Liam O’Hare feels ready for the examination of his credentials that a first six-rounder will bring to the table.
He goes up in distance when BCB Promotions return to the Eastside Rooms, on Woodcock Street in Birmingham, as part of a Saturday fight night (July 30).
O’Hare has climbed to 3-0 engaging in four-round action, where he has seen the final bell on each occasion and had his hand raised in victory.
The 25-year-old middleweight, from Hereford, has vanquished Kevin McCauley, Josh Hodgins and Dwain Grant, since turning pro in December.
All were 40-36 points landslide points decisions, but O’Hare was most pleased by the way he dealt with ‘Cheeky’ Grant, less than a month ago.
The former dancer, who studied dance as a student at Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham, during his teenage years, showed good footwork and decent accuracy.
O’Hare is near to a decade since he took up the sport, starting as an amateur with Lydney Boxing Club, with whom he reached the semi-finals of the England Junior Championships.
He’s now coached by Tony Chadwick, training at the City of Hereford Boxing Academy, as part of a pro stable that includes Daniel Williams, Liam Edmunds and Cliff Henry.
O’Hare has benefitted from backing from sponsors furniture.co.uk, Studio K Hairdressing, Elite Performance Gym and Muscle Mechanics Sports Massage.
He said: “There’s a big crowd from Hereford coming and I’m donating my fight purse to Herefordshire Mind (mental health charity), a cause which means a lot to me.
“I’ve struggled with my mental health, in the past, and seen friends go through some bad times, so it’s important to have this support in place locally.
“It’s not long since I boxed, so I had the basic level of fitness to build on for upping the rounds to six, along with plenty of sparring to keep me sharp.
“I feel like I’m making progress. I went through the gears a lot better in my last fight, I had the legs for it and picked up the pace, through the rounds.
“I came out thinking that I had another couple of rounds left in me and, if that wasn’t the case, I might have been running before I can walk, taking a six-rounder on.
“My opponent was a hard man to land on, his head movement was impeccable, but I managed to catch him a few times, while still pacing myself.
“I threw a lot of punches, but with the right level of caution and I shut him down comfortably, when he tried to attack. My counter punching has definitely improved.
“I can do both – I can box a fighter and fight a boxer. I’ll be ready to put on a show again and, hopefully, get the win with a good performance.
“I just want to get the six rounds under the belt and that, in my eyes, is when you start to become a proper pro and earn your stripes! The pro game is all about the longer distances.”
Tickets for the Eastside Rooms bill are available, priced at £40 standard or £75 VIP ringside with buffet, directly from the boxers or by visiting myfighttickets.com.
