Patience is definitely a virtue for Sam Daly as he enters the last stretch of engaging in a more-than-belated pro debut.
His pro bow should finally come when BCB Promotions stage their next show at the H Suite in Edgbaston, Birmingham, on the Friday evening of June 10.
It’s now the better part of four years since Daly last laced on the gloves for competitive combat, long removed from the end of his amateur career.
Daly’s skills were honed under the tutelage of his father, Arthur, at Kings Heath Boxing Club in his hometown of Northampton, which saw him be in the hunt for major domestic honours.
He built up an amateur ledger of 36 wins from 47 amateur bouts and reached the final of the 2013 National Association of Boys and Girls Clubs (NABC) competition.
The 26-year-old super welterweight first signed pro forms in 2020, but he still hasn’t punched for pay, due to niggling injuries and the pandemic.
But he’s been hard at work, after coming under the wing of pro coach James Conway, with his training base now at the Team Shoe Box gym in Northampton.
Daly does admit there have been trying times, which affected his passion for the sport but, having boxed since he was a child, there still seems to be no turning back.
He said: “It’s been a right palava! I should have made my debut over two years ago, but with medicals, injuries and the pandemic, it’s been a constant kick in the teeth.
“I signed my pro contract with BCB when I was 23 – and I still haven’t boxed yet! I have to remember that I’m still young and I am where I was.
“I’ve had problems with my shoulder, I ended up going for an MRI and, although I didn’t need surgery, I was in a lot of pain. I had a few months off and couldn’t spar.
“I work full-time as a scaffolder, too, so it was probably just wear and tear but, being a boxer and that sort of person, you just carry on.
“It’s all sorted now, things haven’t exactly fallen into place and, at times, it’s felt like there was no end goal. You can’t constantly do this, without the end reward of a fight.
“I could have quit, to be honest, but I knew I’d look back and regret it, so I’m going to give it another crack and, fingers crossed, this is my time.
“I haven’t changed, I’m a come forward fighter, who likes to work on the inside. I’ve been in the game for 14 years now and there’s no style that I haven’t sparred or seen.
“There’s pressure on my shoulders, just to get in the ring again. I’m excited, but I kind of want my debut to be over and done with, so I can move on. It’s been a long time coming.”
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.
