INTERVIEW WITH BEN WATTS

You've been interested in boxing since you were young. How did you initially get involved?

 I got into it through exercise, really. One day, I showed up at the police boys’ club for a workout, and I heard something going on in the gym next door. Just out of curiosity, I stuck my head in, and the trainer spotted me and said, "You want to have a go?" So I said, "Yeah." From there, I was hooked. I invited my mates to come down, and we ended up building a good crew. The gym was alive again, competing in tournaments and doing well. Boxing isn’t just a sport for me—it’s about the community, the routine, and I’ve carried that with me all these years.

You continue to train with younger guys today. What advice would you give to someone getting into boxing for fitness or personal development?

 I’d say absolutely go for it. Boxing is great for fitness, but it's also about routine, discipline, and self-improvement. If you can click into a routine where you feel bad on the days you don’t train, that’s when you know it’s working. You can apply that discipline to anything. I went back to boxing during COVID, and it helped me reconnect with myself. It’s a mental game as much as a physical one. Sometimes, you’ve got to look back at what you’ve done and remember who you are. Boxing gets you back to those fundamentals, which are key in anything in life.

Boxing is both mental and technical. How does that parallel your work as a photographer?

There’s a creative side and a technical side in both boxing and photography. When you’re starting out, you can always outwork someone who’s more talented. The person who puts the work in and works on their conditioning, whether it's in the gym or with a camera, is going to get further. I’ve never considered myself the most talented photographer, but I hustled. I sent more emails, made more calls, and worked harder. That’s how I got results. If you’ve got both talent and hustle, you’re going to do really well. But if you’ve got talent without that work ethic, it’s going to be tough.

You’ve photographed a lot of boxers, both professionals and amateurs. Any favorite stories?

I had this dream job shooting guys like Riddick Bowe, Lennox Lewis, and Roy Jones Jr. I’d go to their training camps, hang out, and just be a fly on the wall. Back then, there was no social media, so I was just some guy with a camera who knew a bit about training. They let me in because I wasn’t bothering anyone. I saw firsthand how hard they worked. Oscar De La Hoya loved training hard. It reminded me of the camaraderie and mental focus from when I trained at the police boys’ club. You get up, train hard, eat right, sleep well, and do it all over again.

You’ve been a great friend to G&S. What initially drew you to the brand?

First of all, I love the New York side of it. Over COVID, I got back into training and started to feel like my old self again. I thought, “This is a cool New York brand.” There’s a lot of logos out there, but I won’t wear just any logo—I need to know what it stands for. G&S has a real story behind it. It’s got heritage. I’m not into all these mock championship shirts you see everywhere. G&S is the real deal, with a thread that goes back to something meaningful. Great fighters wore the gear because it was good, not because of some massive sponsorship deal.

You’ve worked with some amazing brands, both big and small. What do you think makes a brand successful, and do you have any advice for G&S?

I think it’s about having a clear story and sticking to it. People wear a brand because it means something, not just because it’s trendy. G&S has real history, and that’s powerful. My advice? Be authentic. Don’t chase trends—stick to what you know and build on that. That’s what keeps people coming back. And persistence is key. Early on, I learned that you have to stay in front of people, remind them you’re there, but not in an annoying way. You’ve got to make them see why you’re worth their time. That’s how brands succeed.

You’ve created some incredible scrapbooks that mix photography with handwritten notes and different elements. How did that all start?

The scrapbook thing started when I was in college. I was taking loads of photos and couldn’t decide which ones I liked most, so I just started cutting them up and piecing them together. Eventually, it became a way of sharing ideas with clients. They loved it. I also go back to my scrapbooks and compare my past work with what I’m doing now. It keeps me pushing myself to do better. It’s like keeping a logbook of your own work. I’m my own biggest critic, and that’s a good thing. It drives you forward.

The scrapbook t-shirt we collaborated on includes images of legendary fighters wearing G&S gear. How did you approach the creative process for this project?

I’ve always known about G&S because I’d seen the logo on headgear and gloves worn by fighters I looked up to. When I started working on the t-shirt, I knew I wanted to use those heritage shots. I picked images of legends like Muhammad Ali because they tie back to the brand’s legacy. People who know boxing will immediately get it. I wanted to make sure the G&S logo was front and center so people understood that this brand has a real story and history behind it.

You’ve mentioned that you’re drawn to craftsmanship and quality. How does that play into what you wear and create?

I’m really intentional about what I wear and what I create. There’s so much stuff out there that has no meaning. I like things that have a story behind them and are crafted well. If you’re going to buy a shirt, make sure it’s made by someone who knows their craft. It’s the same with gloves. Fighters wore G&S because it was the best gear available, not because they were being paid to. Craftsmanship matters. If you’re going to have something, it should be useful and have a story behind it.

Ben, this has been great, thank you.  - G&S