Ben Vaughan wants to keep busy as he gets on a similar track to the one that landed him a host of honours at amateur level.
He goes again when BCB Promotions stage a Friday fight night at the Park Inn Hotel, in Northampton town centre (Silver Street), on November 18.
The show was due to take place on September 9, at the same venue, but the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the day before, led to the British Boxing Board of Control ordering a postponement, as a mark of respect.
Vaughan is highly-regarded, having undertaken 69 amateur bouts, emerging victorious on 54 occasions, with all but one contest representing Kings Heath Boxing Club.
He became a four-time national champion, going all of the way in the England Schools, Juniors (twice) and Youth tournaments.
His last competition fight came in the 2020 England Elite event, where he won by first round stoppage, but the pandemic curtailed any further progress.
The 23-year-old super lightweight initially became involved in combat sports through Kung Fu, before taking up boxing at the age of 11.
He turned pro in October of last year, outpointing Ezequiel Gregores before repeating the trick against Naeem Ali in April. Both were by virtue of a 40-36 scoreline.
Vaughan dropped Carl Turney in his last outing, but had to settle for another points success, through a 40-35 scoreline, taking him to 3-0.
He said: “It’s just been about maintaining fitness and sharpening up, along with getting as much sparring in as I can. I’m planning everything that I want to do.
“I’m always in the gym, but that may change when I step up and put myself through the eight to 10-week camps, where you need a good rest afterwards.
“I’m in the early stages of my pro career, so I’m still learning, but I’m already looking at the level above me, because I’ll fight anyone.
“I was pleased to get my first knockdown, in my last one, but it caused me to make some mistakes, in going out looking to finish him, when I should have stuck to the game-plan.
“He was a tough opponent, who was game and came to have a go. We were both throwing punches, which made it easier for me to see the gaps.
“I feinted a one-two, in the second round, threw a left hand and he went down. There were only a few seconds to the end of the round, so I knew that it wasn’t going to end there.
“I went after him, in the third, and started taking risks that I shouldn’t have. I got a telling off, when I got back to the corner, for wasting a round.
“I corrected that in the fourth, so it was a good learning fight for me and, ultimately, a comfortable win, but I’d still love to get a stoppage!
“When I turned pro, I had the ambition of becoming a world champion and that hasn’t changed. When my first opportunity comes along, I will treat that like a world title shot.”
Nico Set For Debut
Nico Michael has already broken through the pain barrier to get himself in optimum condition for his pro debut.
His introduction is set for when BCB Promotions stage a Friday fight night at the Park Inn Hotel, in Northampton town centre (Silver Street), on November 18.
He’s had to overcome an appendicitis since making the decision to punch for pay, after a final amateur appearance fell by the wayside.
Michael was supposed to be a part of the MTK Box Cup in August, only for the tournament to be cancelled, from which he then fell ill.
His amateur career concluded with nine wins from 13 bouts, having started out at Northampton Boxing Club, before moving on to Kings Heath BC.
The latter switch saw him move over to a pro-am establishment, bringing him under coach James Conway’s tutelage and they will work together again in the pro ranks.
The 27-year-old super flyweight, who grew up in Kingsthorpe, first become involved in combat sports through kickboxing and didn’t take up boxing until the age of 20.
Michael piled on the pounds, after having his appendix out, but has shed the weight at a similar pace, as part of a revamped training schedule.
He said: “It’s been a hard camp, mainly because of the weight that I’ve had to shift. Because I’ve been unwell, I did put it on, but I’m in better shape than I’ve ever been now.
“I had an appendicitis. I was watching Sam (Daly, stable-mate and fellow professional signed to BCB) box one day and, all of a sudden, my (right-hand) side started to hurt.
“I was walking around and it was still bothering me, so I went to see a doctor, who told me that I needed to have my appendix out, which meant a few weeks out of the gym.
“When I was ready to come back, I got in touch with a nutritionist (Jack Coak) that I’d seen on Instagram, working with Billy Joe Saunders (former world champion).
“I had about 8kg to lose, but we put together a nutrition plan that fuelled me up properly and was actually quite enjoyable. I wasn’t once tempted to go against it, even for chocolate!
“I’m an IT engineer and I work from home, a lot of the time, which helps me to plan my meals out and means I’m never far away from being able to train.
“I used to do kickboxing, when I was young, but I started boxing, when I was 20, and I’ve never looked back. I might have come into it late, but I believe in myself.
“Now I’m going to live the dream, of being a pro boxer, but I’m not just here to have fun. I’m fully focussed and I’ll be going in there to do a job, starting with my debut.
“I’m strong at the weight so, hopefully, I’ll be a heavy hitter at super fly. I can come forward or box on the back-foot, as required, and I punch correctly.”
Tickets for the Park Inn bill are available, priced at £40 for unreserved seating or £75 VIP ringside with buffet, directly from the boxers or by visiting myfighttickets.com