Dempsey Madden is living the dream in professional boxing after his belated introduction to the pro ranks.
His journey continues at the Park Inn Hotel, Northampton, on the evening of Wednesday December 8, as part of a show staged by BCB Promotions.
The 30-year-old’s paid debut only came in October, on home turf at the Deco in Northampton, where he took on the ultra-experienced Kevin McCauley.
McCauley was 241 fights into his pro career, at the time, and once held a prize that Madden is already longing for – the Midlands welterweight title.
Madden now holds a win over that former champion, after having his hand raised through a 39-37 points decision that made it a successful start to his pro run.
He’s a second-generation fighter, too, as the son of Dave Madden, who named him after his own boxing hero Jack Dempsey. As a youngster, he took after his dad.
His first amateur bout came at the age of 13, representing Weedon Boxing Club in Daventry. He wouldn’t lace on the gloves again until the age of 24.
Another two contests for Carmarthen Boxing Club is the sum total of his experience, having stepped away to become a family man and married father-of-two.
But Madden then entered it’s now or never mode in fulfilling a burning ambition to follow in his father’s footsteps and turn pro. What follows is the time to see how far he can go.
He said: “It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do, have a professional fight, ever since I was very young watching my dad train and get ready for it.
“It might have only been my pro debut, but it felt like a dream come true for me. It’s definitely another box ticked and to get the win was even better.
“I haven’t really got time on my side, at the age of 30, and I should have done this sooner, but life gets in the way sometimes with work, my wife, children and so on.
“I’m a self-employed block paver, too, and I’ve started my own business with it. When I go home, at night, I just grab my bag and go straight to the gym.
“You couldn’t really do boxing if you didn’t want to, because of the dedication that’s involved, and it makes for a busy life. Sometimes, it can be non-stop for me.
“I’ll probably only have a short pro career ahead of me, so I want to achieve all that I can and look back with no regrets afterwards. I’ll approach everything with no fear.
“I look at the Midlands welterweight title and think ‘I’ve got that in me.’ That might not mean a lot, to some people, but I’d be over the moon to get that far.
“I could see one of the top prospects picking me, because of my age and lack of experience, thinking that I’d be an easy opponent. That would be wrong.
“I’m improving all of the time, we’ve got some top lads in our gym and I hold my own with them in sparring, which has given me a lot of confidence.
“It will be a while before I feel like a proper professional boxer and another win would certainly be a step towards that. That’s the next obstacle for me.”
Tickets for the Park Inn bill are available, priced at £45 for unreserved seating or £80 VIP ringside with a two-course meal, directly from the boxers or by visiting myfighttickets.com.
