Levi: helping fight to beat cancer by day, pro fighter by night

Levi Vaughan…makes pro debut in Birmingham on May 10

LEVI Vaughan has had to overcome academic failures and homelessness, but now the punching scientist has set himself a new challenge, writes PAUL WEBB.

Levi makes his professional boxing debut on the BCB Promotions’ May 10 show at the H Suite in Edgbaston.

 The 26-year-old, from Birmingham, came to the sport late in life, at a time when things outside the ring were spiralling out of control.

“When I was 18, I found myself in a position where I had to sofa surf and this was a key factor in my failing my A-levels in science,” said Vaughan. “I was in a bad place mentally and needed to conjure up some determination and focus, which boxing helped with massively.

“I crawled out of my depression and eventually managed to get into the University of Bristol to study biology in 2018, which was a 2017 QS world top 10 university. I had promised my family I could do so.”

After a very brief amateur career, Vaughan found himself stepping into the BCB gym in Wednesbury and was immediately taken under the wing of Errol Johnson and Paul Mann. A recent trip to Tenerife with some of the gym’s biggest names has cemented that feeling of being part of the team.

“Errol and Paul have been extremely welcoming. I was able to go to the Canary Islands with the team to train hard and this was a brilliant learning experience.”

Vaughan’s grandparents were both renown chemistry teachers and a career in the sciences seemed like an inevitable path to take. He found his calling working in the X-ray industry for cancer research.

“My grandfather passed away a couple of years ago, but he just about lived to see me obtain my degree in biology. Cancer affects almost everyone in some way, and I see that first-hand in my work. I will be donating 20 per cent of the money from my ticket sales to Cancer Research UK.

“I’m feeling confident that training is going really well, and, of course, there will be a few nerves. I’m grateful that I have a slot on the card and can’t wait to get in the ring on the night.”

Tickets for the show on May are now available, priced at £40 standard and £80 VIP ringside, from the boxers directly or by emailing info@bcb-promotions.com.