A Nottingham boxing prospect known as the ‘Bulwell Bomber’ is preparing for his first professional fight as he makes the jump from the amateur ranks.
Conor Millward, 26, currently balances his boxing training with his full-time job as a support worker for children with mental health issues from Monday to Friday.
He is currently training hard towards his prospective first fight – which he expects to be fought in the early summer of this year.
Having turned pro after a successful amateur career, he told Notts TV he hopes to have five fights in the next 18 months.
“I’m expecting a whole new challenge, I’m now a little fish in a very big pond, I have lots of learning to do but I’ve got good people around me in the gym,” Millward said.
The super-welterweight is trained by Barrington Brown at the DCT gym in Hyson Green, which is also home to top Nottingham professionals including Ekow Essuman and Derrick Osaze.
“It’s great to have the likes of Ekow and Osaze around – I feel they push me on more,” says Millward, who fought 33 times as an amateur to build a record of 27 wins and 6 losses.
He added: “It’s good to see what they’ve achieved and it makes it feel possible for myself to achieve these things as well.
“I want to remain undefeated and hopefully stop a couple of people, apart from that hopefully I win a British title or a European title but for now keep my head screwed on my shoulders.”
Millward, from Bulwell, originally started playing rugby but switched to boxing when he was 17.
“When I got to 17 my team didn’t work well as a team and when I first walked into a boxing gym, the whole performance was down to me so I really enjoyed that aspect of it,” he said.
Conor’s boxing coach Barrington Brown said: “He’s progressed quite well, to see what he’s come from he’s always been a good fighter anyway but I’m excited for when he has his first fight and he’s up for it.
“He’s more than ready to fight professionally, obviously you have Ekow in here, you have Derrick Osaze so them guys that he’s mingling with improve his craft of boxing.
“After work he will come here and let himself in after work, he’ll train on his own sometimes so he’s fully on it, even though he’s working full time he still finds time to come here and train,” Barrington added.