Boxing brings ups and downs, but Fred Zziwa’s love for the sport remains

Fred Zziwa

IN BOXING, there is an expectation that fighters should not only train to be the very best in their division but also cultivate a big enough fanbase to sell tickets, bolster pay-per-view buys and ultimately move the needle.

This expectation, of course, does not exist in most other sports. But boxing, as we all know, will always find a way to separate itself from the pack.

Instead of opportunities for progression being based solely on merit, the athletes – the most important characters in this drama we like to call a sport – are, in some cases, regardless of their talent or ability, only be valued once their marketability has been measured.

Naturally, promoters have all been guilty of unearthing a young prospect who, we later discover, has very little to offer beyond their popularity.

fred zziwa
Fred Zziwa

But still, this is how boxing will continue to operate, with a plethora of promising fighters falling by the wayside.

Fred Zziwa, 5-0 (5 KOs), a decorated amateur with aspirations to become a world champion in the pros, is just one of the many boxers who, without a promotional contract, are at risk of joining the ‘Who Needs Him Club.’

“What promoters don’t understand is that really skilful boxers are only skilful because they spend so much time in the gym that they can’t catch-up with their mates,” Zziwa told Boxing News. “What this means is that they can’t really create a fanbase. That’s the truth.

“Local boxers who have a lot of fans are often not that good – why? – because they go to the pub with their mates.

“I don’t even remember the last time I caught up with a friend, because I train so hard that any time I spend away from the gym, I’m trying to rest.”

In many ways, Zziwa possesses all the ingredients to reach the upper echelons of his sport: a compelling story, engaging personality and, perhaps most importantly, the ability to put his opponents to sleep at any given moment.

And yet, since moving to Australia as a teenager, the Uganda-born knockout artist has faced a formidable series of challenges in his pursuit of greatness.

His dream to compete at the Tokyo 2024 Olympics, for starters, was scuppered due to citizenship issues that were beyond his control. And even when he returned to Uganda, Zziwa was ultimately denied the opportunity to shine on the biggest stage in amateur boxing.

“I went back to fight for my country, and the corruption was just mad,” Zziwa said. “There will always be corruption in boxing, but my country was next level – they just kept wanting more and more money from me.

“That made me realise that boxing’s a gangster sport, where only the strong survive.”

Sure enough, the business side of boxing remains treacherous and unpredictable for anyone involved, let alone a fighter whose primary job is to keep winning.

Yet still, Zziwa has learned to cope with the intensity of his sport both in and out of the ring, mostly through his passion for cooking.

While working as a full-time chef alongside his amateur career – refining both his culinary and boxing skills – he began to draw parallels between the two fundamentally different disciplines.

“I love being a chef because the pressure you feel in the kitchen, when you have hundreds of tickets flying through, is like being in the ring, when someone’s throwing different combinations at you,” Zziwa said.

“Now, I feel as though I can control the pressure, and when I retire [from boxing], I may look to open my own restaurant. That’s my goal.”

While his dream to become a successful restaurateur could come to fruition down the line, there is now a vastly different ambition that remains at the forefront of Zziwa’s mind.

Having paid out of his own pocket to stage his five professional outings, the 26-year-old is determined to take his career to the next level by securing a promotional contract.

Without being a prolific ticket seller, though, this process is far from straightforward. But still, even after being exposed to the less glamorous side of boxing, Zziwa’s love for the sport has not yet diminished.

Rather, he remains fiercely passionate about his craft, firmly believing that, in time, he will be presented with an opportunity to showcase his scintillating skills on the world stage.

“When you train and fight, you just feel like you’re the king of the world – that feeling, it’s just amazing; it’s like breaking the code of living,” Zziwa said.

“Some people think life’s just about getting a job and starting a family, but there’s more to it than that. Boxing’s like a drug; you feel like you’re living in an imaginary world.”

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