Lenny Evans is thinking 12 months in front as he prepares for his first pro fight in three-and-a-half years.
His absence will end at the H Suite in Edgbaston, Birmingham, on the Sunday afternoon of December 19, as part of a show staged by BCB Promotions.
Not since May 2018 has the 26-year-old welterweight, from Shrewsbury, last seen meaningful action, when he made it 2-0 as a professional with a second points win.
That was a victory over Kristian Laight, the now-retired road warrior who equalled Peter Buckley’s record of 300 pro fights, before he hung up his gloves.
It was a 40-36 points whitewash, the same verdict scored on his December 2017 debut over Naeem Ali. Both contests took place in the Holte Suite at Aston Villa Football Club.
A broken leg, sustained outside of the ring, put him on the sidelines, before a global pandemic led to substantially more time waiting to return.
He still has his amateur coach, Brian Robb, training him and the two worked together to notable effect during Evans’ unpaid career.
That led to 58 amateur bouts, with 46 wins to show for it, and two national finals, the first representing Shrewsbury Boxing Club.
Evans and future British super welterweight champion Ted Cheeseman staged the 2013 England Junior Championship, at 63.5kg, with Cheeseman prevailing on points.
He then entered the 2014 Welsh National Championships, through Maelor Boxing Club, where he was outpointed by Zack Davies, who was selected for the Commonwealth Games.
It was another four years before he decided to turn pro, which is where his progress has since stalled. Evans is determined to do something about it.
He said: “It’s been nearly four years since my pro debut. I had to box with one hand then, because I’d fractured it the week before, so that was a decent performance really.
“I had Kristian Laight for my second one, which was a good test for me against the most experienced opponent I could have asked for. You could tell that in there.
“Then I got injured again. I was out walking one day, I decided to jump over a wall and fractured my tibula, just above my left ankle. For months, I couldn’t put any weight on it.
“I was ready to get back in the gym, then the pandemic came along and everything closed. All I could do was plenty of running and I’d never seen so many joggers around!
“I’ve knuckled down in training, since the gym reopened, and I think there’s no more time to waste for me, so I’ll be going flat out to get as much in as I can.
“I’ll be at welterweight again, this time, but I’m planning to get down to super lightweight afterwards. I’m on a diet plan, for that, and it’s going well.
“I’ve still got Brian (Robb, coach) with me and we’ve been up and down the country together, when I was an amateur. I boxed at a good level then, but I never really built on it.
“I started boxing when I was eight, had my first fight at 10 and reached two national finals, but my career has always been stop-start. That’s what I have to change.“I’ve lived in Shrewsbury since I was 13, me and my family moved here from Wrexham and I consider it home. Maybe, down the line, I’ll get to challenge for a Midlands title.
“If I can keep busy, between now and the end of next year, 2023 could be when something like that happens. I need to get this one out of the way, for a start, and put on a good show.”
Tickets for the H Suite bill are available now, priced at £40 standard or £75 VIP ringside with buffet, directly from the boxers or by visiting myfighttickets.com.
