Bradley Belt double-life as a boxer and boxing coach
MADISON – The world Bradley Belt lives in revolves around the sport of boxing. He wouldn’t have it any other way. He not only continues with his own career in the ring, he also uses his knowledge of the sport to teach others in his own boxing facility named BE Boxing located in Madison.
“From my personal experience, I know how good it is to train under someone who knows the sport and has the passion for boxing to teach the sport to others,” said Belt. “As a fighter, I know how a good coach is important. I love the fact I’m helping others.”
The 27-year old Belt, a one-time D-1 recruit playing high school football and basketball at James Clemens High and later played college hoops at the University of Wyoming, is currently ranked No. 3 in the U.S. in the 187-pound division and No. 4 in the 198 division according to U.S.A Boxing Elite Division. He’s currently in Colorado Springs, Colo. for a box-off where he’s fighting for a spot for the 2027 Pan Am Games for Team U.S.A. He’s scheduled to compete in the Olympic 175-pound weight class.
He’s coming off a recent competition in Wichita, Kan. “It was June 27th fighting in the 198-pound weight class,” said Belt. “The final bout went three rounds where I outclassed my opponent throughout the three-round bout as I won the National Championship by unanimous decision.”
The most recent title victory made Belt a four-time National Champion.
Belt has been training at Rocket City Boxing for the past several years, but decided to open his own training facility in the Madison Mall Shopping Center at 8006, Suite 5, Old Madison Pike. His co-owner is Emily McClain, who is also a competing boxer in both the 138 and 145-pound weight classes.
“We have three coaches, including myself, Emily and longtime local boxing coach Steve Badgley,” added Belt. “We offer coaching for both experienced and beginners of the sport. We offer classes for ages six and older and offer two free trials in classes. We currently have 50 boxers among our facility who adversely go through an array of workouts, both cardio and weight training, along with boxing technique training and sparring. We hope to have a regulation ring erected in our gym within a couple months.”
Standing 6-foot-2 and weighing in most of time at 195 pounds, Belt surrounds himself with proper nutrition and weight-cutting techniques, which allow him to many times drop weight to make the cut in lower weight classes during competition. His background in taking care of his physical condition includes learning while attending and
Bradley Belt is all smiles while being interviewed after winning his fourth National Championship at recent competition in Wichita, Kan. Photo Contributed playing basketball at Wyoming he had a form of leukemia for which he underwent many rounds of chemotherapy.
“I have survived and have been in remission as my doctors told me I responded well to treatment because of my physical activity as that has made all the difference me for,” said Belt.
Belt knows many times would-be fighters come into the facility without a lot of knowledge of the proper techniques to excel at boxing, but the coaching staff take steps to teach the correct way to have your body in correct position to move and throw a punch at the same time, an important aspect of the sport necessary to be successful.
“Being an athlete can help, but it takes time learn how to step while punching and most coming to us don’t realize how much physical conditioning is required to box a two-minute round or a three-round bout,” added Belt. “Stamina is necessary to be victorious and many times my physical conditioning has led me to have an advantage over many of my opponents in the ring as they fall in stamina while I’m still strong near the end of the bout.”
“The victory feeling in the ring is something I crave and now I have the same desire to want to coach as I understand what a fighter needs,” added Belt.
For more details about the local boxing gym, visit www.beboxingandfitness. com.
