Watch part 1 of NI Fight Club on BBC ONE Northern Ireland from 22:45 on Monday, April 19
NI Fight Club is a new three part series from BBC Northern Ireland which follows a group of individuals from the Northern Ireland Business community as they take part in Belfasts first ever White Collar Boxing tournament, proving that the thrill of business is no match for the thrill of the fight.
With no previous boxing experience they have signed up for 11 weeks of intensive training before taking to the ring at the Europa Hotel for a fight against a fellow rookie. The series follows their progress as they swap the daily grind of the office for the blood, sweat and tears of the boxing ring.
Trained by ex professional fighter Cathal OGrady, he has tapped into the psyche of high flying professionals to offer them the Fight Night at Europa Hotel unique experience of becoming a boxer. It is his job to turn a group of doctors, solicitors, civil servants and company directors into athletes capable of going toe-to-toe against each other in the raw atmosphere of Fight Night.
In the first programme of the series the participants are taught the basic skills of boxing and it becomes apparent some are more natural athletes than others.
The first programme introduces town planner John Gibson who is swapping his daily routine of meditation and yoga for a more primal existence in the ring; entrepreneur Dessie Aughey who is determined to avenge his childhood memories of losing in the boxing ring; company director Mark Scullion whos wife signed him up to lose weight and psychiatrist Dr Owen Gallagher who at 56 is the oldest fighter on the block fulfilling a childhood dream.
Des Henderson, producer said: “Filming these guys over 11 weeks was an unforgettable experience. Here were ordinary men and women who during the day dealt with clients, attended board meetings or treated patients, yet at night they were knocking seven bells out of each other in the ring. It was no-holds-barred, there were a lot of injuries, but the guys battled through, they were tough characters and I suppose thats why they are successful in business, boxing is a great metaphor for life.”