The punching preacher

How can a ‘man of God’ make a living hurting people? Stuart Weir checks out the boxing pastor Derrick Osaze.

Derrick Osaze has two jobs. He is a professional boxer and an ordained pastor in his church in Nottingham. The ‘Punching Preacher’ has won all ten of his professional fights so far. He says of the name: ‘It’s not a nickname I picked for myself. It’s one I tried to reject at all times. I was ordained last year in March. So I guess I’d embrace the nickname now because it’s the truth, I do punch and I do preach.’ Sorted decided to ask him if he felt there was any conflict between loving his neighbour and punching his lights out. We will return to that later…

Osaze, who grew up in a Roman Catholic home in South London, was often in trouble. He was a sporty kid playing football, rugby and basketball. He takes up the story: ‘I had issues dealing with anger management and I was getting into trouble at school. I had been excluded from school about 16 times and was on the verge of ...