Ben Shalom, the man behind BOXXER, aims to take the promotion worldwide
Boxing’s youngest promoter, Ben Shalom, has made a name for himself in recent years, promoting some of Britain’s biggest fights, including the legendary showdown between Kell Brook and Amir Khan.
In an article Ben Shalom wrote for TalkSPORT, the 30-year-old reflected on his career in the boxing world so far.
“I first cut my teeth in the wild world of boxing when I was 18 years old.
“Much of my teens and early twenties were spent helping out local promoters in Manchester, going to gyms and promoting fights, doing whatever I could to get a foot in the door.
“At the time, I was studying for a degree in law at the University of Nottingham but I knew early on that I didn’t want to become a lawyer.
“All I wanted to be was a boxing promoter and I worked hard to make my dream a reality.
“I sacrificed my 20s for the sport but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Shalom has fond memories of watching Amir Khan compete at the 2024 Olympic Games, revealing that Khan was one of his major inspirations for pursuing a career in the boxing world.
“If it wasn’t for Amir Khan and Ricky Hatton I wouldn’t be working in boxing right now.
“My earliest boxing memory was watching Khan win the silver medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
“Little did I know that 18 years later I would be promoting his swansong appearance against Kell Brook at the AO Arena, Manchester. It’s a funny old game.
“Being a Manchester lad, both Hatton and Khan were massive inspirations for me growing up – and I have them to thank for sparking my fascination with boxing.”
Looking to the future, BOXXER’s CEO intends to continue the growth of his promotion, aiming to break out of Britain and into the world scene.
“Over time, we want to change the perception of boxing and continue to grow the women’s side of the sport, which we have had so much success with.
“The next step is to put on more shows in the US and internationally because those are where the biggest fights are really made.
“In the end, it’s about making an impact on the sport that we wanted from the start, to become the most recognisable brand in boxing.”