Victory for ‘Beakman’ Kyle Mackenzie in charity boxing debut to raise funds in memory of Ullapool man Stefan Mauger
An Ullapool footballer, now living in Inverness, swapped his boots for boxing gloves earlier this month — raising more than £1500 for a cause close to home.
Kyle Mackenzie, who plays for Lochbroom FC in his hometown during the summer, and also plays for St Duthus FC in Tain, stepped into the ring on May 3 to take part in an Ultra White Collar Boxing (UWCB) event attended by hundreds of supporters in Aviemore.
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Cheered on by friends, family and teammates at the Macdonald Aviemore Resort, the 27-year-old cruiserweight emerged with a victory in his debut contest, as one of 12 fights taking place throughout the evening.
Billed as “Beakman” – fighting out of the red corner – Kyle boxed three rounds against opponent Josh “Felipe” Fraser from Dingwall and took the eventual decision on points.
"My trainer said I won all three rounds," he said. “But that doesn’t necessarily mean I did.
"I just wanted to perform well with everyone watching and raise as much as I could."
Kyle, who works in Inverness, was raising funds for LoveOliver, a charity supporting children with cancer, and their families.
He says he chose the cause as it had supported Ullapool man Stefan Mauger, and his family, during his lengthy battle with cancer.
In total, he raised £1580 for the cause, with the night totalling £32,238 overall between all competitors.
Stefan, who was 20 at the time of his passing, remains deeply admired in his community and beyond, as Kyle attests.
"Raising money for LoveOliver meant a lot," Kyle said. "Stefan and his family had great backing from everyone in Ullapool when he was ill. It really brought the community together.
“This was my way of giving something back."
The months leading up to fight night were not without challenges.
While the training helped him get into shape, Kyle said it was the dietary restrictions that proved most testing.
"I like my food a lot," he said with a smile. "I had to cut down and focus on protein — I was eating a lot of chicken and rice, and steak and eggs. It was hard at times, but worth it."
Despite the intense build-up, the biggest hurdle came once he entered the ring and faced the 500-capacity crowd in Aviemore.
"The crowd was probably the toughest part for me," he admitted. "There was a table of 10 from Ullapool sitting together, and the St Duthus lads had a table.
“There were another six with standing tickets too. I just wanted to do them proud."
Kyle was coached throughout the process by event trainer Richard Mason, who guided all the participants through their preparations.
“He did really well and did exactly has he was taught,” said Richard. “They all make me proud for people who come to us with no experience.
“To do eight weeks training and then stand in front of a crowd of 500 people and have a fight — they have my respect.
“The main thing is they raised money for there chosen charities across the Highlands. They should all be very proud.”
Reflecting on the experience, Kyle said he enjoyed it more than expected — and is already considering giving it another go.
"I think I’m going to do it again," he said. "I enjoyed it a lot. The nerves and build-up were tough but stepping in and doing it was a brilliant feeling. Knowing it helped raise money for such an important charity made it even more worthwhile."
Earlier in the day, an afternoon event saw several other Ross-shire fighters take to the ring for good causes.
Cruiserweights Ross “The Mack Truck” Mackenzie and Calum “The Tool” MacLean, both from Tain, competed against each other on the night, with Mackenzie taking the decision.
Ally “Ali Baba” Ross, from Edderton, also stepped inside the ropes, losing a points decision to fellow light middleweight contender and late stand-in Michael Macdonald.
Ross Mackenzie was raising funds for Make-A-Wish Foundation UK, while Calum fought for Mikeysline, and Ally supported The Archie Foundation.
