Sam Menzies is chasing the perfect 10 when he stars on the second Jobes Boxing event of 2024.
The unbeaten 27-year-old faces Nabil Ahmed over six rounds on Saturday, May 11, as Rainton Arena hosts another big night of boxing, seven days after Thomas Hodgson outpointed Jordan Ellison to become the Northern Area light-welterweight champion.
Menzies has won on all nine of his professional appearances, without dropping a round, after eight victories with previous trainer Mal Gates at the Harton & westoe gym, and his most recent one with new coach Davy Ritson north of the Tyne at Forest Hall.
It would take something incredibly dramatic for the ‘Pocket Rocket’ not to clock up a 10th success against Nabil Ahmed, who has lost 30 of his 35 outings.
Menzies has his eyes on both now and the future, first making sure he carries on from where he left off in his fine performance against Marius Vynsniauskase in March, and then have a goal for late 2024.
“That was a stepping stone,” the South Shields star said about the win over the decorated amateur turned pro journeyman.
“When people say ‘well done’ or ‘congratulations’ or whatever, I don’t take any offence to it but I kind of think I expect to be winning these fights.
“I haven’t lost a round yet as a professional and I should be schooling these opponents.
“I could maybe look for stoppages a bit more, but I believe when you are fighting lads like that it can play into their hands, make the fight messy.
“The way I want to box is to show my skills, box and look good and don’t be taking any damage off opponents who shouldn’t be damaging me.
“I do want to start stepping up the opposition in terms of climbing up the rankings.
“I’ve started the journey. I’ve ticked off my first fight for Forest Hall and with Phil Jeffries as my manager and I want to start looking towards titles by the end of this year.
“I’m starting to feel I’m coming into my prime. We train like 12-round fighters here so I’m prepared for whatever comes and I believe I can beat anyone in the division.”
Once his second bout for Forest Hall is done and dusted, Menzies, Ritson and Jeffries will put their heads together and identify a weight to campaign at, whether that’s bantamweight or super-bantam.
“I think it’s a big part of the game finding a weight you can make safely without chopping into the percentages of what you are as a fighter,” Sam told punch-lines after a training session at Forest Hall.
“You still want to be strong and fit, you don’t want to go to too low a weight when you end up only a percentage of the best version of yourself.
“We’ll all sit down to discuss it, but I am in this sport to see how great I can be.
“It will be about what weight I can best make, how I can train the most efficiently but mainly the one I fight at as the best version of Sam Menzies.”
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Tom Collins
