Connor Coghill, the 27-year-old professional boxer from Hull, recently earned his ninth victory in his hometown, defending his unbeaten record.  

At the Bonus Arena in Hull, he fought Christian Lopez Flores and won all six rounds with skill and conviction, taking the overall victory by a unanimous decision. 

Here’s what Connor himself had to say: “The fight went exactly as I expected. I knew that Lopez Flores is a heavy-handed puncher, meaning he’s got a hard hit, so the plan was to out-box him, which I managed to do for the full six rounds.   

“I’m absolutely over the moon with the win. After being out of the ring for 18 months due to COVID, it’s made the build-up and anticipation for the fight that bit more special. And then seeing the crowd again was just amazing.” 

Connor was first introduced to boxing at the age of 10, when his stepfather took him and his friend to St Paul’s Boxing Academy, their local boxing club. Consequently, with help from the fantastic coaches at St Paul’s, Connor soon realised he’d found his calling for the sport, and, by the age of 11, he was already competing against other aspiring young boxers.  

Lairgate Financial have sponsored Connor for a number of years now, supporting his career development and progression.  

“Lairgate’s sponsorship is a massive help for me. It could be argued that I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for the support from local businesses like them. The money helps with almost all aspects of my career- with nutrition, gym fees, my kit, the equipment, my medical care, all of it.  

“I have to get my logo printed on all my kit, I need to have annual brain scans, so a lot goes into it and sponsorships like that really are a huge help.” 

Supporting our community  

Giving back to our community is very important to Lairgate Financial. Whether it’s donating to a local charity or helping an aspiring star within the region, like Connor, we believe that our support can contribute to building  a strong, inclusive community identity. 

Along with Connor’s boxing, we have also supported many other great local causes, such as P.A.U.L For Brain Recovery, which campaigns and fundraises to support people who have experienced brain injuries and raises awareness of some of the issues they face; Beverley’s much-loved East Riding Theatre, and the charitable 360 Foundation run by fellow local business 360 Accountants.  

Connor shared his boxing plans for the future:  

“Following my recent win, my team and I are currently looking towards another fight, hopefully before Christmas. This will then catapult me to fight for a title in the new year. I’d love to fight for the English or central area title in the next year, this would mean I can then progress on to more established titles.” 

We wish Connor the best of luck for the future, and will be supporting him every step of the way. 

If you would like to cheer Connor on at his next fight, at the Lights Out at Christmas event taking place at Sheffield’s OEC on 4 December this year, you can contact him via 07591 094626 or Teamcoghill@gmail.com 

Images by Jason Shipley.