Of the many gloves that prizefighters hang up, few have earned pride of place like those that belonged to Sam Eggington.
In May, defeat in a brutal barnburner against Conah Walker saw Eggington go out on his shield in the 10th round, leaving fans giddy for more but convincing the fighter himself that his time in the sport was over.
“It weren’t meant to happen,” he tells BoxingScene of his incredible career.
“I didn’t mean to achieve any of it. I can’t be sad about any of it, win, lose or draw, because I’ve only lost on the biggest stage, and the wins were all meant to be losses, because I was meant to be a journeyman. So, when you put it like that, I’ve only ever won, really. And I enjoyed every minute of it, brother, and I’d do it all again in a heartbeat. I’d still box now, if it weren’t for the obvious complications of injuries and brain problems and stuff like that. I’d box til the wheels fell off, I’ll tell you the truth. But, you know, I’ve got three kids and a wife, and I’m not about to do anything silly.”
The former British, Commonwealth and European champion’s route into boxing began through his two older brothers. Following them both to his local amateur gym, Eggington soaked up everything his siblings were consuming about the noble art. Yet it was a particular brand of fighting that caught his eye, not the balletic artistry of the sport’s defensive technicians but the knockout artists and teak-tough monsters who got audiences off their seats. Very quickly, a particular style of fighting was settled upon.
“You just revert back to what you know. We were all boxers. My oldest brother didn’t even compete. The one above me, Daniel, he was sort of like a boxer type. He’s the sort of person to… he was a boxer, he’d study, he’d watch it. He’s that sort of guy. But I weren’t. So, because Daniel was the boxer sort, I kind of rebelled and did the opposite. So, he’d watch Prince Naseem, and Muhammad Ali and things like that, and I’d be like, “OK, let’s put [Mike] Tyson on!” Do you remember those things you used to get in corner shops, a boxing magazine with a DVD? I’d watch all the knockout ones, and Daniel would watch all the boxing types. It’s easier to do, if I’m honest. The boxing stuff, it’s hard to do. It tires you out. The fighting stuff is meat and drink. I’d do that every day of the week and twice on Sundays.”
Advancing into adolescence, boxing briefly took a back seat as Eggington flirted with the usual youthful distractions. However, life was about to get very real for the teenager, and with empty pockets and an impending arrival of the upmost importance, the regular income of a journeyman represented one of the few choices the unemployed Eggington had available.
“I was 16 when I had my first son. So, I got a forklift job. I had a forklift license, and I got made redundant. But I’d quit the boxing because I had the baby. He’s 14 now, and he’s a fucking unit! When I got made redundant, it was a “last in, first out” sort of thing at this steel factory. So, I turned over to become a journeyman. You know Craig Cunningham (former Midlands Area light-middleweight/ middleweight champion)? He went to my amateur gym. So, when he turned over to do it properly, I said, “Listen, have a word with your manager. See if you can chuck me on the road.” And John (Pegg, Eggington’s trainer) did. We done some sparring. And John did say to me straight away, “Listen, I’ll tell you the truth, brother,” he said, “this whole journeyman thing might not be for you!” But I said, “Listen, I need to earn some dough. You know, my baby’s practically fresh out of the womb. I need some money ASAP.” So, we went away for my first fight and we won. We went away for my first two and won. So, yeah, it went tits up straight away.”
Those early victories, and the ferocity with which they were secured, quickly earned Eggington a number of early opportunities, including a Midlands Area title victory over Steven Pearce, sandwiched in-between two appearances on the popular Sky Sports ‘Prizefighter’ series. Though both these opportunities ultimately ended in defeat, Eggington’s blood-and-thunder fighting style had been televised to the boxing public, and a promotional deal with Matchroom soon followed.
“I feel like I got a bad decision against [Johnny] Coyle. Barry Hearn was there, and he come into the changing room after, and he said, “Listen, that was a bad decision. We’ll get you another show.” And I agreed, and I thought that was great, but I also thought he’s probably in every changing room doing that, so I didn’t think much of it. About a week later, genuinely, I can remember it to this day, I was driving around a Safari Park with the kids, and Jon [Pegg] rang me and he said, ‘You’ll never guess who’s just fucking been on the phone… Barry Hearn! And he wants you on the [Anthony] Crolla card. And he said he wants you on that card, you’ve got a six-rounder on there if you want it.’
“And I was, like, ‘Fuck me’, I think I genuinely asked who else was on it from the Prizefighter, because I thought they must have took on everyone if that’s the case. But it weren’t. It was just me. So, yeah, we done that one and then straight after that he went, “Listen, we’ll get you back on. And then the [Denton] Vassell fight come. And then after the Vassell fight, that’s when we signed the contract.”
A shock victory over a heavy favourite in Vassell not only showcased 20-year-old Eggington’s aggressive, fan-friendly skillset but also elevated him to a whole new level as a commercially attractive fighter. Finally, he had a chance to provide a significant income for his young family, and Eggington grabbed it with both hands, bludgeoning his way through as many opponents as Matchroom could throw his way. Victory over Joseph Lamptey won him a Commonwealth title, followed by a thrilling win over Glenn Foot to pick up the illustrious Lonsdale Belt. Defeat to the ever-awkward Bradley Skeete threw a proverbial spanner in the works but soon after Eggington found himself up against the former standout amateur, Frankie Gavin. It proved to be a night he still looks back on with great fondness.
“There’s a few that I’m proud of but I think the Gavin one was just because of the heat beforehand. I know what people thought of that Frankie Gavin fight. I don’t care whether people agree to it or not, but no one thought I was gonna win that fight. It was a local derby. He’d give it a lot of stick beforehand, more than me. I didn’t really say shit. Like I say, I’m here for boxing, not talking. So, yeah, it was my sweetest victory.”
Still riding high on the joy of this win, Eggington went on to knock out former world champion, Paulie Mallignaggi, before a brutal KO over Ceferino Rodriguez crowned the Smethwick man European champion. With his momentum soaring, it would be understandable to assume that boxing was at the epicentre of his every waking moment. The reality, however, was a much more detached approach, something Eggington recognizes has its pros and cons.
“I’m not really a boxing fan. I just enjoy my boxing, sort of thing. I don’t watch it or study it. I just like to box myself. I was just enthusiastic to earn some dough and I heard it was really good money on the road. It’s a double edged sword, brother, to tell you the truth. I think it can really benefit some people. You know, being in the sport, watching it, going to the shows, watching their opponent, stuff like that. Some people can get a lot of it. It’s just not for me. And again, it’s a double edged sword, because when I was on the big stage and it was on pay-per-view and I was fighting people like Mallignaggi, and for the British and European, the occasion didn’t get to me because it was just boxing. Whereas, if you loved it and you really wanted to win, and it was everything to you, it could make you freeze.
“I mean, if I’d loved it a bit more, maybe I’ve have done more. I don’t know. Who knows? But the fact that I didn’t love it, I think that was better for me. The fact that it was just a job, it was just the norm for me. I’d go in there, I’d do my work, I’d go home. Ask Jon [Pegg], there was never a fight where I booked an after-party. Liverpool, Manchester, London, anywhere. Give me 15 minutes out of that ring, mate, I was on my way home. It was just a job. So, yeah, I think, like I say, there’s good and bad in both of it. If you really love it, you can get more out of it, I suppose. But also it probably will make you very nervous, whereas I didn’t love it, and it was just a job, and I would just bop in and bop out as usual, like I was doing a nine to five.”
Any momentum Eggington had built up at this point suddenly came to an abrupt halt in his first European title defence, when he was edged out on points by Mohamed Mimoune. A brutal defeat to Liam Smith soon followed, and Eggington’s career was suddenly at a crossroads. Despite these setbacks, a change in trainer was never even considered, with Eggington remaining eternally grateful for the kindness he’d received and the connection he’d cultivated with Jon Pegg.
“I think we’re very much… we’re similar people. We’re quite black and white, sort of thing. If you’ve done well, you’ve done well. If you didn’t, you didn’t, sort of thing. I think we have the same sense of humour. And again, not to be fucked up, but in the early days when I was going to Jon’s gym, I had a job, and I was going there after work, and Jon would do everything for me. He would pay my train fare. And bear in mind, at this point, I was an amateur that had done nothing, and I was asking Jon to be a journeyman, and he was still trying to help me out and pay for my train and helped me out with my first medical. He didn’t have to do any of that. He had loads of boxers at this point. I just think loyalty is very hard to find these days. Maybe it just runs through me, I suppose. He’s a good guy. He’s funny as fuck. He means well, and I genuinely don’t think John would ever choose to do anything that weren’t in my best interests. I believe that wholeheartedly.”
Regardless of the results, fans were now acutely aware of what Sam Eggington would bring to a fight. Exceptional conditioning, relentless aggression, and fearless durability all combined to make him one of the most exciting British fighters around, and from Eggington’s own perspective no change stylistically was ever going to be implemented simply for the sake of eeking out a passive points victory or retreating to a less treacherous distance. Despite protestations from his corner, there would be no adjustment in his approach.
“If my style ever changed in the ring, it’s not by choice, brother, I’ll tell you the truth. It’s either just pure instinct or it was just the easier way to box. A few times I’ve boxed, but it’s never been by choice. I’ll tell you the truth. I just revert back to whatever’s easiest at the time, and most of the time, fighting and just having a scrap is the easiest route for me, personally. The boxing stuff, I just think it’s a much harder route. I think most people will tell you that. If someone’s there to be hit then it’s much easier to do. All this on-your-toes stuff, it can take it out of you. Don’t get me wrong, Jon would have me boxing like Mayweather, given a choice. But it’s just not in me. Jon and the coaches have always said, ‘Listen, let’s be a bit smarter. We don’t need to.’ Because I can box. If I really choose to, I can really box quite nicely. But I would say, you just revert back to what you know, don’t you? If shit gets real, you do what you know best. Fighting is just meat and drink, and that’s what I revert back to.”
The night that perhaps crystalized Eggington’s electric fighting style came in August 2020, when Eddie Hearn’s garden hosted a modern classic to stun boxing fans over the covid-19 lockdown. Ted Cheeseman, a throwback fighter in his own right, was the perfect dance partner for Eggington, and the two embarked on an incredible see-saw battle, fought at a blistering pace. Though both left the ring with their reputations greatly enhanced, it was Cheeseman who had his hand raised via the judges’ scorecards. The result remains one of the few that Eggington still struggles to accept today, despite his stock rising exponentially.
“I don’t moan about shit, brother. Every fight I’ve lost, I’ve lost. That is one thing that I’ll take to my grave when I say, I won that fight. I genuinely believe that. And the commentating on that fight is shocking. The fact that they had me losing the first six or seven rounds is an absolute joke. And the fact that we was outdoors and there was no crowd and the commentators were screaming, ‘Sam’s lost! Sam’s lost this round! Sam lost this round!’ Bear in mind the judges are not fucking three yards away from them, is a joke. And the week after, Joe Gallagher rang Jon Pegg and said, ‘Listen, I’m gonna have a word and make sure that the commentators are not by the judges.’ And I thought, ‘Fuck me, if we’d thought about that, it might have been different.’ I still think, even to this day, did I win the fight? I don’t know, I ain’t watched it enough to know that, but I know for a full fact I didn’t lose the first six or seven rounds. So, yeah, some bullshit, that was. Good fight, don’t get me wrong, I’ve got nothing against Ted but I just didn’t think it was put together right. Great thing to do, though, to fight in Eddie’s garden but I don’t think it was put together right, if I’m honest. But also, brother, I’d just won the IBF international against fourth in the world. So, given a fair shot at Ted and I’d won, you never know what would’ve happened there.”
Eggington’s career continued to enthral fans, with a series of stirring wins, punctuated by agonising setbacks. Victory over Przemyslaw Zysk won him the IBO title, an achievement he treasures greatly, but defeat in his first defence to Dennis Hogan meant another rebuild was required. A hugely underrated win over the big-punching Joe Pigford then earned him a shot at the vacant European title, as well as a WBA title eliminator, against Germany’s Abass Baraou, but a razor thin majority decision defeat in another breathless encounter left Eggington desperately disappointed. As he looks back on his remarkable career, nearly fourteen years since his pro debut, Eggington feels at peace with everything he’s experienced, and feels the sport has changed markedly since he started out.
“It’s a lot about whose arse you’re kissing these days. I genuinely believe that. I’m so glad that I’m on the way out than on the way in, because I wouldn’t have survived, to tell you the truth. I can sleep quite well at night, knowing that I’ve never rubbed anyone’s back to get on a show or get me a bout or anything. I’ve never kissed arse or rubbed anyone’s back to get anything out of this sport. It’s all been hard work and dedication. I can sleep well at night, knowing that.”
Talk will now turn to what comes next, and it’s a question Eggington is still wrestling with. That someone who possesses such a rare gift for captivating audiences could be so ambivalent about the sport itself remains a fascinating irony, but it also leaves one of boxing’s great entertainers with a void in his life, one he’s yet to figure out how to fill.
“I don’t know, brother, to tell you the truth. I’m not the boxing type. I don’t watch it. I couldn’t pick you a fight apart. If you told me you had a boxer, I couldn’t watch him and say what to do next. So, I don’t think I’ll be training anyone anytime soon, to tell you the truth. I’d like to stay in it. Maybe as a conditioning coach or… I don’t know, mate. I don’t know. Maybe I’m talking nonsense but I might work at Asda. I might be talking shit. Who knows, brother? Time will tell, I suppose.”
“I’ve just done all my tests. I’ve just done my brain scan. I just done one of them neuro-psychology things that they’re making everyone do. I done one of them just before Australia, and I just done another one and scored exactly the same, if not better. So, I’m not worried about it but, you know, you can only push it so far, can’t you? 46 fights, and I think 26 of them have been 10-12 rounders. So, I’m just trying to be sensible. I always say this to people, I’m in the wrong era. I’m in the pretty boxing era, and it’s not me, mate! But it is what it is. You deal with what you have to deal with. I enjoyed it, nevertheless.”
