‘A spiritual journey’: Why Harry Garside has ditched the dresses as he eyes up a world title run

He’s represented by a talent agency that also has RayGunn, and No Limit boxing desperately need his star power. But Harry Garside explains why you won’t see him in a dress again.

They were boxing’s odd couple.

Harry Garside wore nail polish, dresses and strutted the catwalk at fashion shows.

Johnny Lewis wore his boxing pads and, mostly, a look of bemusement at his curious boxer.

It was a strange link-up that delivered Garside the Australian lightweight title in his second professional fight.

But it always seemed bound to end in tears, with Lewis and Garside parting ways in 2023.

Their brief pairing also sums up Garside’s strange position in Aussie boxing.

Outside of punching people in the face, Garside is the antithesis of everything you know about the sport.

Harry Garside and Johnny Lewis. Picture: No Limit boxing

He’s the least “boxing” dude you’ll ever find in boxing.

He writes poetry and posts it to social media. He does ballet.

He speaks about wanting to “Fight the Stigma of what masculinity means in our world” and is deeply in touch with his feeling and emotions.

Many of boxing’s old heads can’t stand him.

Code Sports has heard Garside labelled everything under the sun from the many old men who remember boxing in the mainstream, and who now gate-keep it as a niche sport.

But his outsider status is actually a huge part of his appeal.

When he makes his professional comeback at the Hordern Pavilion on May 14, there will be a decent portion of his fans tuning in who have never watched boxing before.

“My fan base is quite strange – I don’t really know what my demographic all my supporters are,” the 27-year-old tells Code Sports. “They’re people from all ages, sizes, all ethnicities.

Garside said he wanted to question gender stereotypes by wearing skirts and dresses. Picture: Hanna Lassen/Getty Images

Garside on the catwalk. Picture: Don Arnold/WireImage

“It’s really cool to see the people that get around some of the things I stand for and believe in.

“For me, boxing is a spiritual journey.

“The feelings I get on fight night, or the week before the fight – the nerves, the anxiety the doubts – and then to face those head on…I really hope I can inspire people to do something that shakes them to their core, like boxing does for me.”

Garside’s appeal goes far beyond boxing.

Stephanie Scicchitano is the General Manager of Born and Bred, a talent management agency that represents The Inspired Unemployed, Rachael ‘RayGunn’ Gunn and a host of Gen-Z influencers and podcasters.

Garside gets stopped by young and old wherever he goes. Pictures: No Limit Boxing/Gregg Porteous

Garside is one of the agency’s most important clients.

“We’ve diversified him in so many areas,” Scicchiato told Code Sports. “He’s been going around to different schools in New South Wales, giving motivation tips to up and coming athletes and to men in general about mental health.

“He does reality TV, with Dancing with the Stars and I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here.

“Then the brand collaborations are just the cherry on top.”

It’s no wonder No Limit - who desperately need his star power - didn’t hesitate to re-sign Garside when he decided to return to the paid ranks after turning his back on the pro ranks to focus on the Paris Olympics.

“He’s got a huge following and has an audience outside of the crowd that we’d usually have following boxing,” No Limit CEO George Rose said.

No Limit are in need of stars, and welcomed Garside back. Picture: No Limit Boxing/Gregg Porteous

Garside was interviewed on ABC TV after announcing his comeback last week, and A Current Affair is running a piece on him.

Even the biggest boxers in the country – genuine world champions – struggle to get that kind of cut through.

It has been a rollercoaster couple of years since Tokyo though.

Garside created headlines in the early part of his professional career for challenging stereotypes by wearing dresses and painting his nails.

He went through hell and back when he was arrested on domestic abuse charges in 2023. His name was cleared and the charges were eventually thrown out, while his former partner was hit with the same offence.

Then came his shock first-round loss at the Paris Olympics, which was such a blow that he wondered whether he’d ever fight again.

Shock Olympic defeat in Paris. Picture: Pete Dovgan/Speed Media/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Through all of that, the Sydney-based Melbournian says he has changed dramatically.

“Some of the things I was doing outside of boxing – challenging gender stereotypes, painting my nails and challenging things with fashion – it raised a few eyebrows,” he said. “But that was partially the reason I stepped away from the sport as well.

“It was creating a conversation around things I believe in, but I’m in absolutely no position to lecture anyone on what they believe.”

So, no more dresses?

“You’ll see a different approach from me over this professional campaign – I’ll be very much focusing on getting my boxing back to a good level,” he said.

“I’m just a curious guy and my beliefs change all the time.

“There’s a lot of people who don’t like a lot of the things I stand for, and I respect them too.

“You’re gonna have people who love you and people who hate you, and that’s just a part of being human.

“And I like that.”

Originally published as ‘A spiritual journey’: Why Harry Garside has ditched the dresses as he eyes up a world title run