Different arena, same mission: Why Matchroom and 3Pillars belong in the same corner

When Eddie Hearn recently spoke about Matchroom’s ultimate purpose – “seeing people realise and achieve their dreams; to change their lives forever” – he was describing the power of sport at its most transformative.

For most fans, that evolution happens under bright lights and packed arenas – but the same principle can unfold in very different environments. Sometimes, it happens behind prison walls…

That shared belief is what connects Matchroom Boxing and 3Pillars. Different arenas, different sports, but the same underlying idea: that structure, discipline and opportunity can help people rebuild their lives and create a different future.

Earlier this year, Head of Community Development, Alex Le Guével, had the opportunity to see that philosophy in action first-hand during a visit to HMP Isis alongside the 3Pillars team.

Inside the prison, the charity’s rugby-based programmes provide far more than physical activity. Through structured sport and mentoring, participants work on communication, leadership, self-control and self-belief – the kind of qualities that are essential not just in sport, but in life beyond custody.

Watching the sessions unfold was a powerful reminder that sport can create a rare space for honesty and reflection. The rugby pitch becomes somewhere men can test themselves, build trust with others and begin developing the confidence to imagine a different future. The objective is clear: rehabilitation and reintegration. Helping individuals leave custody with stronger self-belief, clearer goals and the tools to contribute positively to society.

In many ways, the principles felt instantly familiar. Boxing gyms operate on a similar foundation. Discipline, accountability and resilience are not optional – they are built into the fabric of the sport. For many fighters, boxing becomes the structure that replaces chaos and gives direction where there was once drift. Few people understand that journey better than Ishmael Davis.

Recently unveiled as a 3Pillars Ambassador, the former British and Commonwealth Super Welterweight Champion knows first-hand how transformative sport can be. His own life changed direction after time spent in prison, when boxing gave him the focus and purpose to rebuild. Now, he is determined to help others begin that same process earlier in their journey.

Over recent months, Ishmael has already begun supporting 3Pillars’ work through one-to-one mentoring with three men currently serving sentences. The conversations are honest and grounded in lived experience, not theory. He understands the mindset inside prison walls because he has lived it. That authenticity is what makes the connection powerful.

It is also why his involvement goes beyond symbolic support. In the coming months, Ishmael will lead a fitness challenge at HMP Sudbury, using sport as a vehicle to engage participants while reinforcing the values that helped reshape his own life: consistency, discipline and personal responsibility.

That connection was already visible earlier this year when a group of participants from HMP Sudbury were given the opportunity to join our Fight Day 5K in Nottingham, ahead of the hotly anticipated rematch between Leigh Wood and Josh Warrington.

On day release, the men travelled to the city to take part in the run itself, while also supporting the event as marshals and volunteers – helping guide runners around the course and contributing to the atmosphere of the morning.

For many of them, the experience was unlike anything they had been part of in years. Several described it afterwards as “one of the best days of their lives” – not simply because of the run, but because it represented trust, responsibility and a glimpse of what life beyond prison could look like.

Moments like that are where the collaboration between Matchroom and 3Pillars truly comes to life.

Professional boxing may operate on the global stage, but the essence of the sport is rooted in the same lessons being taught through programmes inside prisons: accountability, self-control and belief in what might still be possible.

Both organisations ultimately work towards the same outcome. Helping people change direction. Helping them discover potential they may not have believed existed. Helping them realise that their past does not have to dictate their future.

That is why partnerships like this matter, because sometimes the most meaningful victories in sport are not measured in titles or belts, but in the lives that are quietly rebuilt long after the final bell.