A year last November, I stood on the balcony of The University of Bolton Stadium, looking down at a growing crowd, sensing a piping hot atmosphere develop and bubble like a giant Lancashire Hot Pot. Hearing a barrage of thuds, “duff, duff, duff”, I look over my shoulder and see the main ingredient of the regional dish, Cruiserweight Jack Massey; a chiseled lump of prime British meat, simmering beneath the surface, pummeling the pads and patiently preparing to pack a punch in his IBO World Title fight with Bilal Laggoune.
The meat used in a traditional Hot Pot is Lamb; an animal typically led to the slaughter, but that evening the 29-year-old displayed all the pride and confidence of a lion, led to the ring and ultimately to victory by Manchester based boxing legend Ricky Hatton.
Massey claimed the IBO title that evening in emphatic fashion, stopping his opponent in the second round. The IBO is not one of the four major boxing organisations and some would say therefore, as trinkets go, it is a Casio in a cabinet full of Cartier’s, but nevertheless, that was the fight that should have been the catalyst for big things. Unfortunately, it was the prequel to-in his words-The “Hardest, toughest year” of his life.
“Winning that title should have catapulted me right into the mix to make the big fights.” Said Massey.
“Unfortunately, they were not made to happen, it is a shame, a lot of stuff went on, a lot of naughty stuff that we won’t go into too much, but yeah it was a real shame. We lost the IBO title through no fault of our own, we lost the IBF European title as well.”
In the aftermath of winning the IBO Jack Massey had openly reiterated his desire to face one of the top British Cruiserweights in a domestic showdown. Chris Billam-Smith and Isaac Chamberlain were both mentioned, but nothing materialised, instead they faced each other in an entertaining scrap in July of last year. Suggesting that his former promotional company Fight Academy-which is headed up by Dennis Hobson-was partly responsible for the inactivity and lack of big fights, he told me, “It has been the hardest, toughest year of my life. In boxing we had issues with promotion, but we have managed to get away from that now, thanks to my manager Kevin Maree and my legal team.
“Chris Billam-Smith versus Isaac Chamberlain was a great fight, Chamberlain actually wanted the fight (with me) which was good, I take my hat off to him, he wanted it, but it got turned away, but those are the fights I want to be involved in, these good domestic fights that people talk about, so it was a bit gutting.”
A legal wrangle with a promotional outfit, although frustrating, would probably not be enough to warrant beingdescribed as the hardest and toughest year of his life, no, there was a far more tragic reason for that admission. “We had a rubbish time outside the ring, me and my partner suffered two losses through last year, but life literally is like a rollercoaster, this year is the best year of my life so far, we are expecting our first born child in June and I’ve got the biggest fight of my life on the 21st of January, so life is up and down and you have just got to stick with it and stay persistent and things will come good.”
No loss in the ring could ever compare to the loss he and his partner endured, not once but twice, and the emotional effects are unimaginable. The uplifting news that they are now expecting their first child is heartwarming, and for Massey to have the courage and mental strength to get back in the ring at all should be commended. But getting back in the ring after a year out of it was not enough for him, he has jumped up to heavyweight to take on a top ten contender in New Zealander Joseph Parker on the undercard of Chris Eubank Jr versus Liam Smith.
Parker, a fighter who has shared the ring with Anthony Joshua, Dillian Whyte, Joe Joyce, Derrick Chisora and Andy Ruiz, will provide stiff opposition and raised more than the odd eyebrow once announced.
I was curious as to why he did not want to ease into a new weight with lesser opposition, but I should have known better. I have spoken to enough boxers to know that just about every one of them believes in their own ability to beat the person opposite them, but there is also a pragmatism that means they take opportunities that can make them money, and why not? After all they are the ones who risk their health for our entertainment. To offer context, Jack Massey was doing scaffolding work with his brother before landing the fight with Parker. “It was a big surprise, at the end of the day, I’m a boxer and we need to fight and we were looking for other fights, a lot of people were shying away from fighting me. We almost made a fight with a top cruiserweight, it fell through, after that it went quiet and all of a sudden I found myself doing a bit of work before Christmas to get some money in and that is when the phone rang.
“An opportunity like that, you can’t turn that down, we said yes as soon as we were offered the fight. It is on a massive platform in my home town of Manchester. Fighting in front of all those people against a top ten heavyweight, it does not get much bigger, you have got to grab it with both hands and take it.”
Adding further context, he said, “I have been a professional for ten years now, we have only just got the break, do you know what I mean? It might look all shiny and that from the outside, being an IBO champion, but I think your jaw would drop if I told you what I earned last year, It is not even 10% of what I am getting now, so yeah it is shocking at times, people do not really see that side of it. I am just one of those guys who just keeps going, puts their head down and I am very persistent, you have to keep moving forward and opportunities will arise.”
Many will question whether this bout at heavyweight will just be a one off because of the opportunity that has been presented, but the Northwest based pugilist was keen to point out that this will enable him to showcase his talent, affording him options in both divisions. He told me, “We have this big fight to springboard us back into the mix, show people what I am about, it is a very tough ask, but get through this fight and the world is your oyster, it is life changing stuff. Put on a good show, whatever happens, we could go back down to cruiserweight and campaign there where there are also massive fights to be made. So, it is a win, win situation.”
He is not wrong when he says that a win would be life changing, we all know that the heavyweight category is often referred to as the blue ribbon division of the sport. The rewards are lucrative, and Massey knows it. “I think a win means you are looking at another top ten heavyweight opponent. It has always been about the boxing, but the money as well, let’s be honest, it is life changing. You beat Parker and you could be looking at someone like Anthony Joshua, he is wanting a comeback fight, massive names like that, you are talking life changing amounts of money. I would take it any day, I have been in boxing twenty years now, I know how to handle myself, I know how to protect myself.”
Massey insists that despite a challenging 2022, his state of mind has never been better, he pointed to the relationship between him and his long-term manager and cornerman, Kevin Maree as a major contributor. “Kevin has been massively important; I couldn’t thank him enough. He is the best manager in boxing, he is one of a kind. He is such a good guy, it is all about the boxer with Kevin, it is never about the money. He really, really looks after his boxers, you know, he has not taken money off me the last couple of fights and he has been there for us throughout 2022, he has got me here and I couldn’t thank him enough. It is not just about taking boxers on the pads and getting sparring and stuff, you have to have that close relationship. A trainer has got to know you inside and out, know how you are feeling, where your head is at going through camp, basically like a father figure really.”
The relationship between the pair became even more important following the disruption caused by the news in December that long term head trainer Rob Rimmer was wanted by police in connection with alleged drug-related criminal activity. “I won’t go into it too much, but we had a bit of bad news a while ago with our head trainer Rob, it was a shame what happened to him, it was in the newspapers and whatever. Whatever he does outside of the gym is nothing to do with us guys, but he is a good friend, and he has been there for most of my professional career, but it is a shame what happened, but we have to stick together as a team, stay focused. We still have the blueprint there but Charlie Schofield is the head trainer at Phoenix camp, he has been my trainer for about a year now. So, it is going to be Charlie and my main cornerman will be Kevin for the Parker fight.”
Joking at the absurdity of the chain of events that threatened to derail his career, he added, “That was another thing to add to the year 2022, but we move on.”
Massey will not be the first fighter to make the leap from cruiser to heavy of course, plenty of high profile names have done it successfully. Evander Holyfield was probably the best to do it. Boxers like David Haye and more recently Oleksandr Usyk and Murat Gassiev have also shown it to be possible. Massey knows that there will still be advantages to be had by making the transition. “Parker is the same height as me, similar age, not a massive monster of a heavyweight. You look at your AJ’s and Fury’s, you know, Fury is 6ft 9 and weighs whatever he weighs, they are big, big monsters but you look at Parker, he is not the biggest of heavyweights. When I come in naturally, I have to cut to come down to cruiserweight and I’ll be heavier than what most people think.
“We will not approach the fight looking to mix it up and stand there in front of him, that is for sure, but I can punch at cruiser, it is that speed as well, most of the knockouts do not come from a power punch, it is the timing and the speed, and that is what I will be bringing into this fight, the timing and speed advantage.”
You would not wish anyone to experience the catastrophic events Jack and his family did in 2022, but I did not sense that he felt the heavy weight of expectation, there was a certainty, a determination in his voice that suggested to me it has galvanized them, not least because his focus and who he is doing it for is even more important now. “My mindset is the best it has been, I am obviously fighting to put food on the table now, The little one when she arrives in June is another big incentive. I feel mentally strong, very strong. You are building a future and you are doing it for your kids aren’t you?”
The Heavyweight clash between Massey and Parker will take place at The AO Arena Manchester on January 21st and will be shown on Sky Sports Box Office.