Since those early days at the gym, Cannon has been able to collaborate with some of boxing’s greatest minds. He currently trains with Micky Ward (played by Mark Wahlberg in The Fighter) and has been advised by Freddie Roach (the legendary trainer of Manny Pacquiao). Cannon and hall of fame referee Steve Smoger also worked together to develop the unified rules for competition. The rules for wheelchair boxing are an amalgamation of the standard USA Boxing rules and the State of Connecticut Boxing Competition Statutes with a few significant differences.

The two competitors are sitting down and matches feature four 90 second rounds (six for championships) with a one minute rest in-between. The fighters are also classified differently than in regular boxing. While height and weight do play a role, reach and the force of a competitor’s punch are weighed much more heavily. Also, unlike regular boxing, each match must be approved by a doctor before going forward and both fighters must have similar ability levels to one another.

“Better safe than sorry. You want to make sure you’re applying the correct matchmaking, the correct background and the correct medical testing. We don’t need any negative press and we want to be sure we’re operating with fighter safety as our top priority,” says Cannon.

Making Paralympics Headway

Safety will be a top concern of the International Olympic Committee if wheelchair boxing is ever going to be part of the Paralympics, but it’s not the only one.

“The sport is not global enough,” says Cannon. “There are all these little organizations, but we’re not unified in any way.”

But in the UK, the Adaptive Boxing Organization headed by Colin Wood is making headway. The 44-year-old with uveitis, a rare eye disease, says he has already spoken to the IOC and there needs to be a governing body for wheelchair boxing as a first step to consideration for the Paralympics.

“We are now that governing body and are in talks with organizations in 24 countries to become their umbrella organization and have invited them to compete with us on August 27, 2016 where we will try to establish unified rules,” says Wood.

Meanwhile, Ian Cannon is working with World Boxing Council president Mauricio Sulaimán to try and stage a major step towards wheelchair boxing’s global awareness — an adaptive match on a nondisabled card.

“When that happens, it’s going to go from one country to another and island hop. Then, the Paralympics won’t have a choice, they’ll have to pay attention to us,” he says.

It may seem like an impossible dream, but if you ask the man Cannon calls his manager, famed boxing promoter Al Valenti, it’s well within the realm of possibility.

“A year ago, when I introduced Ian to the New Hampshire State Athletic Commission to talk about licensing him as a professional boxer, he put together the necessary paperwork in such a professional manner that it elevated my recognition of his ability to get things done. To that extent, Ian Cannon is amazing.”

Ian Cannon welcomes inquiries about Wheelchair Boxing via his email, Boxer625@gmail.com.