That was one hell of a ride but it ended well! She started boxing in the army then was forced to quit. Back to the streets but ended up going on the wrong path. Then back to boxing again and now many champion titles. And that’s our favorite of the week, Michelle Cox. Dive in!
JabtoJab: Please, introduce yourself to our readers.
Michelle Cox: Hey I am Michelle known as Coxy, i am 30 years old and I’m a full time athlete. I also own my own painting and decorating business. I have been competing in boxing for 4 years and have won many champion titles. I come from a small town in Wigan and live with my partner Jodie who I am due to marry next year. For the last 4 years my life has been fully dedicated to boxing, I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I am on an athletes diet. My work and social life revolves around my boxing.
“I don’t drink, i don’t smoke, i am on an athletes diet. my work and social life revolves around boxing”
When it happen your first contact with boxing? over the years my farther got me into combat sports: kick boxing, karate when I was younger and I never really stuck to it. When I was 20 I was in the British Army and I met a guy who was a boxer, I used to watch him train and I thought wow I want to do this so he showed me a few things. Unfortunately I had to leave the army for personal reasons. I moved to London alone and then I stepped foot into my first boxing gym. I started to train for a while but then I hit a downward spiral in life and quit. I then spent the next 5 years going down the wrong path, Street fighting, drinking a lot, moving a lot also so I was not able to dedicate my time to boxing. However at the age of 25 I managed to get back on the right path in life and joined a boxing gym White Coller at the time and from there I dedicated my life to it full time. I had one White Coller fight before I turned over to amateur boxing.
I can trust my coach with anything and he is always there when I need advise or help with anything I struggle with.
How is your relationship with your coaches and colleagues when you are training? i represent Premier Boxing Gym in Bolton and also the North West Squad. My relationship with my coach Rasib Is fantastic, due to moving around a lot I have made many friends that are coaches, but me and Raz bonded straight away he is straight up and he goes above and beyond for his boxers. I have the upmost respect for my coach and I have finally stuck with him to take me to the top. I can trust my coach with anything and he is always there when I need advise or help with anything I struggle with. My North West coach Ian is also fantastic, he is very old school and has been in the game for many, many years, again I hold a lot of respect for Ian and he has gone above and beyond to help me get fights, same as raz. My relationship with my team mates is also great I was the first female boxer at Premier Boxing Club who stuck around, so the lads at first where quite shy around me but I’m the type of girl who if I need a partner I will just grab anybody and be like your training with me! They kind of got used to that and started to open up. They treat me like family now and have a lot of respect for me knowing I am a good boxer and I will work as hard as any of the lads in the gym.
I want to go to the top, I have failed In life before and hit rock bottom, I’m now stronger than ever and I have been for a lot of years now. But my motivation comes from my past I want to show the world, people, I can change and be an exception.
What is your motivation for training? for me I have a dream, I want to go to the top, I have failed In life before and hit rock bottom, I’m now stronger than ever and I have been for a lot of years now. But my motivation comes from my past I want to show the world, people, I can change and be an exception. With hard work and dreams anyone can make it if you push and believe in yourself. Never give up! RISE up! My partner Jodie is also my motivation she believed in me from day one and if I have a bad day she never let’s me give up she pushes me further. My Nan who passed away 2 years ago is also my motivation I promised her I’ll make it to the top and I won’t let her down on that promise, I no she’s with me watching me with every fight I have.
Which is the boxer you like the most and why? Wilder I love him, my coach says I’m a female version of him! I think that’s why I like him so much. My fave fighter of all times is Rondha Rousey. I think she’s incredibly strong both mentally and physically from a tough background to a champion. The woman is incredible.
And sparring? Describe us the feeling you have when sparring with your colleagues? I love sparring with the lads because they push me to my limit and they don’t hold back cause I am a woman they go all out and that is what I need. I wouldn’t respect them if they held back. I’m here to learn and get better and if I can get in a ring with a big guy and hold my own, then no woman is ever going to knock me down.
I love sparring with the lads because they push me to my limit and they don’t hold back cause I am a woman they go all out and that is what I need. I wouldn’t respect them if they held back.
Did you ever participate in a boxing Event? How was the feeling ? I have participated in lots of boxing event mainly championships and I am extremely nervous before a fight, I have a fear of losing but I have learned to deal with that by praying and mediation before my fights. When I win a fight its the best feeling in the world nothing can compare to that, all the hard work pain and tears training is worth every minute for that winning feeling, yet on the switch side the losing feeling is the worst in the world but we learn from a loss and we come back stronger.
Besides boxing been a sport where we have lots of physical contact do you believe that if everybody practice, we will have less violence in the streets for example? I do I really do, boxing provides a lot of discipline. Boxing is not just fighting it is an art, its very technical and there is a lot to learn, it also gives people a purpose in life and people think twice of street violence.
Do you believed that who practice boxing becomes a better person in work, with family, friends? same as above I do yes, for me as a person since I become fully dedicated to boxing it has changed my life, my attitude towards certain things, I am extremely disciplined where 10 years ago I had no discipline what so ever. It makes people learn and grow into the best version of themselves.
