Liam O’Hare is determined to prove he was right to swap ballet for boxing as the curtain goes up on his pro debut.
His paid bow comes at the H Suite in Edgbaston, Birmingham, on the Sunday afternoon of December 19, as part of a show staged by BCB Promotions.
The 25-year-old knows Birmingham well from his time as a student at Elmhurst Ballet School, but decided to ditch dancing and take up boxing instead
O’Hare has been getting on his toes – only, from there, with gloves on – ever since and embarked on an amateur career with Lydney Boxing Club.
He won multiple area titles in national competition, his best run taking him to the semi-finals of the England Junior Championships.
Travelling around is nothing new to O’Hare, who grew up in military surroundings as his dad, Harry, was a brigadier, with mum Lisa also with them.
The trainee accountant now calls Hereford home and has the support of the locals, with over 100 tickets sold for his pro debut.
He trains out of the City of Hereford Boxing Academy, with trainer Tony Chadwick in the corner as the gym itself goes pro.
O’Hare said: “It will be almost like going back home, with the experiences that I’ve had before in Birmingham, when I stopped dancing and ended up pursuing boxing as a living.
“I was at Elmhurst for about half a year, but I made the decision to quit and went back to senior school (Monmouth Boys), so I could push for my GCSEs.
“I was a bit of a military rat, as a child, living from barracks to barracks. I was born on an army base in Farnborough, but I’m settled in central Hereford now.
“I was doing my A-Levels (in Maths, English and Chemistry), but getting more into boxing, so I decided not to go to university, which wasn’t a sensible decision, in my parents’ eyes.
“Hopefully, that choice will pay off, now I’m turning pro, but I’m doing an apprenticeship in accounting, so I feel like I’ve got all bases covered.
“I’ve been boxing for nine years. I fought at quite a high level, in the amateurs, and I’ll be looking to do the same, as a pro.
“I’m very excited to get going and it’s nice to begin my career with a gym that’s just starting out. We are going on a journey together.
“I’ll be getting started at middleweight, but I’ll be cutting down to super welter for titles, which is what I want to push the limits towards.”
Tickets for the H Suite bill are available now, priced at £40 standard or £75 VIP ringside with buffet, directly from the boxers or by visiting myfighttickets.com.
