COLCHESTER boxer Lewis Richardson says he is ‘very excited’ to return to the ring after a year out.
The 29-year-old will box Ivan Trofimovich at BP Pulse Live in Birmingham on September 26, with Richardson eager to return following a gap in bouts due to a combination of injury and waiting for the right opportunity.
Richardson suffered an injury while sparring on Christmas Eve last year, requiring surgery and a subsequent period of recovery.
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The Paris Olympics medallist said finding the right time to return has also contributed to the lengthy gap between fights.
But the Colchester man is now fully focused on the next step and believes he is approaching the prime of his career.
“I’m very excited,” said Richardson, who has thanked Datum Group and PNC Unique for their continued support.
“I've been out of the ring for around a year now, which has been a challenging period.
“I've had moments like this in my career before, but the professional boxing game is slightly different to the amateur boxing game."
“It's certainly come with its challenges, but more than anything I’m just excited to get back in the ring.
“I just feel like I have that bit between my teeth again to really go out and prove to myself more than anyone else what I'm about and what I'm capable of doing.”
Richardson, who has a 2-0 professional record having previously represented Great Britain with distinction in the amateur ranks, will face an aggressive and powerful opponent in Birmingham.
However, the former Thomas Lord Audley School pupil is confident that his experience and ability to adapt will prove decisive on the night.
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“We know about him, we've studied him,” Richardson said.
“He’s aggressive, he comes to win, he's powerful, but I certainly believe my skills will be superior and I'll be able to do what needs to be done to get the win.
“The experience I've had with the opponents I've boxed, I've boxed the best boxers all over the world, all different styles, all different strengths and opportunities to exploit.
“I think the ability to be able to adapt in the ring is one of my strengths.
“Obviously, we’ll study the opponent beforehand and make sure that we're training for how we anticipate him to box but obviously mindful that things can change on fight night.”
Richardson said the final stages of camp will be the most demanding, but insists the work completed before fight night gives him confidence rather than pressure.
“This last couple of weeks have been my hardest weeks of camp, the hardest weeks from a training perspective,” he said.
“I’m just fully locked in and fully focused to do what I need to do to prepare.
“The reason I don't feel the pressure is because I do the right things beforehand, so I go in there almost free, with a freedom of what will be, will be.
“As long as I go out and perform, I can be proud of myself and I'm highly, highly confident that at this stage of my career that I will be winning these fights.”
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The Birmingham bill represents an important opportunity for Richardson to rebuild momentum, with the fighter revealing he has held encouraging discussions with Queensberry about the direction of his career.
“I suffered an injury on Christmas Eve last year in training, in sparring,” said Richardson, who is an Active Essex Athlete Ambassador and World Youth Clubs Global Ambassador and during his time out, became more involved in the community work he is passionate about.
“That injury required surgery, and obviously recovery time off the back of that.
“Just opportunities to get on the right shows, on the right cards. It's probably a mix between those two, which is why it's been that year.
“I’ve had some really positive conversations with Queensberry over the last month or so, and I'm confident that we'll be able to get through September 26th and then push on and build momentum.
“We'll really look to start looking for titles sooner, rather than later.
“I've had periods of time out of the ring like this but this one feels like it's been longer than it has, and I certainly feel ready just to go and push on now.
“I feel like I'm prime age as a professional boxer, really strong and healthy, and my best years are here now or are coming very shortly.
“It's a great time to push on and do well and show everyone what I'm about.”
Richardson will now look to turn a frustrating year on the sidelines into a statement return in Birmingham - and begin the push towards title contention.
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