Former Southern Area super-lightweight champion ‘Pretty’ Ricky Boylan will use a slot on Hennessy Sports’ March 26 event at The SSE Arena, Wembley to get his career back on track and show his many fans his true potential.
The exciting Carshalton man has lost three of his last four fights – albeit in good company – but has learnt from each setback and is now hellbent on making the necessary adjustments to take his career forward.
“The Danny Connor, Tyler Goodjohn and Tommy Martin fights were all very similar really,” Boylan says of his three losses. “I don’t think I performed to my ability in any of them.
“Maybe something hasn’t been working for me since I’ve been training in Manchester – that’s why I’m back down in London now. It’s been very frustrating. I just want to prove to myself that I’m better than my recent performances have shown.
“I’d love to fight any of those three again just to prove a point and set the record straight. Without being big-headed, I know I’m capable of beating them.
“Let’s take one step at a time, though. I’m buzzing to get the call to fight on this Wembley show. I’ve been ticking over since the New Year, I needed a fight date and it came at just the right time. I’m looking forward to getting out there.”
Keen to change things up, Boylan, 27, has decided to move back to London and again work with trainer Alan Smith.
“I’m back with Alan now – my trainer before I went to Manchester – and it’s great,” he says. “Alan trains Bradley Skeete, who won the British welterweight title on Saturday, and that has given us all a boost.
“I grew up with the lads at the gym. We were all amateurs together. I still trained there even when I was full-time in Manchester; whenever I was back in London, I’d pop down to see them all. I’m comfortable there. They know me inside out. I’d been round a few gyms in the last few months, trying a few different trainers, but I think it makes most sense to be there for this fight.”
As for the actual tweaking, Boylan, 13-3 (4 KOs), will look to go back to his roots – back to his boxing skills – in order to improve as a super-lightweight.
“I think I’ve neglected my boxing a little bit, to be fair,” he says. “I’m physically quite strong and sometimes I just try to get in there and fight and, in doing so, forget about my boxing skills – throwing my jab on the way in, for example. My feet have been a bit slow as well. I’m now working on my footwork, using the jab and going back to my boxing a bit more.
“I’m back down the bottom again. I know that. But it would be nice to win the Southern Area title for a second time and then maybe get back in line for the English. All I need is a couple of six-rounders, low-profile fights just to work on a few things, and then I’ll hopefully be ready to get back in the mix.”
*** Tickets for the British middleweight title blockbuster between Nick ‘Bang Bang’ Blackwell and Chris Eubank Jr. are priced at £35, £50, £75, £175, £200 and £250 for ringside and can be purchased online at ssearena.co.uk and axs.com or by phoning the SSE Arena, Wembley Box Office on 0844 815 0815 ***
