White collar boxing and amateur boxing both put you in a ring with gloves on, but they're built for different people. Amateur boxing is a sport you join for the long term, through a club, competing over seasons. White collar boxing is a fixed challenge for people with day jobs: train for a set number of weeks, fight once on a proper show, usually for charity.
The short answer
If you want to compete regularly and build a record over years, amateur boxing is the route. If you've never boxed, have a busy week, and want one big goal with a date on it, white collar boxing is built for you. You can always do one and then the other.
Side by side
- Who it's forAmateur: people who want boxing as an ongoing sport. White collar: people with day jobs and little or no fight experience
- How you startAmateur: join a club and train until your coach thinks you're ready to compete. White collar with us: sign up, come to the Intro Meeting, then eight weeks of Fight Camp
- CommitmentAmateur: open-ended, with regular competition. White collar with us: two sessions a week for eight weeks, plus optional Strength & Conditioning on Saturdays
- The goalAmateur: wins, a record and progression. White collar: one night, one fight, in front of the people who backed you
- The causeWhite collar fighters usually raise money for charity. Ours have raised £690k+ since 2018
- SportsAmateur boxing is boxing. With us you can choose boxing or Muay Thai
Amateur boxing in England is run through clubs affiliated to England Boxing. If that's the path you want, a local club is the place to start.
How white collar works with us
- Sign up. It takes two minutes and commits you to nothing.
- Intro Meeting. Meet the coaches, hear how it all works and ask anything.
- Fight Camp. Eight weeks of free coaching. Boxing at Gymbox Victoria, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 19:30. Muay Thai at Gymbox Farringdon, Mondays at 18:00 and Wednesdays at 19:00.
- Fight Night. Three 2-minute rounds, with 1 minute's rest between, on a professional show.
The full route, and what it costs, is in what is white collar boxing?
Matching and safety
White collar boxing is still boxing: you will get hit. What it changes is how you get there. On our shows:
- Fair matching. You're paired on weight and experience, with no more than 5kg between you. 96% of fighters spar their opponent before Fight Night.
- Full kit. 16oz gloves (14oz under 55kg), head guards, gum shields and groin guards, plus shin guards for Muay Thai.
- Medicals. A medical before your fight, and another one after it.
- Professionals in charge. Professional referees run every bout, with medics ringside.
More in is white collar boxing safe? and white collar boxing rules.
Which should you choose?
- Choose white collar if you've never boxed, you want a deadline to train for, and you like the idea of doing it for a cause. 85% of our fighters started with less than three months' experience.
- Choose amateur if you already box, you want to compete regularly, and you're ready for it to become a long-term sport.
- Not sure? Start with white collar. Plenty of people find they love it, and you can fight with us again: returning fighters are matched on experience, so each fight is a step up.
Questions
What's the difference between white collar boxing and amateur boxing?
Amateur boxing is an ongoing sport you compete in through a club. White collar boxing is a one-off challenge for people with day jobs: train for a set number of weeks, then fight a matched bout on a proper show, usually for charity.
Is white collar boxing real boxing?
Yes. It's a real fight in a real ring, with a professional referee in charge. On our shows it's three 2-minute rounds in full protective kit, and there's a winner and a runner up, or a draw.
Do I need experience for white collar boxing?
No. 85% of our fighters started with less than three months' experience. Week 1 starts with stance, guard and footwork.
Can I do white collar boxing if I've boxed before?
Yes. Every fighter is matched on weight and experience, so tell us about your background at the Intro Meeting.
Can I do Muay Thai instead of boxing?
With us, yes. We're London's only white collar Muay Thai camp, at Gymbox Farringdon.
What if my opponent has more experience than me?
Every match is made by our coaches, on weight and experience, with no more than 5kg between you. Matches are signed off in week 6, after you've sparred, and 96% of fighters spar their opponent before Fight Night.
What if my opponent is taller or has a longer reach?
Our coaches make every match and see you both spar before signing it off in week 6. If our medical team or coaches decide a bout isn't safe, their decision is final.
Is it worth it if I don't win?
On our shows there's a winner and a runner up, or a draw. Either way you'll have trained for eight weeks, fought three rounds in front of the people who backed you, and raised money for a cause.
Your first round starts here
Eight weeks of free coaching, then a real Fight Night. Sign up in two minutes, then hear everything at the Intro Meeting before you commit to anything.
Join the camp →Take the 60-second quiz