Supreme champion: The top boxer behind leading CBD brand

Boxing champion Anthony Fowler is known as ‘the machine’ for his performance in the ring. Here he tells Cannabis Health how CBD has helped him to reach the top of his game.

Anthony Fowler was just 11 when he first stepped into the boxing ring and fell ‘head over heels’ for the sport.

In the years that followed, his successes came thick and fast. At the age of 13, the Liverpudlian was boxing for England and by 18, he had secured the title of British champion.

As part of the British squad, Anthony went on to bring home a bronze medal at the 2013 World Championships and gold at the Commonwealth Games in 2014, before qualifying for the Rio Olympics in 2016.

Now 29, Anthony has turned professional and counts the WBA international champion and WBO Inter-Continental Middleweight Titles among the accolades under his belt.With a training regime which includes up to three sessions a day, six days a week, it’s little wonder he’s known as ‘The Machine’ for his physical presence and fitness when he gets into the ring. So what’s his secret? Well, firstly it’s no secret.

A quick glance at the athletes Twitter account reveals that when he’s not sparring in the gym, he’s shouting loud and proud about the benefits of CBD.

Anthony first discovered the cannabinoid through a friend, who asked to sponsor him after setting up his own CBD company. He said no at first, not knowing much about it and wary of jeopardising his professional career.

But then his coach revealed he was using the oil himself to help with a shoulder injury. “I asked my coach about it and it turned out he was already a big believer in CBD, so I thought it must be okay,” says Anthony.

“I started promoting the oil and everyone who was buying it was giving me unbelievable feedback about how much it changed their lives. I couldn’t believe how much it was helping people.

”But despite hearing the touts first hand, the boxer’s own awakening to CBD didn’t come until later, when a sparring incident left him with a jaw injury.

He explains: “I got punched in the jaw and was in a lot of pain, I couldn’t close my mouth, couldn’t eat. It was actually my girlfriend at the time who suggested I try the CBD.

“I put it under my tongue and within 25-30 mins my jaw felt better. I’ve taken morphine and all kinds of painkillers over the years and it worked better than any of them.

“Anthony started researching the endocannabinoid system and discovered how hemp had traditionally been used to treat a whole range of ailments, which eventually led to the launch of his own company, Supreme CBD in December 2019.

“The more I looked into it I thought this stuff is unbelievable, more people need to know about it,” he says.

“It spiraled really quickly, but that’s because it works and everyone can benefit from CBD.“I literally couldn’t live without it myself now.”

Since taking CBD Anthony says he is no longer plagued by a chronic elbow injury: “For years I’ve suffered with a bad left elbow because I use my left hand a lot when I’m fighting.

“I’ve had cortisone injections, physio and nothing ever worked. I thought I was going to be plagued my whole career with it, but since I started the oil three years ago, I haven’t felt the pain.”

Anthony also claims CBD has helped him to compete at the top of his game, by aiding his rest and recovery process.

“I’m a young, strong man, in the prime of my career, but CBD gives me that little bit of an edge,” he says.

“It’s not going to give you superpowers, I still need to keep to a strict diet and train hard, but I do definitely believe CBD has helped me recover naturally.

“In between sessions I can sleep better, my joints don’t ache as much and the next day you wake up that bit more fresh, so you can put in more work the next day.”

He adds: “It’s really amazing for recovery. I was among the first boxers to start taking CBD and now there’s hundreds.”

Despite winning awards and accruing tens of thousands of followers on social media, including a handful of high profile ambassadors, Anthony still describes Supreme CBD as his ‘hobby’ and gives away a great deal of products to people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford to give it a go.

“I am a full time athlete, but the CBD is such a rewarding hobby which has become a massive part of my life,” he says.

“I’ve given away free oil to so many people, because I like to give back and people who need it, who can’t afford it should be able to have access to it.”

His clients report improvements in their sleep, help managing stress and anxiety and reduced pain and inflammation.

Anthony continues: “The modern world and social media has made our anxiety a lot worse and CBD is brilliant for that, as well as helping people who can’t sleep. People with arthritis love it for its anti-inflammatory properties and everyone who I’ve spoken to with fibromyalgia says that it has been life-changing for them.”

He adds: “It should be available on the NHS. It shouldn’t be down to me, it should be the Government helping people who genuinely need it, not giving them pharmaceutical drugs which don’t really solve the problem, they just mask it.”

While he’s keen to break down the stigma associated with cannabis-based medicines and advocates for wider access, Anthony also stresses the importance of ensuring products are high quality and lab-tested that people can trust.

“There’s a lot of stuff out there that is not what it says on the tin, and it gives CBD companies a bad name, but I do believe there’s a lot of benefits to the cannabis plant, I think this stuff is the future,” he says.

“I sometimes think to myself, how can it help with everything? But it allows the body – which is the most advanced machine in the world – to heal itself.”