In his own words, Bob was one up from a journeyman and one down from a champion.  Bob cheerfully confesses that, in his boxing years, he was known by all his mates as “Canvas Arse”, which might give the impression that he did not take his boxing seriously.  However, his love for boxing comes across clearly in the chapter and his story ends in the present day, when Bob is proud to announce that he has achieved his ambition of becoming a professional referee.