Saunders all ready to start his pro career (From The Northern Echo)

Saunders all ready to start his pro career

9:00am Friday 10th February 2012 in Sport By Paul Fraser, Chief Football Writer

THE headguard is off, the intensive training programme has run its course. Bradley Saunders is ready to go.

The amateur ace will be at the renowned York Hall tonight to make his professional debut, backed by more than 200 fans from County Durham.

Saunders spent the majority of the last eight years working towards an Olympic medal, but his "whole life" has been about making his pro bow.

His debut will be in front of a sell-out crowd at the famous Bethnal Green venue, where many a top fighter has entered the ring, and the South Durham fighter faces a fight he is expected to win.

Saunders skipped the traditional entry of four-three minute rounds by going for six, but there still should be little fuss against journeyman Jason Nesbitt.

It will be 12 years in June that Nesbitt, who turned 38 last month, left the amateur game behind and has endured 759 rounds of boxing. He has been defeated in 139 contests, winning nine, but Saunders will not be taking anything for granted.

"He has got to be a test," said Saunders, regarded as one of Britain's best ever amateurs, a spell which included a bronze at the 2007 World Championships in Chicago and a silver at the Commonwealths in 2010.

"He has to be a durable fighter to have lasted as long as he has and he is not going to be a pushover. He once ran Kevin Mitchell close (losing in the third of four rounds in June 2004), so that shows he will dig in.

"For me to get in there and fight him on my debut is going to be a really good test. He's been around the professional game a long time, so he knows what's required to dig deep and stick in."

Regardless of the fact Nesbitt has not won a fight for more than two years, Saunders is just happy to be stepping up a level and sees it as the ideal platform to get going.

In signing a contract with promoter Frank Warren, the 25-year-old has been given permission to stay in the North-East to train with his father, Jeff Saunders, and Birtley's Graeme Rutherford.

Neither, though, will be in his corner tonight, however, as they wait for the paperwork to come through which will see them get a more hands-on role.

"Frank Warren's right-hand-man, Dean Powell, will be doing my corner and he will probably stay a part of it even when my dad and Graeme come in with me," he said. "My dad and Graeme will be there before and after the fight. It will be good to have them in there."

It is little wonder Saunders is looking for some form of continuity, having lost just 17 of his 183 amateur bouts, most of which were with the family's stable, South Durham ABC in Fishburn.

And he has indicated to those that have followed him over the years that he could be ready to return to the sort of front-foot style which became his hallmark during his teenage years.

"I'm going to be much more aggressive than what I have been," said Saunders, who has been using Hartlepool's Eddie Ellwood as his health, conditioning and nutritional coach.

"I used to have a really aggressive style when I was younger and, with age, that has sort of disappeared the more I have fought on the international stage with England and Team GB.

"I became a better boxer for that, but I'm ready to bring back some of that aggression and hopefully it will excite those that come to watch me.

"I am the fittest I have ever been for boxing, training every day, sparring most days, it's all been in there and I'm just ready to go now. The excitement is kicking in and it will be unbelievable when I am in there.

"I've got a lot of people in London coming to watch, imagine if that was in the North-East? I can sell tickets, I know I can, and hopefully that will not be too far away."