Rob Fletcher reckons he will return to pro boxing as a different beast and better than ever after recovering from a serious ankle injury.
That culminates when it’s show-time for BCB Promotions at the H Suite in Edgbaston, Birmingham, on the Friday evening of June 10.
The former paratrooper has been regimented on the road back to the ring, battling back to fitness from suffering an accident, in his job as a groundworker.
He’s also been settling into a new training team, with Steve Woodvine now coaching him, along with Danny Johnson and Mick Carney managing his affairs.
Fletcher, who is from Stoke-on-Trent, first started boxing at the age of 10, taking part in his first amateur bout a year later, representing Queensbury Police Boxing Club.
He joined the armed forces at the age of 16, where he remained until he was 22, resuming his boxing career upon departure in 2012, joining the Impact gym.
He built up an amateur record of 26 contests, registering 17 victories, before making the decision to go pro in 2017.
Over three paid outings, the 32-year-old cruiserweight has sent all three opponents to the canvas, with Kieran Pitman succumbing to a third round stoppage.
Darren Snow and Taha Mirhossieni were also down and lost every round, leading to 40-35 points decision when they survived to the finish. Then came a huge setback, in late 2018.
He said: “I dislocated my ankle at work and it was a really bad one. At the time, I tried to stand up, which only made it 10 times worse. My foot was literally pointing out to one side!
“I was completely off my feet, for a good three months, and in a full cast for quite some time from there. I didn’t know if I would ever make it back.
“It was a tough time for me, which made me lose some of the love for boxing, but the hunger came back as I recovered, although I had to let my body completely heal.
“It wasn’t just my ankle, I’d had a few other problems, both from boxing and my time in the forces. I listened to my body, which I’d never really done before.
“I used to over-train, even when I was hurt, and I never felt like I’d done enough. That might have been down to my military background.
“When I was ready, I went back to the gym, instead of having a lot of physio and rehabilitation, and just kept myself ticking over.
“I’ve changed coaches, as well, and I’ve really bonded with Steve (Woodvine). I feel sharper, stronger and far more athletic than I’ve ever been.
“I used to rely on power, but I’m a lot more confident in my technical ability now. I’ve come on leaps and bounds. It’s like I’ve never been away and I can’t wait to get back in there.”
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.
