Bobby Mayne started boxing in 1981 as a 14-year-old, to defend himself against school bullies. One year later he competed in his first competitive bout and went on to be the 51 kg State Novice silver medallist. Prior to joining the Army he won the 51 kg Junior Golden Gloves Championship in 1983. After joining the Australian Regular Army Bobby was encouraged by his colleagues to represent his Unit and the Army in Inter-unit and Inter-service tournaments in which he won numerous titles.
Following an honourable discharge from the Army in 1987, he returned to the UK, to train and compete in Northern Ireland and London, where he had spent his formative childhood years. It was here that he had the opportunity to spar with world-class boxers such as former WBC World Featherweight Champion Paul ‘Hoko’ Hodkinson. Bobby’s international credentials also include training at Gleason’s Gym in New York.
On his return to Australia 1990, Bobby’s services were in demand as a trainer. He established boxing programmes and training regimes not only for boxers, but also for Muay Thai kick boxers and exponents of other martial arts such as Karate and Mixed Martial Arts. Bobby became a Professional Boxing Judge in 2005 and since then he has been involved in numerous boxing promotions including Green Machine and BattleXtreme Promotions. Being a trainer and judge he recognised the need for a comprehensive boxing training manual that could be utilised by trainers and boxers alike and wrote ‘The Art of Boxing: Your Guide to the Sweet science’.
Bobby developed this manual because he wanted to share his insights of the sweet science that is boxing and also to make boxing more accessible to anyone interested in boxing such as boxing fans and industry participants.
Bobby has participated in a diverse range of roles at all levels in the sport of boxing – as a competitor, a trainer, and a judge. His extensive experience and knowledge is matched only by his profound understanding of the sport of boxing.