Wakefield Trinity Boxing fighting for future as 100-strong member club is forced to find new home

The club, which first opened six years ago, boasts over 100 members, hosts multiple classes and is a home to a number of amateur and professional boxers.

Trinity are currently based in the centre of Wakefield, but are now on the lookout for a new home after the landlord of their current venue decided to pursue other plans with the building.

The club have been given until spring 2025 in order to find a new space and have asked anyone with a potential solution to get in touch via their Facebook page.

One of Trinity’s members is professional boxer Andrea Cikalleshi. The Albanian-Italian boxer recently improved his unbeaten record to 5-0 with a points victory over experienced boxer Michael Mooney.

Cikalleshi has been with the club for four years and has quickly progressed from amateur ranks to the professional game.

The 24-year-old, who is trained by Ric Bennett and Abdul Mghrbel, left Italy for Wakefield back in 2020 in order to pursue his dreams.

Cikalleshi told Planet Sport about his world championship aspirations in an exclusive interview back in early April.

“My dream is to become a world champion,” vowed the super-lightweight prospect.

“I want to build the legacy that I started. This is me, this is the story of Andrea Cikalleshi, an Albanian-Italian warrior. 

“I’m very dedicated to put the work in. I don’t have parties, I don’t have fun, I don’t have anything else. I just work, boxing and rest. Same again the next day.”

 

Local clubs change lives

Local boxing clubs such as Trinity not only provide a platform for young boxers but also have a big impact on the community.

Matchroom boxing supremo Eddie Hearn pressed the UK government to invest more money in local boxing clubs last September.

He told BBC Essex: "I really believe sport and boxing in particular can change a lot for the younger generation, which, let's face it, we have a major problem with at the moment.

"The things you need in life to progress - to be resilient, to be hard-working, respect, manners, discipline, physical health, mental health, individuality, confidence - all these things, sport can bring you.

"It really baffles me and worries me when I see these clubs that are so pivotal to the community closing down because of repairs or energy bills going up.

"These clubs are changing people's lives they are bringing positivity to young people, they are keeping them off the streets, they are keeping them away from knife crime."

Trinity’s Cikalleshi is one example of the life-changing impact that local clubs can have on individuals.

The Italian-Albanian boxer, who still works two jobs in a warehouse and a restaurant, has the chance to create a career in sport as his professional journey unfolds. Stories like these wouldn’t exist without the work of local boxing clubs.