Amateur Born in
London, Cantwell represented
England in the
light flyweight division at the
1990 Commonwealth Games in
Auckland,
New Zealand. Boxing for the Eltham & District ABC, he was twice winner of the prestigious
ABA light-flyweight championship (1988 and 1989).
Professional Cantwell turned professional in 1991 and, unbeaten in his first seven fights, beat
Darren Fifield in April 1993 to take the vacant
BBBofC Southern Area
flyweight title. Five months later he challenged for
Pablo Tiznado's
WBC International light flyweight title, losing on points - his first professional defeat. In April 1994 he challenged for
Luigi Camputaro's
EBU European flyweight title, and again lost on points. Aiming for higher honours he relinquished the title, and in December 1997 faced
Eric Jamili for the vacant
WBO mini flyweight title; A cut to Cantwell's nose caused the fight to be stopped in the eighth round. In June 2000 he challenged
Zolani Petelo for the
IBF mini flyweight title, again stopped in the eighth round. Cantwell had a small role in the 2000 film
Snatch, playing Liam. Cantwell's final fight came in September 2001 when he unsuccessfully challenged
Jacob Matlala for the
WBU light flyweight title, the South African stopping him in the fifth round. After retiring from boxing, Cantwell served as Chief Executive of the
Professional Boxing Association and as a project worker for the Educational Sports Forum. After an incident in September 2008 in which Cantwell knocked his manager Alan Irwin out during an argument at the
Trades Union Congress in
Brighton, he was convicted of assault causing actual bodily harm and sentenced to 200 hours of unpaid work. ==Professional boxing record==