James BovingtonLee Murtagh’s Bethlehem Boxing Club is a hive of activity on a February Monday morning as adult fighters come and go using the facilities that Murtagh, now 51, opened in Richmond Hill in 2011, a couple of years before his eighteen year professional boxing career came to an end but not before Murtagh had experienced ‘the best day of my sporting life.’
That came when at the age of 38 he became the oldest and first Leeds-born Irish champion at super welterweight before a sellout crowd at Belfast’s Emerald Roadhouse.
“I’m a Leeds lad but my parents are both from Belfast and it was always my ambition to fight there,” explained Murtagh, adding: “It took a while [and] was complex to arrange but I was determined, and it all came together. My opponent Joe Hillerby retired after the sixth of ten scheduled rounds. I knew at the time that my professional career was ending, and I was proud of my record of 33 wins out of 48 contests.”
Growing up in the boxing clubs of East Leeds and trained by Tony Foster and Mr Rose, ‘who older locals will remember many fondly,’ Murtagh became a national schoolboy champion at thirteen in 1987.
He said: “But I always focused on joining the professional ranks. I remember rushing to buy Boxing News when my name first got printed. Told my teachers I was going to box. Not go out to work. I looked up to Gary Crawford who became pro boxer Crawford Ashley. Best in the gym. Still a friend, a philosopher and spiritual guide even.”
Murtagh was ‘keen, anxious even, to avoid the what now? moment that all professionals face and often leads to a downward spiral: “I’ve seen it too often. I’m proof that there’s life after boxing. My advice to professional boxers is put away what you can for the rainy day and if you’re not making decent cash after say a dozen bouts by age thirty then do something else. Or regret it. Because there’ll be stair rods. And get a friend to check your contract.
“I didn’t make much from the sport. Enough to develop Bethlehem. I grew up Catholic and I’m a weekly attendee. It’s important. Growing up our church was threatened in our part of Ireland. Attendance meant supporting our community. That’s what our gym does. We’ve a large turnover of fighters and eight have gone on to be professionals with lady boxers Sam Smith and Jodie Wilkinson likely the better known. Jonathon Nyabako’s has just obtained his pro licence at 23. He’s been training with us for nine years. We put on maybe six shows annually giving our boxers chance to prove their skill and courage and earn some ticket commission. We’ve produced a few films and documentaries including Boxing by the Sea and the hard-hitting Straighteners about lads sorting their beef through boxing. Based on real life. The there’s Champ Tramp. Total fiction.
“I’m probably unusual in the boxing community in welcoming the exposure gained by promotions such as The Misfits. I missed their Leeds Arena event but have refereed their shows here and abroad including in Qatar. It impresses kids when I go into schools for outreach work. We’re proud to be working in the Leeds 9 community on projects to combat street violence. We had a grant of seven thousand from the Mayor’s Fund but getting the target audience into the gym remains one of life’s many challenges.”
Bethlehem’s next show takes place on 28th February at the Aria Suite in Woodhouse. Tickets are available by e-mailing Murtagh at leemurtaghbui@hotmail.com or by texting 07793 240535 or @bethlehemboxingclub on Instagram.
