Pettigrew: I’m back and fitter than ever
Ashley Pettigrew….looking to step up to six round class
ASHLEY Pettigrew says he’s in top condition for his next ring assignment in the pro ranks.
He goes for a trio of pro victories when BCB Promotions are once again at the Hangar Events Venue, in Wolverhampton, on Friday, April 28.
Pettigrew, from Doxey, Stafford, reached 2-0 in October, before illness curtailed a December date for action, but he’s fighting fit again for another four-round contest.
The 24-year-old light-middle splits his training between Stafford’s Fight Factory, where he’s coached by Ant Bailey, and BCB’s Wednesbury gym.
He joined the pro game from the unlicensed circuit, where he collected 14 victories from 16 bouts, with 10 of those ending early.
His pro debut, last June, also ended by stoppage, when he bloodied the nose of Sultan Ahmed before forcing an early finish in round two.
Pettigrew was then taken to the distance by erstwhile campaigner Paul Cummings, having to settle for a 40-36 points success, having won all four sessions.
Six months will have passed since that outing, but Pettigrew has made up for the absence, through plenty of sparring.
He said: “I started boxing when I was 17 with Fight Factory and I’ve stayed loyal to them. It’s great that I can still train there and at BCB, where I can mingle with the other pros.
“It’s at BCB where I can get hard sparring rounds. I’ve sparred against Nathan Heaney (WBO Continental middleweight champion) and Jim Smith (amateur star) in this camp.
“Nathan is bigger than me, so I have to box if I want to compete with him, even in sparring. Jim is a slick southpaw, he’s really one to look out for. They are good learning rounds for me.
“I haven’t boxed since October. I was supposed to be back out in December but, the week before the fight, I got really ill. It started right after my last spar (against Ryan Kelly).
“I properly went downhill at the gym,the next day, and I had to go home. After that, I was in bed for a week, so that was it, for me, until after Christmas.
“It took me a while to get my fitness up to where it was, but I got that baseline back and then upped the pace. Come fight night, I should be peaking.
“I train all year round, so I just up the intensity when I need to. I feel really sharp again and I’m looking forward to getting back in there. I’ve lost some time, but these things happen.
“I’m in no major rush, I want to show the improvements that I’ve made and get another win. Then I can look at a six-rounder later in the year.”