When it came down to searching for potential interviewees for this documentary, I was open to speaking to anybody relevant to the subject at hand, however It was imperative that I directly engaged in a conversation with a retired boxer. Given the nature of my documentary, the reasons why are pretty much self explanatory, with my project essentially hanging in the balance on the basis of me speaking to an ex-boxer. Whilst an interview with any fighter that has been under the lights and fought to a good standard would have worked, I knew I needed to seek a boxer that had really struggled to some capacity with the prospect of retirement.
I started my search with the aim of locating either an ex-professional, or a high level amateur, and began aiming very high. I started to contact the representatives of ex-boxers who had experienced personal issues in retirement, knowing that whilst the chances of a reply were minuscule, there was still a chance. I sent out messages to the teams of Ricky Hatton and Tony Bellew, whilst also seeking out the agents of older boxers such as Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis. However it became quickly apparent that despite my efforts, I was not going to hear back from any of them, so I began to search closer to home.
Marc Plunkett is the owner of Bodysnatchers Boxing Club, and was once one of the best amateur boxers in the country. After learning karate at a young age, Plunkett developed an interest in sparring, and eventually started to box competitively. Across his time in the amateurs, he won the western counties championships three times, and gained the title of the best boxer in Dorset along the way. Marc would master the left hook to the body - hence the name of his gym today, with his improving arsenal of skills taking him to the quarter finals of the national championships, where he would be beaten by four times national champion and commonwealth games gold medalist Chris Bessey.
During his entire time in the ring, and for a large period of his life, Plunkett battled a serious problem with alcohol addiction. Whilst he openly spoke about this during our interview, it was interesting to see the link between ongoing personal battles during a career, and how they can contribute to the struggles of retirement. He openly admitted to being drunk the night before fights, and had only ever fought sober once. As a fully fit and alcohol-free coach in his forties, he now often contemplates how much further he would have been able to make it if his younger self had shared the same level of commitment. Marc would eventually step away from boxing after the birth of his son, as he increasingly began to struggle prioritising his training and preparation for fights. Whilst he had been working as a coach at his old gym, he had to quickly try to adjust to 9-5 life in a factory around this, which was something he hated. However, his skills as a coach were apparent, and due to his packed schedule, he was able to quit his job to be able to concentrate on coaching full time. Last year he opened his own gym in Bournemouth, which has been thriving despite the issues with the ongoing pandemic, and he soon hopes to be getting his own fighters on amateur shows across the south-west.
Watch the full interview here:
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