JORDAN BANJO has revealed how boxing helped him KO the booze.
Banjo — who won Britain’s Got Talent in 2009 alongside brother Ashley with dance group Diversity — began drinking during the Covid lockdown.
But he also started boxing training around the same time — and said turning up to sessions hungover punched him into gear to turn sober.
He told SunSport: “When I first started training, I was drinking the most then.
“And that’s my point, I don’t wanna make it sound like I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is so…’
“There’s people who are suffering a lot worse than I’ve ever had relying on things that hopefully they can move away from.
“But at the time when I felt that’s the main reason I stopped drinking was because I started sparring, and I was like flipping hell, I’m going to classes and I’m sparring twice a week and I’m feeling like c**p when I’m going in there.
“And that was sort of the kickstarter for me, like training. And then one thing led to another.
“You just get healthier, you get fitter, and it sort of becomes a bit more of a lifestyle with boxing. It is all encompassing.”
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There’s a massive year of boxing ahead!
It’s shaping up to be a blockbuster year of action inside the boxing ring.
Tyson Fury will make his return in April against Arslanbek Makhmudov while Oleksandr Usyk takes on the king of kickboxing Rico Verhoeven.
Conor Benn features for the first time since making the switch to Zuffa Boxing and Fabio Wardley will defend his newly won heavyweight crown.
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March
- Sat 14 – Jazza Dickens vs Anthony Cacace – WBA super-featherweight title – DAZN
- Sat 21 – George Liddard vs Tyler Denny – British & Commonwealth Middleweight title – DAZN
- Sat 28 – Moses Itauma vs Jermaine Franklin – DAZN
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April
- Sat 4 – Deontay Wilder vs Derek Chisora – DAZN PPV
- Sun 5 – Caroline Dubois vs Terri Harper – Sky Sports
- Sat 11 – Tyson Fury vs Arslanbek Makhmudov – Netflix
- Sat 11 – Conor Benn vs Regis Prograis – Netflix
- Sat 18 – Callum Smith vs David Morrell – DAZN
- Sat 18 – Manny Pacquiao vs Ruslan Provodnikov
- Sat 25 – Lawrence Okolie vs Tony Yoka – DAZN
May
- Sat 2 – Zurdo Ramirez vs David Benavidez – WBA & WBO Cruiserweight titles – Prime Video
- Sat 9 – Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois – WBO title – DAZN
- Sat 23 – Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven – WBC title – DAZN
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Banjo has boxing in his blood with dad Funso a former heavyweight fighter who once challenged for the British title.
But Funso — who had a 15-3 record before his 1986 retirement — refused to let his boys box.
Banjo, 33, revealed: “My dad was a professional fighter. He never wanted me or my brother to box, so he pushed us into the way more dangerous sport of competitive street dance!
“So it took a while for me to actually get into boxing, but when I started doing a little bit of presenting boxing wise, hosting boxing shows, I was working on DAZN at the time.
“You meet more people, you start being around it even more, and I’ve always been a big fan of the sport. But I never trained.
“I was always working, always busy, so it wasn’t until I was 30 that I started training, and then you do a few pad sessions that turn into some circuits that turn into a bit of sparring, and then before you know it, I’m sat here chatting to you about to have my second fight on Misfits!”
Banjo got the chance to prove to his dad he can be a boxer just like him after signing with Misfits – home to celebrity-style crossover bouts.
He beat Love Island star Wil Anderson in the fourth round of his May debut.
And he returns on Saturday in Derby against TikToker Tempo Arts — a former champ of the Misfits circuit.
Banjo now has his dad in his corner — but revealed convincing his wife Naomi is a fight he may never win.
The father-of-three said: “She’s as supportive as she can be, but she doesn’t like me fighting. She doesn’t want me fighting.
“My oldest son, he’s seven, about to be eight. He’s buzzing, he loves it.
“My daughter and my wife absolutely hate it, so it’s a tricky one because they wanna support.
“But I know especially for her, I wouldn’t have her at the show. I don’t think I’d be nice to her.
“I don’t think she’d wanna watch it and physically be there but she wants to support. So she’ll probably be parked outside the arena!”
