FORMER European middleweight titlist Tyler Denny is determined to show fans that, since his loss to Hamzah Sheeraz, the fire in his belly burns brighter than ever.
After entering their showdown at Wembley Stadium, London, as the champion, the 33-year-old was ultimately forced to suffer a devastating second-round stoppage defeat last September.
But while, at first, it was undoubtedly a bitter pill to swallow, Denny, 19-3-3 (1 KO), has nonetheless maintained every degree of ambition he had before the setback.
“I’m over it now, and I wish Hamzah nothing but the best,” he told Boxing News. “But at the time, I was obviously gutted. I expected to win the fight, and I failed, so it was disappointing.
“I’m just very competitive; I always want to win at anything, so I’ve still got plenty of fire left in me.
“I want to show people I’m better than what I showed in my last fight, because you’re only as good as your last fight, really.”
The West Midlands man will return to the Resorts World Arena, Birmingham, on April 20, with his fight against Elvis Ahorgah featuring on the undercard of Ben Whittaker vs Liam Cameron 2.
Only last year did Denny produce arguably his career-best performance at the venue, dismantling Felix Cash with a clinical five-round demolition job.
But now, the crafty southpaw is fully aware that a loss to Ahorgah – who is perhaps best known for producing a titanic effort in his last outing against Callum Simpson, only to get halted in the fifth round – would be catastrophic for his career moving forward.
Adding to Denny’s motivation, though, are his children, with the father of four knowing that he has a reputation to uphold.
“As it gets closer to each fight, I kind of push [my kids] to one side a bit, but I’m still with them every day,” he said.
“And then, after the fight, I make sure to spend some more quality time with them. But I can’t do everything; there’s not enough hours in the day.
“My son wants to go to the park a lot but, when I’m training two or three times a day, I’m having to tell him that I’ll take him tomorrow instead. I try my best, but it’s tough.
“They’re at that age where they know what goes on [in my career], always watching the telly and going on YouTube.
“That’s another reason why I’ve got to make sure I win. I don’t want the kids at school saying, ‘oh, your dad got beat up over the weekend.’”
Should he get back to winning ways next month, Denny would then be keen to fight two more times this year, hoping that a far bigger fight is just around the corner.
But even so, the former plumber admits that, when reflecting on what his life was like just a few years ago, the opportunity to now train as a full-time boxer is an achievement in itself.
“I’ve got a privileged life now,” he said. “We just moved into a bigger house before Christmas, and my kids all have their own rooms.
“But it’s important that I win – to keep this lifestyle. Looking back on when I was working full-time as a plumber, it makes me grateful for what I’ve got now.”
