Ben Collins has recruited sports psychologist, nutritionist and sparring partners to help him come back stronger from loss
Ben Collins has had to dig deep mentally and physically after his shock loss in July, but the light heavyweight feels like it was a blessing in disguise, as a new, fully focused version of himself will step through the ropes in his comeback fight on December 20th on BCB Promotions Winter War at the Eastside Rooms in Birmingham.
The 20-year-old from Stourbridge’s fledgling career looked to be going as planned with back-to-back wins over Genadij Krajevskij and Pavol Garaj, a contract signed to promotional powerhouse Queensbury, and a headline slot at the Dudley Town Hall in which he sold a huge number of tickets.
The Haringey Box Cup winner was matched with Patryk Polasik, who had beaten formerly undefeated John Robertson in his previous fight, and the experienced Pole caused another upset, outpointing Collins 39-38 on referee Kevin Parker’s scorecard.
“It is probably the best thing that could have happened to me, said Collins. It was nothing on the night it was about me being complacent in the build-up. I trained hard but made a few mistakes and had my mind on other things. There was a lot of pressure with it being in Dudley and headlining, and it felt like a big step. If I had gotten the draw, maybe I wouldn’t be in this position now where I’m more determined than ever to push on.”
Collins trains at the BCB gym in Wednesbury, where he has been getting in sparring with world-ranked duo Zach Parker and Tyler Denny. There has been plenty of change outside the ring with Ben cutting back a bit at his own gym, ‘Pumpkin Boxing,’ as well as bringing on two new additions to his team in preparation for fight number four.
“The lads in the gym have been really supportive. They know I have it in me to come back, and everyone loses at some point, and I’d rather it happened now than later on. You will see this time a performance that reflects the work I have been putting in in the gym. My sparring has come on so much in the last few months, and I feel like I’m maturing not just my physique but also mentally.
“I have been working with a sports psychologist and a nutritionist, so there are no more cutting corners. I’m not looking for an easy fight, but I want to go out and make a statement; it’s like a second debut.”
Tickets for Winter War headlined by the Midlands Area Super Lightweight Title clash between Tommy Collins and Sajid Abid are available now, priced at £45 standard and £80 VIP, from the boxers directly or by emailing info@bcb-promotions.com