The Lion Gym

06/10/2026

The Lion Gym & Boxing Club would like to say thank you for the sparring to the visiting club at Lion's. All participating boxers gained valuable experience. www.theliongym.co.uk
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30/09/2026

Support The Lion Strength & Fitness Academy! 🦁

Help us raise funds towards the ongoing costs of running our boxing club, improving equipment and supporting our community outreach work.

Shopping online? You can support us through easyfundraising at no extra cost to you.

👉 Visit our page and register as a supporter:
https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/the-lion-strength-and-fitness-academy-lion-gym-and-boxing-club/

Whenever you buy everyday items online from retailers such as Asda, B&Q or eBay... aswell as many other retailers, simply shop through the easyfundraising app. The retailer will then make a donation to our charity at no extra cost to you!

Please click the link above to join and help support our charity every time you shop online.

Thank you for your support—it really does make a difference!

27/09/2026

ANOTHER EMPHATIC FIRST-ROUND PROFESSIONAL BOXING STOPPAGE FOR SHONA!

The Lion Gym & Boxing Club is immensely proud to announce that our talented former homegrown amateur boxer, Shona Larkman, has continued her impressive professional journey with another emphatic first-round stoppage victory!

Shona secured her second professional win yesterday, out-punching and overpowering her opponent in the opening round to maintain her perfect professional record.

As Senior Head Coach at Lion Gym, it gives me great satisfaction to see those years of hard training, amateur competition and development at our club helping Shona become such a dominant force in the professional ranks.

I still remember telling you that you had all the qualities needed to become an excellent professional boxer—and I am delighted that you are proving me right!

Congratulations, Shona. Here’s to many more victories and continued success throughout your professional career. The entire Lion Gym family is proud of you!

Kal and everyone at The Lion Gym & Boxing Club EnglandBoxing

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25/09/2026

ENGLAND SELECTION!

We are immensely proud to announce that our Lion Gym & Boxing Club boxer has been selected to represent England in the forthcoming international duel against Wales on Sunday 4th October 2026, at the world-famous Sport Wales National Centre, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff.

His continued dedication, discipline and huge improvements under the expert guidance of our coaching team continues to be recognised by England Boxing as we are working with the England Boxing coaches in terms of his development.

This selection is thoroughly deserved and marks another important step in his exciting boxing journey. Everyone at Lion Gym is incredibly proud of you, and we will continue working hard to develop your talent and help you reach the very top!

Congratulations—go and make your club, your city and your country proud!

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20/09/2026

A CONTROVERSIAL NIGHT IN DONCASTER
The Lion Gym & Boxing Club travelled to Doncaster to challenge for the Yorkshire Belt.
We were confident going into the contest despite the disadvantage of boxing away from home—and after the final bell, we were even more confident that our boxer had done enough to bring the belt back to Bradford.
As the saying goes, “A picture tells a thousand words.”
Unfortunately, the bout was awarded to our opponent by a highly controversial split decision. Almost everyone watching—including several coaches—appeared shocked by the result. One coach summed up the reaction by saying:
“What did I just see happen? You won that bout!”
However, at The Lion Gym, we accept both victories and defeats with dignity. We respect the officials’ decision and congratulate the winner on a great, competitive fight. There will be no drama and no disrespect from us—that is not how our club operates.
We are proud of our boxer’s performance, and this setback will only make us hungrier. We look forward to challenging for the Yorkshire Belt again, training harder than ever and returning even stronger.
We promise—we’re coming back for that belt, and next time we intend to bring it home!

14/09/2026

A HUGE THANK YOU FROM THE LION GYM & BOXING CLUB SATURDAY 12th SEPTEMBER 2026 HOME BOXING SHOW!

Our first boxing show of the season was a tremendous success and incredibly well attended. Thank you to everyone who came along and supported our boxers and our club—it genuinely means a great deal to us.

Matchmaking was more challenging than usual, with championships taking place the following day and many clubs only just returning after the off-season. Despite this, we ensured that all our boxers were matched in genuine 50/50 contests against strong, quality opposition.

As we have said before, we don’t duck challenges or search for easy bouts at The Lion Gym. That isn’t what true boxer development is about. We want our boxers to be tested, to learn and to improve every time they step through the ropes.

We achieved some excellent wins against quality opponents, alongside some important learning experiences that will make us stronger—especially for our boxers competing for the very first time. We are extremely proud of every Lion who represented the club.

Our next show will take place in a couple of months, and we promise that we’ll be back with a bang! 💥

A sincere thank you to all the boxers, coaches and spectators, as well as our MC, DJ and, most importantly, the Yorkshire officials who helped make the show possible.

Thank you very much, everyone!

Kal (Khalil)

Head Coach

The Lion Gym & Boxing Club

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03/09/2026

12/08/2026

Meeting Mathew Hatton

It was a real pleasure for me, as Head Coach of The Lion Gym & Boxing Club, to meet Mathew Hatton and have the opportunity to sit down and talk with him.

I followed Mathew’s career closely, alongside that of his legendary brother Ricky Hatton. I always felt Mathew was a hugely talented and tough fighter who perhaps didn’t receive the recognition he deserved at times, partly because of the enormous shadow cast by his brother’s incredible career.

Mathew was a warrior who gave every opponent a tough night. I remember his epic battles with fighters such as Canelo Álvarez and Kell Brook, and the determination and courage he showed throughout his career.

During our meeting, I was also able to personally pass on my condolences to Mathew following the heartbreaking loss of Ricky. I shared some of my own memories of Ricky, whom I had the privilege of meeting on several occasions, particularly through my previous work in sports media and boxing as a columnist.

It was also great to see former boxer and respected TV boxing commentator Darren Barker and others taking part in a charity fundraising run in Ricky’s memory, helping to raise awareness around mental health.

I firmly believe that we should all try to give something back to our communities and support causes that can make a genuine difference to people’s lives.

That is something I am extremely proud of through my voluntary work with The Lion Gym & Boxing Club.

For years, I have given my time voluntarily to help young people and adults through boxing, fitness and community activities. The aim has always been much bigger than boxing itself — it’s about improving health, confidence, discipline, mental wellbeing and giving people a positive place to belong.

I’m proud of the impact our volunteers, coaches and members continue to make in our community.

If you’d like to find out more about the work we do, please visit:

www.theliongym.co.uk

Please support The Lion Gym & Boxing Club if you can. Every bit of support helps us continue making a difference.

The Lion Gym & Boxing Club — Boxing, Community & Changing Lives.
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Matthew Hatton
Darren Barker
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26/07/2026

Congratulations to Lion Gym & Boxing Club's very own homegrown boxer, !
Today marks a proud moment as Jamie begins the next chapter of his boxing journey by turning professional after an outstanding amateur career of nearly 50 bouts, earning numerous titles and achievements along the way.
It has been an absolute privilege to coach Jamie from a young age and watch him grow, not only into a talented boxer but also into a dedicated, disciplined and respectful young man. Seeing him now join the professional ranks fills me with immense pride.
As a coach, I have mixed emotions. Naturally, I'm sad to lose one of my amateur boxers, but I'm also incredibly proud to have played a significant role in Jamie's boxing journey. Every hour of training, every victory, every setback and every lesson has helped shape the boxer he is today.
I have no doubt whatsoever that Jamie will continue to make a big impact in the professional game. He has the work ethic, determination and boxing ability to succeed, and I know he will continue to develop even further while building on the skills he learned at Lion Gym.
As your amateur coach, I'll now be cheering you on from ringside, proudly watching your professional career unfold and celebrating every success that comes your way.
As we spoke about the other day, I'm incredibly proud of you, Jamie. I wish you every success in your professional career. Remember, my door is always open. If you ever need advice, support or simply a chat, I'll always be here for you—as your former coach and, more importantly, as your friend.
Good luck, Jamie. Go and make your mark on the professional boxing world. Everyone at The Lion Gym & Boxing Club is behind you every step of the way.
Coach Kal (Khalil)
Head Coach
The Lion Gym & Boxing Club
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19/07/2026

The Lion Gym & Boxing Club and Head Coach Kal are incredibly proud of our former amateur boxer, Shona, on her emphatic first-round victory on her professional debut!

The Lion Gym is where it all began for Shona in amateur boxing, and I still remember telling her, "You should turn professional." I always believed you had what it takes, and it's fantastic to see you proving that on the professional stage.

As your amateur boxing coach, I'll never forget the countless hours we spent travelling the country, the endless training sessions in the gym, the victories, the disappointments, the wins, the losses, and those Sunday one-to-one sessions. (My arms and back still remember you smashing those pads! 😆)

Every moment was worth it, and seeing you win so impressively on your professional debut fills me with pride.

Wishing you every success in your professional career. Hopefully, I'll be there in the crowd cheering you on at one of your future fights.

Congratulations once again, Shona. Keep believing, keep working, and keep winning.

All the very best!

Coach Kal (Khalil)
The Lion Gym & Boxing Club