WINNIPEG — He’s a champion inside the ring but Baxter Humby’s fight began well before the bell.
“I was born with one hand,” said the Winnipegger. “The umbilical cord wrapped around my hand inside the womb.”
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Doctors were forced to amputate Humby’s right arm below his elbow. He’s never let the disability knock him out.
“The only limits you have are the ones you put on yourself,” said the kickboxer.
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Humby took up martial arts as a teen and quickly realized he stood out.
“I was better than (my training partners) and they were in the ring winning,” said Humby. “I could easily beat them so I figured I must have a knack for this.”
Humby, whose nickname is The One Armed Bandit, has fought in every corner of the globe against able bodied fighters. He’s won 17 belts including two world titles making him the only man with one hand to do so.
“In my mind, I can’t lose,” said Humby. “You have to have that positive mindset when you walk into the ring because if you don’t, you’ve already lost.”
That attitude has helped Humby move on from beating up boxers to beating up villains. After retiring from fighting, Humby found work as a Hollywood stunt double.
“I’ve got to be Spider-Man in Spider-Man 3,” said Humby. “I’ve just done A Million Ways to Die in the West. It’s so great to have that positive outlook because so many things come out of it.”
Not bad for someone who started off as an underdog.
“I think this has made me a better person because I had to struggle,” said Humby. “When you struggle, you become a better person.”
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