Ingram dreaming of making full time switch from roofing to the ring

GLOUCESTER boxer Brad Ingram has his sights set on becoming a full-time athlete as he prepares for his second professional bout next month.

At the moment the welterweight is balancing his work as a roofer with his ambitions in the ring after making his debut in the sport last year.

After enjoying a winning start to his career in Swindon, Ingram is looking to extend his unbeaten start in Wiltshire when he features on Neilson Boxing’s Fight Town even on Saturday 26^th March.

The show will also star fellow Gloucester-based boxers Jake Price and Max Mudway, who both train with the city’s Jon Pitman at his Fight Factory gym, as well as Bristol’s Aaron Sutton who will be challenging for the Southern Area title.

While Ingram is happy to have made his debut, the 22-year-old admits he has had to adapt from his mindset as an amateur and reveals his target to become a boxer full time.

“I’m self-employed so I finish work at 2pm, go straight to the gym, train there for a few hours and then go back home,” he said.

“The days where I don’t do that, I’ll do a lot of running, so I’m always busy training every day.

“I used to train at night time but now I am doing longer sessions.

“I’m definitely aiming to become a full-time boxer. I’ve got quite a few sponsors, I’ve got about six or seven.

“I wasn’t sure how professional boxing worked because I’m new to it, but I’m learning more and more about it.

“It’s really different to being an amateur but I’m comfortable with it and I’m finding my way nicely.”

Last time out Ingram, who is managed by Mark Neilson, took a points decision win over Qasim Hussain following their four-round contest.

Next up, the Gloucester prospect comes up against Alexey Tukhtarov over the same distance.

Looking ahead to his next bout, Ingram said he was happy with his first professional performance but is ready for a stiffer test.

“It was a great night, everyone enjoyed themselves, it was a good atmosphere and I feel like I performed well,” he added.

“I was excited more than anything (for my debut) because obviously it was my first professional fight and I’d been out of the ring for two years.

“After I fought, I had a little rest of Christmas but now I’m glad to have got my debut out of the way and I’m ready to move on to the next one.”