Josh Burnham admits he cannot wait to return to the ring ahead of his second professional bout at York Hall tomorrow night.
Burnham, 23, won his first pro fight in February when he defeated Rob Brown on a unanimous points decision.
He was forced to postpone his next contest after breaking a hand in training and then took time away from the ring following the birth of his first child, Aurella.
But after two months of solid training Burnham, who lives in Bushey, insists he is feeling as “fit as I ever have”.
He said: “I’ve got the hunger to get back into the ring. Together with my management team, I’ve decided to step up from four rounds to six.”
Asked how the new arrival in his family has affected his preparations, Burnham said: “Fatherhood has definitely changed me. I feel like an old man most of the time and am shattered by 11pm. I cannot stomach late nights any more.
“Obviously I still love boxing but it’s now more of a job than a passion as I have the added incentive of wanting to give my daughter and wife, Anna, whatever they want.
“In the ring I’ll be the same animal, even more so now. But I need to pace myself over the longer distance.
“Maybe I’ll ease into it a bit more but I like being aggressive. I’m a front foot fighter.”
Burnham also works as a personal trainer. He insists that the risk of injury has never put him off the sport. “If anything, last week’s Kell Brook fight did wonders for his career.
“It was stopped before he was seriously hurt. Boxing is about being smart and I have complete faith that my team will pick the right fights for me.” He joked: “If anything, I’m more worried about my wife than going into the boxing ring.”
His original opponent withdrew through injury so Burnham is now preparing for a new challenge.
“All I know is that he’s a tough and experienced fighter from Bulgaria,” he said.
“I haven’t seen him box before but I expect him to come out swinging. I will respect his power and heart. But I’m an aggressive fighter and will be looking for a stoppage.
“If it goes six rounds I’m confident I can deal with it. That’s what I spar for. It’s good having a game-plan but in boxing things can change quickly as soon as you step foot in the ring.
“But I’ll be looking to take him out as quickly as possible as I’m not paid over-time.”
To get more from Life, click here to sign up for our free Life newsletter.