Cheshire’s Mae Astbury tried her hand at a variety of sports before realising that the fight game was the one for her. She talks to Mark Baldwin about her favourite fights, career aspirations and more.
Age: 26
Twitter: @maeastbury
Instagram: @maeastbury
Nationality: British
From: Northwich, Cheshire
Stance: Orthodox
Record: 1-0
Next fight: 14th June
When and why did you start boxing:
I started boxing when I was 19. I had always been a very active and competitive person, having been involved with various sports at different levels, but after high school, I found myself just training with no real aim. It wasn’t until I found the boxing gym in Northwich that I decided I would try it out.
Initially, I started boxing for fitness and wanted to try something new. After a few months, my coaches asked if I’d like to fight, and I thought I’d give it a try. After that, I just fell in love with it.
Favourite all-time fighter:
Gennadiy Golovkin.
Best fight you’ve seen:
The first fight between Canelo Alvarez and Golovkin.
Personal career highlight:
Having my professional debut after 18 months of waiting for my license.
Toughest opponent:
Every opponent is different, and each one has challenged me in different ways and contributed to becoming the boxer I am now. But my toughest opponent has to be myself.
Best and worst attributes as a boxer:
Being a perfectionist is both my best and worst attribute. I will put everything into my training, whether that being my fitness, power, or technique, as I want to be as prepared as possible. But with setting such a high bar for myself it sometimes makes it difficult to take a step back and see how much I have improved.
Training tip:
Never stop learning. No matter what you have won or where you are on your path, you should never be content with where you are or what you have achieved and always want to learn and do more.
Best friends in boxing:
Boxing has given me the chance to meet some of the best people in my life, and a lot of them will be lifelong friends or people that I keep in touch with forever.
Best advice received:
You get out what you put in. Boxing is a merciless sport and has many ups and downs, but you will reap the rewards if you make the sacrifices and put the work in.
Something not many people know about you:
I have a twin brother.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years:
Coming to the end of my boxing career, feeling full and happy with my career and being ready to start new ventures, whether that be within boxing, coaching, psychology, or something completely different.
What one thing would you change in boxing:
The politics. There is a lot of politics within both amateur and professional boxing, and sometimes the clear winner doesn’t get the decision, which can then lead to younger boxers being disheartened and even dropping out of the sport, which is a shame. Sometimes, the business of boxing can negatively influence the sport and ruin it.
What has boxing given you:
Boxing has given me a great community. You meet people from all walks of life and become friends with people you probably wouldn’t get the opportunity to otherwise. When you have like-minded people surrounding you, they motivate you to be better every day, as well as having the unconditional support that they give when times aren’t as easy.
Where would you be without boxing:
I struggle to remember what I did before boxing, so I would feel lost without it. It has given me something to strive for and shown sides of myself I didn’t know existed. Without boxing, I really don’t think I would be the person I am today.
Who inspires you the most, and why:
My mum inspires me because she has never had it easy, but has always made sacrifices and worked hard to provide for us. Knowing the resilience she has had to get herself in the position she is in today has given me the mindset that I do now. Quitting isn’t an option when you care about something so much, and believing in yourself and working through the hard times will be worth it in the end.
