Debutant Watch - Connor Wright
  
Author:  Jon Briggs

The latest edition of Debutant Watch visits Milton Keynes to feature super-welterweight hopeful Connor Wright. Boxing has been bred into Connor since he was a youngster and his Dad runs the MK Victors boxing club, so it was always likely that Connor would lace up the gloves one day.
 
Connor, 20, has served his apprenticeship as an amateur boxer and now feels the time is right to try his luck in the professional ranks.  His career will be guided by his manager and promoter Mervyn Turner of Shamrock  Boxing Promotions alongside his Dad and Coach Tony Wright.
 
Connor is making his pro debut Friday night at the famous York Hall, Bethnal Green in a four round contest against Manchester’s Sam Omidi.
  
What made you want to start boxing?
 
“My Dad and Uncle were both boxers so boxing has been installed in me from a young age really. After my Granddad died my Dad set up the MK Victors boxing gym and I have been training there since I was seven years old.  I have never been away from boxing, I wasn’t any good at football and I’m ginger so I had to learn how to fight!”
 
Did you have a boxing idol when you were younger?
 
“I always used to watch Joe Calzaghe and Thomas Hearns, they are my two favourite fighters of all time.  I liked Joe because he was a southpaw like myself, he was just unbeatable. Hearns had the most amazing jab.”
 
Did you do much amateur boxing?
 
“I had over fifty amateur bouts. I won the Home Counties championships four or five times at different weights. I was always boxing at a good level fighting lads out of the international set up and held my own against them, but I never got the chance to fight for England myself. I used my amateur career as my apprenticeship before going pro.”

How do you know the time is right to turn pro?
 
“It is the right time for me, I couldn’t see myself going any further as an amateur so this is now an opportunity to start fighting for money. The pro style is more suited to my game so I feel I can do well. I suppose I am still a baby at twenty years old but I’m just getting my man strength and I’m 6 foot 3 and fighting at light middleweight so I will be a handful for anyone.”
 
Do you see a difference between amateur and professional boxing?
 
“I can see a huge difference. The pro game can be nasty, you have to be more spiteful when your fighting, you have to pull out all the stops to get the win. I actually feel like I am training towards something now with a future in pro boxing.”
 
Do you work full-time alongside boxing?
 
“I sell houses during the day. A lot of young boxers are killing themselves on building sites all day before they can train. I get up in the morning, do some training then sit in a nice warm office all day before more training in the evening.”
 
What sort of fighting style do you have?
 
“I like to sit on my jab and let my opponent walk onto my shots. When I need to step it up I will and take the fight to them. I can box both ways, my style all depends on what I need to do on the night.”
 
What ambitions/expectations do you have for your pro career?
  
“I want to go to the top. I want to make a name for myself as a pro boxer. I want to win things for my family and all my fans in Milton Keynes. For my first fight I have done over 170 tickets. I want to make enough money to be able to set up my family for the future.”