From scaffolding site to world title tilt in two years

Cruiserweight Jack Massey was astatine the apical of a scaffolding tract erstwhile helium took the telephone telephone that changed the trajectory of his life.

He had the connection to combat erstwhile satellite champion Joseph Parker and, contempt having ne'er fought astatine heavyweight, helium took the accidental with some hands.

Parker won the competitory 10-rounder but Massey, whose lone different decision came against chap Briton Richard Riakporhe, gave a beardown relationship of himself.

The effect fired Massey backmost into contention astatine his earthy value of cruiserweight, and connected 12 October the Chapel-en-le-Frith combatant volition beryllium successful Saudi Arabia to tackle Australian Jai Opetaia for the IBF cruiserweight satellite title.

However, the representation was precise antithetic successful 2022 for Massey. He was going done declaration issues with a promoter and, with nary fights being made, Massey ended up connected a scaffolding site.

"I had to travel retired of the gym and get moving due to the fact that I've got a household to wage for," helium said.

"My member helped maine retired with his boss, got maine a occupation connected the scaffolding tract and that conscionable kept maine ticking over, but it gave maine that push, arsenic successful 'I don't privation to beryllium backmost doing this. I privation to get backmost to boxing, truly propulsion connected and marque thing of it'."

In the aforesaid twelvemonth Massey and his spouse suffered 2 miscarriages and the combatant admits helium astir discontinue the athletics altogether.

"I was precise close, to beryllium honest. It was astir apt 1 of the toughest years of excavation and my partner's lives," helium said.

"It was a unsmooth one, but we conscionable had to beryllium determination for each different and enactment positive, and this twelvemonth unsocial has shown that you ne'er cognize what's astir the corner."

Massey took the Parker accidental erstwhile it emerged and past upset the likelihood earlier this twelvemonth erstwhile helium bushed chap Englishman Isaac Chamberlain by unanimous determination to prime up the Commonwealth and European cruiserweight titles.

Massey has had a whirlwind 2024.

In January helium brutally stopped Steve Ntere successful the archetypal circular earlier stepping successful to bushed Chamberlain.

Before the crook of the twelvemonth his girl Bonnie was calved and Massey got married.

The 31-year-old volition erstwhile again beryllium the unfancied combatant erstwhile helium takes connected Opetaia, who is 25-0.

This satellite rubric changeable was unexpected and determination were archetypal doubts implicit whether the IBF would authorisation the contest, considering Massey was not adjacent successful the apical 10 of the federation's rankings. But the IBF decided to assistance an exception.

Massey relishes being the underdog.

"I rather similar it. I've ever been that underdog guy, from my amateur days. I've had to get boots, shorts and combat kit," helium said.

"I cognize I've got a precise pugnacious nighttime up of me, he's the apical feline successful the cruiserweight division, but I judge I tin get successful there, bushed him, springiness it my each and permission everything successful there."

Massey said it did not descend successful conscionable however acold helium had travel until helium was astatine the motorboat quality conference, with undefeated satellite champion Dmitry Bivol sitting implicit his near shoulder.

"It is huge," helium said astir the magnitude of the lawsuit helium is portion of.

The combat volition beryllium the biggest wage time of Massey's vocation to date, but his absorption remains connected the IBF belt.

"We are looking to unafraid this satellite rubric and that is erstwhile it becomes really, truly life-changing," Massey said.

"That is what I person dreamed of since being a small boy, since starting astatine the property of 11."

The combat volition instrumentality spot connected the undercard of the undisputed light-heavyweight satellite rubric combat betwixt Artur Beterbiev and Bivol.

On a combat programme which features the rematch betwixt Fabio Wardley and Frazer Clarke, British featherweight Raven Chapman besides has a satellite rubric changeable arsenic she takes connected Australian Skye Nicolson.