John Dring believes he's the new 'Beefy.'
The 25-year-old Scouser makes his professional debut on the Sam Sexton-Hughie Fury undercard at the Macron Stadium, Premier Suite, in Bolton on Saturday 12th May.
Sexton v Fury is exclusively live on Channel 5 from 9pm, with live coverage of the undercard on 5Spike starting at 7.30pm.
He’s targeting lightweight titles after teaming up with Kieran Farrell and said: “My style is similar to (ex-WBO super-welterweight champion) Liam 'Beefy' Smith.
“I’m an aggressive counter puncher, like Liam. I come forward behind a tight guard, slip punches and counter.”
Dring is a product of Gemini Amateur Boxing Club. He had around 50 bouts for them, mainly as a schoolboy and junior, and reached a Golden Gloves final in 2007, losing to Charlie Edwards.
Dring was also outpointed by Edwards in a box off for the European Schoolboy championship.
“I fought a lot of good lads in the amateurs,” said Dring. “Lads who are doing well in the pros now like Ryan Wheeler and Jordan Cooke.
“I had a couple of years off and now I’m back.
“I’ve been boxing since I was nine years old and I got a bit stale – and a bit fed up of getting robbed all the time.
“I haven’t boxed for two-and-a-half years, but I never fell out of love with boxing.
“I was always around the gyms, always watching fights and when one of my pals started training with the pros, I went along with him and got my hunger back.
“The break has done me good. I felt refreshed.
“I decided that rather go back to the amateurs and get ripped off, I would make a big comeback in the pros.
“I’m ready to go now.”
Dring features on an action packed card headlined by Sexton v Fury for the British Heavyweight Championship; exciting Leeds talent Reece Cartwright defends his IBF Youth World Middleweight Championship (TBC); Galway’s ‘Connemara Kid’ Peter McDonagh competes in a 10-round international super-featherweight contest and female boxing sensation Savannah Marshall, double Olympian and 2012 World Amateur Champion, makes her UK debut in an 8-round middleweight contest, and unbeaten super-featherweight prospect Yusuf Safa.
Completing the card, Morecombe super-lightweight Reece MacMillan, Southport super-lightweight John Dring, Stoke-on-Trent trio super-middleweight Luke Caci, middleweight Nathan Heaney and Shabaz Masoud, Chorley middleweight Mark Jeffers and Manchester super-bantamweight George Brennan.
