SIX years ago Darren Sealy walked away from professional basketball to pursue boxing – now he is involved in the world’s biggest fights.
The 6ft 9in heavyweight shot hoops in Spain and Lithuania before returning to the UK to play for London-based sides.
But after picking up personal training as a side hustle due to a lack of funding on the court, Sealy soon began coaching full time.
That is when he was introduced to boxing, and given the chance to put his towering frame to use in a whole different way.
Sealy told SunSport: “I was always in a team sport, but I knew I’d love to give it a go one day.
“I would always train, I always knew what I had to do, just with the basics, but I never took it seriously until I was in my mid to late 20s.”
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Sealy had 14 fights before turning pro, five in the white collar circuit and eight as an amateur.
He was then granted a professional licence from the British Boxing Board of Control in August of 2022.
But Sealy’s life would change forever when a year later heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury signed to fight MMA star Francis Ngannou.
Realising a gap in the market for 6ft 9in sparring partners to replicate Fury’s size, Sealy reached out to Ngannou’s camp.
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And following talks in London after a press conference, Sealy was invited to spar the ex-UFC champ.
After a successful rehearsal, he would later travel with Ngannou for two weeks of sparring in Saudi Arabia.
He revealed: “I was in contact with Dewey Cooper, his head coach and obviously he had his fight with Fury. I’m relatively the same height, same build. It just made sense really.
“The sparring partners they were looking for needed to be the same height and same build and, speaking to Dewey, I went out to Saudi and finished up camp with them.”
Ngannou, 37, almost caused the mother of all upsets when he floored Fury, 35, only to lose a controversial decision.
But the performance did not surprise anyone in the Cameroonian’s camp, including Sealy.
He said: “I wasn’t shocked by the performance whatsoever because I saw the work rate that they were putting in.
“I saw his performances in the sparring and saw how much he was putting in, which was great.
“I wasn’t shocked on the night as well because the man’s power cannot be uncredited.
“You don’t want to be hit clean by him, and when Fury was we saw what happened.”
Fury’s split-decision meant his undisputed title decider with Oleksandr Usyk remained intact, although postponed from December to February 17.
One of Ngannou’s sparring partners was also recruited by Usyk, 36, who then recommended Sealy to the Ukrainian.
Before long, Sealy was back in camp tasked with the job of mimicking the Gypsy King.
He said: “It’s all about connections, building connections and relationships and being confident to put yourself out there and put a good performance on.
“Putting your best foot forward and putting the best Darren on like I did in Saudi it enabled me to come into camp with Usyk because he’s fighting the same opponent.”
Usyk’s southpaw skills and eccentric personality remains somewhat of an enigma in boxing – but Sealy revealed he is as down to earth as they come.
He said: “If someone walked in the room that didn’t know boxing you’d almost have to tell them, ‘That’s the heavyweight champ.’
“Because he doesn’t carry himself with any type of, ‘Hey, look at me.’ Or, ‘You can’t come near me.’ He’s a very, very relaxed person, has time for everybody.
“You can always ask for a little bit of advice from him, English might be a different language to him but he still respects you and wants to listen to you.
“For someone of his credibility, his accolades and achievements, I think he’s one of the nicest people in boxing that I’ve ever met.”
Fury and Usyk will meet in what is the heavyweight division’s first ever four-belt unification bout.
So the historic occasion is not lost on Sealy, who said: “I reflect on it when I’m not sparring, when I’m having my own personal time.
“I think it’s important to reflect and live in the moment because if I’m thinking too far ahead or thinking what’s next then I’m not soaking up the atmosphere, not relishing the opportunity.
“I know there’s not too many people that are my height and have the privilege to be a part of these camps.
“So by all means I am living up to the opportunity but I am living up to the expectation. It’s been two amazing experiences, two amazing camps.”
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Sealy, 32, suffered defeat on his pro debut last March against experienced journeyman Phil Williams, 38.
But he gets the chance to exact revenge and right the wrong in a rematch on February 10 in Brentwood.
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
