When Lee Selby defeated the Russian title holder Evgeny Gradovich to become the IBF featherweight world champion in a thrilling contest at London's O2 Arena in May this year, he became, at the age of 28, only the 12th world champion to come out of Wales.
Lee Selby’s Early Years
Selby began boxing at the age of eight together with his older brother (his younger brother, Andrew, is now the world number one ranked amateur flyweight and competed at the 2012 London Olympics). He was encouraged to excel by his father, who remains a primary force behind his relentless training programme.
He won his first competitive bout at the age of 10, and while he continued training and competing, as a teenager growing up on a council estate in Barry, South Wales, he found himself drawn to alcohol and drugs: "I'd say I was addicted to drugs and drink", he says, talking of those wasted years in the recent BBC documentary Bad Boy Boxer - Last Chance.
Bristol Boxing Gym’s Star is Shaken
Nevertheless, Selby regained his focus and turned professional in 2008 at the age of 21, only for his life to be beset with tragedy when his older brother Michael died in an accident later that year.
This triggered a month-long drink and drugs binge, before he recognised that he could better honour his brother's memory by getting back on track with his training and setting his sights on the world championship.
Bristol Boxing Gym and Lee Selby
As he advanced, Chris Sanigar of Bristol Boxing Gym took Selby under his wing and prepared him for the world championship challenge. A former professional boxer himself, Sanigar already had considerable pedigree as a manager and trainer to a number of champions.
Selby giving back to Bristol and Barry, Wales
Despite his achievements, Selby remains loyal to his Barry roots in Wales and to the community of family and friends who he credits with inspiring his success. As the father of a baby daughter with his teenage sweetheart Meg, and as an ambassador for the Bristol - based boxing charity Empire Fighting Chance, Selby now seeks to serve as a role model for other young people growing up under harsh circumstances.
Bad Boy Boxer - Last Chance follows Lee Selby during the final months of his preparation for the world championship fight and pays tribute to those who supported him on his 20-year journey to the pinnacle of boxing success. Recommended watching!
Watch the programme
Bad Boy Boxer - Last Chance (BBC iPlayer until 14th August).