SONNY UPTON isn’t at all fazed about making his professional debut on foreign soil.
The Ricky Hatton-trained welterweight prospect will have his first taste of the ranks on the undercard of stable mate Sergey Rabchenko’s European title defence to Cedric Vitu in Vratsa, Bulgaria on November 16.
And having fought in international tournaments as an amateur, the Anglo-Irish 24-year-old sees the fight’s location as merely a place with another ring for him to shine in.
“I’ve boxed in America eight or nine times, I’ve been to Albania, Germany and I boxed in the World Championships so I’ve been about and boxing away doesn’t bother me,” he said.
“Boxing is a very lonely sport so it’s actually good to be on Sergey’s bill because it means we can train together like a team.
“I can’t wait to get in there. I don’t know how many months I’ve been training with Ricky, but everything we’ve been working on has come together nicely. I’ve got a lot stronger and now it’s about showing how I’ve adapted from an amateur to a professional.”
Sonny’s pro berth may well see him get a little more time to make that adaption as, unlike most debutants, it’s likely he’ll be going straight into a six round bout rather the usual four.
“They don’t really do four-rounders too much in Europe so I’ve been told I’ll probably be doing a six-rounder, which I prefer if I’m honest,” he stated. “It’ll give me more time to see what my opponent’s about before I open up.
“I think Ricky and the team are going to get me a decent enough opponent, one that has a go and tests me rather than swinging handbags.
“I don’t want to go in there and try and punch my opponents lights out, I want to take my time and learn things.”
Ricky Hatton said: “Sonny’s a real talented kid, a nice mover and a wonderful boxer.
“He’s only been with us for a few months and seeing the improvement he’s made in that time gets me excited about what he’s going to be like when he’s had 12 months under his belt.”
