Legendary boxing reporter Harry Carpenter once said, “The boxer is doing exactly what is expected of him! He’s bleeding!” In a sport where preparation is key, boxers and coaches leave no stone unturned as they build up to a fight, making sure they are ready for every possible scenario.
But what about the uncontrollable? How many times have we seen a big fight end early because a clash of heads led to a cut that couldn’t be stopped, causing the fight to finish? But what about the fights that go the distance despite these injuries? How is it that some fights are waved off while others aren’t?
In steps the cutman – boxing’s unsung hero whose job it is to get their hands dirty to ensure the boxer makes it at least one more round.
Kieran Cain of Spennymoor is gaining a reputation as one of the best cutmen in the business. Often traveling up and down the country week in, week out, to be in the corner of many fighters who put their trust in his knowledge and expertise so that if a cut were to happen, they still have every chance of hearing that final bell.
Boxing is full of big characters and egos, yet little is known about the role of the cutman outside of boxing circles.
“I love boxing, and I just wanted to be involved in the sport. I was done competing and had no interest turning over as a professional. I first started hand wrapping, and after a while of just doing that, someone said I should learn to do cuts, as normally whoever wraps hands would then go in the corner as well.”
From then on, Kieran would become a regular at many different events throughout the North East, having already built a reputation as being a reliable hand wrapper, with fighters trusting him to take care of the most important tools of their trade.
“I was never bothered about the blood. That wasn’t an issue for me – I think I’m just a natural. Blood, swelling, and everything else you can imagine, I just think, ‘Right, time to get to work.’”
The role can be quite daunting because, in the pressure cooker of an arena, under the lights and with television cameras watching, it’s Kieran’s job to not only patch the fighter up but sometimes give advice to their coach.
“I’ll see a cut starting and I’ll say, ‘End of this round, I’m going in.’ I’ll be in the ring doing what I can to try and mitigate whatever damage has been done, with the coach on the outside giving instructions. Sometimes I’ve even told a coach he needs to protect that eye, or it could be a real problem.”
He also spoke about the various factors that can lead to a fighter being more prone to cuts than others.
“Well, you get some who just don’t cut at all. I can normally tell before we get into the ring. Do they have high cheekbones? Or how was their weight cut? The big thing for me is sunbeds! Those things are a nightmare. The amount of times I’ve seen boxers go on the beds the day before a fight! It makes the skin all taught and hard – it’s the one thing I’d ban if I could. They lead to more cuts and head clashes, if you ask me”.
Kieran has worked with fighters at every level, from novices all the way to world champions.
“I love it – I love the excitement of it, be it a small hall show with a lad who’s boxing professionally for the first time or in a packed arena with thousands of people screaming! I get such a buzz! I honestly love it so much. I really enjoy it and even though it can get messy, I love what I do.”
