End of an era for Darren McDermott

Dudley's Darren McDermott will treat every day from now on like his last as he prepares for life behind the scenes after retiring from boxing.

McDermott hung up his gloves two weeks ago after his life had hung in the balance during brain surgery, undergoing a procedure one in five people never wake up from.

It put what goes on in the ring – even what would have been his shot at British super middleweight champion Paul Smith next month – into real perspective for the married father-of-two.

Surgeons at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham found and dealt with an aneurysm that had been missed in earlier scans, stopping the bleeding to the brain and saving the 32-year-old's life.

'The Black Country Bodysnatcher' is now expected to make a full recovery but his time as a fighter is over.

But McDermott's rebirth as a trainer, leading pro and amateur boxers from his home gym in Woodsetton, Dudley, has just begun.

He said: "It's the start of another era and you never know, I might have a world champion of my own one day.

"I will stay in boxing, I am not just going to walk away from the sport after everything it has done for me.

"Even now, I can't knock boxing. It's kept me out of jail and on the straight and narrow, so I would never, ever put the sport down.

"I know what has happened has happened but, at the end of the day, I might have been in prison now if it wasn't for boxing."

McDermott already has two clients lined up and waiting, as soon as he passes his pro-am trainer's licence later this year.

Brother Jason, a hard-hitting light middleweight, is 26 and soon to make his professional debut, while 15-year-old Robbie Edwards – who he has known since he was a baby – represents one for the distant future.

Young Robbie is the grandson of respected trainer Ronnie Brown, who led McDermott when he was the same age.

There's plenty to look forward to but the pain of never becoming a British champion may never go away, especially with the fight against Smith made and on the horizon.

It was a second chance after losing a British middleweight title fight to Wayne Elcock on a cut in 2008.

But, after what he has been through, 'Macca' knows just how dangerous carrying on could have been.

He said: "People say that my injury couldn't have happened at a worse time with the British title shot but it could have, I could have been in the ring with the champion when it got worse.

"That would have been a war and I might not have been here afterwards. It takes one blow and it's a dangerous sport.

"The surgeons couldn't believe I had been walking around like I was for that long, it must have either been my pain threshold or my fitness that got me through it.

"Any normal person in the street would have had a stroke, they told me, my fitness got me through it and that's why I am still here today.

"I am just pleased to be here after how close I came to dying.

"I would rather have 12 more years with my kids than 12 more rounds in the ring."

McDermott calls time on his career having won English, Midlands and British Masters title at middleweight, but having lost shots at the British and Commonwealth titles.

Boxing has been his life since childhood, with his pro journey starting in April 2003, a points win over Leigh Smith at Brentford's Fountain Leisure Centre.

By fight number nine he was the Midlands champion, beating British title contender Andy Halder by fifth round stoppage at Dudley Town Hall.

After bouncing back from British and Commonwealth disappointment, McDermott lifted the English crown last year by dethroning Steve Bendall – the only fighter to beat Paul Smith as a pro.

His last fight came last November, defending his belt in a points win over Danny Butler, finishing with a 20-fight record of 17-2-1.

Fair enough, not everything went to plan, but no-one can take away McDermott's memories.

He said: "It was a high every fight, just walking out into the crowd, whenever my support was there it was tremendous. No one had a crowd like I had and my fans made my career.

"In the ring, winning the English title was fantastic, probably my best fight on the whole. Bendall was a good fighter who beat Paul Smith, which made me think I could win that British title.

"Winning the Midlands title put me on the map, I really felt like I could beat anybody after that, in my hometown as well it really went off.

"It was a long way from my debut, I only took 32 people with me!"