TRAINING is well under way for my fight with Roy Jones Jr at Madison Square Garden on November 8, It’s been a really exhausting week.
The gym is very full at the minute with several of the guys – including Big Macc Enzo Maccarinelli – chomping at the bit to return to action, just waiting on dates for their next fight.
The only one of the guys who knows when he’s next in action is Tony Doherty, because he’s coming to America with me to fight on the same bill.
I suppose the aspect of training that has been most important has been when we’ve tested out my damaged wrist, which forced the initial postponement of the fight with Jones, which was scheduled for this weekend.
I am very happy and very relieved to tell you all that the wrist is 100% healed, I have had no problems with it whatsoever.
Obviously it was with some trepidation when we first tested it out late last week, doing some work with the speed bags and then the heavier bag.
When I initially hurt the wrist and tested in once the swelling had gone down, I was getting shooting pains and was worried that would still be happening.
But pleasingly everything seems to be fine and now I am able to launch myself into pre-fight preparation, with dad sadistically enjoying the torture he’s putting me through!
We are looking to get another full week of training after some rest over the weekend and then I have to go to America for a promotional press trip ahead of the fight. We visit New York and Los Angeles before Roy Jones comes over here, firstly to meet the London press and then the Welsh contingent.
I am very hopeful that the Welsh leg of this tour – set for Cardiff – will be open to the public.
I haven’t really had a proper chance to thank my brilliant fans for all their support and hopefully this will be the ideal opportunity.
Keep your eyes peeled in this column for further details and I really hope plenty of you will be able to come along.
Boxing’s summer break is thankfully now over and there is good stuff to watch this weekend with Amir Khan and Alex Arthur back in action.
Khan faces the biggest test of his career against Colombian Breidis Prescott while Arthur defends his WBO super-featherweight title against Nicky Cook at the M.E.N Arena in Manchester.
I hope both of them perform far better than I did the last time I fought at that venue, I had a horrible fight against Sakio Bika where I was cut for the first time in my career when he headbutted me!
I expect wins for both fighters.
Arthur I really like. He’s a top bloke, very grounded and down to earth and he’ll feel he has a point to prove after disappointing last time out.
Cook will feel he has nothing to lose and it might be quite a spectacular fight, but for me Arthur has a distinct edge in class.
Khan is a very interesting proposition, particularly as it’s his first fight with a new coach, Jorge Rubio.
Khan is such a talent, but I have my doubts as to whether he’s ready for a world title shot, which he thinks he is.
He still leaves himself too open to counter punches in my opinion and what fascinates me about tomorrow’s fight, is seeing how Amir will fare against someone with plenty of power.
I back Khan to win and really like the guy, but I think tomorrow could be a somewhat tricky experience.
He has a fantastic record on paper, but he’s been well looked after so far and this is a big, big test for him. Best of luck to both Amir and Alex, I will definitely be watching.
A few people have asked me this week what I think the likes of Frankie Gavin and James DeGale should do next as they contemplate whether to turn professional or stay amateur.
I couldn’t possibly answer the question directly, as I don’t know the boys personally and couldn’t say what is best for them.
But it is definitely fair to say that they have much better options now that when I was an amateur.
Because of the funding they get, amateur boxers now receive much better financial support and perhaps it is possible that they’ll stay amateur for now.
But for DeGale especially, there are millions to be made. That may prove tough to turn down, because boxers have a limited shelf-life and are a long time retired.
Finally, I would like to wish Ricky Hatton all the best in his new partnership with Roger Mayweather, boxing trainer and father of Floyd.
I don’t know what happened with Ricky and his former coach Billy Graham, but I am sure Ricky feels Roger is the right man to take his career forward.
It’ll be very interesting to see the results, because Ricky wasn’t at his best last time out.
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