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who have been with him since he started out. Lawrence reveals: “He still has the same close friends he had growing up as a kid. “They still have the same relationship and are his closest circle. “Of course he has newer celebrity mates but the ones he’s happiest around are the kids he grew up with. “They’d tell you he’s a loyal, great bloke. They’ve been with him since the beginning and are happy for him.

“He likes to keep loyal people close. “He did the nicest thing to me once where he took my camera and instead got Eddie Hearn his promoter to take a shot of us together. I’m not used to being in front of the lens.

“He likes to do normal things. Years ago when he was just starting out I drove him back from a fight in Sheffield.

“I dropped him at his mum’s, a normal block of flats in Golders Green, London, and a group of little kids all ran out to see him. I watched him play with them and give them all his time. He’s not lost that ability to be approachable like that.”

Lawrence hopes AJ’s fairytale rise to the top will have a happy ending, adding: “I always worry about my fighters and their health.

“But with AJ you know that he’s worked as hard as is humanly possible and is always totally professional in every way. If it’s possible to be perfect in your job, he is.

“He has done his usual 12-week training camp, the same routine with the trainer, just mixing up some of his sessions to keep it interesting. He’s sparred well this time round.

“I’d love to see him keep fighting and retire when he reaches the top like Lennox and leave with no regrets.

“This is the hardest, most dangerous sport there is. For him to be able to achieve his dreams and retire on his own terms would be the perfect end to his incredible story.”