The Boxer Danny Baker
Age: 34 Sports: Boxing
Currently in training for the World Gay Boxing Championships, Essex-born Baker has always dreamed of boxing against other men on the professional stage
‘I used to play football for Essex, but boxing was a passion from when I was a kid. The problem was that I didn’t always look like this. When I was 13 or 14, I would walk past a boxing gym and be desperate to go in. But I would’ve had to fight girls. In my brain I was always a little geezer. I couldn’t fight girls
– I didn’t want to hurt them. So I just stayed away, which was sad. Now that I’m boxing, I’m flying; if I’d started then I’d probably be a pro by now.
‘I bit the bullet when I was 15 and went to my local gym. My lifestyle was different when I was younger – I was struggling with my identity and things at home. It was quite traumatic. I didn’t have it in the tank to box properly and suffered with my mental health. I left the gym.
‘I’d been in prison 13 times by the time I was 25. But
I turned my life around and now I’m a support worker.
‘I love what the gym does for my mental health. I’d been in there just training on the bag and I thought, “This is my time.” I entered an LGBTQ+ white-collar boxing match to raise funds for the underage LGBTQ+ homeless.
‘Kellie Maloney, the boxing promoter [who transitioned in 2014], came in to do a talk. It was inspiring. She took a liking to me and introduced me to Jamie “Rocky” Johnson, who is a trans man but without testosterone. He was a pioneer. He directed me to a north London boxing club and I’ve really developed since then. Now I fight against cis men.
‘In 2023, I’m going to Sydney for the World Gay Boxing Championships. It’s my lifelong dream to fight at a proper event. It’s an organisation set up to encourage LGBTQ+ sports across the world. I predict that I’m going to have a place as a boxer in the “normal” boxing world. I really believe that. I’m going to keep going, keep training and encourage others to register and get involved in the sport.’