Unbeaten Nathan Wheatley is back to business after nine-month hiatus
Warrington boxer Nathan Wheatley (7-0) has managed to get back to the gym this week to work with trainer Matthew Hatton after a frustrating nine-month layoff through injury.
The 29-year-old damaged his shoulder during a sparring session way back in 2015 and allowed it to get progressively work as he continued with training and fighting.
The injury eventually thwarted Wheatley’s title chances when he was forced to withdraw from a Central Area middleweight championship contest last May against Barnsley’s Ben Davies at Manchester’s Bowlers Arena.
Middleton’s Darryl Sharp stepped in last-minute and won every round on his way to claiming the vacant strap, despite having just four wins from 18 fights at the time.
After experiencing such disappointment, he finally realised that it was time to get the wound fixed once and for all.
He said, “It was at this point that I knew I needed to get it fixed for good, as I had put up with it for too long. I was really disappointed, but, at the same time, I know that my chance will come again.”
Prospect Watch with Nathan Wheatley
‘The Wire’ explained how it initially happened, “I was sparring a couple of years ago at Oliver Harrison’s gym and I overstretched with an uppercut. That was the first time it happened, and I went for physio and it did sort of heal it itself, but then it started playing up further and getting worse over time.
“That happened in training for my second fight, so I’ve had six fights with it playing up, so I’m finally looking forward to getting back in the ring with two working arms!”
Despite being debilitated, the former Bridgefoot ABC student went on to defeat Aaron Robinson 40-36 on points at the Piccadilly Hotel in Manchester in July 2015.
Now unbeaten in seven, Wheatley has been visiting the physio routinely every week for treatment for the past six months to work on the damaged muscles.
“All movements are forward in boxing, so we’ve been working on my posture on the back. The front muscles were overpowering the back muscles, so been focusing on the muscles behind the punches.
“I’ve been doing a lot of hot yoga as well, which is helping with flexibility. There’s a lot of rugby players in my session, and it’s brilliant, everything just feels so much looser. Definitely gonna’ stick with it.”
Wheatley returned to the gym in the second week of January and has already been hitting the pads with his world title contender trainer, Matthew Hatton.
He aims to be fighting by the end of March or beginning of April.
To follow Nathan ‘The Wire’ Wheatley on Twitter, click here @0401_nathan
Nathan would like to thank his sponsors Eat Clean Cuisine