Liam Gould plans to take life as a pro in his stride after calmly negotiating the first hurdle of that assignment.
The sequel to his debut comes at the Eastside Rooms, on Woodcock Street in Birmingham, as part of BCB Promotions’ closest card to Christmas, set for Thursday night (December 22).
He debuted in October, recording a four-round points whitewash (final score 40-36) over left-hander MJ Hall, landing some sharp shots along the way that were absorbed.
The 24-year-old super welterweight, from Coseley, is the nephew of ex-pro Jimmy Gould, who is coaching him in the pro ranks.
His trainer racked up over 100 amateur bouts, reaching a senior ABA final and boxing for England, with nephew Liam also embarking on an unpaid career.
That led to 19 victories from 37 amateur bouts, representing William Perry Boxing Club in Tipton, before deciding to turn pro.
The two are now working together closely at Gymmies Fitness & Boxing gym, in Tipton, having wrapped up his amateur run last year.
The punching pipe-fitter said: “It’s been a decent camp, but all that I’ve done is carry on from the last one. I only had a week out of the gym and that was off my own back.
“I’ve been getting quite a few rounds of sparring in against Jake Melvin (fellow pro), who is on the same show and Zachary Evans, a decent amateur (for Priory Park Boxing Club).
“I know that Jimmy (Gould, coach) was pleased with my debut and I also thought that I did well, to be honest. The most pleasing thing was that I didn’t really get hit.
“My opponent was supposed to be orthodox and it was meant to be Paul Cummings, originally, but a week before it got switched to MJ (Hall).
“I wasn’t too worried. I’d done plenty of southpaw sparring before, as an amateur (for William Perry Boxing Club), so I knew what to expect.
“My old amateur coach (Ossie Garratt) was there and he brought a few of the lads from William Perry to watch me, so it was good to have their support.
“I felt relaxed. I was nervous in the lead-up to it but, as soon as I put my gloves on, the nerves just went, so I was able to go out there and enjoy it.
“I just tried to assert my dominance and, as soon as he got into range, I hit him with a hard jab. I was in control, all of the way through.
“Towards the end, he was holding, which was different from the amateurs, but I knew what to do. I tried to work on the inside, when he was clinching, so I was putting that into practice.
“I’m ready to go out there again and keep my opponent on the back-foot. If the stoppage comes along, I’d be happy to take it, but it’s good to get the rounds in, too.
“I want to keep busy next year, too, and I’d like to get about another five in. I could look at a title then, but it’s all about learning, at the minute.”
Tickets for the Eastside Rooms bill are available, priced at £40 standard or £75 VIP ringside, directly from the boxers or by visiting myfighttickets.com.
