Do you have to box to write about boxing?

Unlike most football writers who will have enjoyed, at the very least, the odd kickabout in the park, I doubt you could name more than a handful of boxing writers who have ever stepped into the ring. But does it matter? Well, from my experience of playing and watching football, I would say that it does. It's very easy to be an armchair fan, to wonder how it's possible that a team who have spent the entire week on the training ground can still concede a goal from a set piece on Saturday. But that doesn't take into account the tired legs of a full-back who has been run ragged for 90 minutes only to lose concentration for a mere fraction of a second when it really counts. If you've ever played football you'll know the feeling; sometimes your legs won't do what you want them to.
So it is with boxing. It's all very well shouting at the TV: "Just hit him, he's right in front of you!" But arms (and legs) can feel like lead after just a few three minute rounds (try shadow boxing for three minutes straight). This is where I have to confess that I myself have never laced-up and jumped the ropes of a real boxing ring. The intention has always been there, I've just never got round to it. But I will one day. In the meantime, having recently joined the gym at Hackney's Clissold Park Leisure Centre (pictured), I thought I'd go along to their Boxfit class last night.
A few light stretches and sprints at the beginning didn't prepare me for what was to come. I pulled on the gloves and did some intensive pad work with my partner, left hook, straight right, left hook, straight right before sprinting round the 'ring' to the next person, upper cut, jab, upper cut, jab, and so on for 20 gruelling minutes.
I gave it my all and was positively gasping by the end of it. But just when I thought we might start warming down, he had us on our backs, (gloved up again) doing sit-up punch combos, one-two, one-two, one-two, gradually increasing the number of punches until we got up to 20, shouting out the numbers as we hit the pads, one-two-three.....
I'm not afraid to admit that I came close to throwing up at the end. It was punishing.
Walking home afterwards, I thought about the training regime of the average pro fighter. Road work at 6am, heavy bags, pads, sparring etc. I don't think people appreciate just how tough it is. The rewards, for a few, may be great, but in my humble opinion, they deserve it. The training is bad enough but once you step into the ring at the end of it all, someone's trying to take your head off with swinging rights and lefts and brutal shots to the body that leave you pissing blood for a week after it's over. No one said the fight game was easy but I think there are a few boxing writers who could benefit from a good pummeling every now and then.