Training days. 

Training’s going fantastic, it’s gone fantastic, literally all the hard work has been done already before next Saturday. The last hard spar’s been done, I’ve probably got one or two hard conditioning sessions left, but almost all the hard work’s done now.

I honestly feel better than I ever have in my career and it’s a matter of me going out on November the tenth and putting it into practice.

I always have my own expectations but there’s probably a little less pressure when you’re on the undercard and chief support to a great fight in Tony Bellew and Oleksandr Usyk. Being in Manchester there will obviously still be pressure but it’s not like when I fought on the Anthony Joshua card recently, where I was lower down the bill, that was easy, I kept saying “I can’t believe how easy this is” but every time I fight in Manchester it’s always special to me.

(Not) Very superstitious.

I believe I’m very laid back compared to other fighters, I tend to get nerves maybe the day before the fight, I always have half an hour on the day of the fight, to myself just to gather my thoughts, maybe I’ll get the butterflies but after that I’m cool. Once I get to the Arena I’m fine. It’s just like “yeah I’m ready to go to work.”

I’m not superstitious in any way, before I go out I always say a prayer, that’s just something I do. I don’t pray that I win or anything like that, just that we both come out safe and healthy.

It’s not a superstition but for every weigh-in I have a new pair of boxers shorts, in fact I might go and buy them now on the way home, that’s a must for the money shot I can’t have a tatty old pair of boxers on!

I’m very lucky with the help I have from people around me before a fight, the meals are prepared for me by my uncle. I’ve just been for a coffee and I would’ve loved to have had a brownie but I’m not allowed, so obviously there’s certain things you miss but it’s just in your head what you think you want.

I enjoy the hard work, I really do and for this fight I’ve trained harder than ever, yes it can be tough when you’re tired, but all jobs are hard, my dad’s a postman and he’s up in the cold weather posting letters, that’s not easy. There are people sat behind a desk for nine, ten hours a day having to keep their concentration, all jobs are tough so I’m not gonna cry about it, as I choose to do boxing.

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Just the ticket.

With tickets for this fight, I’m very fortunate to have got the allocation I’ve got but it was nowhere near what I would have liked. You try and sort out as many people as possible, but tickets are a little bit dearer this time as well. The ones who can’t make it they’ll be watching on television, my family, friends, fans, whether they’re in the arena or watching it at home or listening to it on the radio, I appreciate everybody who supports us.

It’s so hard because weeks ago I told people the allocation isn’t what I’d normally get and then some people get back a few weeks later, and I have to tell them there’s none of them tickets left and I feel so bad but it’s out of my hands.

You’ve got to give credit for Tony Bellew for taking this fight because it’s a tough one and there’s other names that he could have gone for with a similar payday that wouldn’t have been as hard as Usyk will be.

Tough times for United.

I thought the Everton game was a lot more positive, I was a lot happier as a fan, enjoyed the football it was just frustrating when we had the game wrapped up, that we put ourselves under pressure late on with some stupid mistakes. We were the better side and we deserved the three points. A few moments of madness caused us to come under pressure, it wasn’t necessary and it creates a problem for the lads.

Nervy moments, squeaky bum time, that’s not needed but three points against Everton who are on a good run lately is a good result, so I’m happy.

The Bournemouth game will be tough, it won’t be easy going there, I can’t say I’m super confident but I do fancy us for the three points, then that would set us up for a few massive games doesn’t it. There’s a run of tough games coming up but certainly the next two after Bournemouth, Turin and then the Manchester Derby. I’m gutted that I can’t go to Juve, it’ll be tough and if we take anything from that game I’ll be happy.

For the derby, not to be negative, but I’d take anything we can get from that as well. Let’s just hope we can produce a performance like we did in the second half the last time we were at the Etihad. Form does go out the window for derby games.

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