Yahoo Sport 
BOXING: Saved by a black eye - the 12-year-old whose debut hammering revealed he was suffering from a rare form of cancer
12-year-old boxer James Martin could not understand why his shiner would not heal - until tests showed he was suffering from rhabdomyosarcoma and needed proton treatement and chemo
Getting a battering on his boxing debut saved James Martin’s life.
The 12-year-old got a black eye the first time he stepped into the ring last year and only when the swelling refused to go down did he go to the doctor’s.
Then it was discovered that behind the shiner was a cancerous tumour that may not have been detected otherwise.
Not only that but James was diagnosed with rare cancer rhabdomyosarcoma.
He was flown to Florida, United States, for eight weeks of proton therapy and chemotherapy – and spent last Christmas in hospital.
James has now been given the all-clear by doctors and returned to the ring at the Stevie Smith Boxing Academy in Hull last Friday.
He said: ‘I didn’t want to give up boxing because it’s a fun thing to do. It felt really good to be boxing again. I didn’t win but I still enjoyed it.’
James is now fundraising for Candlefighters – a charity that provides play areas and equipment such as TVs and game consoles for children while they are bed bound in hospital.
His mum, Sarah, said: ‘It was a big shock when James was diagnosed, but we didn’t have time to think about it – it was all just go,’ while dad Paul added: ‘It was quite emotional when he got back in the ring.’
