Express & Star

Alex Round hoping to see off the year with another win

Alex Round will endeavour to stay out of the wars and retain his peak fitness as he returns to action on his own turf.

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Alex Hoping To Round Off Year With A Win (Photo: MSN Images/Manjit Narotra)

Round steps into the ring in BCB Promotions’ show at Wolverhampton’s, at the Hangar Events Venue tomorrow afternoon.

The 24-year-old middleweight, from Wednesfield, debuted under the Hangar lights and got stuck into a brawl with Walsall-based battler Kearon Thomas.

The two went toe-to-toe for much of the four rounds, but it was Round’s conditioning that led him to a 40-36 points success.

There were signs that he was content enough to engage in a slug-fest, although Round also believes his development will take him past those tendencies.

He’s still a relative novice to the fight game, after an amateur run which saw him only amass 11 contests, with his pro aspirations growing after Richie Carter became his coach.

The two have been working hard at work at Wolverhampton Boxing Club, which has Carter’s pro section operating among the amateur hopefuls.

Round reckons his natural attributes are much better suited to the pro ranks, however he accepts he must engage brain-power as much as heart.

He said: “I can’t wait to get back in there, my debut was a big occasion and this will be the same with, hopefully, another win for me at the end of it!

“I thought I boxed well last time, I just stuck to the game-plan and didn’t get caught up in anything daft. I used my fitness to my advantage.

“Being able to outwork the other guy is very pleasing for me and makes all of the running, along with the hard graft in the gym, every day worth it.

“It’s all about getting used to being a pro now, after taking that step into the unknown, and building up the experience that will make me a better fighter.

“Kearon was a decent test for me, you could tell that he loves a scrap by the way he kept coming forward and slugging it out.

“It was entertaining to watch, a bit of a war and, to be fair, that’s the way I like it. I’ll take each opponent as they come, but I don’t mind a scrap either.

“The reason that it didn’t become an all-out war is because I was listening to instructions from my corner, which is why I made it easier for myself.”

“I’ve always believed I had a pro sort of style, as someone who will stand in front of my opponent and throw lots of punches, but there needs to be more to me than that.”

“My natural inclination is to get stuck in, but there’s a time and place. That’s how Richie (Carter, coach) taught me and it’s how we train. I just want to get more experience under my belt and learn more about myself, as a boxer. That’s how I’ll be able to do different things in there.”

Tickets for the Hangar bill are available now, priced at £40 standard or £75 VIP ringside with buffet, directly from the boxers or by visiting myfighttickets.com.