Greeks & Greek Cypriots born in the UK, Australia, USA and other territories, are generally considered 2nd generation Greeks, even if only one parent is actually Greek. Thus, the small Mediterranean island of Cyprus includes amongst its offspring, the likes of George Michael, Peter Andre, Jennifer Aniston, Antony Costa of Blue, Andy Kyriacou of Modern Romance (yes, that would be me!), Andros Townsend (Spurs), as well as a host of other well known figures.

Now it adds “Team Evangelou” to this ever growing list. The Evangelou brothers are both London born boxers who carry the hopes of a proud Greek Cypriot community with them. In a sport dominated by American fighters, they have managed to earn the respect of fighters from all over the world, with their boxing ability and style, along with their humility. They have both also become Champions.

The Evangelou brothers are Andreas, (The Ace), aged 31 and younger brother Chris, (The Flash), who is 29. Both train in Edmonton, North London, and their success story has seen them elevated to the point where they have appeared on TV channels Sky Sports and Boxing Nation. They have also fought in prestigious arenas, including Wembley and the Royal Albert Hall. Invitations to train at camps in the USA have been a regular event, and a couple of months ago, just before the fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, Chris was in Las Vegas at the training camp of Floyd Mayweather – by invitation of course.

Later in the year, both brothers will be flying to LA, to stay with and be trained by Jessie Reed, a Hall of Famer who has trained 23 world champions! I first saw the Evangelou Brothers mentoring at an amateur boxing evening, where they mingled with various boxers from their gym, some as young as 7 years old, and were generally giving their support and encouragement to these budding fighters. I watched these two intently, and studied their body language as they circled the ring, chatting to spectators, organisers, and anyone in close proximity. I was looking for the cockiness which many young boxers are supposed to display. It is acknowledged that being a successful boxer can be similar to being a success in the music industry. If you start to believe you are “the best” purely because your fans/manager/friends etc. say so, then it really can affect your attitude in general, in an adverse way.

However, these two exponents of the art showed no brashness, no swagger, and definitely no arrogance. They interacted freely with all who were around them, in a manner which, quite frankly, I found surprising and refreshing. For me, their friendly demeanour very quickly turned the archetypal boxer’s image on its head, as they showed great respect to all. I was immediately taken by them, and my journalistic side wanted to know more about these humble, yet devastatingly effective fighters so I arranged an interview, and we sat around the table to chat.

As I spoke with them prior to the interview, I also met their girlfriends – two of the loveliest girls with the most wonderful manner. I realised it was no coincidence that the Evangelou brothers are dating such lovely people. The boys themselves are a credit to their parents. They both have strong religious beliefs, and I feel this contributes greatly to their character, forming them into outstanding, yet calm, endearing individuals.

They possess a bond with their family, and an ethic which shows in the respectful way they speak to each other, their other siblings and girlfriends. There is also an evident love and respect for that most influential person in their lives, their father Costas, who also manages them.

In fact, it was their father who turned them into boxing fans, when they sat with him as youngsters to watch the big fights of the time, many transmitting live from the USA at 4 a.m. UK time. Older brother Phodis became the first son in the family to box, but then moved into a more academic “normal” life, to the delight of the typical Cypriot family. He subsequently got married and has recently become a father to the gorgeous Amily, leaving his two younger brothers to continue down the road to boxing stardom.

Their mother (understandably), would rather her sons did not stand in the ring exchanging blows with an opponent, but does her best to support and encourage them when they are involved in a bout. The grandparents are again traditional and extremely caring. They reluctantly support their grandsons, lighting candles in the local church just before the boys get in the ring, and inevitably all the elders in the family will celebrate (and breathe a sigh of relief) when both of these young men eventually hang up their gloves. Indeed, one of the grandfathers refuses to come to any fights, purely because he feels he would not be able to handle the stress.

Their sister Marisa, although completely supportive of her brothers, also suffers when they are in the ring. Chris mentioned that at his last fight, all he could hear from the crowd were his sister’s “distress calls”. I pictured it in my head and smiled. I have met her – a lovely, energetic, loving mother herself, and I do have visions of her, should a blow be landed on one of her brothers, jumping in the ring and bashing the opponent with her shoe!

Joking aside, there really is nothing funny when someone you care about is in the ring, facing an opponent whose only interest is to beat the hell out of your loved one, hence, the concern from this close knit Cypriot family is not without justification.

Due to the success and dedication of the brothers, many other young Cypriots are taking an interest in boxing and joining various gyms, whilst viewing Andreas and Chris as their role models. These two have shown that it is indeed possible for Cypriots to reach the top in this sport, and as a result others are now being inspired. However, the boys have both seen boxers with potential come and go, and agree that the hardest thing about the sport is the discipline involved. The eating regime, the need to achieve your weight before a fight, the constant training, all means many do not make the grade, even though they may have the raw talent. The gruelling training and dietary demands often prove too much.

Chris “The Flash” Evangelou
The inspiration for Chris to start boxing was not his older brother Phodis, but a chance confrontation with an old school colleague. Chris felt he had not handled the situation with confidence. He spoke to his father about it, and shortly afterwards began attending Wing Chung classes, where he stayed for 3 months, excelling in the art. After this period, he decided to look for something else, as he felt it wasn’t exciting or hands-on enough for him, due to the strong emphasis on form and technique. Looking locally for a place to begin boxing, he found Haringey Boxing Club in nearby Tottenham. At first he visited the gym weekly, but very quickly the coach at the gym realised that Chris was a genuine, natural talent. He conveyed this to Chris and encouraged him to attend on a more regular basis. Within a month, Chris realised he had found his calling and began attending the gym with more focus. His desire to pursue a career in boxing grew steadily stronger with each training session.

Chris began his career with an impressive record both internationally and domestically. Despite his lack of experience, he was soon National Amateur Champion of England. This put him in the fray to fight for Cyprus in the Olympic Qualifiers, and also in Italy, where he fought some of the best boxers in the world. After representing England and Cyprus in various tournaments, Chris’s medal tally stands at six Gold and one Silver. Many of the big names in boxing promotion, including Ricky Hatton and Joe Calzaghe have wooed Chris for his signature. At present, Chris is signed with Don Charles as his coach.

In his recent fight for the International Masters Welterweight Title, Chris broke his hand in the very first round, yet managed to box on with just one hand, taking the prized belt at the end.

Andreas “The Ace” Evangelou
Andreas had attended a boxing gym from the age of 13, albeit on an irregular basis. He admits to smoking, dabbling in drugs, drinking, and generally whiling away his days like many teenagers, with the prospect of achieving nothing in particular. He was in and out of boxing in this manner for a few years, yet still dabbling with a lifestyle which does not go in tandem with such a health driven sport. However, at the age of around 19, the penny dropped and he realised he was actually “quite good at it”, as he casually put it. (I think his opponents would say that is an understatement!). The opportunities which came his way, even as a casual boxer, made him realise that others within the sport must see something in him. For instance, he was invited to spar with several top fighters including world champions, without being embarrassed or outfought. These invitations to take part in events with other acclaimed fighters, brought home to him how good he was. It inspired him to turn his back on his previous social exploits and concentrate on becoming a pro fighter.

Although Andreas took up boxing a little later than Chris, he has now been in the sport for over a decade. He began as a coach, guiding Chris to his National Amateur Championship. Since donning the gloves himself, he has sparred with the likes of World Champion Nathan Cleverly, European Champion Danny Macintosh, and The Wild Card in LA. During the three years he has been competing as a professional, Andreas is still undefeated, and along with his opponent, was the first to feature in a boxing match in The Royal Albert Hall for 12 years. Signed also with Don Charles, Andreas recently won the International Masters Light Heavyweight Title.

Both boxers are now eligible to fight for other titles, having won all their bouts against all competitors in their designated area. They do however, realise that it is a team effort and went to great lengths when I spoke to them to praise their sponsors and trainers, as well as the many other people who make this possible. The sponsors bear the costs of the aforementioned trips to the USA, and Chris and Andreas are very grateful.

After boxing, Chris will look to return to acting, but together with Andreas, they hope to eventually open their own gym, using the name they have built up as pro boxers, and create and promote their own brand.

For now, fellow Greek Cypriots and indeed, all boxing fans, should come along and support these two exponents of this fine sport. They are true gentleman. As a Cypriot, I am extremely proud to be associated with them. Long may they continue.