Whatever your opinion is of boxing, there's no denying that it's a sport that requires an insane level of determination and conditioning.
Who do you think of when somebody says Welsh Boxing? The majority of you will probably be picturing a prime Joe Calzaghe holding all of his world titles across his body. Some may be picturing Lauren Price with her Olympic Gold.
The Welsh Boxing team has been going strong for decades and they're continuing their ongoing mission of creating more Welsh world champions. After becoming the Official Tape Supplier of the team, we had to sit down and ask them how...
WHO ARE WELSH BOXING?
To be clear, when we say 'Welsh Boxing', we don't just mean boxing in Wales, we mean the team.
Welsh Boxing (@welsh.boxing) is the national governing body for amateur boxing in Wales. They've been working with and nurturing young up-and-comers from Wales for years, building them up to the point that they can compete for international medals and world championships.
Welsh Boxing fighters, such as former Commonwealth medalists, Ioan and Garan Croft and Taylor Bevan have already made the switch to pro competition and signed with major promotions whilst working with the team in South Wales, so the development that the team is currently experiencing is evident to see.
Along with the world class coaching team, that includes former Olympian and MBE, Colin Jones and former champion, Sean McGoldrick, it's a really exciting period for everyone involved.
SPORTTAPE X WELSH BOXING
Partnering with the team to become their Official Tape Supplier seemed like a no brainer for us. Wales has such a great history within the sport of boxing and given how much tape it requires on a day-to-day basis, along with the fact we're located in South Wales, it just mad sense.
By associating ourselves with the them, we're hoping that we can gradually start producing more and more content, that is specifically created for athletes and physios that work and train in the sport. Whether that be taping tutorials, advice from experienced cutmen that have been there and done that, or anything else that could be of use to those looking to break in.
Before we get to exactly how tape is used for the fighters, we had to speak to one of the team's head coaches, Colin Jones, to learn a little more about how he became involved and what is coaching philosophy is...
"YOU ONLY GET WHAT YOU PUT IN!"
We appreciate that some of you reading may not understand exactly who Colin Jones is, so, let's just give you a quick summary.
The former Welsh Commonwealth champion and Olympian was dominant on the domestic scene throughout the 70s and 80s and is widely remembered for his one-punch knockout power. Now, he's training the next generation at the gym and conditioning them both physically and mentally.
He explained to us that it was his 'passion' for the sport, even years on from his own fighting career ended, that led him into coaching. In his own words, "things have changed a lot" since his days in the ring. That's from a coaching, facilities, and even taping, perspective.
As a big believer in mental conditioning, discipline is something that Colin will be drilling into his students every single day.
HOW IS TAPE USED IN BOXING?
Naturally, there are going to be some basic regulations when it comes to taping in boxing. But, after speaking with several different ring-side physios, we have a pretty good understanding of how it's used to protect the fighters both in and out of the ring.
The most common tape that a boxing physio will be using is a Zinc Oxide Tape. An essential for most sports therapists, it'll regularly be used to wrap hands, over the top of the traditional Boxing Gauze, to help protect the tendons and ligaments in your hands, as well as treating common injuries.
Outside of actually fighting, lots of amateur and pro fighters will suffer with muscle injuries, so Kinesiology Tape will occasionally be spotted on their arms and legs to help aid in their recovery in and out of camp.
We're going to be covering more boxing applications very soon, so keep an eye out for that!
With so many young fighters beginning to make a name for themselves from WelshBoxing, it's really exciting for us to watch and see who can become the next big Welsh superstars. With the Commonwealths coming up, you can expect to see lots of them standing out and making statements on the International stage.
If you have any questions about anything boxing related, get in touch! We're hoping to bring out lots more fight-related taping content very soon, so keep an eye out for that too!
