Luke Keeler: 'I had my pro debut while doing 50-hour weeks as an engineer'
28 January 2020 03:18
Luke Keeler was working full-time as an engineer two years ago. He is fighting for a world title in Miami on Saturday nightBy Jonathan Drennan for Behind the LinesLuke Keeler sits back and relaxes in his home in Drumcondra. It is the night before the middleweight boxer will leave the cold and grey of Dublin for the sunshine of Miami, where he will challenge the unbeaten Demetrius Andrade for his WBO belt. His journey to the airport will take less than 15 minutes, but his path to a world title shot has been long and arduous. For a decade, Keeler juggled professional boxing with his job as an engineer, before he finally decided to go full-time as a fighter two years ago.“I come from an area in Dublin called Ballyfermot. I loved it and had a brilliant upbringing there, but it tends to get a bad press from some people,” says Keeler. “My parents were keen for me to get a third-level education like my brother, who went to do architecture, and I just went with it. I got the highest leaving certificate marks at school, getting a grant from the Brothers to go to university at Dublin Institute of Technology. I was always good at maths, so I went with engineering at university, eventually graduating with an honours degree.” Related: Lovemore N’dou: the boxer who became a lawyer to fight for justice Related: MMA fighter Conor McGregor fined €1,000 over Dublin pub assault Continue readingread full article
