BRITISH FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE - Martyn Lindsay v Jamie Arthur
Venue: Leigh Indoor Sports Centre Date: Friday, 19 March Start: 2200 GMT
Coverage: Live on Sky Sports 1

Jamie Arthur has won all seven of his fights since his 2008 comeback

By Peter Shuttleworth

Boxers are not renowned for their charity inside the ring, but British title challenger Jamie Arthur is showing benevolence outside the ropes.

The 30-year-old featherweight will display no generosity to unbeaten champion Martin Lindsay on Friday when Arthur aims to become the best of British.

Yet the Welshman will prove he is the king of kindness when he hands over a cheque for the proceeds of ticket sales for Friday's fight with Lindsay to Newport's Royal Gwent Hospital's premature baby clinic.

I enjoy giving money to charity as we're here on this Earth to make other people's lives better British title challenger Jamie Arthur

The 2002 Commonwealth Games champion donated the profits of his British title warm-up win over Mickey Coveney in December to the premature baby unit at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant.

"I'm in a privileged position where I can give something back to the community," said Arthur.

"I'm not fighting anymore because of the money, I'm fighting for the glory and wanting to be the best that I can be so I can help people who need the cash more than me.

"I know I'm not the biggest name sportsman in the world but I can use the status I do have to help others.

"Boxing is a lonely, selfish sport sometimes as you often train alone and you fight alone but the feeling of giving someone a chance of a better life is worth as much as winning a fight.

Jamie Arthur is Lindsay's first defence of his British featherweight title

"It may not be millions of pounds but I'm fortunate I'm in a position where I can do my bit and if everyone does their bit, the world will be a better place."

The Cwmbran fighter showed little charity when he catapulted himself from unknown amateur to national hero in 2002 when he struck Commonwealth gold.

Arthur, now promoted by Frank Maloney, became the first Welsh Commonwealth boxing champion since Howard Winstone in 1958 when he beat Zambia's Dennis Zimba in the lightweight final.

The golden boy turned professional a year later in a blaze of glory, fighting on high-profile bills of then stable-mate Joe Calzaghe's undercards and won his first nine professional fights.

But Arthur, dogged by cuts during his career, quit following back-to-back knockouts in 2005 by Haider Ali and Harry Ramogoadi and later admitted his Commonwealth gold was like a "millstone around his neck."

Charity was the last thing on Arthur's mind as he worked three jobs to clear his boxing debts and spent time with his family.

His perspective changed as did his priorities so, when he returned to the ring after a three-year exile in 2008, Arthur was doing it for the right reasons with a more rounded approach.

"People had written me off after I retired the first time," Arthur told BBC Wales' Sport Wales show.

Arthur described his Commonwealth gold as a "millstone around his neck"

"I didn't have a Commonwealth gold to live up to, I didn't have the profile and I had no-one bigging me up.

"I could do it quietly and properly on small hall shows away from any publicity against proper fighters and not hand-fed opponents.

"Now I'm fighting for a British title - so my second coming has already surpassed what I achieved first time around."

His new beginning and refreshed outlook brought a generous side, yet not to his prey.

Arthur, though, had been dismissed as a no-hoper not knowing his limits until he shocked the previously unbeaten and highly-rated Akaash Bhatia in a British featherweight title eliminator at Bethnal Green's famous York Hall last June on points.

That thrilling win - in a fight nominated for the British Boxing Board of Control's fight of the year - not just fuelled his confidence, but people's interest.

Now Lindsay in Leigh is next in Arthur's sights and his gruelling training regime of 10-mile runs and gym sessions three times a day make him believe he is in the "best shape of his life."

"I have to be," he joked. "I'm doing the London Marathon as well in April for Leukaemia Research."

* Catch the full Jamie Arthur interview on Sport Wales this Friday at 1900 on BBC TWO Wales

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