Church plans special Kai show for his fans
Kai Church and Spencer McCracken Snr
KAI Church likes to keep it at range as he targets another flawless victory in the pro ranks.
He enters the fray again when BCB Promotions host their next show at the Park Inn Hotel, Northampton town centre, tomorrow, Friday, February 24.
Church, who is from Kingsthorpe, debuted in November last year, outpointing former Midlands title challenger Brett Fidoe through a whitewash score of 40-36.
The 22-year-old light-welter was around 8in taller than his opponent and made it count, with Fidoe largely unable to get in close when coming forward.
It was Church’s first competitive contest for three years, since wrapping his amateur career which was spent representing Far Cotton Boxing Club. He had 19 bouts, winning 11.
He now trains out of the Rough and Ready Boxing Academy, under long-term coach Driton Muhaxheri, who he first met when starting out at Far Cotton.
Church feels as if he has the natural attributes to be a success in the light-welter division, having already made some progress.
He said: “I’ve had plenty of sparring and it was the same before my debut. I finish my day job (telecommunications engineer for Openreach) and then, sometimes, we go to Birmingham.
“Spencer McCracken (Snr) is my manager and has a gym there, where there are a few different lads who I do rounds with. Driton (Muhaxheri, coach) comes with me.
“I think we’ve found the right balance and my last fight went well, so we’ve kept the training pretty similar. I’ve prepared well for both of them so, hopefully, it will be the same outcome.
“I had a big crowd there (over 100 tickets sold) and every one of them played their part. I walked out and the whole room just burst out with noise.
“The best bit came after, when I was coming out of the ring and a swarm of people came towards me, because I was able to enjoy the win with them and appreciate their support.
“Brett (Fidoe) wasn’t the easiest choice of opponent, because he’s so experienced, but I managed to control it, on the outside, and work when I needed to.
“I’m tall, for light-welter, at 6ft, and I use my height and reach advantage. I felt really comfortable and relaxed, so it was like another night at the office.
“The last round was a bit more open and, for the last 30 seconds, we just opened up on each other, but I kept calm and won all of the rounds.
“I usually thrive off nerves, but I wasn’t nervous. The bigger the occasion, the more I seem to perform. I’m looking forward to putting it all together on the night again.”
*Tickets for the Park Inn bill are available, priced at £40 for unreserved seating or £75 VIP ringside with buffet, directly from the boxers or by visiting myfighttickets.com.