BRITISH title challenger Jeamie TKV believes that training at a much lighter weight, and being more disciplined, has given him an edge over David Adeleye.
The domestic rivals will square off for the Lonsdale Belt this Saturday, featuring on the undercard of Joe Joyce vs Filip Hrgovic at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England.
Their intriguing heavyweight dustup should see the two former sparring partners engage in a fiercely contested battle, with both looking to push on to the next level.
After suffering a devastating seventh-round stoppage defeat to Fabio Wardley in 2023, Adeleye, 13-1 (12 KOs), bounced back last year with an emphatic first-round finish over Solomon Dacres.
It was the 28-year-old’s first outing since linking up with seasoned trainer Adam Booth, showcasing just a brief glimpse of what the pair have been working on behind the scenes.
TKV, 8-1 (5 KOs), meanwhile, has had far longer to cultivate a flourishing relationship with his head coach, Barry Smith, at the Ben Davison Performance Centre.
But despite being renowned for his fearsome presence in sparring, the 31-year-old has largely struggled to shine under the bright lights in his recent performances.
By his own admission, that is because a lack of discipline and weight management has often seen him hit the scales at around the 260lb mark.
Not only that but, ahead of his last fight against Michael Webster, TKV insists that an illness had somewhat hampered his preparation.
Which is another reason why, before entering the ring for a shot at the vacant British title, the Londoner has made a conscious effort to leave no stone unturned.
“I’m coming in lighter than I’ve been [in recent fights], which is a good thing,” TKV told Boxing News. “This year, I made a promise to myself that I’m going to be a bit more disciplined.
“After some of my previous fights, I made the mistake of getting too comfortable. So after my last fight, I said to myself that I would not balloon up in weight or eat whatever I want.
“I’ve kept the weight down and have stayed disciplined, so I guess it’s going to pay off on fight night.”
