Melvin: “Every fight is a new adventure”

Jake Melvin…taking part in his first six rounder on Saturday

THE educational process is cranked-up for Birmingham ticket-seller Jake Melvin at the city’s Eastside Rooms on Saturday.

The 21-year-old, with three wins under his belt, takes part in his first six rounder – and it looks a good, sensible learning fight for the lightweight.

Jake – son of former contender Malcolm Melvin, who acts as his trainer – faces tough Bulgarian Georgi Velichkov, a light-welter who may have lost more than he’s won, but is extremely hard to budge. Only one opponent has prevented him from hearing the final bell.

And he’s mixed in good class. Velichkov (3-14-1) took hot prospect Eithan James the full distance in April and has also lasted the course against Birmingham’s own Tommy Collins.

That’s the kind of opponent Jake needs. He turned over with no senior amateur experience and is, for want of a better phrase, learning on the job.

To date, progress has been pleasing. He is aggressive, lets the shots go and works impressively to the body. Frustratingly, his journey has been stalled by hand injury.

“It’s a good test,” said dad Malcolm. “Velichkov is also a southpaw, which is never easy. Listen, it’s all part of the learning curve.

“Hopefully, by the end of the year, we’ll have had three or four fights (in 2023). Then we’ll assess where we are going to go and at what weight – Jake is growing all the time. We don’t really know what weight he is going to be at.”

There is, Malcolm admits, work to be done.

He added: “He has a bit of power, Jake, but I don’t think people have seen it because he has a tendency to tense up.

“But he’s come on leaps and bounds, he’s making good progress, he’s looking very sharp. Every fight is a new adventure.

“It’s all good for Jake and Saturday is a great learning fight for him.”