Viddal Riley Interview

If a thousand people were asked the words that would spring to mind when prompted to describe a modern boxer, the odds of there being little variation between answers would be low. Fast, nimble, quick with their feet. Confident, brash, too sure of themselves. Talking to Viddal Riley ahead of his undercard fight at London’s O2 Arena, it’s increasingly clear that he leans into some of these labels, whilst simultaneously defying and redefining others. “I don’t know how I’d describe myself as a boxer – because I can do everything. It sounds like the usual, confident answer I know – but it’s true. I’ve proven it, and I can literally do everything,” he says.

PHOTOGRAPHY
Vicky Grout at Soho Management

FASHION
Kiera Liberati

GROOMING
Marisa Tipkanok using ELEMIS UK,
SUQQU UK and Smith Cosmetics

PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT
Alex Galloway

Jumper Cernucci / T-Shirt Blanks Studio / Jeans KSUBI / Trainers Puma / Earring Viddal’s Own

Trousers UNKNOWN LONDON / Earring Viddal’s Own

There’s a measured confidence that exudes from him as we chat, quick from having that confidence immortalised through Vicky Grout’s photography. “I don’t mind these shoots you know!”, he laughs, “a couple different fits – it was nice. I just go along with it, because everyone here is a professional. They lead me, I listen, they know what they’re doing and they’ll make me look good. It’s quite a good process really!”

Viddal Riley is one to watch in the world of boxing, with the 26-year-old listed as the undercard fight for a night described as “Bad Blood”, aiming to make more noise in the English cruiserweight scene. Having represented England at multiple junior European championships, he had his professional debut in 2018, making his mark immediately. Viddal has had ten professional fights, winning 6 of them by knockout, and losing none. He is currently the English cruiserweight champion, and if you think that sounds like enough, you’ll be sorely mistaken. “I’m coming for everything. I know because of the way I fight, I need to be adaptable. I need to fight in whichever way to win, and that’s what I’m going to do, always,” Viddal says.

Jumper **Cernucci** / Earring **Viddal’s Own**

Like many athletes from inner-city areas across the country, growing up in the rougher areas of North London undoubtedly fuelled this drive, and as we make a joke about Northumberland Park, he explains how he got into boxing in the first place. “So, my dad used to box, and he didn’t actually necessarily want me to fight, but we’d always be messing about at home, it was always on the TV – so I think he saw something. Got me to try a few moves, and I think he saw a natural ability in me. The first time I went to a gym, I was 6. I was in trouble a lot as well, so I had a lot of energy I needed to burn!” he says. There’s a chuckle when he reminisces on the “tiring out the trouble” strategy that ultimately didn’t work, but led him to this stage in his career. “I think, in a good way, boxing gave me something to do, gave me something with purpose. I didn’t have much of a choice when it came to exploring my own journey, but I dunno, I’m alright with the idea of being maneuvered into what I was doing, and having that level of guidance. It worked out fine in the end – I don’t complain too much.” There’s an appreciation for his humble beginnings that’s apparent when Viddal recalls growing up in Tottenham, explaining that you “have to be from there to understand why Tottenham is cool, and if you’re not from there, you might not get it, which to be fair, is cool with us” – the sense that he wouldn’t necessarily change a thing is admirably clear.

Jacket UNKNOWN LONDON / T-Shirt Blanks Studio / Jeans KSUBI / Boots Timberland / Earring Viddal’s Own

Jacket Solid Homme / Track Pants UNKNOWN LONDON / T-Shirt Blanks Studio / Trainers Puma / Earring Viddal’s Own

There are plenty of media formats that dictate how we perceive an athlete’s journey. Rags to riches sports films, glossy profiles that centre a particular athlete as the chosen one, behind-the-scenes tours of academies and training centres – these are all available to us, and shape our assumptions about the path an athlete takes. Viddal’s journey, however, has a unique twist to it, one that can only be attributed to the evolution of boxing as a sport. With the hype of YouTuber fights looming, Viddal was called upon to train KSI ahead of his debut fights. “When I got involved in that scene, I didn’t think anything was going to come of it – I thought it was a one-off event, and I would just go back to my life. I’m not a coach, and definitely didn’t think I was signing up for anything long-term, but I could help.” The move catapulted him to a new audience (KSI and Logan Paul alone have a combined audience of 40.3 million on Instagram), and as a result, Viddal has a grasp of the business of boxing that most boxers don’t. Influencer and celebrity boxing is a strange but huge new element of the sport, and Viddal’s place right in the centre, meant that he could build on his commercial knowledge, and look at the sport beyond the physical aspects. He highlights one piece of knowledge that has stuck with him from that time, admitting he thinks about the commercial side of things more than most, and it’s the idea of brand-building as an athlete, explaining that it’s a good way to showcase his talent to diverse markets. Being in this world, it was exciting, no doubt – but it never deterred him away from the ultimate goal. “I could see what it was doing for my following, there were more eyes on me, and so it made sense to continue it for a bit, from a business perspective. Something’s got to keep young people invested and interested in the sport, so as long as it’s safe and fair, I’m here for it,” he says. “But I knew that I couldn’t keep coaching and also be the best boxer, so I had to make the sacrifice of stepping away so that I could focus on my goals”. After a couple of years, he left the training element of boxing to focus on himself as an athlete, a move that appears to have refocused and rejuvenated him. “Boxing is my main focus, for sure. It’s the main thing for me, it always has been.”

Jacket UNKNOWN LONDON / T-Shirt Blanks Studio / Jeans KSUBI / Boots Timberland / Earring Viddal’s Own / Earring Viddal’s Own

His assuredness about his place in the boxing landscape is contagious, and it looks as though things can only get better for Viddal Riley, as he continues his journey to cement his name in the world of boxing. The notion of chatting again in 5 years time is posed to him, and I ask what I should be expecting him to tell me. For most, an answer to this lofty question takes mulling over, with the fear of saying something too big or too small heavy in people’s minds. For Viddal Riley though, it’s simple. “I want to be a world champion, that sits at the top definitely. And I want to be marketable – I want to be able to have enough reach to convince you to buy a new cereal or something. I would also love to keep my hairline!”