Get To Know 'Bang Bang'
From the age of 14, I started to impersonate a fighter. I would tell teachers at school I was preparing for fights at the weekend. I walked like a fighter, talked like a fighter. However, I couldn’t even lace up a pair of boxing gloves, let alone use them! I’d never gone near a pair of proper boxing gloves in my life, but I always told people I was going to be a world champion. It was something I wanted to do, I just never had the opportunity. I certainly got my reputation in the school playground, but my mum wouldn’t let me start boxing. It wasn’t until my parents split up, my dad let me start.
I had big dreams…
From the age of 15 I started at Ringside Gym in Trowbridge. I loved it so much that I was there nearly every day. It wasn’t long after that, that I was allowed my first fight. My opponent was half a stone heavier than me and I knocked him out in the first round! I was offered another fight the same night however, this guy was even heavier than me and I also knocked him out! This gave me my first two fights in one night, but I was still just a little boy in a man’s world.
I would have boxed as an amateur but back then I didn’t even know what it was. I’m glad in some ways I didn’t go down the amateur route as it gave me more of a Pro Style. I continued to have unlicenced fights and had 18 unlicenced fights in total.
When I turned 18 I wanted more professional fights. My family wanted me to become a bricklayer and to go to college but I hated it. It wasn’t me and it definitely wasn’t something I wanted to do. Instead of being in college, I was always down the gym.
My professional boxing career started in 2009. I started training with professional coach Gary Lockett in Wales and it was the best move I’d made. He was a great trainer and friend and helped me achieve my dreams of becoming The British Middleweight Champion. I also had a great Promotional Team behind me with Mick Hennessy and Hennessy Sports
I’ve Boxed in shows all over the Country and Europe including York Hall, The 02 Arena London, The SSE Arena London, Monte Carlo, Marbella, Malta, Bristol, Bath, Birmingham, Derby, Swindon and my home town of Trowbridge, just to name a few.
Apart from Chris Eubank Jr. my toughest opponents were Martin Murry and Billy Joe Saunders, both of which I lost to.
When I fought Martin Murry, I was only 19, it was much too early in my career and I fought him whilst with a broken rib. I was never one to turn down a fight, so the fight went ahead and I lost on points.
When I fought Billy Joe Saunders, he was a world class opponent and even though I lost I gave a very good fight and in my eyes it was a close one.
My nickname became BANG BANG because I was tough, strong, never been knocked down and my punch was said to be a ‘Banger’. That is what gave me the name of Nick ‘Bang Bang’ Blackwell.
I fought some top-class fighters during my professional career which include, Martin Murry, Billy Joe Saunders, John Ryder, Chris Eubank Jnr and Jack Arnfield. I did 15 Rounds with Carl Froch and 10 with George Groves.
I sparred Gennadiy Golovkin in Monaco, Matthew Macklin, Enzo Maccarinelli, Liam Williams, James Degale, Jamie Moore and many more.
On March 26th 2016, I entered the ring as a Professional Boxer for the last time. It was my biggest fight to date to try and defend my British Middleweight Title for the 3rd time to Chris Eubank Jr. I had the best Corner that night with the likes of Tyson Fury and Billy Joe Saunders walking out behind me to the ring and Liam Williams and Coach Gary Lockett in my Corner.
My Fight with Chris Eubank Jr was stopped in 10th round after swelling on my left eye. I collapsed in the ring and was placed into an induced coma and taken to hospital for many weeks. This has been documented in the press.
After being told I was unable to box again, I struggled a lot. I feel there isn’t much support in boxing for Boxers who have sustained injuries which make them retire. It’s so hard to be told you cannot box anymore. It was my life, it was all I had ever known since that young boy in the playground. To be told I would never lace up the gloves again was heart wrenching and still is. I felt like the old Nick, I felt 100% again after my 1st Coma. Stupidly my love for boxing was too strong and wrongly I went sparring again in Devizes where I collapsed for a 2nd time and got rushed to hospital, this time things were serious and life threatening. They didn’t know if I would make it, it was touch and go some days. I had died and they brought me back to life. I had pneumonia 3 times and I had a 75% chance of dying. They had to cut a section of my skull to relieve the swelling on my brain and place it in my stomach to keep it alive. This coma was longer, I lost all feeling on my left side, I gained 3 stone, I had to learn to walk, talk and eat again. Things weren’t looking good back then. If I hadn’t have been the fit athlete that I was I wouldn’t be here….. But I am a fighter and I never gave up! I learned to walk and slowly talk and was in rehab for a long time and even now my recovery is still going on. I will never be the old Nick, I am a new Nick now. Some days are more of a struggle than others.
I’m still recovering and damage has been done that I will never recover from. I have a weaker left side and memory loss, and other hidden disabilities. I need help everyday. I can no longer drive and I need continued physiotherapy and support. I’m in contact with the professional Boxers, Coaches and Promoters and that helps me stay involved with boxing and helps with my mental health to know I’m still involved and part of the boxing family. This helps my rehabilitation and it is all I have now to be involved with professional Boxers and friends. It is not easy being told you can never box or get in a boxing ring again. I think about it every day, I think how I would have been a world champion now and that really hurts that I will never be able to do that, it’s heart wrenching.
After my 2nd coma I gained 3 stone and was unrecognisable as the old Nick people knew that went into hospital. It shocked me so much that when I woke up from the coma I started panicking and tried to do sit ups. The nurses had to calm me down as I had always been a fit athlete. It took years to get the weight off and I’m now unable to go to gym as it can put pressure on my head. I can do small limited walking and physio exercises at home and I need a controlled diet. I need help cooking and preparing meals because of my memory.
I live a family life now I am the NEW Nick Blackwell. I will never be the same again, but I went out on a high as The British Middleweight Champion, Youngest English Champion and WBC World Youth Title…. Do I think I would of been world Champion? 100%!!! I was a fighter then and I’m still fighting now.
I want to thank all my Fans and Followers for the continued support it means the world and inspires me to keep going everyday…