Sam likes to scrap beside the seaside

Eggington during this week’s public workout: Pic: Lawrence Lustig/Boxxer

FIGHTING on the other man’s turf has given Sam Eggington the savage edge he needs to defeat huge punching Joe Pigford, Stourbridge’s ring warrior told me.

The 29-year-old faces unbeaten Pigford, who has stopped 19 of his 20 opponents, at Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium in a clash that seems destined to be a thriller. It’s screened on Sky Sports.

In a 41 fight career, Sam has rolled the dice many times and made a mockery of odds stacked against him.

Make no mistake – if the gamble pays off, this could be Eggington’s most famous victory. He and 30-year-old Pigford were originally slated to clash in Birmingham. Switching it to the south coast has not fazed Sam one bit.

Speaking following a sparring session at his second home, Eastside gym, Sam told me: “It’s probably a good thing they moved it. It’s given me that excitement and I’m really excited for this one. I haven’t got the home comforts.

“I’ve never watched him. I know he’s a puncher, I know his record, I know bits and bobs. I’m genuinely excited. I have a feeling I don’t have normally.

“He’s undefeated with 19 knockouts – I love that s***.”

In an interview published by the Express and Star, Eggington said: “All that stuff that goes against you is the kind of stuff which gets me out of bed and into the gym.

“The fact this was moved from the Birmingham bill to this bill, makes no odds to me. It makes me get up a bit earlier and makes me train a bit harder. I’m looking forward to it.

“I train for me. I don’t look at opponents much or train to their boxing. I train for what I want to do and they can box around what I am doing.

“I have got my gameplan. It hardly ever changes. This will be a good fight to be watching and I think it is going to be a good fight to be involved in.

“I am confident I will come away with a win. Come Saturday night I will be ready and I will be excited.”

When the contest was announced, Sam’s manager Jon Pegg said: “With Sam at this stage, every fight is a gamble. On his day, he’s shown he can beat world level guys and, if he has an off night, he can lose to domestic level guys.

“He’s in a good place, his weight is in a good place. At 29, he’s in his physical prime. I think his toughness and experience will see him through. If Sam had faced the 20 opponents Pigford has faced, he’d probably have 19 stoppages as well.

“Pigford can obviously punch and the first three or four rounds are obviously going to be risky. But Sam has beaten guys who have knocked out world class guys.

“OK, Liam Smith stopped Sam on a cut, but he did better than Anthony Fowler and Chris Eubank Jnr did. They were dropped and put away by Smith.

“Sam and Pigford have been pros for the same amount of time (both made their debuts in 2012). Pigford had his first 10 rounder in his last fight (it only went three), Sam was fighting 10 rounders in his first year.

“Sam has to be careful, we know that, but Pigford’s best win wouldn’t get in Sam’s top 10 best wins. At the age of 20, Sam was beating guys who were better than anyone on Pigford’s record.”

In the war of words before the ring war, Pigford declared Eggington was the perfect opponent.

He said: : "On paper, I think it's a very exciting fight, but my aim's not to make it an exciting fight. It's the perfect fight for me and I think he's made for me.

"I punch quite hard and he doesn't seem too bothered about getting hit, so I feel like sooner or later I'm going to hurt him and take him out. I'm very confident."

The blue touchpaper has been lit. It’s now a simple case of stepping back and waiting for the explosion.