A town is gearing up to host its first pro boxing event in five years with local boxers readying themselves to step into the ring.
The Ipswich Fight Night takes place at Trinity Park from 17:30 BST and more than 1,000 people were expected.
Four Suffolk boxers will be fighting – including two who will make their pro debuts.
Eilish Tierney, Ipswich’s first pro-female boxer, said she was feeling incredibly relaxed ahead of her fight against Amy Greatorex.
“This is like home, as soon as I walked in I felt comfortable,” the 26-year-old who has fought white collar events at the venue before said.
“It’s the same changing room, it’s the same walk out, everything is going to be the same like the result – I’m going to win.
“I’m relaxed, nothing can phase me.”
Tierney, who trains at Grange Fitness and Performance Centre in Martlesham, near Ipswich, said she was looking forward to fighting in front of a home crowd.
“It’s a real night of local talent and we haven’t seen this in Ipswich in years,” she added.
When asked what she was expecting from her fight, Tierney said: “I’m going to make a statement tomorrow, people are going to remember my name, doors are going to open from this fight.
“It’s just up from here. This is what I was born to do and I’m ready.”
‘The realest sport’
Austin McGregor, 19, said he was feeling “buzzing” as he prepared to make his pro debut.
He has been boxing for the past five years, training from East Coast Boxing Club in Lowestoft, where he is from.
“I’ve been dying for this moment for years and now it’s here, just got to show what I’m about,” he said.
“I want to get in there and prove to everyone why I want to be a professional boxer and a world champion boxer.”
He described boxing as “the realest sport in the world” and said he was ready to show those he did not believe in him that they were wrong.
‘Part of history’
Gideon Onyenani, 25, who also goes by Gideon Jonas, similarly to Tierney, trains at Grange Fitness and Performance Centre.
While he is an experienced boxer, he has had some time away from the sport due to his work as a paratrooper in the army.
“Being a paratrooper, your fitness is important,” he said when asked if he was ready for his fight,
“I know I’ve got the fitness but it’s different when you get in the boxing ring.
“I’ve done the rounds, I’ve done the sparring, so I am confident in that, but there’s a difference with sparring and actual fighting.
“I’m excited to see how I perform.”
Onyenani said he felt a “part of history” fighting in the town’s first pro boxing event in five years.
He added people could expect to see “pressure and strength” from him in the ring.
An ‘aggressive, hard hitter’
Jack Williams, 28, is another Ipswich boxer making his pro debut.
He is trained by his younger brother out of Fortitude Fitness and said he would use the fight to honour his late mother.
“I’m feeling ready, fit as hell and ready to rock and roll,” he said.
“I lost my mum about three years ago.
“My mum loved boxing, my dad does as well, she made me want to push it more in the last year and a half.
“I want to make her proud up there so this big fight here is for her. It’s going to be a big statement for sure.”
Williams has sold about 235 tickets for the event and was therefore expecting a lot of supporters.
He described himself in the ring as an “aggressive, hard hitter”.
‘Expecting big numbers’
The fighters were all managed by Matt Brennan – owner of Grange Fitness and Performance Centre, home of the Suffolk Punch boxing club.
The club’s very own Fabio Wardley knocked out fellow Britain, Fraser Clarke on 11 October in the first round to defend his British and Commonwealth titles.
Mr Brennan said Wardley had been “inspirational” for the local boxers and said Ipswich had been “buzzing” from his fight.
“It’s going to be an amazing night,” the 45-year-old said.
“We’ve not had a pro boxing show for five and a half years and I think even before that [the last one] was 25 years before that.
“The town is buzzing off the back of last weekend so we’re expecting big numbers here.”
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