The Goodwins Bid Farewell — British Small Hall Boxing Loses One of Its Biggest Champions

This is the kind of story that doesn't make the big headlines but absolutely should. Steve Goodwin, one of the most dedicated small hall promoters in British boxing, has announced he's hanging it up after 16 years. "For us now the show is over," he said. And honestly, that hits hard.

If you don't know the name Goodwin, that's sort of the point. Small hall promoters don't get the glory. They don't get the Sky Sports contracts or the packed arenas. What they get is the grafting end of the sport — putting on shows in leisure centres and small venues, giving young fighters a platform, and keeping the grassroots of British boxing alive.

Make no mistake, without promoters like Goodwin, a lot of fighters simply wouldn't have careers. The big promoters — your Hearns, your Warrens — they pick up fighters who are already showing promise. But who gives those fighters their first four, five, six fights? Who puts on the shows where they learn their trade? That's the small hall scene, and Goodwin was at the heart of it.

Sixteen years is a long time in any business, let alone boxing promotion. The costs, the regulations, the constant logistical headaches — it's a brutal game behind the scenes. And the rewards? Slim. You're not making millions promoting small hall shows. You're doing it because you love the sport and you believe in giving fighters opportunities.

This is a problem that's been growing in British boxing for a while now. The small hall scene has been shrinking. Costs are going up, venues are getting harder to book, and the economics just don't work the way they used to. Every time a promoter like Goodwin steps away, it means fewer opportunities for fighters at the start of their journey.

I've said it before and I'll say it again — the BBBoC's recent partnership with Sporting Chance is a step in the right direction for supporting people in the sport. But we need to be looking at the pipeline too. If we lose the small hall scene, we lose the breeding ground for the next generation of British champions.

The Goodwins deserve a massive amount of respect for what they've given to British boxing. Sixteen years of putting on shows, giving fighters opportunities, and keeping the grassroots alive. That's a legacy right there.

Proper class act. Thanks for everything, and all the best going forward.