Craig Griffiths has raised more than £4,000 for charity so far over 20-plus fights
ON first impressions, Craig Griffiths is your archetypal boxer.
He’s six-foot-tall and 18 stone but what you might not assume at first glance is that his heart is the biggest part of him.
Win, lose or draw, the tattooed Rhondda Valley bruiser will donate his entire fight purse from his latest fight this weekend to Cardiff’s Velindre Cancer Centre.
Griffiths’ cousin Lance Roberts tragically passed away last year at the age of 33.
The centre had provided care and treatment for Mr Roberts during his battle with cancer and now Griffiths aims to give back to those in need with his donation.
But this is not a one-off for Griffiths. Since he first started boxing, with a white-collar match-up in aid of Cancer Research, Griffiths has been donating his fight wages to charity.
“If somebody is in need I aim to give back,” he said.
“My friend’s father died of cancer recently, so I gave my purse to his mother to help with costs.
“It’s all about helping those who are struggling and setting a good example for future generations.”
The fact that he is even boxing at all is testimony to his fighting spirit.
There was a time in his life when he thought he would never box again after his promising youth career was stopped in its tracks.
“I was out playing with my friends when a motorbike came flying down the road and hit me,” he said.
“I don’t remember what happened, but I was told I went flying headfirst into a stone wall.
“After the accident, I had to learn how to do everything again, I couldn’t even spell my name properly for the first year and my vocabulary and pronunciation was terrible.
“Doctors told me I could never do any type of contact sports ever again. At 10 years old that is a bitter pill to swallow. I had just got my amateur boxing license and I was ready to start my career.”
Griffiths picked up boxing again in his mid-20s and hasn’t left the gym since.
Now at 43, he is just one day from the biggest fight of his career.
On Saturday, Griffiths takes on David Larkin for the Welsh hybrid boxing heavyweight title at Welsh Combat Series 2 in front of 1000 fans at the Vale Sports Arena, Penarth.
Hybrid boxing is similar to traditional gloved boxing except that bouts are fought in four-ounce MMA gloves, rather than 10-12 ounce boxing gloves.
This weekend’s show is set to be only the second hybrid boxing event in Wales and Griffiths is the main event.
“I’m going to teach this man a lesson on Saturday, he thinks I won’t last five rounds, but he is in for a shock,” said Griffiths.
“I’m in the best shape of my life, and I am fully committed to this fight.”
One thing Larkin can rely on is that Griffiths will be anything but charitable in the ring.
- For tickets and further information on Griffith’s fight, be sure to head over to the Welsh Combat Series Facebook page.
