Go ahead and take a good look at the picture below for a second. You’re looking at the face of professional boxer and Ricky Hatton sparring partner Rob Newbiggin. At first glance, a couple of things really stand out about this picture. First, the quality - it’s a screen capture from an MSNBC profile of the boxer. Second, the head - Newbiggin appears to have “cornrows” tattooed on his dome. Makes grooming easier, whatever. Third, the nose - Newbiggin’s nose looks like it’s been broken a dozen or so times…and it probably has. Such is the life and look of a low-level pugilist who’s devoted his career to getting punched in the face.

But Newbiggin is not your everyday average Scouser fighter, despite the hardscrabble looks. No, Newbiggin wants something more out of life, something more than most people could experience. You see, Rob Newbiggin has decided to become a woman.

Thankfully, the British tabloids exist for just such a story. The DAILY STAR was there:

His wife Emma, 27, is standing by him through the sex change. But he admits that his decision has lost him most of his mates. And he will reluctantly move from his home in Southport, Merseyside, once his surgery is over. US-born Rob said: “I have lost every friend I have ever had in this town.

“I’ve got people winding car windows down shouting abuse at me on my daily run. But Emma has been my rock. She understands what I’m going through and we are going to stay together. At the end of all this, I will be the woman I want to be. While I am going through the transformation, my kids will not see me as Mercedes.”

Oh yes, he will be changing his name to Mercedes, as if his name was the thing preventing him from being the beautiful woman he wants to be. In fact, it’s hard to believe he’ll ever be “the woman he wants to be,” unless he’s long harbored desires of being a bald, broken-nosed, bass-voiced woman. To each their own; hopefully he’s imparted some of his boxing prowess to his kids. They’re gonna need it in the school yard.