So the dream was back on, albeit probably seeming like a million miles away at the time. George looked me square in the eye, he needed me to know he meant this. ‘I wanted to show my kids that you need to graft in life to get what you want. It’s not about being a talker, it’s about putting the hours in and giving it your best shot. Being responsible for yourself. But I’m not silly, it was a long way off. My wife to be, Michelle (not the barmaid), supported me when others were doubting me. She took some slack but she had my back 100% and told me to go for it. That’s loyalty’.
Hard work, as usual, got him from there to here. Weight lost, training hard, a good team around him and with a focus that is clear as day, George seems like a man on a mission. It’s not often you get a second chance at a sport as demanding and gruelling as boxing. But George has carved that out for himself and is now in a position to look forward with optimism about what he can still achieve, rather than looking backwards with regrets.
The next step in that journey is this Sunday evening at the 02, where George features in his second Bare Knuckle Boxing fight, this time against Jack Mclean. The initial reaction to hearing Bare Knuckle might conjure up images of blood thirsty fans in a warehouse somewhere watching barbaric fights with little rules and regulations until last man standing. But it’s clear BKB is anything but. “Fight wise it’s actually safer than boxing in my opinion, cos you’re not sustaining a constant barrage of blows to the head like you would in a gloved fight. The brain is not taking as much punishment over time. Fights are over a bit quicker and are stopped when a fighter looks hurt. You can’t continue taking blows to the head in bare knuckle and stay standing’.
And the production of BKB has also impressed George. He has fought traditional Boxing bouts on Sky and ITV and says BKB is just as good. ‘They put on a proper show, very well organised, and they really look after the fighters. It’s a sport and a culture that is growing and I’m loving being a part of it.’
At 38 years old, George would be in the late autumn of a ‘normal’ boxing career, and is under no illusions that time is of the essence. So what exactly is he hoping to achieve. ‘I just want to give it my all and see where it takes me. I’ll work hard and take on the fights and train and give my best. I still feel like I’ve got something to give you know? I’ve not been in many wars, and I’m still sharp in body and between the ears’.
George’s opponent on Sunday night is Jack Mclean, who has not been shy on calling out George on social media. Trash talk is part and parcel of any combat sport, and George says he is taking it in his stride, admitting that Jack is doing a good job selling the fight. ‘There’s no bad blood. We’re both professionals, and I’ll show my professionalism on the night. I’m here to do a job, and then see what’s next’.
‘But I will be honest. If down the line I’m not good enough, I’ll be the first to admit it and walk away. And this time, I’ll be able to say its because I wasn’t good enough, but it wasn’t for want of trying. I don’t want to hide behind anything, I don’t want any regrets. And when that time comes, I’d love to start training kids, guide them and show them the ropes, see if I can bring on the next George Hilliard’.
Everyone loves a good comeback story. Whether George’s career recaptures the heady heights of his early days or goes out in a blaze of glory, giving himself a fighting chance is an immense achievement in itself. And spending the next hour watching him train, I’d say talk of raising the next generation of fighters needs to be put on ice, as it looks like George himself is the Phoenix rising from the ashes.
Mitch Panayis, Director East 15 Films
George’s life didn’t get interesting when he started playing football for Leyton Orient, when he first signed a boxing contract, nor when he knocked out his opponent in 42 seconds flat in his pro debut (6 seconds off Mike Tyson’s record). It was colourful from the first bell. Born Canning Town, then moving to Stratford, George was ‘discovered’ at his families Caravan holiday park, and for the next 3 years put his nut down and learnt his craft, fighting in 21 amateur bouts with 19 wins. At age 13 the Hillyard family left east London and headed out to Nazeing, Essex, a path so many East enders had trod before. ‘If we’d stayed, I’m sure I would be in prison or not here at all by now. I was getting into a lot of trouble. It was going to be a fresh start’.
But George’s tearaway reputation followed him out of the big smoke, making it nigh on impossible for him to be accepted into a new school in Essex. They gave up looking and the next 3 years were spent working with his Dad, labouring, painting and decorating. Around this time, George’s Dad went blind after developing cataracts. ‘I went off the rails, getting in a lot of trouble, a bit doolally. Boxing and football fell by the wayside. It was a tough time’.
At 16, needing a bit of direction, he had the itch to lace up the gloves again, and started bunking the train back east to The Lion in Hoxton, putting in the hard hours on the heavy bag. ‘It felt great to be back in the gym, pounding the pads. That’s when I met trainer Roy Callahan. He said I was mustard and we gelled straight away. He really believed in me, and I started to believe in myself again. Just when it looked like I was racing off the edge of the cliff, Boxing brought me back. I really think it saved me.’ His first comeback, but certainly not his last.
George went on the fight in the amateur scene, narrowly missing out on a spot on the 2004 Olympic team, before finally making a decision to pursue boxing instead of football, a decision which led to Barry Hearne calling him a ‘foolish, foolish boy’. Hearne ended up giving him a shot at the big time in 2005, where George knocked out his opponent live on Sky Sports in 42 seconds. Three days later he was signing a multi million pound contract with the Hearnes. He had the world in the palm of his hand.
But all was not handled well. What should have been the beginning of a structured, professional and fruitful career that placed George at its centrepiece with a trajectory towards the very top, slowly started to unravel like hand wraps post fight. ‘As quick as I had it all, I started to lose it all. We ran before we could walk and didn’t listen to the right people. I was losing focus and things started to slip away. My training standard started to slide. Money started disappearing, things with my parents were becoming strained.’ Around that time, a doorstep incident where George pushed away the Mother of his kids led to him being charged with common assault. ‘The papers got hold of it and I went from walking down the road signing autographs, to dodging ‘wife-beating’ comments. I was devastated. Then I hit the drink’.
‘I’d hit a real low. I remember drinking and thinking ‘what am I doing here? What’s the point? I can just drink myself to death’. I was in the pub all the time, doing nearly a grand a month in there. I ballooned from 12st to 18st. I remember coming down the stairs with my top off, my Mum looked at me and asked if I wanted to borrow one of her bras. It was sad really. My boxing career was over at that point, and possibly everything else would have been gone. The barmaid in the pub, a lovely lady called Michelle, ended up pulling me aside, telling me she was refusing to serve me. She said she can’t let me do this anymore. That must have been difficult for her. It was a very sobering moment’.
George had to look in the most difficult place. ‘The hardest thing was looking in the mirror and saying the only reason I’m not world champion, the only reason I am in this situation, is myself. Yeah I had other things going on, but it was my responsibility, I’ve messed up. I’d been blaming everyone else, former managers, my ex missus, family.. but no. It’s time to grow up. I have to correct it. That moment of clarity made me want to be a better man. But there’s a still a long way to go. I’m working on myself every day.’
So the dream was back on, albeit probably seeming like a million miles away at the time. George looked me square in the eye, he needed me to know he meant this. ‘I wanted to show my kids that you need to graft in life to get what you want. It’s not about being a talker, it’s about putting the hours in and giving it your best shot. Being responsible for yourself. But I’m not silly, it was a long way off. My wife to be, Michelle (not the barmaid), supported me when others were doubting me. She took some slack but she had my back 100% and told me to go for it. That’s loyalty’.
Hard work, as usual, got him from there to here. Weight lost, training hard, a good team around him and with a focus that is clear as day, George seems like a man on a mission. It’s not often you get a second chance at a sport as demanding and gruelling as boxing. But George has carved that out for himself and is now in a position to look forward with optimism about what he can still achieve, rather than looking backwards with regrets.
The next step in that journey is this Sunday evening at the 02, where George features in his second Bare Knuckle Boxing fight, this time against Jack Mclean. The initial reaction to hearing Bare Knuckle might conjure up images of blood thirsty fans in a warehouse somewhere watching barbaric fights with little rules and regulations until last man standing. But it’s clear BKB is anything but. “Fight wise it’s actually safer than boxing in my opinion, cos you’re not sustaining a constant barrage of blows to the head like you would in a gloved fight. The brain is not taking as much punishment over time. Fights are over a bit quicker and are stopped when a fighter looks hurt. You can’t continue taking blows to the head in bare knuckle and stay standing’.
And the production of BKB has also impressed George. He has fought traditional Boxing bouts on Sky and ITV and says BKB is just as good. ‘They put on a proper show, very well organised, and they really look after the fighters. It’s a sport and a culture that is growing and I’m loving being a part of it.’
At 38 years old, George would be in the late autumn of a ‘normal’ boxing career, and is under no illusions that time is of the essence. So what exactly is he hoping to achieve. ‘I just want to give it my all and see where it takes me. I’ll work hard and take on the fights and train and give my best. I still feel like I’ve got something to give you know? I’ve not been in many wars, and I’m still sharp in body and between the ears’.
George’s opponent on Sunday night is Jack Mclean, who has not been shy on calling out George on social media. Trash talk is part and parcel of any combat sport, and George says he is taking it in his stride, admitting that Jack is doing a good job selling the fight. ‘There’s no bad blood. We’re both professionals, and I’ll show my professionalism on the night. I’m here to do a job, and then see what’s next’.
‘But I will be honest. If down the line I’m not good enough, I’ll be the first to admit it and walk away. And this time, I’ll be able to say its because I wasn’t good enough, but it wasn’t for want of trying. I don’t want to hide behind anything, I don’t want any regrets. And when that time comes, I’d love to start training kids, guide them and show them the ropes, see if I can bring on the next George Hilliard’.
Everyone loves a good comeback story. Whether George’s career recaptures the heady heights of his early days or goes out in a blaze of glory, giving himself a fighting chance is an immense achievement in itself. And spending the next hour watching him train, I’d say talk of raising the next generation of fighters needs to be put on ice, as it looks like George himself is the Phoenix rising from the ashes.
Mitch Panayis, Director East 15 Films
Everyone loves a good discovery story. The littlliest lad being plucked from the street and transplanted into a premier league academy. The catwalk model picked up in the frozen aisle. Buskers swapping Oxford street for Abbey rd. George Hillyard’s discovery was as English as it was boxing. Down the (cara)’van for the weekend, an elder in the bar throws a friendly haymaker his way, 10 year old George instinctively slips, shuffles and throws a hook back. It’s happened up and down the country millions of times before.
But the elder happened to be Roy Macdonald, the renowned former amateur boxer and then head coach at Lion Boxing Gym in Hoxton. And he saw something in young George that day, pleading with George’s Dad to take his son to his gym. ‘My Dad thought I was in some sort of trouble at first. I was a real life Dennis the Menace back then. He told Roy I was a bit of a pussy and anyway, I was football mad, so no. The next night I was at the Lion. I fell in love with boxing from the moment I walked in’.
George Hillyard could be spotted a mile off. His beaming smile lights up the car park on this grey and rainy afternoon outside Cre8 Gym in Hoddeson. It’s a week till fight night, and 20 plus years since I last laid eyes on him. The welcome is as warm as it is genuine. ‘You look well mate’. I’m not sure if he is just being polite. ‘And you mate’. I mean it.
I mean this guy has been in the wars, and unusually for a boxer, his biggest battles have been fought outside the ring. I’ve seen the news and heard the stories. Family fall outs, money missing, drink problems, court cases, you name it. The trials and tribulations have been a part of George’s life as much as his prowess in the squared circle. Yet before me stands a man calm, collected, and assured of himself. I’m instantly at ease with him.
George’s life didn’t get interesting when he started playing football for Leyton Orient, when he first signed a boxing contract, nor when he knocked out his opponent in 42 seconds flat in his pro debut (6 seconds off Mike Tyson’s record). It was colourful from the first bell. Born Canning Town, then moving to Stratford, George was ‘discovered’ at his families Caravan holiday park, and for the next 3 years put his nut down and learnt his craft, fighting in 21 amateur bouts with 19 wins. At age 13 the Hillyard family left east London and headed out to Nazeing, Essex, a path so many East enders had trod before. ‘If we’d stayed, I’m sure I would be in prison or not here at all by now. I was getting into a lot of trouble. It was going to be a fresh start’.
But George’s tearaway reputation followed him out of the big smoke, making it nigh on impossible for him to be accepted into a new school in Essex. They gave up looking and the next 3 years were spent working with his Dad, labouring, painting and decorating. Around this time, George’s Dad went blind after developing cataracts. ‘I went off the rails, getting in a lot of trouble, a bit doolally. Boxing and football fell by the wayside. It was a tough time’.
At 16, needing a bit of direction, he had the itch to lace up the gloves again, and started bunking the train back east to The Lion in Hoxton, putting in the hard hours on the heavy bag. ‘It felt great to be back in the gym, pounding the pads. That’s when I met trainer Roy Callahan. He said I was mustard and we gelled straight away. He really believed in me, and I started to believe in myself again. Just when it looked like I was racing off the edge of the cliff, Boxing brought me back. I really think it saved me.’ His first comeback, but certainly not his last.
George went on the fight in the amateur scene, narrowly missing out on a spot on the 2004 Olympic team, before finally making a decision to pursue boxing instead of football, a decision which led to Barry Hearne calling him a ‘foolish, foolish boy’. Hearne ended up giving him a shot at the big time in 2005, where George knocked out his opponent live on Sky Sports in 42 seconds. Three days later he was signing a multi million pound contract with the Hearnes. He had the world in the palm of his hand.
But all was not handled well. What should have been the beginning of a structured, professional and fruitful career that placed George at its centrepiece with a trajectory towards the very top, slowly started to unravel like hand wraps post fight. ‘As quick as I had it all, I started to lose it all. We ran before we could walk and didn’t listen to the right people. I was losing focus and things started to slip away. My training standard started to slide. Money started disappearing, things with my parents were becoming strained.’ Around that time, a doorstep incident where George pushed away the Mother of his kids led to him being charged with common assault. ‘The papers got hold of it and I went from walking down the road signing autographs, to dodging ‘wife-beating’ comments. I was devastated. Then I hit the drink’.
‘I’d hit a real low. I remember drinking and thinking ‘what am I doing here? What’s the point? I can just drink myself to death’. I was in the pub all the time, doing nearly a grand a month in there. I ballooned from 12st to 18st. I remember coming down the stairs with my top off, my Mum looked at me and asked if I wanted to borrow one of her bras. It was sad really. My boxing career was over at that point, and possibly everything else would have been gone. The barmaid in the pub, a lovely lady called Michelle, ended up pulling me aside, telling me she was refusing to serve me. She said she can’t let me do this anymore. That must have been difficult for her. It was a very sobering moment’.
George had to look in the most difficult place. ‘The hardest thing was looking in the mirror and saying the only reason I’m not world champion, the only reason I am in this situation, is myself. Yeah I had other things going on, but it was my responsibility, I’ve messed up. I’d been blaming everyone else, former managers, my ex missus, family.. but no. It’s time to grow up. I have to correct it. That moment of clarity made me want to be a better man. But there’s a still a long way to go. I’m working on myself every day.’
So the dream was back on, albeit probably seeming like a million miles away at the time. George looked me square in the eye, he needed me to know he meant this. ‘I wanted to show my kids that you need to graft in life to get what you want. It’s not about being a talker, it’s about putting the hours in and giving it your best shot. Being responsible for yourself. But I’m not silly, it was a long way off. My wife to be, Michelle (not the barmaid), supported me when others were doubting me. She took some slack but she had my back 100% and told me to go for it. That’s loyalty’.
Hard work, as usual, got him from there to here. Weight lost, training hard, a good team around him and with a focus that is clear as day, George seems like a man on a mission. It’s not often you get a second chance at a sport as demanding and gruelling as boxing. But George has carved that out for himself and is now in a position to look forward with optimism about what he can still achieve, rather than looking backwards with regrets.
The next step in that journey is this Sunday evening at the 02, where George features in his second Bare Knuckle Boxing fight, this time against Jack Mclean. The initial reaction to hearing Bare Knuckle might conjure up images of blood thirsty fans in a warehouse somewhere watching barbaric fights with little rules and regulations until last man standing. But it’s clear BKB is anything but. “Fight wise it’s actually safer than boxing in my opinion, cos you’re not sustaining a constant barrage of blows to the head like you would in a gloved fight. The brain is not taking as much punishment over time. Fights are over a bit quicker and are stopped when a fighter looks hurt. You can’t continue taking blows to the head in bare knuckle and stay standing’.
And the production of BKB has also impressed George. He has fought traditional Boxing bouts on Sky and ITV and says BKB is just as good. ‘They put on a proper show, very well organised, and they really look after the fighters. It’s a sport and a culture that is growing and I’m loving being a part of it.’
At 38 years old, George would be in the late autumn of a ‘normal’ boxing career, and is under no illusions that time is of the essence. So what exactly is he hoping to achieve. ‘I just want to give it my all and see where it takes me. I’ll work hard and take on the fights and train and give my best. I still feel like I’ve got something to give you know? I’ve not been in many wars, and I’m still sharp in body and between the ears’.
George’s opponent on Sunday night is Jack Mclean, who has not been shy on calling out George on social media. Trash talk is part and parcel of any combat sport, and George says he is taking it in his stride, admitting that Jack is doing a good job selling the fight. ‘There’s no bad blood. We’re both professionals, and I’ll show my professionalism on the night. I’m here to do a job, and then see what’s next’.
‘But I will be honest. If down the line I’m not good enough, I’ll be the first to admit it and walk away. And this time, I’ll be able to say its because I wasn’t good enough, but it wasn’t for want of trying. I don’t want to hide behind anything, I don’t want any regrets. And when that time comes, I’d love to start training kids, guide them and show them the ropes, see if I can bring on the next George Hilliard’.
Everyone loves a good comeback story. Whether George’s career recaptures the heady heights of his early days or goes out in a blaze of glory, giving himself a fighting chance is an immense achievement in itself. And spending the next hour watching him train, I’d say talk of raising the next generation of fighters needs to be put on ice, as it looks like George himself is the Phoenix rising from the ashes.
Mitch Panayis, Director East 15 Films
George Hillyard fights Jack Mclean this Sunday at London’s 02 in Bare Knuckle Boxing BKB 31
George Hillyard - Rising from the Ashes
Everyone loves a good discovery story. The littlliest lad being plucked from the street and transplanted into a premier league academy. The catwalk model picked up in the frozen aisle. Buskers swapping Oxford street for Abbey rd. George Hillyard’s discovery was as English as it was boxing. Down the (cara)’van for the weekend, an elder in the bar throws a friendly haymaker his way, 10 year old George instinctively slips, shuffles and throws a hook back. It’s happened up and down the country millions of times before.
But the elder happened to be Roy Macdonald, the renowned former amateur boxer and then head coach at Lion Boxing Gym in Hoxton. And he saw something in young George that day, pleading with George’s Dad to take his son to his gym. ‘My Dad thought I was in some sort of trouble at first. I was a real life Dennis the Menace back then. He told Roy I was a bit of a pussy and anyway, I was football mad, so no. The next night I was at the Lion. I fell in love with boxing from the moment I walked in’.
George Hillyard could be spotted a mile off. His beaming smile lights up the car park on this grey and rainy afternoon outside Cre8 Gym in Hoddeson. It’s a week till fight night, and 20 plus years since I last laid eyes on him. The welcome is as warm as it is genuine. ‘You look well mate’. I’m not sure if he is just being polite. ‘And you mate’. I mean it.
I mean this guy has been in the wars, and unusually for a boxer, his biggest battles have been fought outside the ring. I’ve seen the news and heard the stories. Family fall outs, money missing, drink problems, court cases, you name it. The trials and tribulations have been a part of George’s life as much as his prowess in the squared circle. Yet before me stands a man calm, collected, and assured of himself. I’m instantly at ease with him.
George’s life didn’t get interesting when he started playing football for Leyton Orient, when he first signed a boxing contract, nor when he knocked out his opponent in 42 seconds flat in his pro debut (6 seconds off Mike Tyson’s record). It was colourful from the first bell. Born Canning Town, then moving to Stratford, George was ‘discovered’ at his families Caravan holiday park, and for the next 3 years put his nut down and learnt his craft, fighting in 21 amateur bouts with 19 wins. At age 13 the Hillyard family left east London and headed out to Nazeing, Essex, a path so many East enders had trod before. ‘If we’d stayed, I’m sure I would be in prison or not here at all by now. I was getting into a lot of trouble. It was going to be a fresh start’.
But George’s tearaway reputation followed him out of the big smoke, making it nigh on impossible for him to be accepted into a new school in Essex. They gave up looking and the next 3 years were spent working with his Dad, labouring, painting and decorating. Around this time, George’s Dad went blind after developing cataracts. ‘I went off the rails, getting in a lot of trouble, a bit doolally. Boxing and football fell by the wayside. It was a tough time’.
At 16, needing a bit of direction, he had the itch to lace up the gloves again, and started bunking the train back east to The Lion in Hoxton, putting in the hard hours on the heavy bag. ‘It felt great to be back in the gym, pounding the pads. That’s when I met trainer Roy Callahan. He said I was mustard and we gelled straight away. He really believed in me, and I started to believe in myself again. Just when it looked like I was racing off the edge of the cliff, Boxing brought me back. I really think it saved me.’ His first comeback, but certainly not his last.
George went on the fight in the amateur scene, narrowly missing out on a spot on the 2004 Olympic team, before finally making a decision to pursue boxing instead of football, a decision which led to Barry Hearne calling him a ‘foolish, foolish boy’. Hearne ended up giving him a shot at the big time in 2005, where George knocked out his opponent live on Sky Sports in 42 seconds. Three days later he was signing a multi million pound contract with the Hearnes. He had the world in the palm of his hand.
But all was not handled well. What should have been the beginning of a structured, professional and fruitful career that placed George at its centrepiece with a trajectory towards the very top, slowly started to unravel like hand wraps post fight. ‘As quick as I had it all, I started to lose it all. We ran before we could walk and didn’t listen to the right people. I was losing focus and things started to slip away. My training standard started to slide. Money started disappearing, things with my parents were becoming strained.’ Around that time, a doorstep incident where George pushed away the Mother of his kids led to him being charged with common assault. ‘The papers got hold of it and I went from walking down the road signing autographs, to dodging ‘wife-beating’ comments. I was devastated. Then I hit the drink’.
‘I’d hit a real low. I remember drinking and thinking ‘what am I doing here? What’s the point? I can just drink myself to death’. I was in the pub all the time, doing nearly a grand a month in there. I ballooned from 12st to 18st. I remember coming down the stairs with my top off, my Mum looked at me and asked if I wanted to borrow one of her bras. It was sad really. My boxing career was over at that point, and possibly everything else would have been gone. The barmaid in the pub, a lovely lady called Michelle, ended up pulling me aside, telling me she was refusing to serve me. She said she can’t let me do this anymore. That must have been difficult for her. It was a very sobering moment’.
George had to look in the most difficult place. ‘The hardest thing was looking in the mirror and saying the only reason I’m not world champion, the only reason I am in this situation, is myself. Yeah I had other things going on, but it was my responsibility, I’ve messed up. I’d been blaming everyone else, former managers, my ex missus, family.. but no. It’s time to grow up. I have to correct it. That moment of clarity made me want to be a better man. But there’s a still a long way to go. I’m working on myself every day.’
So the dream was back on, albeit probably seeming like a million miles away at the time. George looked me square in the eye, he needed me to know he meant this. ‘I wanted to show my kids that you need to graft in life to get what you want. It’s not about being a talker, it’s about putting the hours in and giving it your best shot. Being responsible for yourself. But I’m not silly, it was a long way off. My wife to be, Michelle (not the barmaid), supported me when others were doubting me. She took some slack but she had my back 100% and told me to go for it. That’s loyalty’.
Hard work, as usual, got him from there to here. Weight lost, training hard, a good team around him and with a focus that is clear as day, George seems like a man on a mission. It’s not often you get a second chance at a sport as demanding and gruelling as boxing. But George has carved that out for himself and is now in a position to look forward with optimism about what he can still achieve, rather than looking backwards with regrets.
The next step in that journey is this Sunday evening at the 02, where George features in his second Bare Knuckle Boxing fight, this time against Jack Mclean. The initial reaction to hearing Bare Knuckle might conjure up images of blood thirsty fans in a warehouse somewhere watching barbaric fights with little rules and regulations until last man standing. But it’s clear BKB is anything but. “Fight wise it’s actually safer than boxing in my opinion, cos you’re not sustaining a constant barrage of blows to the head like you would in a gloved fight. The brain is not taking as much punishment over time. Fights are over a bit quicker and are stopped when a fighter looks hurt. You can’t continue taking blows to the head in bare knuckle and stay standing’.
And the production of BKB has also impressed George. He has fought traditional Boxing bouts on Sky and ITV and says BKB is just as good. ‘They put on a proper show, very well organised, and they really look after the fighters. It’s a sport and a culture that is growing and I’m loving being a part of it.’
At 38 years old, George would be in the late autumn of a ‘normal’ boxing career, and is under no illusions that time is of the essence. So what exactly is he hoping to achieve. ‘I just want to give it my all and see where it takes me. I’ll work hard and take on the fights and train and give my best. I still feel like I’ve got something to give you know? I’ve not been in many wars, and I’m still sharp in body and between the ears’.
George’s opponent on Sunday night is Jack Mclean, who has not been shy on calling out George on social media. Trash talk is part and parcel of any combat sport, and George says he is taking it in his stride, admitting that Jack is doing a good job selling the fight. ‘There’s no bad blood. We’re both professionals, and I’ll show my professionalism on the night. I’m here to do a job, and then see what’s next’.
‘But I will be honest. If down the line I’m not good enough, I’ll be the first to admit it and walk away. And this time, I’ll be able to say its because I wasn’t good enough, but it wasn’t for want of trying. I don’t want to hide behind anything, I don’t want any regrets. And when that time comes, I’d love to start training kids, guide them and show them the ropes, see if I can bring on the next George Hilliard’.
Everyone loves a good comeback story. Whether George’s career recaptures the heady heights of his early days or goes out in a blaze of glory, giving himself a fighting chance is an immense achievement in itself. And spending the next hour watching him train, I’d say talk of raising the next generation of fighters needs to be put on ice, as it looks like George himself is the Phoenix rising from the ashes.
Great story. Funny old thing life. You rise, you fall, you rise again ad infinitum.
It Don’t matter where you been, it’s where your going.
George’s story reminds us of this.
You are correct Dave! very well put. keep moving!
Really good read, enjoyed that
Thank you Connor, good to hear!
Very well written story, you don’t have to be interested in boxing to enjoy that. Loved the comeback from the guy. So… did he win?
Yes he won!! Was a great fight to be fair. Sounds like he will be fighting again soon so watch this space