One of the most popular figures in British boxing, Nigel Travis has been recognized for his community work in the prestigious 2026 New Year Honours List.
Travis, known to many as the No. 2 to coach Jamie Moore, is a firefighter by trade, but also a former amateur boxer who has his own amateur boxing club, and he has been awarded an MBE.
The sport has been his life, and his recognition has delighted many in British boxing, none more so than Moore.
“I’m extremely proud of everything that he’s done,” said Moore.
“No one deserves it more than him. He’s worked tirelessly since setting that gym up in Moss Side, to help the local community and all the kids in that area, to give them a better platform, a better life for themselves in the long run. I’ve seen so many positive outcomes from it and he’s the reason why I decided to set up an amateur boxing club where I am, so he’s inspired me to do the same. He’s an absolute diamond of a human being and its absolutely well deserved.”
Travis, who thanked his family for their support so he can do so much community work, admitted: “It’s a bit mental. I feel humbled and a little bit embarrassed because there are people that I thought more deserving than me but I accept it on behalf of the people like my dad [Kelvyn, former England coach], he’s done it for 55 years and never got anything, that’s why I feel embarrassed. I felt embarrassed eight years ago when I got a BEM (a lesser but still prestigious honour), and that was great, to go to the [Buckingham] Palace and have a garden party with my wife, it was lovely. But this is obviously next level and I’m very humbled but privileged and I can’t believe it and there’s more recognition of people who perhaps deserve it a little bit more than me who’ve done it for 40, 50, 60 years, and they’re the people who deserve it. I’m not going to turn it down and I am overjoyed for my wife, children and grandchildren and my mum and dad, but we’re back in the gym tonight, doing what we do. It was a massive surprise and I’m so happy.”
Tris Dixon covered his first amateur boxing fight in 1996. The former editor of Boxing News, he has written for a number of international publications and newspapers, including GQ and Men’s Health, and is a board member for the Ringside Charitable Trust and the Ring of Brotherhood. He has been a broadcaster for TNT Sports and hosts the popular “Boxing Life Stories” podcast. Dixon is a British Boxing Hall of Famer, an International Boxing Hall of Fame elector, a BWAA award winner, and is the author of five boxing books, including “Damage: The Untold Story of Brain Trauma in Boxing” (shortlisted for the William Hill Sportsbook of the Year), “Warrior: A Champion’s Search for His Identity” (shortlisted for the Sunday Times International Sportsbook of the Year) and “The Road to Nowhere: A Journey Through Boxing’s Wastelands.” You can reach him @trisdixon on X and Instagram.
