Curtis Woodhouse’s journey from Sheffield United to fight promoter
Sheffield’s Red Johnson wasn't the only person to come out of Saturday’s fight night with a beaming smile on his face.
While Johnson had taken the Central Area title off Ryszard Lewicki - his first title and first ten-round contest - there was just as much satisfaction plastered across the face of Curtis Woodhouse.
The 45-year-old former Sheffield United player, born in Beverley and raised in Driffield in East Yorkshire, had just overseen a landmark moment in his latest sporting chapter.
He and his new promotional firm, 3156, had successfully hosted their first boxing event in his native Hull - and, by his own admission, it is only the beginning.
For a man who has already carved out careers in two professional sports, it's perhaps no surprise that Woodhouse has thrown himself fully into a third chapter. But even he admits the speed of the transition has caught him off guard.
Six months ago, promoting a fight night “was not on the agenda”. A year ago, he was simply managing and training Adrian King. Now he oversees a growing stable of 15 fighters, with two more set to be added this week.
The journey to his first show has not been straightforward.
He revealed it had been a stressful build-up, with plenty of lessons learned along the way, but the end result exceeded expectations.
“I never thought we would put shows on this level, the production, everything, has been A1,” he told the Boxed In podcast.
Woodhouse was also struck by the overall success of the night, particularly given it was his first attempt as a promoter.
He said he had been blown away by how well everything had come together, from the organisation to the atmosphere, with the event streamed live by talkSPORT. Central to his motivation is a frustration shared by many within the sport - inactivity.
“A lot of fighters’ careers are stagnated by inactivity,” he said.
By launching 3156, Woodhouse believes he can take matters into his own hands, ensuring his boxers remain active while building their profiles.
The investment is significant, he says, in time, money and reputation - but Woodhouse is clear about the standards he expects in return.
“We will make you feel like a star. When the bell goes you have to show us that you are a star and you are worth investing in.”
He also wants to give fighters opportunities close to home, replicating what he has already achieved by helping deliver a British title fight in Hull.
It is a philosophy shaped by his own experiences across two demanding sports.
For Sheffield United supporters, Woodhouse’s name still resonates from his early days in the professional game.
A product of Sheffield United’s academy, he broke into the first team as a teenager and quickly established himself as a committed and energetic midfielder.
He made more than 100 appearances for the Blades, earning a reputation for his work rate and tenacity.
Woodhouse featured in notable fixtures for United, gaining valuable experience that would later shape the resilience he showed in the boxing ring. His grounding at Bramall Lane provided the platform for a career that would take an unexpected but ultimately successful turn.
Remarkably, he then switched sports and achieved even greater success in boxing.
Turning professional in 2006, Woodhouse went on to win the British light-welterweight title in 2014, in Hull, completing one of the more unlikely sporting journeys of recent times.
Having reached the top domestically in one sport and competed at the highest level in another, Woodhouse (24-7-0) is now applying that same drive and ambition outside the ropes.
If his first show is anything to go by, 3156 may quickly become a significant player on the domestic scene - and, for Woodhouse, yet another successful chapter in a career that continues to evolve.