach set me up with another surprise, which was to actually meet Cotto after one of his training sessions at the private part of the gym downstairs!
Much to my surprise, after looking around the downstairs gym (which used to be a ‘Laundromat’) Miguel Cotto came walking out of the changing rooms, shook my hand, gave me a hug and said how nice it was to meet me and that he’d heard all about my story. We had a short conversation and he then proceeded to have photographs with the guys and girls from my gym…
Cotto didn’t have to do this, especially as he was due to fly back to Puerto Rico a few hours later, but he made that effort for me and he went that extra mile.
Again, just going to show that there are some real big hearts in the boxing community and that when a fighter or a fan faces hardships, even the guys at the very top level will go out of their way to show some love and appreciation.
During that same trip to America, I also met Daniel Jacobs, the man whose nickname of “The Miracle Man” I have adopted for my own here at the Ringside Report. However, I will save that story for another time as it deserves its own article!
Ultimately though, it is through these experiences of meeting many people within the boxing community during my treatment and after, that really made me realize how great this sport really is.
Boxing will often get a bad rap for being ‘barbaric’ or ‘unsafe’ but in truth, it’s a sport full of genuine people with good hearts and fighting spirit, who really care for and look after their own.
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