First professional British Boxing Board of Control licensed boxer from Leeds to win a world title
Michelle Sutcliffe
A pioneering Leeds world champion still shaping Tigers Gym today.
Michelle Sutcliffe is one of the strongest trust signals in the Tigers Gym brand: a Leeds fighter with world-title pedigree, Thai boxing credentials, and a long-standing coaching role in the gym's public offer.
Highlights
Published achievements that still matter to the Tigers Gym brand.
2x WBF World Flyweight Pro Boxing Champion
WIBF Intercontinental Flyweight Pro Boxing Champion
IFBA World Flyweight Pro Boxing Champion
4x British Thai Boxing Champion
Fully qualified Thai boxing coach and amateur boxing coach
Background
A local sporting story with real weight behind it.
Michelle is far more than a coach card. She is part of the Tigers Gym identity: a Leeds fighter who broke ground in British women's boxing and built genuine local credibility through results rather than branding.
Her published achievements include becoming the first professional BBBofC licensed boxer from Leeds to win a world title, winning multiple world-level boxing titles, and building a parallel Thai boxing record that included four British titles and a world ranking of number three.
Michelle also started relatively late, at 26, with no earlier sporting background. That matters because it reinforces one of the gym's strongest messages today: beginners can start later than they think and still progress seriously.
Professional boxing breakthrough
Michelle was the second woman ever granted a professional boxing licence by the BBBofC, and the first licensed professional boxer from Leeds to win a world title.
World-title run
Her published record highlights a WBF world title win, a later WBF defence, and the capture of the IFBA world title, alongside a WIBF intercontinental title win in Leeds.
Thai boxing credibility
Before and alongside professional boxing success, Michelle also built a strong Thai boxing record, including four British titles and a top-three world ranking.
Local recognition
The live page says Michelle was the first woman to win the BBC North Sports Award in 1999, reinforcing her significance beyond the gym itself.
Coaching relevance
Why Michelle still matters to visitors choosing Tigers Gym today.
Michelle's presence matters because it links the Tigers Gym of today to a real competitive and coaching legacy.
She remains closely associated with classes and 121 tuition, giving visitors a direct link between the gym's history and its coaching offer today.
For beginners, her story also strengthens the gym's message that progress is not reserved for lifelong athletes or already-confident fighters.
Gallery
A concise visual strip, not a cluttered archive.
Start training
Use that Tigers Gym credibility as a practical next step.
If Michelle's story is part of why the gym feels like the right fit, take the next step through the contact page, the first-visit guide, or a 121 training enquiry.