Shakeel Phinn says that his transition from College football to pro boxing started with an ego check.

Phinn (who studied Sport Marketing and Management at Champlain) played running back for the Champlain Cavaliers and was named team offensive MVP for the 2010–11 season.

But when he picked up boxing to stay fit in the offseason, he realized he was not in as good shape as he’d thought.

Phinn said he wasn’t discouraged by getting trounced early on.

He took part in his first amateur fight after six months of training at the age of 21. Within a year, Phinn won the Quebec provincial championship.

Phinn made his professional debut in 2015 and has held the WBC–NABF and IBF North American super middleweight titles since 2019.