Subscribe!

A boxer posing for the camera in a boxing ring.

Sean Bey: from surviving to thriving – Brendan Higgins

September 21, 2022/Brendan Higgins

By Brendan Higgins, contributing writer

Sean Bey is a survivor. He survived growing up on the streets. He survived a terrible car accident where he almost lost his life. He had to learn how to walk again, and he lost one of his fingers. He battled cancer for several years. He somehow survived and beat stage 4 cancer. Today he is a professional boxer with a 7-0 record. In the boxing world Sean is thriving. When he is in the ring, it’s his opponents who are desperately trying to survive.

He was born July 18, 1989. He grew up in Stoughton, Massachusetts. He learned how to fight on the streets. He makes no excuses for how he grew up, because as he explained to me, it made him who he is today. Sean held nothing back telling me his story. He is open and honest about where he has been and where he intends to go next. He laid it all out for me in a candid interview a few days after he returned from a trip to London. More on that later.

Sean is a natural athlete. He played football, basketball and wrestled in school. He had the ability to excel in sports but found himself getting kicked off sports teams for a variety of reasons. He said, “I played football, but I would get bored with it. I was a street kid. A fighter. I lived in the town projects, Presidential Courts. I got into a lot of trouble. I was always fighting. My grades would start to slip.” Sean graduated from Stoughton High School in 2008. What came next was a rollercoaster ride in life with extreme challenges that would have broken the average person. Sean is far from average. He has been forced to face one adversity after another. Failure has never been an option for him.

Boxing is a good profession for Sean because he likes to fight. He explained, “My father was a rough cat. We come from a family of tough Cape Verdean fighters. We were in the back yard banging all the time. Anytime we would drive by a boxing gym or see anything about boxing or MMA I was interested. At one point I was introduced to boxing trainer Joe Ennis. I was fighting all the time and had a reputation as one of the toughest kids in town. Joe took me to a gym in Dorchester and put me in the ring to do some sparring. Me and the other guy were both very green (inexperienced), and I ended up knocking him out. After that Joe asked if I wanted to keep doing this and I said, ‘yeah.’ That’s when things took off for me. I was fresh out of high school.”

Sean burned through the local amateur ranks. He explained, “I was 19 when I started boxing. Within my first year and a half, I qualified for the Olympic trials. In 2012 I was ranked number four in the country. I was also number four seed for the Olympic trials. I ended up losing to the guys ranked number one and two. They ended up going to the Olympics that year. I also won four New England Golden Glove titles.” Sean built an impressive resume. He was poised to turn pro.

In a twist of fate, Sean walked away from boxing. He got married and found himself going back to what he knew best. The street life. Sean revealed to me he is fortunate to be alive today. Luckily for him, his fighting career was about to heat up again. After getting divorced, he entered the world of MMA. A natural fit. With Sean’s physical gifts he would be considered a natural in any combat sport. He began training with UFC fighter Pat Walsh. They both came from the same town in Massachusetts. Sean did what he always does. He excelled. He continued to add to his arsenal developing a solid ground game. This made him even more dangerous to any opponent. Pat felt the time was right for Sean to take a fight. So, he did. Sean did well in the amateur ranks. The decision to turn pro was the next step in his career. On the car ride to his pro debut Sean received some unexpected personal news that effected his concentration. In his own words, “I couldn’t keep it together for that fight and ended up losing.” This was also during a point in Sean’s life when he found out he had cancer.

The news was not good. At 27 years old, Sean Bey had stage four cancer. If you are not familiar with what that means, it’s usually terminal. I say usually because Sean Bey is far from the usual. He is a man with the drive and heart of a champion. For the next few years Sean would fight his most difficult battle with cancer. He was subjected to extremely aggressive chemotherapy. The doctor told Sean they normally wouldn’t use that intense level of treatment, but they felt it was worth trying given Sean’s outstanding physical condition. In the end Sean was cancer free and things began to look up.

They say behind every good man is a good woman. That is definitely the case with Sean. Fate would step into Sean’s life again when his longtime friend, Stephanie, came back into his life. Sean said, “Me and Stephanie have known each other a long time. Since we were kids. We always knew we liked each other but were more friends. We were part of the same clique. I was going through so many hardships and she was there for me. We finally ended up getting together.

She grew up watching me fight in the early years. Once we were together, she asked ‘why aren’t you competing anymore?’ I told her life got in the way but that wasn’t a good enough answer for her. I was depressed and miserable. Stephanie saved me.” Sean and Stephanie had a heart-to-heart talk about Sean resuming his fighting career. He had options. He could return to MMA or boxing. Sean said, “Steph asked me if I could do whatever I wanted where would I go. I told her I would go with the Estrada’s and Big Six Boxing Academy. I felt I would do better in boxing. I like the fist a cuffs.” Today, Sean and Stephanie are married.

They could easily be on the Hollywood red carpet together. They complement each other in many ways. They live with their son, Elijah. Stephanie Bey (a former US Army medic) shared her thoughts on Sean. She said, “We have known each other a long time. I wanted to know why he stopped doing something he is great at. It was like, where did you go. A part of me was looking at an old friend. I wanted to know why he stopped fighting. I planted a seed. I wanted him to be happy again. Everything kept coming back to boxing. So, I told him to just do it. I’m not surprised in the least that he is now an undefeated heavyweight contender. I know how his mind works. I know where he comes from. Most of all, I know what he is capable of. There is no stopping him now. I’ve seen him fight in the ring and in the street. All I can say is they are lucky they are in the ring with him and not in the street (laughing). He is not coming from a place of sportsmanship. He is coming from a life of violence. The fight is much different for him when he is in the ring.” Sean revealed he felt he was in despair. He might have gone back to the street life if it wasn’t for Stephanie. He said, “She is the spark and the glue that keeps it all going.”

**Sean Bey left no doubt who won this fight**

I asked Sean who he admired in the boxing world. He said, “I look up to my coach, Jason Estrada. He can fight and box. In boxing history, I like Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson and Marvin Hagler.” I asked Sean who he admires outside of the boxing community. He said, “One of my friends growing up, Barry Wilson. My little brother, Nate Burger. I also have a lot of respect for Jason and Roland Estrada from Big 6.” Sean is not impressed with celebrities. His admiration is for people he learned life lessons from.

Sean and Stephanie were part of a recent boxing event in London. This event featured Sam Hyde, a controversial social media influencer and stand-up comedian. Hyde enlisted the services of Sean to be his corner man for his You Tube boxing match against Tik Tok star, IAMTHMPSN. At first glance, you might not think much of this event, but after doing a bit of research I learned this was a massive boxing event that drew 40,000 fans to the 02 Arena in London. With her background as a Medic, Stephanie worked the corner as the cut person. She is currently attending Quinsigamond Community College studying to become a nurse. This made her more than qualified for the job. Sean guided Hyde to Victory. On a side note, Hyde attended RISD.

***Sean and Stephanie along with Sam Hyde***

When you consider everything Sean has been through, some would say it’s a miracle he is alive. His typical day includes being up at the crack of dawn to go to work as an iron worker for Local 7. He said, “I work 50 plus hours a week. We are 30 feet in the air on steel beams. This job is important because I will always provide for my family. My wife is in school right now. I will never let my family suffer so I can chase a dream. I will never put my family in despair. Boxing offers no security. If I get a chance at big money in boxing, I will seize the moment. You can believe that. My job is more important. We all dream of success in boxing and everything that comes with it. My main dream is to provide for my family.” After his hard workday he is off to Big 6 Boxing in Providence to train. It’s a long drive. Sean added, “Sometimes after training, on the ride home, my wife will drop me off a few miles from the house and I will jog home.” No one can ever accuse Sean of not putting in the work. He is doing everything he can to give his family a comfortable life while also keeping his eye on one day fighting for the world heavyweight championship.

The whole story is what Hollywood movies are made of. Sean said, “When I was in the hospital all I could think about was this is not how I’m going to die. It made me want to get up and stop bitching and go get it. My legacy is for my family to have a good life. In all family’s bills need to be paid. Some end up passing on the bill to their kids. This can go on from generation to generation. My goal is to pay the bill in full for my family. I will not be passing debt, anguish and stress down to my family. I was lying in the hospital being told I’m going to die. All I could think about was my son and how I’m not going to be able to do anything for him. The person I want to thank the most is my wife. She watches my back like no one ever has before. She knows what’s best for us. With Stephanie by my side, I have a chance to do something great.”

***At work or in the ring – Bey Don’t Play***

Sean Bey is a warrior. He has seen it all. He rose up and beat cancer. He turned his back on the street life. His path has led him to CES boxing and legendary promoter Jimmy Burchfield. That will automatically open doors for Sean. Being in the Big 6 camp is also a huge plus for him. With his 7-0 record and all seven wins coming by knockout, he is now in the discussion as to who is the top heavyweight in New England. He is willing to fight anyone. At 33, the time is now. Sean pointed at his arm and said, “See on my arm, it says pressure busts pipes. I don’t pay the plumber. I put pressure on people till they fold. I know what pressure can do. I had to live with it my whole life. That allows me to take all the pressure I had on me and put it on my opponents and see if they can handle it.” As of the writing of this article, no one has been able to withstand the pressure of Sean Bey. Some call him the nine-finger assassin after losing a finger in a car accident. Sean does not expect to return to the world of MMA. His love is the squared circle and boxing. The general opinion in the boxing world is Sean Bey will be fighting for a world title at some point soon. Sean said, “When I go out there you are going to see an exciting fight. I’m gonna go out there and bang. I don’t care about an undefeated record. I don’t get caught up in that. The time is now, and I’m ready.”

Sean will be back in the ring this fall. Visit cesfights.com for all the latest news and events from the premiere boxing and MMA promotion.

___