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Bristol Unpacked with Neil Maggs brings you fascinating and challenging conversations from characters of all stripes on big topics facing the city and beyond.
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Neil Maggs
I'm Neil Maggs, and this is Bristol unpacked, speaking to fascinating Bristolians on topics where others fear to tread. Brought to you by the city's community owned media, the Bristol cable. Episodes come out every two weeks, and to secure the future of the series, you can join the cable at the Bristol cable.org forward slash join and subscribe to Bristol Unpacked wherever you get your podcasts.
Archive audio clip:
“This was the moment. Lee Haskins had spent his entire career from the age of 14 working tirelessly towards but the night was won in the sixth round, and in the blink of an eye.
“And he lets it carry on, straight right from Haskins, he wants to show he can't hold on. And he steps in.”
“I wasn't too sure if it was me, that night and I was dreaming.”
Neil Maggs
You're listening to news footage from one of the most monumental nights in sport in our fair city of Bristol. It's taking you back to 2015 when a young man from Lockleaze has suddenly become world champion. Yes, world champion. We don’t get many of them in Bristol, do we? The first time a boxer from the city had won a world title in 15 years, and there hadn't been many of them before then? Today's guest is Lee Haskins. He now runs his own gym in St Anne's called round one boxing and moving into new, bigger premises soon, and it's a family run gym. His son, Anton, is a professional fighter soon to be fighting for an area title undefeated. His other son is an amateur fighter, doing really, really well in the amateur ranks. So what's it like watching your sons fight in a ring? I've got kids myself. I know that can't be easy. How good can they be? Can they be as good as he was? Could we get another world champion from the city? We haven't had one since then. We talked to him about that, and also, like, there's perils of boxing. You know, people don't realise the amount of things you have to sacrifice to become the best at what you do. And he's done this amazingly, whilst never getting out of bed before about nine o'clock in the morning. So we'll explore that and much more. You don't need to be a fan of boxing to enjoy this, because he's really interesting guy to talk to, and he's one of the legends from our city that should be celebrated. This is somebody who was the top of his game with his feet still fully on the ground, helping people the best he can in his boxing gym. So just please sit down have a listen, and I'm sure you’ll enjoy it.
Neil Maggs
Hello, Lee Haskins!
Lee Haskins
Hello. Neil Maggs, how you doing?
Neil Maggs
Yeah. I'm very well. Thank you. I'm good. I'm talking to you. You're actually, I finished the first one we done on this show, actually live. You're in the boxing gym, aren't you?
Lee Haskins
I am in the boxing gym. So we still got people in there hitting the bags, so you might hear a bit of noise in the background.
Neil Maggs
Yeah. Have you got a bit of a dodgy throat?
Lee Haskins
Yeah. There's always shouting all the classes I do now, yeah, I'm always shouting at them to push so I'm starting to feel it on my throat a little bit.
Neil Maggs
Yeah, you sound a bit gruff, but we will hear a little bit of like bag work or stuff going on in the background. Won't we probably, because you're in the club. You are the first World Champion we've had on this show. I don't think we've even had a British champion. I mean, joking aside, when you won the World title, I think you were the first Bristolian for like, 15 years or something, right?
Lee Haskins
Yeah, I think so. Who was it? We had Catley, was it? It was the first one, Glenn Catley, yeah, I think that was it. It was just him and me, right,
Neil Maggs
Yeah, because I think Ross Hale was commonwealth and Europeans world title. This is the sort of thing that good journalists would have researched before the interviews. But, you know, we've had, you know, there's been some, you know, good fighters in the city and but, but for you to win that world title, which we're going back now, 10 years ago, does it feel a long time ago, or does it feel quite fresh in your mind?
Lee Haskins
Yes, I know it feels a bit like a distant memory, but because I'm always in the gym, it still feels quite fresh as well. Yeah, it was one of them ones really, I always get asked a question, am I gonna come back?
Neil Maggs
What at your age? Really, do, really still?
Lee Haskins
What do you mean my age? I'm only 42!
Neil Maggs
George Foreman came back older than that, didn’t he?
Lee Haskins
Exactly, world champion. But, um, no, the answer is no. Anyway, I'm not coming back.
Neil Maggs
No, you're still fit, though, aren't you? I mean to me, but doing a bit of sparring and with you a bit later, but you know, you're still fit. You're still sharp.
Lee Haskins
Yeah, still training. I still train five days a week, but now I got the extra weight on. I wouldn't never, I don't think I'll never make that weight again. And I'm definitely not fighting at a heavier weight.
Neil Maggs
No, and you're obviously running your own gym now. You've got your own kids that are boxing in amateurs and in professional, I want to take a bit of a trip. Go back there. Let's go back fully, all the way back to the lad from Lockleaze. I know you're the only world champion boxer that's basically got 17 extensions on his house, aren't you? Most people move to Clifton, or they move to sort of like posh part of London. You've just got, you've got the biggest house in the whole of north Bristol! I mean, is that important to you, though, to stay in touch…?
Lee Haskins
Yeah, for me, I love Lockleaze. You know, it's where I it's where I've been my whole life. If it's not broke, don't fix it kind of thing. Got a lot of family around there as well. So I'm happy, it’s good times.
Neil Maggs
Yeah, and you've always taken your family with you, haven't you with what you do?
Lee Haskins
Yeah, anywhere I've been like through my career, many times I went abroad or away to box, my family have always been there. It's one of the things. I think for me, I needed my family there to keep me grounded, keep me focused. I know with them by my side, I know what I'm working for,
Neil Maggs
Yeah, yeah. And, you know, boxing, there could be lots of temptations, can't there, or there can be distractions and things like that. And to stay grounded, stay rooted, stay focused is important…
Lee Haskins
Yeah, 100% is you know you want to stay grounded. You want to stay focused and with your kids and obviously your wife by your side. That keeps you there.
Neil Maggs
Sure – how old were you when you first started, Lee?
Lee Haskins
I started boxing when I was 14 years old, at the old Empire church in St Paul's, yeah, that was a fantastic little gym. Now, as you know, just the atmosphere there, the smell, yeah, I remember the first time I walked in the gym and I seen their big room. Yeah, all I was thinking about in that time was like wrestling, jumping off the ropes. But yeah, I fell in love with the gym. And after that, I never looked back.
Neil Maggs
And were you quite small then? Because, I mean, you're still quite small, but were you a small lad at that age? Was that part of you taking that box in to be able to look after yourself?
Lee Haskins
I don’t know what to say back to that! But will try to reply nicely, um, yes, I probably was a small lad, yes, yeah.
Neil Maggs
But did that? I mean, yeah, but, I mean, I'm sort of tongue in cheek slightly, but at the age of 14. At the age of 14, you know, growing up in Lockleaze and stuff, you know, you do need to know how to look after yourself a bit. Was that why you went into the ring a little bit in the first place?
Lee Haskins
My mum wanted me to learn to be able to defend myself, because I was, you know, a small, smaller kid, and I was probably a little bit annoying as well. So, um, she thought the best thing for me to do was obviously learn to defend myself, as I was always gonna be a little bit cheeky. I'd done karate and Kung Fu, but I could just never settle with that. She bought me all the all the suits, but, um, after two weeks, I would quit.
Neil Maggs
Did you pay her back for that money that went when you made all your money in boxing? The first thing you should have done is paid her back for that! And was there a moment when – lot of the fighters say this – when it was like, oh, oh, I got I like this, or I'm good at this. You get the bug a little bit in your blood. Was there a moment you can remember that?
Lee Haskins
Yeah, within, within two… Do you remember? Do you remember the Green ‘Un news…?
Neil Maggs
Yeah in the Bristol Post, that was the pull out in the middle, wasn't it?
Lee Haskins
Yeah. So after two weeks of being in the gym, I was in there for like, breaking the record, for the first guy boxing for the Empire within two weeks of joining, yeah? So I was on that, and from that point, I knew I must have been half all right for them to put me in so fast. I was boxing, and I won my first fight, and yeah, would never look back after that. I was it. It was just on, and it was onwards and upwards for me.
Neil Maggs
And there'd be some people listening now who love boxing, but a lot of people listen to, they listen to the show that don't really know much about boxing, but you, you started off in amateurs. From the age of 14. How many amateur fights did you have before you turned professional?
Lee Haskins
I never really had that many fights, to be fair. I really, yeah, as an amateur, I only had 15 amateur fights, which is definitely not a lot at all. I think I won like 12, lost three, maybe something around that. But yeah, I was doing okay. I won. I won, uh ABAs twice…
Neil Maggs
…which is the Amateur Boxing Association national schools champion.
Lee Haskins
Yeah. And then my wife fell pregnant. We were only young. In my head. Okay, the best thing, oh, you know, I wanted boxing to be my living. I needed to provide for my kids. So I turned professional quite young.
Neil Maggs
How old were you, Lee, when you turned professional?
Lee Haskins
I was 19.
Neil Maggs
…and that presumably was Chris Sanigar at Bristol boxing gym. So you were 19, and what weight were you fighting at?
Lee Haskins
Initially, fly weight, which was only eight stone… similar to yours!
Neil Maggs
I was about to say that… did you say eight or 18 stone?! I was super, super, super, super, super, super flyweight, yeah, yeah, yeah. But I probably had, I was too good, like, so I just felt like I just didn't want to, you know, hurt anyone, you know?
Lee Haskins
Yeah, I’ve had you here training for quite a while, and I've seen your potential. You’re a good fighter…
Neil Maggs
Could have been a contender… But back to you. The interesting thing for me, I think, I think it's your character and your personality that those that don't know you, you and I think you, I think Anton has been like that as well. Actually, your son, who's now a professional you obviously take it seriously, but you kind of have a bit of a laugh and a joke as well, don't you? You've always been somebody who's very easy going laid back, not what somebody would think like. Well, if you were to say to someone that, like a professional boxer, they think, Oh, bloody hell, he’s a bit scary. You've always sort of been quite approachable, have you always been like that?
Lee Haskins
I think so, yeah, you say that? My mum, and always used to about me as well. She said, You never take anything serious. Yeah, so does my wife and a lot of people. And I take it serious, but I try to kind of keep it on the light side, the happy side, and trying to find, trying to find a joke around everything, and just be happy.
Neil Maggs
And did that help you or hinder you in professional boxing, because I suppose having a bit of an alpha joke in high pressure situations where some people could crumble is quite good, but there can be a time, and if you don't take it seriously enough, then that can also go against you. Just so talk to me about that…
Lee Haskins
And I think that happened to me in a few fights, in a few training camps. I've always been the one for training hard. I've always gave 100% but I always tried to train, I don't know how to say it more on the lighter side. So I kind of, I wanted to enjoy it more, and that was one of the reasons why I made sure I always took my kids, my family, yeah, I was enjoying these times. I wanted them to enjoy them with me. And I wanted, I've always wanted to be like the people person, people’s champion. So I'm still in Lockleaze for one, I love it. I love having people about. My own gym, I train people now from, you know, like 10am to 8pm I'm at my gym training people because I love it. I love being around people.
Neil Maggs
Yeah, and you say, you say 10am which is interesting, because you're not a morning person. A lot of boxers are up at 5am running, but you said to me, I prefer to run at night. And you probably run the only boxing club that doesn't open until 10am I think…
Lee Haskins
Never in my whole career. I've never done a morning run… that's why I'm so maybe healthy. I’ve still got a lot of miles in the tank now, because I reserved myself.
Neil Maggs
All that bloody sleep you've been having! I think that's why, dare I say, you sort of one of the most popular boxers, really is because you're quite relatable. The fact that you know you aren't running at 5am because most people aren't, are they? If you're, if you're, if you listen to this, and you're running at five, 5am unless you're a professional athlete, you're an absolute idiot. Stay in bed till at least eight. I say.
Lee Haskins
You can run at any time to run at any time – don’t do it in your sleep time.
Neil Maggs
I mean you, you won your world title at what age – 33 – okay, right I’ve a question for you. And you went prize fighter in on, on Sky Telly in 2011 right? That's quite late to win a World Champion. Do you think you could have done anything differently earlier in your career? Or do you think you could have been world champion earlier?
Lee Haskins
Um, you know, always trying to make the fight is the hard part. I was overlooked a lot. I like I won the British, I won the Commonwealth, and I won the European. On that point we were supposed to fight for world title, which had never come up. So in the end, I ended up getting beat, and basically had to start again. I won the British. I won the Commonwealth, and I won the European then I finally got my world title shot.
Neil Maggs
And that, and that's interesting you say about being overlooked, and those that aren't initiated in boxing won't understand this, that sometimes, if you are a dangerous fighter, and you were very unorthodox, kind of stylish fighter, unpredictable, that I think people would be a bit wary about stepping into the ring with you. Sometimes that can go against you because people want to avoid you so you don't get those fights that you want and need. That's quite common in boxing, isn't it?
Lee Haskins
It is common in boxing. Yeah, that's the problem. Sometimes in boxing it’s not what you know or how good you are it’s who you know, all depending on your manager, your promoter, you know. That's the only problem. Boxing is a business, not a sport.
Neil Maggs
And people will, you know, sidestep and avoid, or they will sometimes get hand picked fighters for them and stuff like that. And that's that's always been the case. The other thing I wonder is, and this is not exclusive just to boxing, and this is just sport in general, in Bristol, I just also wonder whether being in Bristol can sometimes… you're a bit out the way, if you if you lived in London, or you live in Manchester or Liverpool, or even like Belfast, did you know what I mean a little bit, do you think that might have gone against you in terms of getting there quicker?
Lee Haskins
Yeah, I do. I think that's I think that's a problem we have in Bristol with sports. I think we're overlooked. Is he like you just said, it is one on one, like we seem like in Bristol, we don't get the same opportunities that a lot of other sportsmen get.
Neil Maggs
Why do you think that is
Lee Haskins
Maybe our accent? I don't know.
Neil Maggs
People think we're stupid. Maybe, yeah, I mean, is it? Maybe it's just a geography. We're quite out of the way a bit, aren't we?
Lee Haskins
Now I think, I think we suffer as well with not having a venue, a decent venue, a stadium, I think we, if we had stadiums, we would be able to kind of, you know, put on more boxing events. You know, people want to go to a big professional boxing event. They don't want to go to, you know, these little places here, they want to go to a, you know, stadium…
Neil Maggs
They like big venues, don't they? Think about London, where you've got loads, you know, not just the big Wembley Arenas and stuff you've got, you know, the smaller, traditional boxing kind of halls in East London…
Lee Haskins
It’s a night out for people, you know? I mean, food places around you, you know, proper toilets…
Neil Maggs
I wonder if another, and this isn't just Bristol, perhaps, but one thing I've found, which is really interesting about boxing, and is that a lot of people will, unless it's a big title fight, which would sell out, right? Yeah, on a, like, normal professional boxing event, where there are, you know, people not fighting for titles and stuff, you know, you know, it can be kind of full a little bit, but people tend to watch their fight and then go home. And what I find quite interesting is when there's a headliner that sometimes the sort of shows in Bristol, like, because there's been seven fights before, you know, three quarters of the crowd have left by the time the top fights. I find that really weird. But why? Sure you go out. You want to watch all the fights.
Lee Haskins
Yeah, you'd think now, wouldn't you? But yeah, a lot of people just want to go watch their fight, especially if there's, there's no title fight on at the end of it. You know, a lot of people will stay. There's just a belt involved, a little title fight. A lot of people will stay to watch the main event. But, again, a lot of people just want to watch their fighters. They want to get home or get out.
Neil Maggs
Yeah. And then the other thing is, people will go and watch their mate fight in white collar as well. Now, won't they? So White Collar fight is where you might have a bloke from Lockleaze or Easton, wherever that are fighting against somebody else. And they then bring all their mates that that often is easier to sell than a bloody professional.
Lee Haskins
Yeah, you're right. It is, yeah, boxing, a very hard business, is a hard sport. You have, like, especially in the beginning of your career, you have to be able to sell tickets to box just to be able to box on the show, you've got to sell them out of tickets.
Neil Maggs
And you would have had to have done that when you first started out. You know, you you eventually were fighting on Sky Television shows and big arenas. But at start, every boxer has to do that.
Lee Haskins
Yeah, of course. And there was already no money. I remember, like, for my first fight, I got like 400 pounds, you know, and I had to sell like 50 odd tickets to kind of get that. But yes, you should break past that barrier where you are kind of known… TV gets involved. You're on the big shows. You're doing alright then, but, you know, until that point, boxing very hard.
Neil Maggs
It is hard, isn't it? I mean, and you get, as you say, a lot of people don't realise that they, you know, they will see the sort of glamorous side on telly, but won't realise, unless you're in the game, that, you know, I've seen fighters driving around the city on their own in a car, knocking on doors, trying to sell tickets.
Lee Haskins
Yeah, that’s right – you can’t make it otherwise.
Neil Maggs
And then the second bit of that becomes around building a following. How you do that, how you market yourself, you know, how you become a fighter that people want to come and watch. And I know Anton, you know the Joker thing. And he has that sort of character, your son, who is a professional and undefeated, I think about 10 fights, is that, right? 13, fights. He's beginning to develop that, and that's sort of important, that sells fights, doesn't it? That the character that, you know, it's not quite like the UFC, but it's becoming like that a bit boxing more so…
Lee Haskins
You've got to be, you've got to be different from everybody else, a little bit out to be you gotta be able to talk, you know, flamboyant, bit flashy. You have to try and sell yourself.
Neil Maggs
Yeah, yeah. Let's get back to you then. So when you've, you know, you said that you had to go back and start again and win the British title, the Commonwealth, before you went back to fight for the world title. Did you have moments in your career when you thought, I want to stop this.
Lee Haskins
Yeah, there was, I've had that. I had that a few times, even to the point where I sat Chris down said, you know, I think I'm done with boxing. Kind of make your way for fights, the hard training, and then a fight pulling out, or again, like when I won the British, Commonwealth, European… hoping I was going to get my world title shot. That's what we all live for. That's what all boxers live for. They want to become world champion. That's the reason why we started sport. So for me to get myself all the way up there, and then overlooked, losing that process, and then I've had to start again, it's hard to come back from that, yeah, but, you know, I did, and got my kind of put my boots back on, back in the gym, and then I hit it again. Lucky for me, I did.
Neil Maggs
And that takes character, and that takes resilience to do that. And it also takes it also tell people don't see this side to it as well. And I know, you know, you know, I know your family, it takes patience from your family as well, doesn't it? And support,
Lee Haskins
Yeah, support, yeah, family, you know, kind of again, like we said earlier, about keeping yourself grounded, not forgetting your dream. Your dream is to become world champions. So you know you're gonna have these knocks that put you down. You just go, get back up and continue on your journey.
Neil Maggs
Yeah? So let's talk about when you won the IBF bantamweight world title, 2015, yeah. Champion of the world, of the world, mate, champion of the world. I remember I was watching it. Yeah, unbelievable, amazing. I saw on the telly. I don't pay for tickets. You know, they should have given me a free one. But I can't remember why he didn't go, but just talk us through that. You know who it was against, how you felt before the fight, after the fight, the feeling all of that. Because it was like, you know, it's a pretty monumental thing for Bristol,
Lee Haskins
Yeah, yeah, it was nerve wracking. I mean, he's like, everything I've set out from as a kid to be world champion all laid on that moment on that day, and the whole build up for it like that. That day, from the morning I woke up, I just remember so scared, so nervous, not on the actual fight, just failing – my whole life I’ve wanted to be world champion. And this today, it can happen. So yeah, it was just a nervous wreck, to be fair, but I kind of had to control it.
Neil Maggs
So where were we? Where were you fighting, for those that don't know? Whitchurch, yeah, which is a big venue where lots of fights take place.
Lee Haskins
We had a fantastic turnout. The crowd was amazing. The atmosphere, yeah, it was. It was a brilliant night, one that I'll never forget.
Neil Maggs
And it's against a Japanese fighter, Iwasa. And the fight itself, did it go to plan?
Lee Haskins
Yeah, it did, to be fair. Everything was all on point. I took charge early on. Yeah, it was one of them days that, you know, everything was going to, which was lucky, um, fifth round, I think he started coming back a little bit, but he started getting on top. That was his round. And then six, I think, yeah, it was six rounds. I caught him with a good shot over top, put him down. He got back up. The ref came, let the fight go on, and then I stopped him, and they jumped in. It was, yeah, perfect ending.
Neil Maggs
And it's a great photo of Jamie Sanigar, Chris's son, running in with his suit, and you hugging in the middle of the ring…
Lee Haskins
I would have just hugged anybody at that point, even the ref!
Neil Maggs
What did it feel like? I mean, us lesser mortals just don't ever know what that feels like.
Lee Haskins
It's a hard one to explain. Because, like, let's imagine wanting to do something as a kid and then achieving it in your 30s. It was just incredible. I remember watching boxing my whole life, watching them hold the belts up the IBF belt, holding their world titles up, and I knew how hard it was, even when I was winning British or winning the other belts… to actually do it, achieve it and win it in style. Yeah, it was a moment that I will never forget.
Neil Maggs
And that feeling of fulfilling an ambition, a dream that, as you just said, from a child, that can sometimes go two ways, though, can't it? It can be like, Oh, my God, this is amazing, and then kick you on. But I've heard even some sports, after that euphoria of a couple of days, what do I do now? Do you know what I mean, or did that not hit you?
Lee Haskins
No, not really. Even today, when I think about it, when obviously it’s just a memory, when I think now it’s like wow, I was champion of the world once.
Neil Maggs
And it's a great photo of you. And I think this was after that fight, you on the airport runway with a load of your mates, getting on an EasyJet flight the day after, there's something like that, like 20 of you…
Lee Haskins
Like the morning after, because we had, it was a stag booked. Yeah, we were all supposed to go away. It was booked before that. We were supposed to go away a week before that. And I really wanted to go, obviously. And I said to all my mates, listen, if we just cancel this now, I'll pay for us all to go back on it the day after my fight. And they were like, Yeah, as good friends, they are. They said, Yeah, no problem. So I had to pay for everybody's flight again after on that day.
Neil Maggs
That was gonna be my question – I didn't realise it was a stag, you know, but I was gonna be, what did you did you just pay all, you know, fly out all your mates with you?
Lee Haskins
I remember being on the plane. I was getting it. I was getting loads of pictures and stuff, because everybody's obviously watched it the day before. Yeah, it was exciting. It was good times. It was nice to it was nice to be away just relax after that night.
Neil Maggs
And the mad thing about that was, and I remember, this was quite early days in Marvin, the mayor coming in, Marvin Rees, who was the previous when he'd started, and he had a little bit of a background in boxing himself. And I can remember there were conversations around, how had it been Bristol City or Bristol Rovers or Bristol Bears rugby, or Gloucester County cricket that had won a title? Yeah, there would have been an open top bus thing through the town. It would have been a big thing, yeah, yeah. And it was like, and we were all saying that, like, once again. And had this happened in Liverpool, Newcastle, Birmingham, people would have been celebrating it. This is a world title, The First World Champion in any professional sport, I think probably, not just boxing. And we just sort of it was like we needed to celebrate this. And we had, there was a massive event down at City Hall, if you remember, with loads of people invited from your friends and speeches from everybody. And there was a really handsome bloke with glasses. He wore a suit, which you don't wear very often. He was like, PAing it really, really funny. Whatever happened to him?
Lee Haskins
I can’t remember mate, to be fair. I can’t remember anybody like that…
Neil Maggs
Can't remember? No, okay…
Lee Haskins
you were there, though, right?
Neil Maggs
Me, yeah, yeah, I was there, yeah, I knew I should have got Glenn Catley, a proper fighter… anyway joking aside it was a brilliant event, and it was the all your family were there, friends and stuff, and it was almost like it felt like the city was celebrating you and what you achieved yeah?
AD BREAK
Neil Maggs
Because you obviously won the title quite late in your career. You didn't have loads of fights after. Did you? the subsequent fights afterwards you were going to defend it and then when a fighter pulled out?
Lee Haskins
I defended it three times. Defended it twice, sorry, I lost on my third defence, which was pretty decent. You know, it’s hard to call yourself a champion really, if you haven't defended the belt at least once.
Neil Maggs
It was it Ryan Burnett. Burnett,
Lee Haskins
Yeah, well, let's not, let's not go down that road.
Neil Maggs
Did you have him on your dartboards?
Lee Haskins
Yeah I throw at him every single day! No, he's alright, doing well for himself now as well. He's opened up a gym as well. Yeah, he's a very good fighter he, um, I think, obviously, he had a lot of problems with his back later on in his career. So I think that ended up ending him in the end as well.
Neil Maggs
And what ended you in the end so was your knee? And your last fight, uh, David Joyce, yeah, I was on the telly, wasn’t it?
Lee Haskins
Yeah, I had a problem with my knee. I remember towards the end of my career, I was sparring Ashley, Ashley Lane, British and Commonwealth champion.
Neil Maggs
At what weight was he again?
Lee Haskins
Bantam, Bantam, yeah. So, I was sparring him, and I popped my knee. At that point it just felt like a rolled angle. You know, you roll your ankle, you shake it off again.
Neil Maggs
Yeah, I've had that with my knees, yeah.
Lee Haskins
Got back up trying to spar. It just kept popping. And then from that point again, that was it. It was never the same again. It would pop out, yeah, pop out. Very easy.
Neil Maggs
So you've retired at the age of 35, which is kind of odd. It's because, because I'm almost like, oh, you retired early because of injury, but 35 is not retired. It's like the normal age most fighters would retire at, because, maybe it's because you won that title so late in your age.
Lee Haskins
Well, I had a an 18, 1819, year professional career, which is long, you know, I've won more in boxing than most fighters, most British fighters, one like winning the British Commonwealth European twice the price fired at WBA intercontinental English title, the the IBF, world title, pretty much everything, been around for a long time. I feel very proud of what I've achieved. Very proud that I'm Bristolian.
Neil Maggs
Yeah. I feel proud of you actually. And what I also feel proud of is the way that you, even though you've won all of that, how you conduct yourself and how you treat people, and when people come into your boxing gym, how you talk to them, yeah, because, you know, you could be Billy big bollocks if you wanted to be, couldn't you, but you don't have any airs and graces. You don't treat people any differently.
Lee Haskins
No, I have no time for that. And I treat people just the way I want to be treated with respect. You know, we're all normal at the end of the day, be good to people.
Neil Maggs
So I was, I was interviewing you and talking to you around that period when you were fighting professionally, and I remember you said to me, I can remember it was, I think it was for we used to do some little stupid challenges together, didn't we like comedy stuff and things like that. But this was, like, more of a serious interview for when I did a series on Bristol sporting heroes for the Bristol Post, and you all spoke about, you know, I was like, Well, what are you going to do when you retire? What you can do? And you always spoke about wanting to open a gym. And, and you did.
Lee Haskins
I've always wanted to have a gym. And for most fighters, you know, we dedicate our lives to this sport. So that to a degree, is all that we know,
Neil Maggs
it would have been tough for you to suddenly become like, I don't know, working in an office or, yeah, be a postman or whatever.
Lee Haskins
Yeah, I could never have done anything like that, or been able to have done nothing. Yeah? I mean, so for me, it was opening up a gym. I've always wanted to open up a gym and give back. So that's exactly what I did. So that's why, again, people say to me, it's like, do you miss the sport? And it's like, no, I don't miss it, because I'm still in it. I'm a professional boxing coach. I'm training professional fighters. I'm doing box fit classes with people that just want to learn boxing. So I'm always teaching. So yeah, I'm happy where I am. I absolutely love it to be fair.
Neil Maggs
And so round one gym was open. I trained there before I had an operation, and down by the Netham, what I noticed from it is actually all the things you spoke about your character, your personality, and how you'd like to stay grounded. It's a question, really. And I don't know if it's something you do think about or not. Do you make a conscious effort to make it like friendly and family orientated and people coming in, and you have got professionals there. I took my mate down, he's a bit overweight. Yeah, what I do is I always try and bring someone who's more overweight than me, so I look better when I go to any… and Mike's the Mike's quite big, yeah, all right, and you don't treat him any differently than you treat one of your professional fighters. In fact, I think sometimes you always go the extra yard for people that might be only a little bit nervous…
Lee Haskins
100% I'm always the first people, anybody that looks a bit nervous. I'm always helping them, trying to comfort them, trying to teach trying to teach, like, trying to let them know it just enjoy themselves, train, you know, nobody's looking at them, nothing like that. And that's, that's one thing we don't have. I try to keep everything as I would in my house, you know, friendly, happy. This is my house. My gym is like my house, you know. And I want everybody to be happy. I want everybody to come to our gym and be able to enjoy their training sessions, not feel like they're being watched, not feeling like there's a muscley guy over there and there's this guy over in US overweight, and then look at each other, no, and we're all the same. And we get trained the same. Yeah, we just work. We work together as the same, as as a team.
Neil Maggs
Do you think that is a thing in boxing generally, though, as well? I know it's obviously something that you do yourself, you set that culture. But is that something in boxing a bit more is that, you know, like in some sort of post gyms, you get all that posey bit and arrogance. Do you think if some, someone's like that, when they go into boxing gym, they get leveled quite quickly anyway?
Lee Haskins
Yeah, I think that's, I think that's the problem, yeah, you know, you can is art. You can't go to a boxing gym with that kind of mindset, you know. And that's, I think a lot of people realise that, yeah, you go to a boxing gym, right? The thing is, boxing gyms come with a lot of stigma. People think there's going to be bullies or it's all about fighting when you come to a boxing gym, which is nothing like that. Boxing is all about learning and kind of being able to have a good chat with everybody, just kind of, you know, just being grounded and enjoying your training sessions.
Neil Maggs
Yeah, yeah. No. I think what I think there is a bit of a misconception of what it is actually, you know, even things around it being, maybe being a bit intimidating for some women, but actually, boxing is one of the most inclusive sports. In that sense, no one really gives a shit who you are. No over preferential treatment. But people are like, you come in here you get You're the same.
Lee Haskins
Everybody's more focused on theirselves. When they're in a boxing gym, you know, kind of working hard, and they're not looking at people, you know, they're concentrate on their self, their shadow boxing, their bag work.
Neil Maggs
But it is a sport that has the ability to shape and change people, physically, mentally, emotionally, doesn't it more than some, yeah. And particularly good with maybe kids from, you know, certain areas of the city that might have a bit more of a tougher upbringing and stuff, and, you know, maybe going off the rails, I think, is particularly good – kids that maybe don't fit into team sports much, boxing. You know, it's a cliche, but does save lives.
Lee Haskins
It does save lives, yeah, it teaches a strong foundation for kids. While we're disciplined, they have to listen, you know, when they're sparring, they're learning a lot. Even when they spar, they learn a lot. When they spar, they learn like, you know, okay, people can fight. So it tames them a little bit…
Neil Maggs
Yeah, it levels you gives you a bit of humility. I tell you. What it also does is when you feel instinctually, if you feel fear in your life, a lot of people want to walk away from that, whereas, you're sort of taught to step into the fear behind you, and then that has, like a ripple effect in other parts of your life, a little bit.
Lee Haskins
I think it does, yeah, you're right, yeah. It teaches you control, you know, again, something like, you know, you're driving down the road and you get somebody cut you up. It stops you sticking your fingers up, actually, calling them all the names. Who cares? Just patrol it, let them go. You know, kind of it teaches you that kind of control.
Neil Maggs
Yeah, for sure. And you're also letting it get you're letting a lot your energy out.
Lee Haskins
Yeah. Because the boxing, physically and mentally is one of the best things you can never do for yourself is literally one of the best things you can do for yourself.
Neil Maggs
You mentioned kids, you know, how good an impact it can have on kids. And of course, in many regards, your children sort of had no choice but to get into boxing, because they've been in boxing rings I've seen, like, you know, third we're on the sort of third generation now, of, well, not generation, the third child that's been in gyms from, you know, like from as a baby, yeah, and let's talk about your eldest Anton, who is a professional boxer, 13 undefeated fights. He's a cocky little so and so, right, yeah, great on camera. He's a silky mover when he fights. He is at his age when he was, were you better than him?
Lee Haskins
I get asked that question quite a bit. At the same age he would have, probably, whooped my butt, but my younger son Acelee again…
Neil Maggs
So he's an amateur fighter. Oh, how old is he now?
Lee Haskins
14 now, yep, and he would have beat me and Anton at 14 years old. He's very, he's very clever in the ring, his IQ in the ring is brilliant.
Neil Maggs
Wow, that's interesting. Because, I mean, because the IQ thing, I think all of you, you're not like, you know, sort of like bruisers, you're smart fighters, proper boxers, aren't you?
Lee Haskins
Yeah, we try not to get hit that much, yeah, like our defensive work, you know, we want to finish and retire from boxing being able to speak half okay…
Neil Maggs
I mean, and I'm looking at you now, you know, you don't, you know, there's not much blemish. I mean, I look like I've been fighting in the ring more than you really!
Lee Haskins
yeah, you look like you’ve done a few more rounds!
Neil Maggs
All right, all right. But, yeah, but, I mean, there is no point in getting it. Is there for the sake of it?
Lee Haskins
No. The thing is, in this sport, the ones that last the longest are the ones that don't get hit as much. And we always try to teach boxing defense, where, you know, being a little bit slippery, good head movement, that's one of the things that we make sure we kind of input in our sessions at the round one gym.
Neil Maggs
Yeah, so and your youngest, who is five years old. Could he be even better than all of you?
Lee Haskins
I don't know. He's a good little fighter himself, but he's a little bit of a menace, so I'm not too sure.
Neil Maggs
When we used to go down, he'd just be joining in with things and stuff.
Lee Haskins
Now he thinks he's one of the boys he only wants to train with, like Anton and Ace.
Neil Maggs
He’s too good for everybody else! It is an interesting thing, though, because, like, so my thing was football. I almost made it, but didn't quite, yeah, but I was at pro clubs and stuff like that. And I was a bit like, I'm not that arsed. Whether my kids play football, I went the other way, because I was pushed a bit, and then he, sort of, both of them have got into it now, without any real encouragement. One of them I manage, I've been thrust into managing his team. And, like, a bit like you, I'm not, you know, I make a point. I'm going to treat everybody the same and all this sort of stuff. Sometimes it can be, and I think he feels that sometimes, when he'll go to places and people will say, Oh, your dad was a good player. Mine, he was this and that pressure I did that, whether that any of your kids feel that, you know, having a dad as a world champion and going into sport, that must give some little bit of pressure for them. Do you know what I mean?
Lee Haskins
Yeah, maybe. So I think, or it pushes on pushing like they seen that I can do it, so I think that they know they can do it.
Neil Maggs
And they want to be better, yeah. And he said that. He said that to me. Anton said that I want to, I want to win a world title and defend it 20 times.
Lee Haskins
And I want them to be better. And that's, you know, as a dad, I want him to do, you know, 100 times better. That's why I'm glad I made the mistakes that I've made so I can teach them.
Neil Maggs
Well, that's the mad thing, isn't it? What's that? Great quote is, if you're a competitive the only person that wants you to be better than yourself is your dad. I feel the same. It's like, you know, I want him to be better than I was, Oscar. Yeah. And obviously, boxing is a dangerous sport and can be How does that feel for you now? As a dad watching your kids in the ring, what emotions do you go through?
Lee Haskins
It's not the greatest of feelings, to be fair, like with Acelee, I'm doing everything I can to make them not box, I don't think I have much choice. My daughter, she don't box anyway, so that's good. But, um, my younger two boys, if I had the choice, I wouldn't let him box. I don't want them to box. Anton was, like, I was a kid when I kind of had him, he's brought with me, and we've done the same all over. So I know that's his life, boxing…
Neil Maggs
Yeah and you've got, I mean, you obviously have all of them, but I've seen you, know a lot more of you with Anton, you have got a lovely relationship. You're very, very close, aren't you?
Lee Haskins
Yeah, we've never fell out and we've never, you know, we have a little argument down again, maybe, but we have never fell out. And, yeah, we've always, we've had such a close I'm, like, very, very blessed in my life to have my kids and relationship. I got it just, it's just beyond crazy with my kids. And, you know, in our in our house, our family life is incredible.
Neil Maggs
So he's now what coming into a stage when he is beginning to now, yeah, it's a challenge for area titles next, maybe English titles. What's the sort of next?
Lee Haskins
So he has a title fight now, we're just waiting to confirm it. So that's going to be in October. EB box. It was a Southern area title.
Neil Maggs
It's about timing, isn't it? It's about time. We don't want to go too high, too soon, but you also don't want it. You want to be challenged. So you've got the right time, haven’t you?
Lee Haskins
Yeah, it's all about the right time. And you'll know when that right time is. He should be fighting for his title, which he's going to be in in October. Hopefully wins that. And then he can go to bigger and better things.
Neil Maggs
How far can he go?
Lee Haskins
Well, I'm hoping he can be world champion. That's where… I believed I could be world champion. I also believe my son could be world champion. It's all about how grounded he stays, and I focus he stays, and I how much work he puts in.
Neil Maggs
Yeah, for sure, he has that sort of brash, cocky confidence, but I think it's the right side of cocky for me. You need a bit of that, don't you?
Lee Haskins
Yeah. And you know what he's like as a person? You know he's good as gold when it comes to kind of selling himself.
Neil Maggs
Yeah. And this generation of younger fighters, they live their life in a different way. I think it's the same. All my nephews do like jiu jitsu and wrestling and stuff like that. And most of them are teetotal. They kind of eat fresh, eat clean. He's a bit like that on top as well, isn't he? Which is probably that would say very different than what you were!
Lee Haskins
Yeah, he's 25 he's never had one drink of alcohol. But food wise, he's rubbish, sometimes, unless he's in camp, but otherwise, he'll eat rubbish yet, and I'll eat it with him!
Neil Maggs
Well, you can though, can't you, I suppose, yeah. I mean, you mentioned cutting weight before. That's one big thing that boxers have to do. You have to avoid eating any crap.
Lee Haskins
Seriously on it, as in, through, you know, eating healthy, cutting weight, cutting our carbs…
Neil Maggs
Yeah, quite tough, I think, and then looking forward to having a pizza or a burger or something at the end of it, the latest chapter for you. Since you're, you know, you've moved to row one gym by netham Park and just back of Barton Hill. You're now, you're relocating, aren't you? You've got bigger and better premises. I had a look on Instagram, and it looks pretty impressive. So tell me about that.
Lee Haskins
Yeah, it's, it's a massive step from the one we have now is a bit more commercial. So now we've got, like, obviously, all our we got all the weight machines. So we're bringing in a weight gym with the boxing. We're mixing the two, bringing in the two together. I think it's pretty unique. I think we're going to have one of the one of the nicest places you already, one of the unique gyms in Bristol, to be fair, I didn't see nothing like this that we have. And, you know, I'm looking forward to it.
Neil Maggs
And obviously this is a bigger step now, where bigger premises, and, you know, you're bringing in other other people around you now, obviously it's been family run, but I know I think you've appointed, like a an actual, not saying you're not a professional but a professional gym sort of manager is that, is that just because it's the next sort of step for you?
Lee Haskins
Yeah, it's the next step for us. It'll take a lot of stress off us so we can concentrate more on, like the classes, training, people, pros, the amateurs.
Neil Maggs
You can have a lie in until 11 o'clock, can't you instead of 10?
Lee Haskins
I'm still gonna be there to do the one to ones in a day. Plus we're opening a new gym from 6am to 10pm and I've already told them I'm not doing the 6am!
Neil Maggs
But the thing is, though I always, I did always think there's, I got to admit. I like, totally share your whole not getting up that early. But there are a lot of people that want to come in and do a session before they go to work and that, and there's money, there's a money there, and there's a market there, isn't there.
Lee Haskins
A lot of people actually do that want to do their morning sessions. So now, now, with the new round one space, they've got that opportunity where they can do all that.
Neil Maggs
And that's good thing about the boxing stuff. So I've come there, and, you know, any boxer gym, not just yours, is that, you know, you can train and you can spar, and you can become an amateur fighter if you're great and brilliant, and you can become a professional. Now, people could just go there, I guess they would call it boxercise, you know, or you just do the boxing physical training, pad, work, bag, work. It's become quite a big thing. Now in Boxing Clubs, isn't it?
Lee Haskins
The box fit classes are really growing well, like people starting to realise what they do to you, like physically and mentally. Training with a good community around you. Good people kind of gives you that extra push. They're gonna have great coaches, I do all the classes at the gym, yeah, so you knew you would get ahead of a lot of it, you know. And you also learn boxing along the way.
Neil Maggs
Where is it? Feeder road? So not far from where you are now, then, yeah, literally, like, the one minute down the road, great. So you obviously want to keep the existing members that are out there as it's being a premise, there's presumably going to be a big, sort of, I don't know, a big drive to try and get new members to join.
Lee Haskins
Yeah, we're going to need, obviously, a few more members to join. That would be, you know, but I think now the place that we go is a lot bigger, a lot more spacious. People going to see that, and I think they'll want to want to join because of that.
Neil Maggs
And your profile must help a bit, though, and I sometimes think you might undersell that a little bit.
Lee Haskins
Yeah, well, that's the thing I've always kind of wanted to kind of do everything without using my name, but even, like my gym partner is like, No, listen, you've got to use your name!
Neil Maggs
I mean, I totally respect and admire the fact you sort of don't want to, yeah, that's what makes you you, but you kind of. Do a bit. I mean, there ain't many gyms, and I've done, you know, you've held the pads for me, yeah? Which I know your hands are still stinging now, aren't they, after the power, the power actually, let's the power of my straight right? Let's just describe that for the listening public.
Lee Haskins
I couldn't describe it my hands. It's never been the same since! You don't come across power like that very often, once in a blue moon. That's why I said you could have been, you could have been a contender,
Neil Maggs
Not sure at what, but I definitely could have been a contender so. But the the, you know, there aren't many, if any, gyms where you can say, I'm training with a world champion boxer.
Lee Haskins
Well, that's one of our niches. We have, like our coaches are all ex professionals or professional boxers. Me, my partner, my gym partner, Sammy, Anton… you only have, like a professional boxer training, which is, is a niche on his own. You don't get how many gyms. And like I said, I'm there from the morning till we close.
Neil Maggs 50:54
Yeah. Well, you're there from 10am until occasionally, not there from early morning, are you? I'm there on the train. About bringing a camp bed down. Well, that you bring, you could bring you could bring a, you could bring a camp there with a that might mean an alarm clock. That might mean you could do it.
Lee Haskins
We got a coffee lounge now in this place, so, you know, we're gonna have a little TV just chill there. So I'm happy with that.
Neil Maggs
I mean, I because I'm thinking of, I am thinking of rejoining. I just want to keep out the house, really. So I'm just wondering, that sounds like you got, you say you got Telly there as well? Yeah, we've got TV, yeah. Can I bring a camp bed down? I could spend at least four hours in a sauna. Yeah, so you must be excited. So when is it launching?
Lee Haskins
We should be opened, uh, September the 30th. Yeah, we're just waiting now to confirm. Now we're just waiting for a few more bits and pieces, getting a few more things done and getting it ready for everybody.
Neil Maggs
Have you shut down the existing gym? Are you continuing that?
Lee Haskins
No, we're still there now. I'm here right now, actually. So we're still doing that. We'll close on we'll close here on a Wednesday, and then we'll open up on a Monday there.
Neil Maggs
Oh, bloody hell. Really, not even having a little break in between my Australian, okay, your club, as I said, has that real family feel that you put your stamp on when you sometimes move into bigger sort of premises and you bring other people in work and media, you know, is there a concern that you could lose that a bit, or is that something you really, you feel really passionate about to maintain that culture?
Lee Haskins
For me is very, I'm very passionate about that. I want, I, you know, absolutely, I'm not just saying it. I absolutely adore the gym now I'm in now, and I think that's because of the people. Yeah, no, I've met some true friends. Yeah, I've been here five years, and, like, class, some of the people here now are, like, you know, some of my closest friends. There's only people I've met through boxing. And I want to take that to the other gym. And we have, in fact, we have to take it. It's got to be that way. A family run gym, a happy place, a positive place, a place where you can go, you can chat, train, have a coffee, and everything like that, really?
Neil Maggs
Yeah, it is important, isn't it? And I think you know, for fear of turning this interview into an advert for your gym. How do people find out? How do people find out about it? Just to follow you on Instagram or follow you on Facebook.
Lee Haskins
On Instagram, they can follow us on Instagram, we got the Round One Instagram, yeah, I'm on Facebook. They can message me. We have a Round One Facebook. You can message there, yeah.
Neil Maggs
And you must be excited, then…
Lee Haskins
I'm over the moon, obviously a little bit scared, a little bit nervous as well, but I literally can't wait. He's a new chapter for me and a chance for us to really up the Round One brand.
Neil Maggs
Yeah, do you have plans to, sort of, I know you coach to manage professional boxers at any point?
Lee Haskins
Yeah, at some point. But when, at the moment, now, we got so much on, I wouldn't have the time. So for me, I just want to concentrate. I train the professional fighters, you know, running the gym, working with all the classes, and that's me at the moment. And then, you know, maybe next year we could look at managing the year after…
Neil Maggs
Sure. Well, I think we should sort of leave on the family thing. You know, you got yourself world champion boxer. Your son, Anton, on the way, Ace, you know, in your own words, could be better than all of you. You've got your daughter that doesn't box. You've got Miami. You're not so sure about. Probably the person who's the hardest. If I put you all into space to have a fight, I'd have Claire above all of you. Your wife, she's the one with the cutting edge, I think, to be honest, yeah,
Lee Haskins
I knew you were gonna say that! None of us would be able to do anything without her. Yes, she's the rock of our family. She's the rock of the gym. When she's there, you know, she's like, when she's on reception, she does all the reception.
Neil Maggs
Yeah, she's amazing mate. She's brilliant. And I think, like, she's resets the tone of it all.
Lee Haskins
She's super, she's always happy, always positive. And that's, that's one thing we have in our family, and we make sure, especially my house, we all want to be positive, and always try to be happy, try to smile and look on the bright side of life.
Neil Maggs
And I, uh, he may listen to this. He probably will, but I do. I also do know that when, and I'm totally trying to get him back when my. Mike that was a bit nervous about coming. Claire made a beeline to make him feel comfortable. Yeah, I can tell, like, chat, how you doing, Mike, this, that the other, you know, I like, I come in, gobbing off, and this, that the other. And it's that, and that thing of of noticing people is really, really important in any gym, but particularly a boxing gym, you have all these things in your head coming in. I'm not gonna be fit enough. I'm not gonna be good, and I'm not gonna all this. And setting someone at ease is a real art and a real skill that should not be underestimated.
Lee Haskins
And we all got to start somewhere, you know, and you can't treat anybody different. And that's the thing. When you come to a gym, you can be big, small. It doesn't matter. We're all there to do the same thing. Let's train, be healthy, look after ourselves.
Neil Maggs
And I would recommend that people of all ages, or anybody that feels that you're and it's not, it's not for me, you know, definitely…
Lee Haskins
That's another thing. The blockchain isn't just for young people. It's for everybody. We got proof of people like Neil and oh and Wayne or now, they've been here for a good few years. They absolutely love it.
Neil Maggs
And that was what, well, that was what was quite nice for me. So I think I probably stopped about a year ago that doing it for a couple of years. I've done it, you know, in the past, and a couple other places. Couple other places, but coming in there and drifted in and out of it, it felt like a bit of a band of brothers of sort of, sort of slightly older, middle aged men together doing it, which is quite nice, like, you know,
Lee Haskins
Yeah. And that's what makes the training decent, having a bunch of friends where you can, you know, it's like going to a pub without the alcohol you can chat. You can relate. And you train the same time. Helps the sessions go faster as well.
Neil Maggs
Yeah, and Mike would often go to the pub on the way. So there you go. Thank you ever so much, Lee. Do look out for Round One gym. And if anyone wants to watch any of your you know, people might want to go back to the archives. You can stick Lee asking in YouTube, and there'll be some of his fights and even some of the little sketches I've done with you, if you go on there as well videos on there. Yeah. Thank you. Lee top man mate. All the best. Thank you.
Neil Maggs
Many thanks to former world champion boxer Lee Haskins for joining us on this episode of Bristol Unpacked. Subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and join the cable at the Bristol cable.org forward slash join I'm Neil Maggs, you've been the audience. Big thanks to you, and a big thanks to our production team at the cable. Bye for now…