When and why you started boxing:
I took part in a white-collar boxing match to raise money for charity. I did it for moral support for a friend of mine.
Favourite all-time fighter:
Marvin Hagler because of his work ethic. He put so much dedication into his craft, had a granite chin and knew how to switch. That’s the ultimate fighter for me.
Best fight you’ve seen:
Aaron Pryor-Alexis Arguello – the first one. Perpetual motion versus an immovable object.
Personal career highlight:
Beating Dean Jones [on points over six rounds] in October last year. I was working full-time at Boots on the night shift and I didn’t have a coach at the time. Winning the fight showed me what I had inside me, considering all the obstacles that I had in my way beforehand.
Toughest opponent:
They’ve all been equally tough. It wouldn’t be right for me to pick out just one of them.
Best and worst attributes as a boxer:
My best attributes are my heart and determination. My worst is that I overtrain sometimes and I don’t know when to rest. Recovery is just as important as training.
Training tip:
When you’re training and it hurts, that’s when you’ve really started training.
Favourite meal/restaurant:
Either a jalfrezi or rogan josh from Bombay Nights in Nottingham.
Best friends in boxing:
My trainer Chris Slatcher and [fellow Nottingham pro] Brad Daws.
Other sportsman you would like to be:
Bruce Lee.
Last film/TV show you saw:
An old kung fu film called The Deadly Mantis.
Who would play you in a film of your life:
[Creed star] Michael B. Jordan.
Have you ever been starstruck:
When I met [grime artist] Dread One. I recognised him by his voice.
Last time you cried:
When my grandma passed away before I turned professional. She was a real inspiration to me and had always encouraged me to become a pro.
Best advice received:
Be genuine and be yourself.
Worst rumour about yourself:
That I’m mean and selfish.
Something not many people know about you:
I produced my own CDs and sold them for £10 under my [grime artist] stage name, Kriptik, promising free personal delivery. I booked a coach and travelled all over the country delivering them. I turned a bad thing good, as I was living in a YMCA at the time.
