Lee Murtagh making actors out of boxers

Thirteen-year-old local lad Jayven Koroma agrees that when he started attending classes at Lee Murtagh’s Bethlehem Boxing Club in Richmond Hill he never expected that he’d become a film actor as well as a boxer. Yet that is just what has happened.

“Jayven is a major character in our latest film Champ Tramp,” explained Murtagh, 52, former Irish boxing champion who is well known in East Leeds for having opened Bethlehem in 2011. “The story is loosely based on the personal histories of two fighters who disappeared after major title bouts. One from Connemara who’d fought in New York took himself off feeling that he’d let his village down.”

“The other ‘disappeared’ boxer is ‘JJ’ Riley in our film. His title win was declared a no contest for reasons that suited some local unscrupulous people, and he also went into hiding. His two sons, one a teenager and one about 20, had to live with it but then decided after five years to try to find their dad via a podcast which brought in sightings from all over the world. Jayven takes it on himself to find JJ and finds him living as a tramp. But no one believes him. That’s the essence of it.”

Jayven added: “I love training at Bethlehem. Absolutely everyone is friendly and helpful and we’re all keen to see each other do well. It’s a proper family is Bethlehem. I enjoyed the acting and especially having to produce the best Scottish accent I could. Who knows whether I’ll act again but I’m certainly hoping to be showcasing fighting skills in the ring shortly.”

Boxers at Bethlehem should get the chance on Murtagh’s open air show planned for 9th August. “This one’s called ‘The Guv’nor’ and it promises pure boxing theatre. We’ve got two very tough local men Jordan Lilliu and Darryl Carrington lined up for the main event. It’s planned as the Yorkshire version of the 2017 film My Name is Lenny which charts the life of London’s Lenny ‘the Guv’nor’ McLean described as ‘a notorious bare-knuckle fighter and enforcer.’ There is a dozen bouts planned to feature Leeds boxers.” 

Practising Catholic Murtagh admits “he’s making regular requests of the Almighty for fine dry weather.”

Murtagh busies himself with refereeing on non-professional shows including Misfits and Wilder student fight nights. “These are outside the control of the main British and Irish licensing authorities,” he said, adding: “But people enjoy them and the crowds are well-behaved. My Irish referee license had been revoked but I wanted to be the third man in a fully professional bout in Ireland. In April I refereed a contest in Cork featuring Tommy Hyde. This was possible because the event was sanctioned by the Mauritius Professional Boxing Association. The fight game is complex with lots of politics and posturing. I just want to have a good time while ensuring that fighters and fans benefit.”

Champ Tramp is Murtagh’s third film. “It started off during lockdown,” he explained, noting: “We made Straightener in 2021 and Boxing by the Sea in 2023 all featuring boxers from Bethlehem club. The lads love being actors. We premiered Champ Tramp recently at Edmund House where the open-air show will be and the film will be available on YouTube and at low-cost film festivals.”

If you want tickets for the August show contact Lee Murtagh on 07793 240535.