WHEN The Smiths frontman Morrissey implored us that ‘Meat Is Murder’ way back in 1985 the world wasn’t listening.

But times have changed. We no longer associate a diet free of all meat and dairy product with pale and frail men of a poetic disposition.

Veganism is on the rise. So put down that bacon roll son and pay attention because the green, mean, and lean army have arrived and they mean business.

Take up and coming boxer Kieran Gething for example. The 24-year-old fighter turned vegan on Boxing Day ahead of his title shot against Cardiff’s Henry Janes, and swears going green has made a world of difference in regard to his fitness and training regime.

Now you may be thinking boxers and veganism are about as compatible as fish and bicycles but you’d be wrong.

Rocky Balboa may have started the day with a pint of raw eggs and milk, and spent the morning beating seven shades out of cows’ carcasses in his mate’s frozen meat house before indulging in a little light chicken chasing in the afternoon, but as a rule pugilists tend to do things a little differently these days.

Take former champ David Haye for example. In 2014 the Hayemaker gave up all animal products and explained that going vegan made him fitter, faster, more determined, and it also made him punch harder.

He also called going vegan a surefire way of losing unnecessary body fat.

And then there’s Anthony Joshua. The current unified heavyweight world champion stresses how he tends to avoid meat before fights in favour of “vegan lunches.” Joshua believes plant-based food allows him to “stay light and still have a lot of energy.”

Even the legendary ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson is in on the act. Although he confesses he was a rampant carnivore during his fighting career, to the point he once bit a chunk out of Evander Holyfield’s ear, the born again vegan credits a plant-based diet with helping him shed 140 pounds and helping his arthritis.

And according to Tyson, veganism has past form when it comes to enabling warriors throughout history being the best they can be. The former champ of the world claims that not all, but the best gladiators in Ancient Rome were vegan

And none other than the Archeological Institute of America has verified Tyson’s claims. Apparently they studied the bone marrow of the aforementioned gladiators’ bone marrow and found no meat particles in them.

Which bodes well for Gething (6-2-1) as he sticks hard and fast to his vegan diet in a bid to land his maiden title in Newport’s The Neon on February 2 in his super-lightweight championship clash against 35-year-old Janes (12-23-3).

Gething is no stranger to giving up meat. As a Catholic he gave up meat for Lent in 2014 and in the past his pre-fight go to diet was always fish, but this is the first time the boxer has cut out all animal-derived substances from his diet.

And according to Gething it’s paying off handsomely.

“I’m lighter on my feet, a lot more focused, more alert, and have far more energy in training,” he said. “For the first three or four days after becoming vegan it feels like a sort of detox as your body purges itself, but after that you begin to feel really great and all cravings for meat sort of disappear, especially if you’re a disciplined person.

“A big difference is you don’t feel heavy and slow after a meal like say you would if you sat down for a mixed grill.”

Gething added, “It’s a great way to lose weight and trim up and although it entails a massive change in your culinary habits, I’ve always relished a challenge and trying new things. I mean there’s more to life than sausage and chips after all.”

Gething compliments his vegan diet with products supplied to him by Pontypool based company Essential Nutrition Prep, and although he said he’ll probably return to eating meat post-fight, his intake won’t be as frequent as it once was.

Gething explained, “I didn’t just decide to go vegan for strictly dietary reasons. I am conscious of how animals are treated when it comes to factory farming and the detrimental effect it is having on the planet. I won’t lie, I am looking forward to tucking into a celebratory steak again but I’m mindful that all of us eat far too much meat. And that’s quite a recent thing. Not so long ago families were only having a meat dish two to three times a week and I think that’s a lot healthier for everyone. So I think a little, and not too often, will be my watchwords when it comes to eating meat from now on in.”

You have to admit, it’s certainly food for thought.