Wigan accountant leads double life as bare-knuckle fighter

He then morphs into a bareknuckle fighter !

“I had my first bareknuckle fight a couple of months after I started my new job,” said the 34-year-old from Wigan, “and I think the others in the office thought: ‘Who is this guy?’

“I don’t give the impression I’m a bareknuckle boxer. There are two sides to me.

“I go to work and earn a living, but I need excitement too.”

Rouke, who works as a management accountant at Inspiring Health Lifestyles, chose bareknuckle boxing.

“I was always sporty,” he said, “and rugby was my sport.

“Playing rugby, I was getting more out of shape as the season went on. I was drinking and eating pies all the time!

“I was 155kg when I started boxing and I’m 90kg now. I went to the gym because I wanted to lose weight for my wedding.

“I had a few white collar boxing fights and then found a German promotion and they asked me to have a bareknuckle fight.

“I flew to Germany and lost on points. I thought I should have won it, but I probably didn’t throw enough punches. I was nervous!

“I decided I wasn’t going to fight bareknuckle again. I wasn’t sure that I enjoyed it, but I loved the energy it gave me and I thought: ‘I’m too young not to do this.’”

Rouke didn’t think twice when asked to fight bareknuckle in Stoke at only 10 days’ notice and won in the first round.

That was followed by another one-round knockout in Manchester and Rouke next month fights on a worldwide stage.

He has signed a contract with promoters BYB Extreme and fights on their show in Cardiff on Saturday February 1,

The show will be screened in more than 30 countries around the world and Rouke says fans will see a stylish boxer when he takes on Steve Evans.

“BYB is the biggest platform in this country,” he said, “and I’m not there to get damaged and get the crowd cheering for my ego.

“I want to hit and not get hit.

“I haven’t been boxing for very long, but l believe my skills are as good as anyone you will find in BYB.

“I have signed a four-fight contract and I want to get to America.”

Rouke has mapped out his route to the top.

“If I get past Steve, Brad Scott would be great for my next one,” he said. “I only took up boxing to lose weight for my wedding and to fight someone who was in the UFC would be some achievement.

“If I could beat Brad, then you’re talking (world champion) Marko Martinjak. If you’re not going to aim for the stars, why bother doing it ?”