From competitor to coach…
Media Fight Night is widely regarded as one of, if not the most anticipated event in the media industry calendar. Last year, the event celebrated its 10th anniversary and surpassed a remarkable milestone, breaking through the £2 million mark in funds raised for charity (£2.2 million, to be precise). At the start of each year, its official home, The Fitzroy Lodge, welcomes a fresh wave of hopefuls ready to test themselves and take on the challenge.
But the story of Media Fight Night is no longer defined solely by what happens on fight night. Over the past decade, a significant cultural shift has taken place inside the Lodge. The number of women stepping through its doors continues to grow, reflected not only in the increasing number of female bouts on each show, but in the confidence, leadership and long-term involvement that follows. What begins as participation is increasingly evolving into progression.
That evolution has been shaped by a decade-long partnership between Media Fight Night, Diversity Media Sales and The Fitzroy Lodge itself. At its centre sit Media Fight Night Co-Founders John Maloney and Abbi Jeffery, alongside Diversity Media Sales Co-Founder and Lodge coach Ash Newman and Head Coach Mark Reigate. Together, they have not only built a flagship fundraising platform for the media industry, but have remained steadfast in their commitment to ensuring the Lodge is a safe, respectful and inclusive space for everyone who walks through its doors.
It is this foundation, built on discipline, equality and mutual respect that has enabled female participation to flourish naturally. Women are not simply competing in greater numbers; they are coaching, mentoring and helping to shape the culture of the gym itself.
Paloma Walder, Charlotte Ford, Luisa Parginou, Sarah Jolicoeur (SJ), Priya Bhurji
Diversity Media Sales is proud to have three of its own, Luisa, Charlotte and SJ, in coaching roles at the Lodge. Having experienced first-hand the discipline, resilience and confidence that Media Fight Night demands, they now channel that experience back into the gym, supporting new intakes of fighters as they begin their own journeys. Their presence on the coaching team is not just symbolic; it is practical, visible proof of the inclusive environment being fostered within the Lodge. What was once a predominantly male space has evolved into one where women are not only competing in growing numbers, but shaping the culture, mentoring future fighters and helping to encourage the next generation of Media Fight Night participants. The pathway from competitor to coach highlights the longevity of Media Fight Night’s impact, creating opportunity, building leadership and strengthening the community that sits at the heart of the event.
For Diversity Media Sales, supporting the Lodge goes far beyond sponsorship. It is about investing in people, in progression and in representation. Seeing SJ, Char and Lu on the gym floor, guiding, motivating and coaching, reflects the values that Diversity Media Sales, Media Fight Night and the Lodge stand for: inclusivity, empowerment and genuine community impact.
Ashley Newman, Paloma Walder, Luisa Parginou, Charlotte Ford, Priya Bhurji, Sarah Jolicoeur (SJ), John Maloney, Mark Reigate
That spirit of progression and return is not limited to one pathway. It is part of a wider, interlocking cycle of support that continues to grow around Media Fight Night and The Fitzroy Lodge.
Paloma Walder, Managing Director at Canopy and a 2018 Media Fight Night alumni, is a powerful example of that journey coming full circle. After seven years away from the gym, she was encouraged back into the fold last year by the growing female cohort, ultimately stepping back into the ring for MFN10 alongside SJ. Her return was not just personal; it reaffirmed the strength of the community that surrounds the event. She now joins the growing team of female coaches supporting this year's intake of participants. Beyond fight night, Paloma has since supported the DMS Internship Initiative, offering work experience opportunities and backing the wider intern programme, extending the impact from the gym floor into the workplace.
Priya Bhurji Trading Director - Outdoor at Global. A former amateur boxer herself, has supported Media Fight Night participants with sparring over the past few years and, drawn in by the Lodge’s welcoming and inclusive atmosphere, stepped into a coaching role last year to share her experience and expertise more formally with contenders, and will again be a familiar face amongst the coaching team during the 2026 training camp. Alongside having mentored some of our DMS Champions, Priya has also facilitated work experience opportunities through her role at Global for our interns, extending the pathway from the gym floor into the media industry itself. In doing so, she represents another vital strand of this growing network, where boxing, business and opportunity intersect.
Together, these stories illustrate something more powerful than individual participation. Media Fight Night, Diversity Media Sales and the Lodge are creating a self-sustaining cycle of goodwill: competitors become coaches, supporters become mentors, and business leaders reinvest their time and expertise back into the very community that brought them through the doors. Media Fight Night It is not simply about one night in the ring, it is about building lasting connections that ripple far beyond it.
If you’re interested in taking part in Media Fight Night this year, please reach out to the MFN team;