Luke McCormack says years in Ben Davison's gym have readied him for British title shot

Luke McCormack told Boxing News that training with Ben Davison has prepared him to face Kay Prospere for the vacant British super-lightweight title on Saturday, despite having just five professional wins.

Luke McCormack has told Boxing News that his work with head coach Ben Davison has prepared him to fight Kay Prospere for the vacant British super-lightweight title on Saturday, even though he has only five professional wins. The bout is on the undercard of Liam Davies vs Nathaniel Collins at bp pulse LIVE in Birmingham, due at 20:00 UK and Irish time and live on DAZN, with the main event expected at 22:15. Our Davies vs Collins UK start time guide has the full running order.

The 31-year-old from Sunderland said: “I feel like I’m well ahead of my record, because I’ve been down in Essex training with the pros for four or five years now. I just haven’t had [enough] opportunities to fight.” McCormack, an Olympian, ended his amateur career after losing to Andy Cruz in Tokyo. He rates Cruz as the best opponent he has faced. He had intended to stay with his amateur coach, but a friend, Mark Dickinson, told him Davison would be happy to train him and his twin brother, Pat. McCormack trained with Davison for one day and decided to stay, working with Davison, Lee Wylie and Barry Smith before he had made his professional debut.

He said the attention to detail in the gym was unlike anything he had known before. Video analysis, which he previously cared little about, has made each fight easier because he now knows what to expect before it happens, he said.

McCormack acknowledged that a developing fighter also needs experience in the ring, and said he would have preferred to be busier over the past two-and-a-half years. He said: “I’d like to have been more active but there’s nothing I can do now.” He went 10 rounds with Kane Gardner in February and now feels fully equipped for the 12-round distance. When Davison asked whether he wanted to fight for the British title, he accepted immediately.

Winning the Lonsdale Belt has long been one of McCormack's ambitions. If he beats Prospere, he intends to make three defences and win the belt outright.

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