Sam Eggington is back in the gym and preparing for a return to the boxing ring, reigniting his career after briefly considering other options. The 31-year-old British fighter, who recently took up house clearance work with his brother, is now fully focused on boxing again. A timely call from his manager and trainer, Jon Pegg, convinced Eggington to return to the sport that has defined much of his life.
Eggington recently attended a bare-knuckle boxing show in Wolverhampton, sparking his interest in the sport. Watching from ringside, he expressed curiosity about bare-knuckle fighting and hinted he might try it one day — for the right price. Despite this, Eggington has committed to traditional boxing and is set for a six-round comeback fight in Cannock later this month, with potential plans for a bout in Canada early next year.
Reflecting on a Career at a Crossroads
After his recent close loss to Abass Baraou for the vacant European super-welterweight title, Eggington briefly considered retirement. He felt he won the fight and didn’t want to end his career on what he saw as an unjust decision. Reflecting on his choice to continue, he shared: “If I won, I wouldn’t be retiring. It’s not as if I was getting hurt by punches that didn’t used to bother me.”
Known for his intense fights, Eggington’s bouts are often honored by the British Boxing Board of Control, with previous matches against Ted Cheeseman and Bilal Jkitou named “Fight of the Year.” However, he feels his reputation as a brawler may overshadow his boxing ability, leading some to assume he’s only effective when fighting toe-to-toe. As he noted, “If I box, people think: ‘Sam isn’t having a tear-up, so he must be losing.’”
A Possible Future in Bare-Knuckle Boxing
Eggington isn’t ruling out the possibility of exploring bare-knuckle fighting in the future. At the Wolverhampton show, he enjoyed the atmosphere and found the format appealing. He admitted, “I would love to have a go… but I would have to be paid well to risk coming out of the ring looking the way some of them did.”
For now, Eggington is fully committed to his boxing comeback, with his return fight in Cannock serving as a stepping stone to bigger bouts. With his experience and renowned hard-hitting style, this comeback could lead to another high-stakes matchup — potentially in Canada next year.
